2007 Jeep Commander

Change of Command

The luxury version of the retro-styled Jeep Commander SUV is called the Jeep Commander Overland.

After literally inventing the civilian SUV, it seems counterintuitive that the Jeep brand has to play catch-up with the rest of the market, but that appears to be the case with the Jeep Commander SUV.

While Jeep stood pat with the Grand Cherokee, the brand found itself lagging in the new millennium, since it had no answer for competing seven-passenger models, or for car-like crossover models. Starting with the 2006 model year, the Jeep Commander has been assigned to fill the seven-passenger gap. Other new models, the Jeep Compass and the Jeep Patriot, are aimed at the crossover hole in the lineup.

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Essentially, the Jeep Commander is a Grand Cherokee that’s been stretched by just two inches. Rather than just add a third-row seat to the Grand Cherokee, however, Jeep created the Commander as an entirely new vehicle, to accommodate the two extra passengers.

With its sharp-edged lines, an upright windshield, bold front grille and overall boxiness, the Commander was designed to pay homage to classic Jeeps. In truth, it looks a lot like the long-running Cherokee, which was only recently supplanted by the current Liberty. The Commander has a stepped roofline, which increases headroom.

In addition to the 5.7-liter V8 engine and Quadra-Drive II four-wheel drive, the top Overland trim and equipment package offers a unique exterior treatment with bigger, platinum-clad aluminum wheels, and a leather- and wood-trimmed interior. Additional features include a rearview backup camera, a power-operated liftgate, a hands-free adapter for cell phones and a navigation system. At the opposite end of the line, the base version is called the Jeep Commander Sport.

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Four adults can ride in comfort, five in a pinch, with easy access. Only smaller children will want to ride in (or be able to climb easily back into) the Commander’s third-row seat.

Inside, the Commander sports a two-tone instrument panel that features large, round gauges and unique steering-wheel and shifter-knob designs. Both the second- and third-row seats can fold forward to form a flat surface. The top Limited model includes a conventional sunroof and twin skylights over the second row of seats, replete with sunshades.

An important safety feature unique to the Jeep Commander is its electronic roll mitigation. The system uses multiple sensors to selectively deploy optional side-curtain airbags in both single-vehicle rollover collisions and side-impact crashes.

Other significant safety features include the standard Electronic Stability Program, traction control and antilock brakes, all of which work together to maintain traction in varying conditions. No less than three full-time four-wheel-drive systems are offered in addition to rear-wheel drive.

Jeep Commander Vehicle Summary

The Jeep Commander is mechanically similar to the Grand Cherokee. The base model comes standard with a tepid, 3.7-liter V6. A passable, 4.8-liter V8 is optional on the base model and standard on the Limited version. This V8 powerplant can be optionally specified in a flex-fuel configuration to run on either gasoline or E85 ethanol, a mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. However, there are very few stations where consumers can fill up with ethanol. A potent, 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is included with the Overland variant, or optional on Limited models. It has “displacement on demand,” which deactivates half of the cylinders in less-demanding driving situations to help boost fuel economy.

All three engines are mated to five-speed automatic transmissions that include manual shift capability. Base models tow up to 3,500 pounds. Commanders with the mid-level V8 can tow 6,500 pounds. and Hemi-equipped models can tow a substantial 7,200 pounds.

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The Jeep Commander rides on a suspension system like that of the Grand Cherokee: independent setup in the front and a live axle and five-link suspension in the rear. While this is far and away the most modern suspension setup in Jeep history, it still offers a truck-like ride and handling, which means it’s less comfortable and stable on pavement than a car.

In the Jeep tradition, the Commander is designed to handle serious off-road use, even though most owners will never, or rarely, use the vehicle in this way. It has nearly nine inches of ground clearance and front and rear overhangs designed to allow the Commander to climb and descend steep grades.

Front side and side-curtain airbags are standard. Notable options for the otherwise well-equipped Commander include rain-sensing wipers, SmartBeam adaptive headlamps, heated power seats, a tire-pressure monitoring system, navigation system, wireless hands-free cell phone communication system and an upgraded stereo with satellite radio; most are bundled in various options packages.