Jeep Commander

explorerx4 · November 2005

back from another long weekend. total mileage, over 900 (central ct to wahington dc area and back). wish i had at least seen a commander. maybe they are all offroading.

had a payload of 7 passengers several times, 4 adults, 2 teenagers, one little guy still in a car seat. didn't hear any complaints, other than my driving.

my '02 explorer loves 125kmph, even at 51k miles.
the commander is a fine vehicle, just buy it for the right reasons. to me, carrying passengers in not one of them.

blkhemi · November 2005

no matter how touchy posters get, the Commander is a great vehicle. I can quote articles from mags and Edmunds all day, but in actuallity, having owned Jeep products for the last 30 years, I know my stuff, and the Commander and JGC are the most capable Jeeps on and off road ever.

I'm glad to hear that there are Explorer buyers enjoying their vehicle because all are not, regardless to what one poster (thusrtonp???) wrote(read a little harder on the Explorer forums) Jeep is not exempt as is no automaker. I made reference to the Explorer because the original poster bragged about how superior it is to the Commander. WHATEVER!

As for me having testing 100's of cars, I tested all of the Commander's competetion from a $22,000 Kia Sorento to a $60,000 VW Toureag V-10 TDI.

I wasn't using Car and Driver to dredge up the Explorer or anything of nature. I was simply stating that if a story is told then it needs to be told right. The Commander is so bad yet it manages to beat the best-selling SUV in America, according to one of the top 5 American auto mags, no matter how bad they didn't like either(excuses excuses).

Rooskie and thusrtonp, have you even driven the Commander? I would think not seeing how things are getting so personal. SO until you've gotten behind the wheel, I'd hold all comments with restraint.

ExplorerX4, hope you didn't have Firestones or have the cruise set while you were"loving 125kmph??". I'd love to know how you were going so fast when the Explorer is governed at 98mph? Interesting

So if everyone is over their pity party, please only post the likes and dislikes of the Commander and please not any more mag or article quotes.

gearjammer62 · November 2005

ExplorerX4, hope you didn't have Firestones or have the cruise set while you were"loving 125kmph??". I'd love to know how you were going so fast when the Explorer is governed at 98mph? Interesting

For your information, 125kmph converts to 75 mph.

That's how.

Let us know if you need more help with your math! :P

rooskie · November 2005

"So if everyone is over their pity party, please only post the likes and dislikes of the Commander and please not any more mag or article quotes."

That's rich! Now some self-proclaimed forum-board censor is telling others what they should and should not post and what sources they should or should not use!

By all means, let's not cloud our discussions with facts or opinions from credible, recognized, professional sources ! They might actually say something bad about the Commander and Herr Hemi can't take it!

Unless I am in some violation of the Edmund's Forum User's Agreement, which I am sure our host will notify me of immediately, I will post whatever opinions, statements and facts from any source I wish to.

Deal with it.

Now, about that kiddie-sized 3rd row seat, poor mpg and truck-like ride......

blkhemi · November 2005

Well I'll help you with your English in the mean time. It can't be kmph. It has to be either kilometers per hour/ or mile per hour.

stever · November 2005

Nope - KiloMeters Per Hour works fine - KMPH. Unless you prefer Kilometres per hour. :-)

Wikipedia

Steve, Host

blkhemi · November 2005

You are free to post all of the slanted and opinionated views you wish, however , what makes a person such a professional and moreover so knowledgeable about the Commander? Ahh....Didn't think so.

"Now, about that kiddie-sized 3rd row seat, poor mpg and truck-like ride........"?

You just descibed 95% of all SUV's. Nice try pal, try again

So you deal with it.

P.S.- Still wanting to know if you've even driven the Commander, better yet even sat in one? I would surely hope so because if not then that would make a person one of the most contradictory and bias people ever.

Oh, and yeah, my particular HEMI can take it.

blkhemi · November 2005

I'm just refering to what is printed in black and white on the speedometer(K/PH) of cars and most dictionaries.:)

tidester · November 2005

125 km/hr translates to something closer to 78 mph.

