What do we know about the Jeep Commander?

[Roboturner913]

My aunt has a 2009 Jeep Commander that she wants to get rid of to get something smaller. She has proposed a straight up swap for my wife's '10 Rav4 (one payment left).

On the surface this looks like a good deal to me, the Commander seems to be a substantially larger vehicle and has lots of options like rear A/C, heated seats, etc.

I'd be very happy to get rid of the Rav since I've never liked it, but I don't know anything about the Jeep reliability wise. Would it be more trouble than it's worth? Aunt says it has around 35K miles and has never had a problem of any kind.

[mhjett]

Commander was a total flop for a reason. Sounds like a loosing proposition to me. Trade your car for something older, bigger, uglier, slower, that uses more gas?

[AnAgentOrange]

The Commander is actually an ok vehicle. But you have a Toyota. Why throw away something that's better on gas and will be more reliable?

[2.0T_Convert]

Heart: The Commander has some nice creature comforts. Styling inside is pre-bankruptcy Chrysler crap so no love there but has more power.

Brain: You might as well take money from your bank account and set it on fire as well if you plan on trading the car in sometime soon that Jeep well depreciate more so than the Rav4.

[subgraphic]

My aunt has a 2009 Jeep Commander that she wants to get rid of to get something smaller. She has proposed a straight up swap for my wife's '10 Rav4 (one payment left).

On the surface this looks like a good deal to me, the Commander seems to be a substantially larger vehicle and has lots of options like rear A/C, heated seats, etc.

I'd be very happy to get rid of the Rav since I've never liked it, but I don't know anything about the Jeep reliability wise. Would it be more trouble than it's worth? Aunt says it has around 35K miles and has never had a problem of any kind.

I absolutely love my commander. The v8 moves it along nicely and its been 100% trouble free with 98k on the odometer. For as big as it is, the rear seat leg room is a bit short to accommodate the 3rd row seat. That's about the only negative I can come up with.
When my wife wanted to buy it, I spent hours investigating it and although there are some issues reported, I've seen NONE.

Gas is what it is. It's a HUGE suv. Its won me over to the jeep brand and Im soon to trade in my bmw for a wrangler.

I'd do it

[dieselraver]

1. guzzles gas
2. lots of problems
3. residual?! LOL what's that?!
4. ???
5. dis is Murrica?

don't do it!

[Live-Wire]

2009 Commander value: about twelve dollars, and a half pack of gum
2010 Rav 4 value: about $15k+ used

Don't do the swap... In all reality, the Commander is worth far more then I claim, but it is worth peanuts on the used market compared to your Rav4.

Negatives
-Poor packaging, esp 3rd row
-Fuel consumption
-Was a limited production run vehicle made on a shoestring with lots of different trim parts then the Cherokee. They used the cheapest possible suppliers

Just don't even consider it... please! I never hated them when new, and their interior was actually quite a bit better then most Chrysler products of the Cerberus days, but it isn't worth it. Your Rav4 is the better overall product.

On the surface this looks like a good deal to me, the Commander seems to be a substantially larger vehicle and has lots of options like rear A/C, heated seats, etc.

Chrysler wanted people to think this too! Thanks to poor space utilization it was cramped and annoying.

[bzcat]

As a straight up swap? Does your aunt think you are an idiot?

Tell her to throw in about $8000 cash in the deal. While they are worth about the same right now, they won't be in about 20 months. The residual value of Commander is shall we say, less than commanding. It will depreciate much more rapidly while the RAV4 will hold pretty steady from here on out.

[Roboturner913]

Commander was a total flop for a reason. Sounds like a loosing proposition to me. Trade your car for something older, bigger, uglier, slower, that uses more gas?

Well, what I should've mentioned that we do 2000 mile road trips to see my family about 4 times a year. The Rav is usually packed to the gills already (with a cargo carrier on top), so we are going to need something bigger fairly soon.

Wasn't aware that the Commander was considered a "flop" but that's why I asked.

