Test Drive—2006 Jeep® Commander

Spacious Digs

The design and engineering folks at DaimlerChrysler are on something of a bigger, bigger, bigger bender of late, evidenced by the up-sizing of the new Dakota pickup, and now the all-new MegaCab Ram and Jeep Commander. And the Commander is definitely bigger when it comes to interior space. Forget for a moment that Jeep is pushing the Commander’s three-row seating capacity as The Big Wonderful. Shoulder, leg and hip room for first- and second-row passengers takes leave from no one, and headroom is phenomenal. Even the tallest among us won’t complain about bouncing the noggin while cruising a bruising trail.

Moving to the three-passenger second row, the seats feature a reclining 40-20-40 split configuration, which is a departure from the conventional 60-40 split. All the way in the back are the third-row seats—a first for Jeep—which split 50-50. Granted, they’ll comfortably accommodate only children or munchkins, but for families that exceed the nuclear average, they’re welcome additions. Back-of-the-bus comfort is enhanced with third-row climate control. And what if your family consists of a spouse and a dog? Not to worry. All that extra space can work for you as well. Both the third- and second-row seat backs fold flat to create a level, spacious cargo floor. In all, 68.9 cubic feet of cargo volume is available with the second- and third-row seats folded.

Aside from all the functional room engineered into the Commander, a couple of other features really stand out. Most notable is the dash panel design. In keeping with the flat, angular styling found throughout the Commander’s exterior treatment, those same design cues carry to the dash panel. The HVAC vents (eight in all) are flush with the panel and feature exposed Allen head bolts similar to the simulated Allen head bolts surrounding the headlamp and taillamp modules. It’s a technical element that blends well with the overall interior design. We also like the fact that the instrument pod is not set into an obscenely recessed housing as so many trucks and SUVs today are want to do.

Another slick feature that’s available is the CommandView skylight, which is packaged with the power sunroof option. Two fixed skylights are positioned over the second-row seats to further “open up” the interior. The sunroof opening is placed significantly forward on the roof which, for enhancing interior visibility, is a great improvement over conventional sunroofs with openings positioned more behind the front-row passengers’ heads.

Muscle—In Three Flavors

To power the Commander, buyers have a choice of three engines. Base is the 3.7L SOHC V6, which delivers 210 hp @ 5,200 rpm and 235 lb-ft torque at 4,000 rpm. Although we did not get to drive a Commander with this engine, given the 4WD base Commander’s 4,783-lb. curb weight, our guess is that few folks would be overly thrilled with this power-to-weight ratio.

For a few more coins the 4.7L SOHC V8 can be yours. This engine is optional on the base Commander and standard on the Limited model. At 235 hp (4,500 rpm) and 305 lb-ft of torque (3,600 rpm), the 4.7L delivers acceptable power for the highway and all you need for the trail. If towing is your game, the 4.7L, when combined with the 3.73:1 axle ratio, is good for a max trailer weight of 6,500 lbs.

The real swinger of the bunch, of course, is the 5.7L Hemi, optional only on the Limited. Output is 330 hp (5,000 rpm) and 375 lb-ft (4,000 rpm). Note that 89 octane is the recommended fuel, although regular unleaded is acceptable—an important consideration given the current trend of escalating gas prices. On another side note, the Hemi engine features the Chrysler Group’s new Multi-Displacement System (MDS)—a feature first introduced on the 2005 Grand Cherokee. MDS allows the engine to switch between eight-cylinder and four-cylinder mode depending on the engine demand. The switch between the two modes is seamless from the driver’s perspective (there’s not even an indicator as to which mode the engine is in), and the company reports that MDS can deliver up to 15 percent gains in fuel economy.

Transmission

As you might expect, transmission options for the Commander are limited—meaning you have none. The 3.7L engine gives you the W5A580 five-speed automatic with overdrive while the 4.7L or 5.7L Hemi delivers the familiar 545RFE five-speed. Both of these offer Electronic Range Select, which is a fancy way of saying you can manually select the gear you wish by toggling the shift lever: left to downshift, right to upshift. If you don’t want to go that route, the “Drive” position takes care of all up- and downshifting for you. The ERS is most useful when towing to better control descent speed or when you need more precise speed control on the trail.

4WD Systems

Two transfer cases and three 4WD systems. Those are your choices for the Commander’s 4x4 driveline. Standard with the base Commander in 4x4 trim is the Quadra-Trac I, which is comprised of the NV140 single-speed transfer case. This is a full-time 4WD system that requires no driver input to engage. As it has no low range ratio, we’re not keen on this one for any real off-road duty.

The other available transfer case is the NV245 two-speed unit, which serves as the foundation for both the Quadra-Trac II (optional with the 3.7L, standard on the 4.7L and 5.7L Hemi) and the Quadra-Drive II systems. Like the NV140, the NV245 is a full-time 4WD system, but it also delivers low-range gearing for improved torque control for low-speed driving (i.e., trail running) with its 2.72:1 ratio.

The key feature of the Quadra-Drive II system is the use of Electronic Limited Slip Differentials. The ELSD system uses electronically controlled clutch packs as opposed to a hydraulically actuated system so that torque transfer to the wheel with the most traction is almost instantaneous. What this means is that wheel slippage prior to torque transfer is practically nil (somewhere around 1/16th wheel revolution). That’s a big step up from the gerotor-style pump used previously, and the end result is a virtually seamless transition between a slip situation and full traction. The ELSD is found in both the front and rear diffs, as well as the center diff, with all input being managed by a central processor. We asked the leading engineer for this system what would happen should the electronic management go south, and he assured us that the vehicle would still be able to limp home. While a full system failure like we posed would be highly unlikely, we’ll leave you to judge the value of that response.

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images courtesy DaimlerChrysler

Specifications

Engine: 3.7-Liter SOHC V6

Availability: Std. Commander

Type: 90-degree V-type

liquid-cooled with balance shaft

Displacement: 226 cu. in./3701 cu. cm

Bore x Stroke: 3.66 x 3.57 (93.0 x 90.8)

Valve System: Chain-driven SOHC,

12 valves/hydraulic end-pivot roller rockers

Fuel Injection: Sequential, multi-port,

electronic, returnless

Construction: Cast-iron block/bedplate,

aluminum alloy heads, balance shaft

Compression Ratio: 9.7:1

Power (estimated SAE net): 210 hp

(157 kW) @ 5,200 rpm (56.7 hp/L)

Torque (estimated SAE net): 235 lb-ft

(319 Nm) @ 4,000 rpm

Max. Engine Speed: 5,800 rpm

(electronically limited)

Oil Capacity: 5.0 qt. (4.7L)

Coolant Capacity: 14.0 qt. (13.25L)

Est. EPA Fuel mpg (City/Hwy): 17/21

Engine: 4.7-Liter SOHC V8

Availability: Std.Limited,

Opt.Commander

Type: 90-degree V-type,

liquid-cooled

Displacement: 287 cu. in. (4701 cu. cm)

Bore x Stroke: 3.66 x 3.41 (93.0 x 86.5)

Valve System: Chain-driven SOHC,

16 valves and hydraulic end-pivot roller rockers

Fuel Injection: Sequential, multi-port,

electronic, returnless

Construction: Cast-iron block/bedplate,

aluminum alloy heads

Compression Ratio: 9.0:1

Power (estimated SAE net): 235 hp

(172 kW) @ 4,500 rpm (50.0 hp/L)

Torque (estimated SAE net): 305 lb-ft

(393 Nm) @ 3,600 rpm

Max. Engine Speed: 6,000 rpm

(electronically limited)

Oil Capacity: 6 qt. (5.7L)

Coolant Capacity: 14.0 qt. (13.25L)

Est. EPA Fuel mpg (City/Hwy): 15/20

Engine: 5.7-Liter Hemi V8

Availability: Opt. Limited

Type: 90-degree V-type,

liquid-cooled

Displacement: 345 cu. in. (5654 cu. cm)

Bore x Stroke: 3.92 x 3.58 (99.5 x 90.9)

Valve System: Pushrod-operated overhead valves,

16 valves, eight deactivating and eight conventional hydraulic lifters, all with roller followers

Fuel Injection: Sequential, multi-port,

electronic, returnless

Construction: Deep-skirt cast-iron block

with cross-bolted main bearing caps, aluminum alloy heads with hemispherical combustion chambers

Compression Ratio: 9.6:1

Power (estimated SAE net): 330 hp

(246 kW) @ 5,000 rpm, (58.3 hp/L)

Torque (estimated SAE Net): 375 lb-ft

(508 Nm) @ 4,000 rpm

Max. Engine Speed: 5,800 rpm

(electronically limited)

Oil Capacity: 7 qt. (6.6L)

Coolant Capacity: 14.5 qt. (13.72L)

Est. EPA Fuel mpg (City/Hwy): 14/19