I think these forums are great because everyone gets to express their own opinion freely (within the guidelines, of course!) and debate issues in friendly, noncombative and measured tones without provocation. Anyone disagree? :shades:

tidester, host

blkhemi · November 2005

I thought it to be a closer 78 mph. I thought my math skills were rusty- oh well guess one of the posters owe me an apology.

So lets unJAM those GEARS and get some math and English lessons going.

P.S.- I agree with you in that the forums are a great way for people to express themselves in a clean , unprovocative manner, no matter how far from the truth they may be.

rooskie · November 2005

Nope - KiloMeters Per Hour works fine - KMPH. Unless you prefer Kilometres per hour.

Thank you!

And to convert kmph to mph according my handy owner's manual, multiply the kmph x6, then drop the last number after the answer.

So, if the other guy said he was doing 125 kmph, that would be 125 x 6 =750, or 75 mph.

So, no apology due to Hemi, he was wrong, again.

Anyway, that makes the comment about the Explorer being governed at 98 mph irrelevant. The Explorer speed was 125 kmph, not mph, and 23 mph below the governed speed, which Hemi also failed to acknowledge.

But let's not let the facts get in the way! We'll ignore them and move on to even more ignoring of the facts and attempted censoring of the dissenters!

tidester · November 2005

I'll still help with your English lessons tho.

Well, gollee! What ya go an' say that fer?

no matter how far from the truth they may be.

HUMOR ALERT: He's JOKING guys!

tidester, host

blkhemi · November 2005

Ahh, there there, don't get your undies in a bunch.

You might want to ditch that owners manual because obviously "the reader who believes in it" and the people who wrote it went to the same school( must've been one of those No Child Left Behind schools, altho a few did apparently). It still comes out to 78 m.p.h.

I just didn't want to censor or not acknowledge the truth.
Facts are facts.

The guy made driving at 125 kmph seem like a speed record for SUV's, so that's why I stated whether he meant mph kp/h, just for the censorship.

melvinp · November 2005

About my Commander Limited:

Pros:
- Evil, upclass, g-wagon type styling.
- Awesome ride and comfort.
- Not your average JGC/Tahoe/Yukon/Explorer/Trailblazer
- Great handeling (Dry / Rain / Snow / Off-road)
- Quiet Cabin
- After 1000 mile (multi-sate)roundtrip and some round-the-town driving I've only seen one!
- Power
- Plush interior, nicer than my 5-series

Cons:
- Gas mileage
- Payments (but that's with any vehicle)

Drive on!

thusrtonp · November 2005

I went back and read the guys post. He wrote - quote - "my '02 explorer loves 125kmph, even at 51k miles"

Where do you get that makes him sound like he's trying to set a speed record? All he said was his car loves 128kmph. Which isn't all that fast.

Why would he think he's trying to set a speed record drving under 80 mph?? He didn't say that - you did.

And you didn't ask for clarification on the kmph vs. mph. That had to be pointed out to you, as you incorrectly assumed he was travelling above the governed speed -and you were wrong.

This is what you said..."ExplorerX4, hope you didn't have Firestones or have the cruise set while you were"loving 125kmph??". I'd love to know how you were going so fast when the Explorer is governed at 98mph? Interesting

He wasn't going over the governed speed, as everyone else on this board except you figured out! That had to be pointed out to you!

rooskie · November 2005

Looks like Jeep had to slap incentives on the Commander last weekend to get them to move - $500 cash, +$1,000 bonus cash, plus 2 years worth of gas+ 2 years scheduled maintenance.

I've seen 2 of the "shoeboxes-on-wheels" in front of the local Jeep dealer last week - thought they'd sell over the holiday weekend, but they were still sitting there this morning with "Free Gas" painted on the windshield. Not too much demand for a 13 mpg (not kmpg - there is a difference!) gas hog these days.

Wait a couple of months - you'll be seeing these go for $10-12k off sticker -easy.

blkhemi · November 2005

Not exactly. kmph can be used but most use kp/h. Just thought I'd point that out to you, and everyone else on the board.

blkhemi · November 2005

And yet my question goes un-answered: Have you driven the Commander? Probably not. That figures as most people who have presumptions of something haven't a clue what they're talking about.

Incentives: If memory serves me correctly, Ford kicked off the free maintenance, gas for 2 years and huge incentives(up to $5k) on it's vehicles.

I don't have to wait a couple of months for a $10K-$12K slash in the sticker on a Explorer Limited. I got quoted a SUV that originally cost $43.5K for $29.7K. Oh, now I see how it's the number one selling SUV because they practically give them away. No thanks. I'll take my gas guzzling HEMI Commander any day over a flippin' over, tire blowin', fire settin' Explorer any day and still have some sort of resale value left after 5 years. Next cryout--urr, post please.:P

blkhemi · November 2005

Thanks for your post. I thought I was alone in the fight with the Fordies. I agree with your post, altho @ 17.9 to 18.1 mpg, gas mileage isn't a huge problem for me, especially coming from a Yukon Denali XL with about 11 mpg on a good day (please no kmpg debates, rocket scientists).

Glad to hear you are satisfied with your Commander and that you enjoy your exclusivity like myself.:)

explorerx4 · November 2005

sorry the 'kmph' caused so much confusion.

.
some did manage to figure it out without some tutoring.
the commander is a good vehicle for up to 2 adults and 2 itty-bitty kids in the 2nd row.
the jgc is a better 5 'adult' vehicle, although not the best in class.

rooskie · November 2005

Jeep appears to have a lot of experience with exploding SUV's:

Sourced from: Detroit Free Press & Reuters
Jeep Recalls 1.1M SUVs After Reported Fires; Brings Chrysler Recall Total To 3.3M In Last 4-Months

1. Chrysler GP recalls 1.1M SUVs built between 1999-2002
2. Problem w/ 1999 design change that created air current could lead to debris accumulating in engine compartment and causing fire
3. 2nd major Jeep recall in last 6-months Jeep recalled 120,000 Liberty SUVs last Dec due to air bag problem
4. 1.6M Jeep Grand Cherokees recalled in Feb for rolling out of "park"
5. Chrysler recalled ~ 3.3M vehicles in past 4-months; more than expected total US sales this year
6. JD Power says ~ 20% consumers worry about Chrysler reliability, ~25% reject Dodge & Jeep vehicles.

Enjoy your exclusivity!

thusrtonp · November 2005

"I've seen 2 of the "shoeboxes-on-wheels" in front of the local Jeep dealer last week"

LOL! I just looked at the MT write-up on the Commander and the opening line is "The Commander is truly the box the Grand Cherokee came in".

It does look like someting Volvo designed - back in the 80's.

blkhemi · November 2005

You can't be serious. To amount these recalls to 1 vehicle(not company) that has had 40+ recalls and TSB's and counting while only being in it's 4th year in it's life cycle goes to show how far one would go.

Hey, here are more realistic figures:

198 deaths between 1996 and 2001 related to tire failure
217 deaths related to fire sparking from engine bay or cruise control modules and the list goes on and on

I'm glad that DC elects to recall their vehicle's and not subject one to serious and fatal injury.

Reliability: According to one of our "professional" sources(J.D. Powers and Ward's, the Jeep ranks higher than the Ford and Chevy/GMC SUV's for inital quality and long term durability.
I guess there are only so many times you can Fix Or Repair Daily.:P

P.S.- I'd rather be exclusive than to have to wait several days at the service dept. for an oil change because there are to many vehicles in for warranty claims.

explorerx4 · November 2005

when only a low number of vehicles are sold, recalls only affect a small number.
regarding tires failures. who paid who?
jeep is the original poster child for rollovers.
that being said, it is a bad thing that anyone would suffer due to either bad component design or construction, especially if due to 'penny pinching'.

explorerx4 · November 2005

jgc may be a 'top 5', but how about the commander?
static rollover tests are bogus. it is made up formula.
jeep never paid a settlement in a rollover case?
point is, 'stone paid ford when it is said and done.
i am not making any excuses for any manufacturer, including ford, that makes a decision to compromise safety to save a few bucks. it just becomes more obvious when a large number of vehicles are sold. there are a ton of variables.

blkhemi · November 2005

The Commander has only been out for 21/2 months, so it's hard to tell where it stands.

And yes,Jeep had paid aplenty of rollover law suits. Who do you think was responsible for putting the rollover picture warnings in SUV's? Yep. And other truck makers followed suit to exempt them of fault.

marsha7 · November 2005

looks of the Commander, I am surprised that I have yet to see even ONE on the roadways...I believe I am familiar with the boxy look of it (hey, it is what attracted me in the first place), but I have not seen one yet...I am surprised... :confuse: :confuse:

mark156 · November 2005

Bob, I'm in agreement with you, I have not seen a Commander driving in California yet! I was just on a 1,000 round trip that took me up to San Francisco on the I-5, which is a very busy freeway, and no Commander that I could see.

I like the Commander as it is one of my choices between the Volvo XC90 and Land Rover LR3. After going to the San Francisco International Auto Show this weekend, the Land Rover is popping to the top. Mainly, it's because of the additional room in the third seat and a couple of other options that I like (heated windshield, 2nd row heated seats and front parking sensors).

I'm going to try and test drive one next week when I get back to my home town. I start my 1,800 mile (one way) drive tomorrow and should be home by Saturday or Sunday depending on how long I want to drive each day.

Hopefully, I'll get to the Jeep Commander motoring down the road!

Mark

stever · November 2005

In case you missed it, there's some footage of the '06 Commander Limited in the Full Test (Inside Line)

Steve, Host

clarkkent · November 2005

I have just been reading about the Commander Vs Honda 4X4/'s.

You can't post on it so I'm doing it here.

The Honda guys says "How many people who own Commanders will take them off road" Who knows? BUT THEY CAN!!!

Try to take a Honda off road or into 12 " of snow and you will be there all week!

I have had 10 Jeeps and 1 (one) Honda. I SPENT MORE REPAIR THE ONE HONDA AS I HAVE ON ALL THE JEEPS I'VE HAD FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS!! HONEST TO GOD TRUTH!

I have never had a problem with a Jeep engine, transfer case or trans. EVER!

The only Honda I had lost it's Motor, Tran, in the first 50,000 miles! (and damn near everything else went wrong with it too!)

So much for Hondas. :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:

mark156 · November 2005

Everybody knows that Jeeps are better than Honda's... you silly man... you should have never bough a Honda.... LOL!

Mark

blkhemi · November 2005

Thanks for your post, as a lot of people posting on this Commander forum thought I was a lunatic.

Most SUV's that I've bought in the last 35 years have been Jeep products. They've never left me stranded anywhere (twice one did, but that was my fault). Nothing more than routine maintenance to make them fire up every time.

I made the embarrasing decision of purchasing a brand spankin' new 1999 4-Runner Limited 4X4 because the wife thought that it looked good(go figure). The following is what I experienced during brief ownership:

Steering rack replacement(twice)
rear-end and hub assemblies
tranny failures(twice)
engine sludge problems(most late Toyota V6's during that time)
engine pinging, despite premium fuel
engine piston slap, resulting in total top engine rebuild
power seat failures
power mirror failures
irratic alram system
rear glass breaking in tailgate(it was a power tailgate window, worst design ever)
radio shorting out(twice
2 alternators, 1 battery
ALL BEFORE 32,000 MILES!!!! And this is supposed be a Toyota?

I bought the vehicle mainly to see what all the hype was about over Toyota's reliablility and build quality. HMM.. Lets see what I had to do on my 2000 JGC LTD V-8 Quadra-Drive that I tossed the Toyota for:

2 Urethane bushings for rear-suspension(recall)
ECM reflash upgrade(recall)
two seat heaters(Jeep made a poor design that was later rectified with upgraded ones)
BRAKES-The major source of problems on all 99-04 JGC due to the caliper design. Aftermarket calipers and cross-drilled/slotted rotors on all four wheels and no problems since.
The JGC has 128,000 miles on it now. I gave it to my son to go back and foward to UC-Berkeley from Newport Beach Cali., and I got to tell you, if he can't break it, no one can.

