Big Red Jeep

by Randall Hershelman
(Saegertown, Pa)

I have a 2006 Commander Limited 4x4 and love everything but the color and the mileage.

I got a deal on this rig at $13,000 under sticker price in March of 2007 which is why it's not Jeep Green metallic. It's got everything but blue-tooth and rear DVD.

I never had anything with this much gingerbread before and now I'm spoiled, but this is not a "soccer mom vehicle". I use this Jeep for everything, daily driving, occasional offroading (usually during hunting season), family SUV, and towing a 30ft. travel trailer camping.

I've had it stuck three times because of two problems this vehicle had from the factory, not enough ground clearance and non aggressive tires. All three times were offroad during the first Pennsylvania winter I owned it. I fixed the problem with a 2-inch Rough Country lift, Bilstein shocks and struts, Airlift bags for towing and 255x75x17 BF Goodrich MTs. No more problem.

This vehicle was always magical in the snow and ice. My wife had the Town & Country van stuck on the dirt road hill in front of our house and the hill was a solid sheet of ice you could not walk on. After retrieving the van she asked me "Will the Jeep make it?" I answered "Absolutely," and it did without any problem.

The Quadra-Drive 2 with the HEMI is awesome. This rig goes where you point it. I've driven through 2-ft. deep heavy wet snow, through deep sticky mud, crossed ditches, climbed embankments that were steeper than 45 degrees with wheels off the ground, and have the scratches to show for it. I can see Line-X in my future.

I still wish it was a Jeep Green metallic, and not Inferno Red with chrome, but some things I guess you gotta live with.


Larry's Comment: Hey Randall...glad to hear you don't use your Commander only as a "mall-crawler" or commuter. All Jeeps were made to do almost anything and I'm glad you treat yours the way it was meant to be treated.

By the way...nothing wrong with Inferno Red in my humble opinion!