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Jeep Commander vs. Jeep Grand Cherokee!
2008 Commander
Not that it isn't a pretty nice SUV and all that, but it's...well...another compromise SUV designed to capture some of the family hauling, kid shuffling, people moving market. I thought the Jeep Grand Cherokee served that niche quite well...and it does. However, in the evergrowing SUV automotive marketplace, competitive manufacturers seem to have a compulsion to try and please every consumer's needs and desires..almost to a fault. The Jeep Commander was introduced in 2006. It is built on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee and shares most of the Cherokee's standard and optional features including engines and drive trains. They both have the same wheelbase and track, with the Commander being slightly larger in the exterior.
1984 Jeep Cherokee Chief
The "boxy" look of the old Cherokee is back, but the Commander, and to a lesser degree the Grand Cherokee don't seem to have the same "Jeep" look and feel as the old style Cherokee. There are some significant differences in the Commander and the Grand Cherokee. The Commander has a third back-seat allowing for more people toting (seats 7), while the Cherokee can only haul 5. Being that both vehicles are essentially the same in most all of their respective dimensions, something had to be sacrificed to get those extra two people into the Commander. You guessed it!...Cargo Space. The Commander with a full load of passengers has minimal space available for such things as luggage, groceries, sports equipment, tools, or whatever else someone might want to haul around. However, with the third seat folded down you could still carry up to 5 passengers and have plenty of cargo space. But......then you basically have a Grand Cherokee, at least in functionality. (The second seat can also fold down in both vehicles for more cargo space and again, less people carrying).
2008 Grand Cherokee So, it seems to my little brain that you have a bit more versatility with the Commander than with the Grand Cherokee, because you have a choice between more passenger space and at least equal cargo space. Both come in two-wheel drive or optional 4-wheel drive models (independent front suspension only) with several increasingly more expensive package options available. They are roughly comparable in price all the way from base price to "all-the-bells-and-whistles" price. See more on the Jeep Commander and other Jeeps at the Official Jeep website. My personal rather disinterested view of the Jeep Commander and the Jeep Grand Cherokee is that neither one is exactly my cup of tea...but...who knows?...they might grow on me in time. After all....they're still JEEPS! Watch this 2006 independent video review of the Commander in action!(2 mins. 11 secs.)
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