My Commander is serving very well, better than all of my previous Jeeps. It has roughly 11.5K miles on it having just drove from Denver and back to SoCal. It remains as sturdy and squeak free as the day I bought it. And it proves to be very dynamic in gusty winds and high speed curves despite the striking blocky shape.

P.S.- take it from me, not everyone has great experinces with Honda, Toyota, or Nissan, despite their supposed stellar reliablility and quality. Example:

My sister's MDX has been to the Acura dealership 5 times for the engine dying out and 3 times for the tranny slipping out of gear. A vehicle that has only 18K miles on it is in no way made of good quality when things like this occurs, especially one that has it's company's rep sitting entirely on it's 4 legs. Needless to say she's selling the MDX back to Acura to pick up a Commander LTD HEMI 4X4 Friday.

blkhemi · December 2005

.... other than my own. I was driving home to Balboa Estates (California), and as I was driving down the road, here comes a shiny bright red Commander driving down the road. We both hit brakes like we knew each other and pulled over to chat. The guy who had just purchased the Commander today told me that he was just like the rest of us and hasn't seen any of them on the road.

He said that he traded in his LR Disco II in on it. After paying about $7k in maintenance costs, he said that he'll never go British again.

He got one heck of a deal on it: Commander LTD HEMI 4X4 with Nav, Rear DVD, chrome wheels, splash guards, paint protection, tinted front glass, and Satellite TV, the sticker was about $46.5K. However after wheelin' and dealin' with the sales manager he got it at a steal for $35k plus Cali taxes and registration.

seansjeep · December 2005

The Commander. I can remember when I fist discoverd it some time ago. I was so excited to see that it was like the Cherokee broght back to life! I own a 1998 Cherokee Sport and I have loved it from day one. (bought used) Seeing the Commander reminds me of the Cherokee every time I see it and it gave me hope that Jeep had finally seen that the Tug-boatin'Grand and the mommy driven Liberty would still be oversold if they still produced the Off Road No muckin around Cherokee! Sure the ride may not be quiet or luxurious, but if you're looking for refinements get an impala. Jeeps are for getting muddy and that's the end of it! I don't think I'd be able to drive a Commander off road...I'd be worried about scratches...They need to boot some refinements add stock locking diffs, get rid of the Hemi, build an inline six with a turbocharger and GO MUDDIN! woot! But I'm a poor working class man and can't afford luxuries...so I'm really just jealous that I'll never have a Commander. Unless I win the lottery...then I'll get one. But I think I'd still find myself attached to my Cherokee...it's in my blood.

reholmes · December 2005

Anyone know of REC Navigation/Radio (Alpine) third party software? I have the REC in a WK (Hemi), both the car and the nav are pretty neat; however, I would like it to do more, like being able to enter coordinates as a destination/waypoint.

clarkkent · December 2005

I get a kick out of all the talk about what a Ford Exp or the Jeep Commander will Tow. I don't care what the ANY Ford Exp will tow (AND NEITHER DOES U-HAUL) because U-Hall Will not let any of their trailers (ANY SIZE) be towed by (ANY) Ford Exp. :sick: Enough said!

robbase1 · December 2005

That's a tremendous deal. Do you know which dealership he got that deal from? any other details?

blkhemi · December 2005

Hey Superman, would you save the world in the Explorer if your life depended on it? Ah, probably not. I say this because I counted 4 Explorers exploring the ditches on the shoulders of the L.I.E. here in Long Island due to the snow were getting, yet my smallish 3rd row seat was big enough to take the less fortunate to a warmer and safe place while my gas-guzzling HEMI had enough grunt to pull the vehicles free. Oh, yeah the Explorers were all Control-Trac 4WD( can't find too many 2WD SUV's in these neck of the woods)

The Exploder(lol) can only wish to compete with the Commander. It is a good SUV but it can't match the Commander in any category, no matter what they say about it's kiddy back seat. The Explorer's is just as tight. U-Haul knows what's best for their company not to let their trailers go on Exploders.

