2006 Jeep Commander

DaimlerChrysler bills the Jeep Commander as the most (off-road)-capable seven-passenger 4x4 available. Unfortunately, there's the issue of Land Rover's LR3 and Lexus's GX 470, both of which carry seven passengers and also are capable in the rough stuff. Built on the proven underpinnings of the Grand Cherokee, the Commander isn't a bad value; the price for our loaded Limited model with the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and the company's most advanced Quadra-Drive II system totaled just over $40,000, which undercuts Land Rover and Lexus. Just like on the Grand Cherokee, three engines, three four-wheel-drive systems, two transfer cases, and two automatic transmissions are available. As a result, the Commander's price range is considerably wide, but one drive in the V-6-powered model will have you wondering if the parking brake is still on. Consolation lies in the fact that the topline 330-horsepower Hemi engine delivers admirable 13-city/18-highway fuel economy thanks to cylinder deactivation. This is just shy of miraculous when compared with the Hummer H3's 16/19 rating with only 220 horsepower.

It also proved nearly unstoppable on our off-road course, though stiff springs produced considerable head-toss. But the existence of the Commander is difficult to rationalize. It's supposed to accommodate two more passengers than the Grand Cherokee does--but the third row is all but useless for anyone over three years old: With the seat anchored right on the floor, most normal-size humans end up with their knees around their ears. Compared with, say, the LR3's astounding third row, the packaging is a joke. So why add 350 pounds of mass and styling that looks like the box the Grand Cherokee shipped in? Go figure.