Big Willis

DaimlerChrysler is no fool's company. In the very recent past, they have revived nameplates of yore to great success. Think of the Charger, the 300 and the Grand Cherokee Overland edition. Speaking of Jeep, DCX is actually in possession of the name that started the SUV category. It would therefore only make sense that the company try and cash in on the name.

The end of the Cherokee in favour of the Liberty was somewhat of a mistake on Jeep's part. They replaced a tough-guy truck for a utility vehicle and many Jeep fans have yet to forgive Jeep for having done so. As is often the case, when the people want something and are vocal enough about it, they get it. So, because the Liberty failed in its endeavour, Jeep created a Super Cherokee and called it the Commander.

The Commander's base price is of $40,995. With options in Limited trim, the price climbs to nearly $60,000. I tested a Limited with trimmings with a retail price of $57,500.

Styling

The inspiration for the design of the Commander is not a complicated tale. The Jeep Cherokee, as simple as it was, turned out to be a very much loved box-shaped SUV. The principal design elements carried over to the Commander are the grille, common to all Jeeps and the general shape and location of the headlamps. The Commander could also be considered cube-ish however on a much grander scale. The windshield is on such a vertical angle that light snow does not even accumulate on the glassed surface. Suffice it to say that it does not slice through the air.

To make the Commander a tough-truck, Jeep added the required fender flares with showing screw heads much like the Liberty Renegade. The large roof rails travel from just aft the sunroof and wrap down the "D" pillars in the form of an oversized handle. The big Jeep's flat panels are well assembled and come together in a handsome package; except perhaps for the shape and location of the headlamps.

The 90 degree angle motif carries on into the interior of the Commander. The dashboard is very tall and flat. Instrumentation and control layout requires less than a moment to get used to. Fit, finish and the materials used for the cabin are quite nice. My tester's navigation system is a vast improvement over the Liberty's digital map. The Commander's is located in the center upper portion of the center stack and sports a 7 inch screen. The Liberty's is positioned too low and the display is miniscule.

The front seats are large and cozy. Support is sufficient for a long drive. The second row is also comfortable however legroom is a little more limited versus the front row. The third string of seats is best left to children or smaller adults. The Commander does offer some of the best forward visibility for its second and third line passengers. Its real-world theatre seating setup is very well-designed.

The Limited includes a power sunroof with "CommandView" skylights for the second row passengers.