2006 Jeep Commander

The Chrysler Group's Jeep division now sports an offering with three rows of seats.

The 2006 Commander is now the largest vehicle found in Jeep's sport utility exclusive lineup. It's based on the underpinnings of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, although Commander is two inches longer than the Grand Cherokee with a roof raised three inches higher. Commander is built at Chrysler Group's Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit along side the Grand Cherokee. Commander began arriving in limited quantities to dealers in early August and now is getting up to full speed.

Larger SUVs with three rows of seats have become a popular substitute for minivans throughout greater suburbia. While family-friendly minivans accommodate several passengers and their 'stuff,' sometimes they're perceived as lacking style or status. While coming late to the third-row SUV party, Jeep feels it was worth the wait. Like all Jeep products, Commander is designed for off-road adventures as well as on-road travel.

"We've got 100,000 on the ground now," according to Tom Bennett, Grand Cherokee and Commander Branch Manager who was the guest speaker at the Midwest Automotive Media Association September lunch in Chicago earlier this month. "The Commander has independent front suspension and three engine selections available."

Those engine selections include one V-6 varient and two V-8s. The single overhead cam 3.7-liter V-6 generates 210 horsepower while a 4.7-liter SOHC V-8 promises 230 horses. Commander also offers Chrysler's much talked about 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 delivering 330 horsepower and featuring Chrysler's Multi-displacement System (MDS) which deactivates four of the cylinders (in as little as 40 milliseconds) when cruising at highway speeds, helping boost fuel economy estimates to 13 m.p.g. city and 18 m.p.g. highway.

The four-door Commander sports a retro body design featuring an upright windshield with Jeeps familiar seven-slot vertical grille. It's flanked by vertically-arranged headlamps. Tail lamps in back are also arranged up-and-down. Wheel wells along the sides are trapezoidal in nature. The rear hatch, hinged at the top opens up from the bottom as one unit. For quick trips to the cargo area, the back window also opens independently when needed. The rear bumper serves as a step up to the roof rack area when stowing items there.

Inside, Commander's second row of seating includes a 40/20/40 split. Maneuvering into the third row is made easier by second row seat backs that fold flat onto seat cushions via a lever on the seat cushion's side. This same lever is used to tumble both the seat and its back forward leaving a small isle and floor way to the third row, which is best left for the pre-teen set. Commander's design includes theater-type seating where the third-row is a pinch higher than the second. The 50/50 split third-row seat backs fold up and back down from the cargo area via pull straps on each side.When prone, seatbacks glide into a side latch that unhooks via a lever. When not in use, the third-row seatbacks also fold flat for enhanced cargo room. Cloth seats come standard in the base model while premium leather adorns seats of Limited models.

Two Commander trim levels are available: Base and Limited. Both are available in rear-wheel-drive 4 x 2 and 4 x 4 editions. A base 4 x 2 starts at $27,985 while 4 x 4 models check in at $29,985. Base editions feature the V-6 engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. A 4 x 2 Limited edition starts at $36,280 while a 4 x 4 edition lists at $38,900. All prices include a $695 destination charge. Limited editions come with the 4.7-liter V-8 (also mated to a five-speed automatic transmission) standard. The HEMI V-8 is optional only in Limited.

Three different 4 x 4 systems are available including full-time, all-wheel drive Quadra-Trac I with no switches or levers to pull. Both Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II have transfer cases with 'low' drive.

Standard equipment includes side curtain air bags covering all three rows, anti-lock brakes, brake assist, air conditioning, compact disc player.