As for the depreciation element, well, the Rav may be worth X amount to KBB or whatever, but its shortcomings (mainly, size) mean its value is considerably less to my family in real world situations.

We will probably pay it off and keep it for a few months, maybe look around for a good deal on a Pilot or Sequoia.

[Roboturner913]

I absolutely love my commander. The v8 moves it along nicely and its been 100% trouble free with 98k on the odometer. For as big as it is, the rear seat leg room is a bit short to accommodate the 3rd row seat. That's about the only negative I can come up with.
When my wife wanted to buy it, I spent hours investigating it and although there are some issues reported, I've seen NONE.

Gas is what it is. It's a HUGE suv. Its won me over to the jeep brand and Im soon to trade in my bmw for a wrangler.

I'd do it

Good info. Unfortunately I showed my wife a picture of the Jeep and she went "oh hell no". She loves the Rav (no accounting for taste I guess) but it's just not big enough anymore.

[randyvr6]

Why don't you just trade for a week or so, and you can get a better idea if you like the Commander or not.

[Minneapolis]

YOLO

[markus037]

I used to work on these things and they were junk when new. I cant imagine one with nearly 100k on it. if i were you id keep the rav4. its by far more reliable and will get better mpgs .they are prone to water leaks from the sunroof drains but also from the rear window and the windshields on some werent properly bonded from the factory.

the seal for the valve body is prone to leaking and will cause all sorts of shifting issues and codes. also, the TCM on these are a common failure item too and the new part is over $800 since its actually a mercedes part.

also they suffer from various electircal issues and love to warp rotors. these things are pigs on gas and the 3.7 is too underpowered to motivate these things.

[bherman13]

I'd be very happy to get rid of the Rav since I've never liked it,...

I hope I don't thread-jack, but my mom's looking into a used compact SUV and I'm trying to figure out what to tell her about the Rav4. Why did you not like it?

[IridiumB6]

YOLO

What a tool, he lives in the EU, that has most of the cars we usually drool over and he buys that POS

[whitejeep1989]

As a resident Jeep wh0re, I have to attempt to say something nice about the unloved Commander.

I personally think that as a used vehicle the Commander has all sorts of nice possibilities.

I really like them modified for off-road duty (and they are every bit as off-road capable as a Grand Cherokee of the same era, since it's essentially the same vehicle).

This photo is from Jeepforum.com. There is a relatively large group of Commander enthusiasts there.

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f67/





On related note, I'm loving the pictures of the lifted WK Grand Cherokees on the Jeep Forum site. The WK was my least favorite of the JGCs, but now seeing them in modified form my opinion is changing. As related to the Commander, anything that you can do to the Grand Cherokee can be done to the Commander.


Links to more pix of this Jeep:

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f67/w...l#post12570552

[mhjett]

As a resident Jeep wh0re, I have to attempt to say something nice about the unloved Commander.

I personally think that as a used vehicle the Commander has all sorts of nice possibilities.

I really like them modified for off-road duty (and they are every bit as off-road capable as a Grand Cherokee of the same era, since it's essentially the same vehicle).

This photo is from Jeepforum.com. There is a relatively large group of Commander enthusiasts there.

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f67/

[IMG]off-roading[/IMG]

[IMG]mudded-out[/IMG]

On related note, I'm loving the pictures of the lifted WK Grand Cherokees on the Jeep Forum site. The WK was my least favorite of the JGCs, but now seeing them in modified form my opinion is changing. As related to the Commander, anything that you can do to the Grand Cherokee can be done to the Commander.

[IMG]Grand Cherokee[/IMG]
Links to more pix of this Jeep:

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f67/w...l#post12570552

Yes, all of that is cool and that's what Jeeps are intended for.

But this guy is asking about a Commander as his wife's car, and as an occasionally family vacation hauler. And if his wife intends to do such things with it, then I would like to meet this woman.

[deucestudios]

No way in hell I would trade an almost paid off 2010 RAV-4 for an '09 Commander.