P.S.- Hopefully my kiddy 3rd row seat is big enough when I rescue the less-equipped drivers this winter.:):D

blkhemi · December 2005

I believe he said he got it at a dealer in Las Vegas. No other details to list except to say his ride was really nice, albeit not nicer than mine.:P

tidester · December 2005

I say this because I counted 4 Explorers exploring the ditches on the shoulders of the L.I.E. here in Long Island due to the snow were getting, yet my smallish 3rd row seat was big enough to take the less fortunate to a warmer and safe place while my gas-guzzling HEMI had enough grunt to pull the vehicles free.

Your sample may be biased if relatively more SUVs (and Commanders) than sedans take to the road during inclement conditions and Explorers are popular on LI. Besides, your sample of 1 rescue team to save the day is, with all due respect, not statistically signficant!

tidester, host

mark156 · December 2005

Clarkkent, are you serious that U-Haul will not put a trailer on an Explorer? I've never heard of that and what's the big deal? It can't pull a trailer without tumping over? This is hard to believe.

On another note... I decided against the purchase of a Jeep Commander after one FULL month of comparing the Jeep, Volvo XC90 and Land Rover LR3. I went to the San Francisco International Auto Show over Thanksgiving weekend to check out all three vehicles and the Land Rover just fit my needs the best.

So, I've verbally agreed yesterday with my local Land Rover dealer to pick up a 2006 Land Rover LR3 HSE, black with tan leather, fully loaded.

Also, on my 1,800 mile drive from California to Tennessee last week, I still have not seen a Jeep Commander on the road and I've made a strong effort to notice. I still like the Commander and hope to see them all over. I think Jeep makes a great looking product as I've had two in the past.

Happy Motoring to all no matter what you drive! :shades:

Mark156

stever · December 2005

It's true, U-Haul won't rent you a trailer if you pull up in an Explorer. link

What's funny though, they'll rent to drivers of the identical twin, Mercury Mountaineer, all day long. Go figure.

Apparently it's not a safety issue but a litigation one (Mercury owners don't use lawyers?).

Steve, Host

blkhemi · December 2005

Not statistically significant? Statistics or not, I was glad that I could help stranded motorist out and get them out of freezing cold temps and blizzard like conditions.

That's more significant than statistics.:P

youngturk · December 2005

Anyone know the 0-60 time of the Commander with the HEMI?

YoungTurk

marsha7 · December 2005

I finally saw my first Commander today...so, from that sample, I can now conclude that Jeep is producing the Commander...

:shades:

blkhemi · December 2005

Estimates have the Commander HEMI 4X4 going 0-60 in 7.1-8.0 seconds. My Commander when new accelerated from 0-60 in 6.8 seconds and now with all of the add ons it gets it done in 5.7 sec and it added about 300 extra pounds of towing capacity. It all depends on outdoor conditions when doing a speed test. Too hot ot too cold temps dramatically affect the outcome.

tidester · December 2005

I was just kidding, of course, but I do applaud you for your deeds!

tidester, host

youngturk · December 2005

5.7 is actually quite respectable. My 2005 911 Carrera Cab, for instance. is 5.0. Impressive indeed.

Thanks blkhemi,

YoungTurk

kcj310 · December 2005

I'm sold on the Commander. I want to own one before Christmas. I'm ready to start negotiating. Problem is, I'm really bad at it. In fact, I'm pretty much a mark walking in the door. Hopefully admitting it is the first step to recovery. Can anybody tell me what they think I should pay for:

-Limited
-4x2
-4.7, not Hemi
-All the chrome, including the tire upgrade
-All the other bells and whistles (NAV, etc), except maybe the rear DVD stuff
-In Los Angeles

From what I've seen on the lots, the MSRP for what I'm asking is about $40k. What should I really pay for that? I know they'll confuse me with the value of the Freedom Plan free gas thingy and the current rebates, etc. And not to be picky, but if you could tell me if your estimate is before or after tax/title/license and distinguish between words like MSRP and dealer invoice that would really help. If you can walk me thru this you'll be my new best friend.

stever · December 2005

Here's some links for you to browse while waiting on responses in here:

Confessions of a Car Salesman

10 Steps to Buying a New Car

Financial Calculator Suite

The FAQ will have definitions like MSRP and invoice.

Steve, Host

Jeep Commander

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