Jeep Commander as an expo vehicle?

[Power Wagon Family]

Who has done this?
How do they hold up and what do I need to know about these commanders?
I thought I saw online the 3.0 CRD engine was an option but did not see any for sale anywhere?

Just curious if this vehicle should be considered or not. Would be used for mild off road trails and family camping.

I have been looking at a few other vehicles but trying to think outside of the box.

 

[Bob Freda]

I have seen a few very capable Commanders, but I don't think the 3.0 CRD was offered. They have the same frame setup as the WK grand Cherokee and have the Hemi and QD2 drive system as options, plus they have much more interior space.

 

[broken1]

View attachment 267347
I have a Jeep Commander. I roll with my Wife, her two, and my two all the time. It fits though it gets tight if we add a guest. When full of people the roof rack and one of those hitch mounted carriers is necessary for carrying anything more than a couple of knapsacks. I have the Hemi Overland Edition with an OME HD lift. The front and rear lockers and all the electronics more than make up for the lack of flex. It is pretty much everything I could want (besides economy, lol) I've driven it the length of the eastern seaboard with no problems and hundreds of miles of dirt roads and worse. It's heavy and drinks gas like a fish but I couldn't be happier.

That being said I just picked up a 4dr TRDOR Tacoma for more utility and better economy when it is just the two of us.

 

[camodog]

Who has done this?
How do they hold up and what do I need to know about these commanders?
I thought I saw online the 3.0 CRD engine was an option but did not see any for sale anywhere?

Just curious if this vehicle should be considered or not. Would be used for mild off road trails and family camping.

I have been looking at a few other vehicles but trying to think outside of the box.

I too have wondered about the commanders. Would love to hear more about real world expirences and limitations etc.

 

[digitaldelay]

I've always liked Commanders. Here's some AEV Commander action

http://youtu.be/SPFLnJH9MdU

Jason

 

[M35A2]

Prep it as you would any XV and you'll be fine.

 

[hoaxci5]

3.0's were only available in XH's (international version) you can get them in the WK's but they are pretty hard to find. As mentioned WK/XK share just about everything but sheet metal and the third row. I owned a hemi XK for about 2 years, and still stay active with the facebook group/forums. They get brought up every now and then on here, as stated gas mileage is really the worst part.. The best I could get after OME HD lift with 255/75/17 (32") was 17.5mpg - which had the speedo corrected via a flashpaq so the mpg's were accurate based on my gps comparison to the speedo.

If you shop for one you do need to be careful, there are 3 4wd versions. QT1 (I can't remember for sure but I think 10 bolt cover no t handle for shifting into 4lo next to the trans shifter) = AWD (basically) - no 4lo, QT2 (10 bolt rear diff cover) = brake controlled traction control with 4lo, and QD2 (12 bolt rear diff cover + badge by the transfercase shift lever) = eLSD (eaton made) front and rear with 4lo.
Along with 3 motor options, 3.7, 4.7. 5.7 all of which get pretty much the same mpgs from what everyone says online..

Obligatory pictures/videos..
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1891737585334&l=3547494103871393788

 

[kojackJKU]

The commander is an awesome overlanding platform. The aftermarket is not huge, but its there. The extra space over the grand makes it awesome, plus you can't argue with a Hemi as a powertrain. Add some choice parts to it and you got a killer rig.

 

[cobra_4]

No Commander experience, but I have a '11 Liberty and love it. Slowly building it into an Expo rig. Its very capable off road even in stock form and will be much better once I gain some much needed ground clearance. The only downfall, much like the Commander would be is the lack of aftermarket compared to a Wrangler.

 

[Power Wagon Family]

Great responses and I am liking the picture Broken1! Sounds like the Hemi and QD2 4 wheel drive options are the way to go. Would the overland model come with both of these? Would I need to check inside or the rear diff to determine which 4 wheel drive system it has? It would not be a DD so I'm not overly concerned with the MPG but what about the reliability of the 5.7 hemi? Any issues, higher mileage ok on a used one?

Looking forward to hearing more on these!!

 

[tarditi]

From the forums, certain 4x4 systems have issues with lockers, and not all have low range (I've had lots of jeeps and their 4wd/awd system naming and capabilities still perplex me) - this can sort of help, but it's cluttered with marketing hype http://www.jeep.com/en/4x4/

It is certainly an interesting platform, but don't expect a tremendous amount of aftermarket support (there does seem to be a dedicated owner community, though!)

 

[KLT88YJ]

My wife has a commander, they're great! It has enough room for our family of 5 plus our dog.

As far as aftermarket; you have JeepinbyAl.com (custom suspensions, parts and armor), tactical armor group (bumpers) and I believe the other company is steel armadillo.com.

Between those companies, you'll be outfitted.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[camodog]

If anyone with a XK is in the Colorado area, hit me up. Let's do some trail riding this spring. I want to see this truck up close and in action. I am really intrigued.

 

[Bikemobile]

A bit heavier than a grand cherokee. I have a WK and I love it. We looked at a commander when we bought our wk. I loved it and saw the potential the wife did not. Now she drives a durango.......

 

[Dake21]

The jeep commander was a failed attempt to compete with full size SUV. It's big, but the interior is too tight to be usable and the 3rd row is solely for kids and block your rear mirroir entirely. My old CRV felt more roomy than the commander. Too bad because it could have been a good competitor to the suburban and expedition. However. I'm sure its offroad capable, especially with quadra-drive II.