[Bakounine]

Well, what I should've mentioned that we do 2000 mile road trips to see my family about 4 times a year. The Rav is usually packed to the gills already (with a cargo carrier on top), so we are going to need something bigger fairly soon.

For those trips, have you considered a light enclosed utility trailer like Thule? You will have all the space that you need w/out having your wife drive an enormous (and gas-guzzling) vehicle the rest of the time. I am not sure the Thule is still imported, but there are other similar options available for sure.

I have the redneck version of such a trailer in the form of a back-half Ford Ranger turned trailer with fiberglass topper. It's ugly as sin but is perfect for camping and fishing trips and cost me less than $500.

The Thule trailer, for reference:

[Roboturner913]

I hope I don't thread-jack, but my mom's looking into a used compact SUV and I'm trying to figure out what to tell her about the Rav4. Why did you not like it?

Well, first off it handles like a school bus. High center of gravity and all that. The interior is downright AWFUL, in both form and function. Leg room is terrible for front seats, back seats are flat and uncomfortable. Size-wise, it's too big and ungainly to be called a "compact" SUV, but at the same time that size doesn't translate to very much interior space. The trunk area can fit a couple suitcases and a good chunk of baby stuff, but if we didn't have the cargo carrier we'd be SOL.

On the plus side, it rides pretty smoothly on the highway, is pretty quick and gets good gas mileage. I'm not trying to scare anybody off it, but I would really recommend that a potential buyer consider all the factors instead of just assuming that it's great because it's a Toyota.

[Roboturner913]

For those trips, have you considered a light enclosed utility trailer like Thule? You will have all the space that you need w/out having your wife drive an enormous (and gas-guzzling) vehicle the rest of the time. I am not sure the Thule is still imported, but there are other similar options available for sure.

I have the redneck version of such a trailer in the form of a back-half Ford Ranger turned trailer with fiberglass topper. It's ugly as sin but is perfect for camping and fishing trips and cost me less than $500.

The Thule trailer, for reference:

You know, that is not a bad idea. Might have to look into something like it. Thanks!

[Mabe]

I have one golden rule: Never mix family and money.

Trading cars with family will never end well. It does not matter if the Jeep is good or not. Run away from this. Help your sister trade the jeep for a smaller SUV. Find your wife a good big SUV if she wants/needs one. One major repair on either car means a lifetime of awkward holidays.

My wife wants to give our WJ jeep to her little sister who is just graduating college to help her out. We just bought a MDX to replace it and her sister has a clapped out Saab that needs to be burned. It sounds like a logical graduation gift. Id rather sell the Jeep flat out and use that cash to help her buy something.

[socarwolverine]

For those trips, have you considered a light enclosed utility trailer like Thule? You will have all the space that you need w/out having your wife drive an enormous (and gas-guzzling) vehicle the rest of the time. I am not sure the Thule is still imported, but there are other similar options available for sure.

I have the redneck version of such a trailer in the form of a back-half Ford Ranger turned trailer with fiberglass topper. It's ugly as sin but is perfect for camping and fishing trips and cost me less than $500.

The Thule trailer, for reference:

This is the advice you need to take. Trading your Rav4 for a Commander is idiocy and it sounds like your aunt is trying to pull a fast one on you. Only a moron would do a straight trade, she should put down some substantial cash for you to take the Commander off of her hands. This coming from a guy who's only owned jeeps.

[Mabe]

Well, what I should've mentioned that we do 2000 mile road trips to see my family about 4 times a year. The Rav is usually packed to the gills already (with a cargo carrier on top), so we are going to need something bigger fairly soon.

Wasn't aware that the Commander was considered a "flop" but that's why I asked.

As for the depreciation element, well, the Rav may be worth X amount to KBB or whatever, but its shortcomings (mainly, size) mean its value is considerably less to my family in real world situations.

We will probably pay it off and keep it for a few months, maybe look around for a good deal on a Pilot or Sequoia.

I was in the exact same spot as you. Our 00 Grand Cherokee was getting small for highway trips. With a $25k budget we settled on the Pilot. I looked at the MDXs before we pulled the trigger on a 09 Pilot. For about a grand more, you get a lot more in a MDX than you do in a Pilot.

.

[Roboturner913]

This is the advice you need to take. Trading your Rav4 for a Commander is idiocy and it sounds like your aunt is trying to pull a fast one on you.

She's not, she just thought that since she wanted something smaller and we need something bigger it would make sense. And to be fair, the blue book value is about the same.

Like I said I know nothing about the Jeep, that's why I asked.

[Turbio!]

Sergio Marchionne - CEO of Chrysler-FIAT, no less - had a thought on the matter:

“That car was unfit for human consumption. We sold some. But I don’t know why people bought them.”

It's bigger. That's it. It sucks gas, it has less cargo room than one would expect, it wallows like a drunken swine, it's got a truly hideous interior, and the third row is pointless. And it has electrical gremlins and the transmission has issues. I'd avoid it, unless you're totally desperate. Get a trailer for the road trips.

[clutchrider]

I've always liked the Commander. It had that old Cherokee look/style to it before the Liberty went that route. The 6cyl. was a little lethargic but still had the torque and the V8 was the only way I would go if I got one of these.

3rd row seating with Jeep capability was the biggest selling point for those who were looking to upsize from a GC or Liberty for the larger family market. It was a cramped 3rd row but if worked. Also if you love Jeeps and needed extra cargo space, why not.

I guess I'm the minority for TCL but always had a thing for this SUV in the right setup.

[Roboturner913]

Sergio Marchionne - CEO of Chrysler-FIAT, no less - had a thought on the matter:

It's bigger. That's it. It sucks gas, it has less cargo room than one would expect, it wallows like a drunken swine, it's got a truly hideous interior, and the third row is pointless. I'd avoid it, unless you're totally desperate. Get a trailer for the road trips.

LOL. Somehow I'm not surprised that an Italian would consider a big American SUV "unfi" for human consumption". It can't be that bad.

The only reason to do it was size and creature comforts. But if the size isn't there, then it's not worth it. Probably get a trailer or hitch-mounted carrier for now and look to trade in for something bigger when kid #2 comes around.

[teklord69]

I own a dark khaki 2006 2WD 3.7 liter V6. Bought it new and it was the first model out and I have almost 80K miles. For the most part it has been reliable but it has its issues here and there. I regret getting the V6 as its a little weak and only gets 1mpg better than the V8. I am keeping this car forever as the resale value on them are Also its quite a gas guzzler.

[Aonarch]

Commander was a total flop for a reason. Sounds like a loosing proposition to me. Trade your car for something older, bigger, uglier, slower, that uses more gas?

[Turbio!]

LOL. Somehow I'm not surprised that an Italian would consider a big American SUV "unfi" for human consumption". It can't be that bad.
.

He was indulging in hyperbole, but I've driven a few and agree with him. They're crap. Given that Chrysler under his direction has cranked out the Grand Cherokee and Durango to thunderous praise, I don't think he has much to apologize for as far as his take on the big American SUV.

[Bakounine]

You know, that is not a bad idea. Might have to look into something like it. Thanks!

If money is an object, try looking for an older and smaller gutted tent trailer.

[Boogety Boogety]

Your aunt hates you. I wonder what you did to piss her off... but whatever you do, as said above, stay away from the Commander, and keep your Rav4.

And try to find out what you did so you can make up for it, this woman really despises you and you need to know why before she stabs you while you sleep in the dark in the back with a rusty pitchfork. You're welcome.

[B3passatBMX]

My only experience with one was driving it around the building at the body shop I worked at. I remember looking at the instruments and noticing the average MPG on their current tank of fuel was under 9mpg No thanks.

[syntrix]

I've got an 07 that I bought uber cheap that was 2 years old.

I haven't had a single problem. It is covered in mud right now, and I have no plans on washing it. It's stock, and will move on level 3 trails here at the local off road park, they usually recommend larger tires, lift, and a locker for those trails.

For a mall crawler, go buy something else, like a rav4.