The Demo Site

Don’t let the badge mislead you; the Jeep Commander commands its brand only in name. It is among the youngest nameplates in the Jeep lineup, and its sales figures command little more than an exasperated groan. From their 2006 high of over 88,000, yearly sales fell to just 28,000 in 2008.

Like the disaster that beset another beleaguered commander, General George Custer, at Little Big Horn, what happened to the Jeep’s sales is well chronicled: the price of gas bloated, killing demand for SUVs; and then the value of everything else imploded, killing demand for cars of all types. You can still get a Jeep Commander with the Hemi V-8, but the responsible choice—as far as seven-passenger, V-8–powered SUVs are concerned in a gasping economy—is the smaller 4.7-liter V-8. Oh, wait. The Hemi is only $820 and gets better fuel economy? Never mind. (There is a V-6, but just because you have rope and are near train tracks doesn’t mean you have to tie yourself to them and wait for the 10:15.)

Getting By With Less, But Not Getting By Very Quickly

The 4.7-liter forfeits 52 hp and 55 lb-ft of torque to the updated Hemi, and we wondered if we would miss them. Could Custer have used a few more soldiers that fateful day? Well, he couldn’t have beenless successful with a couple extra regiments. Zero to 60 mph took 8.0 seconds, with the quarter-mile passing in 16.2 at 85 mph; both figures lag behind all but the slowest entrants in our last three-row-crossover comparo.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon

PRICE AS TESTED: $46,635 (base price: $41,505)

ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 16-valve V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 287 cu in, 4701cc
Power (SAE net): 305 bhp @ 5650 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 334 lb-ft @ 3950 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 5-speed automatic with manumatic shifting

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 109.5 in Length: 188.5 in Width: 74.8 in Height: 72.1 in
Curb weight: 5199 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 8.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 23.9 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 8.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.2 sec @ 85 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 111 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 205 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.74 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 13/18 mpg
C/D observed: 14 mpg