2006 Jeep Commander

Question: What do Acura, Buick, Honda, and Lincoln have in common? Answer: They all had a four-wheel-drive three-row SUV on the market long before Jeep. Fortunately, Jeep knows that when you arrive late to the party, you'd better bring something impressive.

Hence, the 2006 Commander, a bit of heritage-flavored bodywork cloaking the current Grand Cherokee skeleton, an SUV that Jeff Bell, vice president of Jeep, claims, "signals our commitment to remain the leader in the sport/utility market, a market Jeep invented 65 years ago."

Although it's longer and higher in the roof, the Commander is all Grand Cherokee underneath, using the same engines, transmissions, drive systems, and brakes. The two-wheel-drive Commander corners flatter and is more poised than its four-wheel-drive counterpart, which has a more ponderous feel. Maybe this is understandable given that a 4x4 V-8 weighs over 5000 pounds. Still, the ride and handling compromises are predictable for something this size and weight with a live rear-axle rear suspension.

The Commander's standard 210-horse V-6 is satisfactory with 2WD and 3.55:1 gears (and just plain anemic with the standard 3.07:1 gears) to overcome the modest 235 pound-feet of torque, but get the smoother V-8 (either one) for a four-wheel-drive model. All engines (3.7-liter V-6, 4.7-liter V-8, and 5.7-liter V-8) are offered in two- and four-wheel-drive models, the latter with three drive systems: one all-wheel-drive-only model (Quadra-Trac I), one two-speed transfer case unit with brake traction control (Quadra-Trac II), and one two-speed transfer case with electronic limited-slips in each axle and in the center differential (Quadra-Drive II). Since brake traction control takes away power, often when it's most needed, pop for the Quadra-Drive II for 4WD 4.7s (it's included with 5.7s).