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2006 4x4 of the Year


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Jeep Commander Limited
As judges we're suckers for a great power-to-weight ratio, especially when it's coupled with the traction of four-wheel drive. So it was only natural for us to love the Jeep Commander's 5.7L Hemi engine and rave about Jeep's Quadra Drive II traction system. It's just that even when paired together in the new Commander the two weren't enough to overcome the new body style's shortcomings.

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Though it's hard to see the engine under the plastic covers, all of our judges raved about the Hemi's power. About the only way you could make it feel stronger would be with 3.92 axle gears.

With the best steering in the test, the Commander scored major points in around-town driving, even though it is a tad big. From the cockpit the ride is ultra plush. A few judges thought it might be too cushy. To a certain extent the Commander does wallow on the interstate, but we still awarded it top honors for its smooth, fast, and quiet ability to eat up asphalt.

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In the dirt our judges quickly found out the Commander design leaves off-road domination to the Grand Cherokee that's built on the same platform. During sand and high-speed dirt-road maneuvers the engine promptly overwhelmed the suspension till it was difficult to keep the Jeep pointed where we wanted it to go. The rear suspension does not have enough shock damping so the Commander tends to kick over the rough sand ruts until the rear suspension bottoms out. And for the first time this year all of our judges noticed the vehicle stability programming. Comments ranged from "delete that crap!" to "it saved me more than I'd care to admit."

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When it comes to crawling, the Commander still proves its Jeep roots run deep. It clearly had the best traction control of the group, but the system had to make do with the second worst ground clearance in the test. To keep the Jeep alive, we crept over some obstacles that everything else (except the Grand Vitara) just mauled over. As careful as we were, we still banged up the aluminum rear driveshaft to the point we had to replace it ($425) and we killed both passenger-side tires in the first two days of testing.

We'll leave the final judging of the Commander's exterior styling to you, but it left our judges cold. We think we know where the design studio was going - but it didn't get there! To us it just doesn't look upscale. We certainly don't see it becoming the classic the old Grand Wagoneer developed into. And just for the record, those aren't round headlights!

Likes
-Best interior to get stuck in
-Incredible traction control system
-Amazing hillclimber

Dislikes
-Vehicle feels fragile; each bump hurts the wallet
-Second worst ground clearance of test
-Lousy shocks

Verdict
Only kids who don't know any better will ride in the third-row seat

Specifications  
General  
Manufacturer Jeep
Model Commander Limited
Base Price $38,205
Price as Tested $43,310
Options as Tested Inferno Red Crystal Pearl Coat paint, Customer Preferred Package 25H (Trailer Tow Group IV), Off Road Group II (skidplate group, tow hooks), saddle-brown seats, 5.7L Hemi multi-displacement engine, Quadra Drive 4WD system, electronic limited slips front and rear, engine block heater, six-CD/map GPS display navigation radio, 17x7.5 aluminum wheels
Engine  
Type OHV Hemi V-8
Displacement (liters/cubic inches) 5.7 / 345
Bore & Stroke (inches) 3.92 x 3.58
Compression Ratio 9.6:1
Induction Type Sequential, multiport fuel injection
Fuel Req. (octane)/Capacity (gal.) 89(recommended), 87 (acceptable) / 22
SAE Peak Horsepower 330 @ 5,000 rpm
SAE Peak Torque (lb-ft) 375 @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission  
Type Five-speed automatic overdrive
Model 545RFE
Ratios  
First: 3.00:1
Second: 1.67:1 (upshift); 1.50:1 (kickdown)
Third: 1.00:1
Fourth: 0.75:1
Fifth: 0.67:1
Reverse: 3.00:1
Transfer Case  
Type Two-speed, full time
Model NVG 245
Low-range Ratio 2.72:1
Axles  
Front Type IFS AAM 790 with electronic limited slip/locker
Rear Type AAM 830 with electronic limited slip/locker
Hubs N/A
Ratio 3.73:1
Suspension  
Front Short/long arm with coil springs
Rear Live axle, four-link with track bar and coil springs
Steering  
Type Power rack-and-pinion
Turns Lock-to-Lock/Ratio 3.125 / 17.41:1 to 15.45:1 at full lock
Turning Radius (feet) 36.7
Wheels  
Size (inches) 17 x 7.5
Material Cast-aluminum
Tires  
Size P245/65R17
Brand Goodyear Fortera HL
Brakes  
Front 12.9-inch discs with ABS
Rear 12.6-inch discs with ABS
60-0 (feet) 152.96
Acceleration  
Standing 1/4-mile (seconds @ mph) 16.82 @ 83.10
Weight (pounds)  
Curb Weight 5,169
Advertised GVWR 6,400
Mileage  
EPA Estimate (city/hwy. mpg) 15 / 19
As Tested (mpg) 11.21
Dimensions (inches)  
Wheelbase 109.5
Overall Length 188.5
Overall Width 89
Overall Height 74.5
Front/Rear Track 62.875 / 62.625
Front/Rear Overhang 33.5 / 44.75
Min. Front Ground Clearance 7.5

Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Quad Cab
Hummer H3 SUV
Jeep Commander Limited
Nissan Xterra Off-Road V-6
Suzuki Grand Vitara
The Scores and Previous Winners
The 2006 4x4 of the Year is ...


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