I find myself pretty cruel for saying that, but I can’t help it. Now that Hummer, maker of big, brutish, fuel-guzzling pollution machines, has been terminated, environmentalists must now close in on a new target.
Among all the mid- and full-size SUVs on our market, the Commander seems to be the one that resembles the Hummer the most; its box-like shape, size and military styling prevent it from showing off the least amount of greenness.
And that’s before you tell your neighbours how much fuel this Jeep consumes; our average of 16.1 L/100 km is nothing to brag about, and if you rarely hit the highway, your figure will more likely be around 18 L/100 km. The 5.7-litre HEMI V8’s cylinder deactivation system seems to kick in only when you lift off the throttle, which doesn’t help much.
Still, with 357 horsepower and 389 lb-ft of torque on tap, 0 to 100 km/h takes 7.9 seconds, which is actually pretty quick for a 5,200-lb off-roader. And that menacing HEMI engine roar is a great testosterone generator; now, should you choose it over the base 3.7-litre V6? If you let me decide, I’ll say yes, since there isn’t much difference in fuel economy ratings between the two anyway.
You’ll also benefit from a much greater towing capacity; the V6 can tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the V8 can pull up to 7,200. So there’s another reason for choosing the bigger engine.
The Commander is also a solid choice for traversing the boonies. Our test vehicle includes Jeep’s full-time Quadra-Drive II system, which splits 48% of power to the front wheels and 52% to the rear. When the system detects wheel slippage, it can send 100% of power to whatever end of the vehicle has the most traction, and it also has a low range.
It’s a personal opinion, of course, but I don’t spend much time admiring the Commander’s looks, and it’s not because I don’t like the classic Jeep look; the Patriot’s styling is much better at looking like a classic Jeep while being modern.
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| Our average of 16.1 L/100 km is nothing to brag about. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
Among all the mid- and full-size SUVs on our market, the Commander seems to be the one that resembles the Hummer the most; its box-like shape, size and military styling prevent it from showing off the least amount of greenness.
And that’s before you tell your neighbours how much fuel this Jeep consumes; our average of 16.1 L/100 km is nothing to brag about, and if you rarely hit the highway, your figure will more likely be around 18 L/100 km. The 5.7-litre HEMI V8’s cylinder deactivation system seems to kick in only when you lift off the throttle, which doesn’t help much.
Still, with 357 horsepower and 389 lb-ft of torque on tap, 0 to 100 km/h takes 7.9 seconds, which is actually pretty quick for a 5,200-lb off-roader. And that menacing HEMI engine roar is a great testosterone generator; now, should you choose it over the base 3.7-litre V6? If you let me decide, I’ll say yes, since there isn’t much difference in fuel economy ratings between the two anyway.
You’ll also benefit from a much greater towing capacity; the V6 can tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the V8 can pull up to 7,200. So there’s another reason for choosing the bigger engine.
The Commander is also a solid choice for traversing the boonies. Our test vehicle includes Jeep’s full-time Quadra-Drive II system, which splits 48% of power to the front wheels and 52% to the rear. When the system detects wheel slippage, it can send 100% of power to whatever end of the vehicle has the most traction, and it also has a low range.
It’s a personal opinion, of course, but I don’t spend much time admiring the Commander’s looks, and it’s not because I don’t like the classic Jeep look; the Patriot’s styling is much better at looking like a classic Jeep while being modern.
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| With 357 horsepower and 389 lb-ft of torque on tap, 0 to 100 km/h takes 7.9 seconds. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |