Looking at buying a new SUV for the wife

[PoorManQ45]

You made a huge mistake. Huge.

Probably not as bad as any woman that you con into having sexual relations with you!

Vehicles come and go, but Herpes is for life!

[Dattebayo]

Vehicles come and go, but Herpes is for life!

Well this site apparently caught you, so yeah.

[TurboSauce]

Jeeps break easily.

You got a problem with AMC?

My mom owned a Cherokee for 8 years and in that time span we have had;
2 broken radiators, 3 broken clutch fans, 4 broken window motors, 2 front window motors dieing,
fuses blowing.
and a faulty navigation system.
along with inaccurate gauges.
and that's only from what i remember

[Dittoz7]

Well it looks nice, best of luck to you! (no sarcasm here)

[Jesda]

Commanders are an insane bang for the buck right now. Looks nice.

[Bubba1]

Commanders are an insane bang for the buck right now. Looks nice.

Good luck with your Jeep. Don't listen to the guys that think SUV's are not necessary.
I did the same thing as you when my son was young. since I already had a sedan and sporty coupe when my son was born, and minivans did not appeal to me, I went with a mid sized SUV, a V6 4Runner. Wonderful truck. Hauls everything/everyone I need, gets an honest 20mpg, plus is fun to take off road.

[Kompresshun]

Commanders are an insane bang for the buck right now. Looks nice.

I know, I was shocked at the price with it only having 50,000 miles on it and it's in pristine condition. I can't find a scratch anywhere on the body and the interior looks like nobody ever owned it. To make things even better, the dealership called me today and was able to shave another $20 a month off of our payment.

The previous owner was very meticulous according to one of the guys that worked there, apparently the owner dropped 150lbs and had never been able to fit in a Mustang before so he decided to buy himself a Mustang when he dropped the weight.

I've driven it for the past two days though and it's a pleasure to drive, I would've never thought I would've liked driving a Jeep this much but it's so much more comfortable and quiet than the QX4. It has a ton of headroom and it's very easy to get in and out of, i'm also impressed with how well the drivetrain preforms for it being a V6, I would've loved to have a Hemi but I wouldn't have wanted the fuel mileage. Now i'm having a hard time turning it over to my wife and taking my car back though

[Jesda]

How much of the mechanicals are shared with other Jeeps? Is it on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee? Did you get an extended warranty?

[TU_MADRE]

I think you should go for a 05 06 Xterra they can be found with low miles for around 15k.

[Otto.]

I think you should go for a 05 06 Xterra they can be found with low miles for around 15k.

A little late to the party, there.

[Kompresshun]

How much of the mechanicals are shared with other Jeeps? Is it on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee? Did you get an extended warranty?

From what i've gathered so far from research, it shares the engines of course and it claims to be based upon the now last generation Grand Cherokee frame, but it is 2" longer and 3.2" taller than the Grand Cherokee. It's supposed to be a little more beefed up than the Grand Cherokee but I haven't found anything definite on that. I've heard the Grand Cherokee was improved upon a lot in this last generation, I know the ones before that were junk for sure other than the 4.0L I6. The mannerisms and quality of the Commander doesn't remind me of any other Jeep i've been in so hopefully it'll hold up well.

I didn't buy an extended warranty this time either, and here's why. I've bought one on the last two vehicles we've had and didn't use it hardly at all, so rather than rolling the extended warranty into the loan, we just put back an extra $75 a month in savings, just for this car, so when something does happen we've already been saving up for the repair, then of course we already have money put back in case of catastrophic failure(engine, trans, ect).

[Bubba1]

How much of the mechanicals are shared with other Jeeps? Is it on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee? Did you get an extended warranty?

From what i've gathered so far from research, it shares the engines of course and it claims to be based upon the now last generation Grand Cherokee frame, but it is 2" longer and 3.2" taller than the Grand Cherokee. It's supposed to be a little more beefed up than the Grand Cherokee but I haven't found anything definite on that. I've heard the Grand Cherokee was improved upon a lot in this last generation, I know the ones before that were junk for sure other than the 4.0L I6. The mannerisms and quality of the Commander doesn't remind me of any other Jeep i've been in so hopefully it'll hold up well.

I didn't buy an extended warranty this time either, and here's why. I've bought one on the last two vehicles we've had and didn't use it hardly at all, so rather than rolling the extended warranty into the loan, we just put back an extra $75 a month in savings, just for this car, so when something does happen we've already been saving up for the repair, then of course we already have money put back in case of catastrophic failure(engine, trans, ect).

The Commander is pretty much a stretched version of the Grand Cherokee. Same engines. As far as warranty, I believe the Basic factory warranty was 3 yrs/36K miles on everything except rust which was 5/100K.

[Kompresshun]

The Commander is pretty much a stretched version of the Grand Cherokee. Same engines. As far as warranty, I believe the Basic factory warranty was 3 yrs/36K miles on everything except rust which was 5/100K.

Yeah they offered us a 25,000 mile warranty for $35 extra a month but it's rolled into the loan so we'll be paying for it even after it would be up, I don't see the use in wasting the money like that. I'd rather just save some extra money for repairs than to give the bank extra money for nothing over the course of the loan.

I'm planning on undercoating it really good before this winter in hopes of avoiding any rust issues. I undercoated the QX4 and the I30 really well after we got them and it seemed to do the job when it came to rust protection. Thankfully the Commander doesn't have running boards/side steps, the ones on the QX4 were a mess...

[Jesda]

Where do you go for undercoating? Ziebart?

[Kompresshun]

Where do you go for undercoating? Ziebart?

I usually do it myself, as long as the vehicle is pretty new I use just the 3M undercoating in a spray can, usually two cans do the job. If it's older or already has rust under the vehicle, I clean all the rust up and use POR15 to coat everything. I sprayed the I30 with the 3M almost 2 years ago and when I was under it a few weeks back I still haven't seen any signs of the undercoating wearing off or any new rust appearing. I'm considering pricing a professional job for the Jeep, we really don't get that much snow and ice here though compared to other areas, so I may just do it myself depending on the cost.

Have you ever had a professional undercoat job done?

[Kompresshun]

Well that was weird, I posted the reply above earlier but it only put in the quote from Jesda, none the less my reply is there now

[Otto.]

Well that was weird, I posted the reply above earlier but it only put in the quote from Jesda, none the less my reply is there now

Don't worry about it... NICO is weirding out.

[HashiriyaS14]

I never understood all the van hate in the US.

2011 Quest is going to be super cool, and it's the same thing as the ElGrand (FINALLY) but with a different front end:





I don't know anything about Commanders, but Cherokees are STURDY. We had a 4.0L AT 4dr that did about 250k and never really needed anything but the most basic maintenance.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I never understood all the van hate in the US.

People hate minivans because they're compromises. They don't do anything well. They're the jack of all trades and master of none. SUVs tow and go offroad. Sedans and wagons are fun to drive and look nice. Big vans offer truck-class durability and work capabilities. Minivans? Crappy fuel economy, no power, bland-at-best looks, horrible centers of gravity, worst-of-both-worlds interiors trying to be both appealing and functional. They don't seat people as well as real vans. They don't drive as nice as cars. They aren't as utilitarian as SUVs. You can't tow with them. ALL they're good for is piling the kids into. They're cars you buy because you NEED them, not because you want them. It's not just hatred. There's more to it than that. No one wants to buy a car that's a compromise. Minivans are design compromise embodied.

Anything a minivan does must be qualified with "for a minivan." The new Quest is good looking for a minivan. The Caravan gets pretty good fuel economy for a minivan. The Odyssey has a pretty good suspension design for a minivan. But by standards outside their box, all of those things suck. Minivans aren't sexy. They aren't fun. They aren't really that utilitarian. They're just peoplemovers. Bulk peoplemovers. Like bulk toilet paper. There's no APPEAL. At all.

[Kompresshun]

^Truth

I have no real hatred against minivans, we just don't need a people hauler. We need something that can tow, go off-road, and be comfortable on a long trip. My wife is also a nurse and it doesn't matter if there's 10ft of snow on the ground, if they call her in, she has to go regardless so I definitely don't want her trying to make the drive in a minivan.

My in-laws on the other hand are getting ready to buy a minivan and they don't really need anything else besides a people and random-assorted- shopping-junk-hauler so it's perfect. Now I did try to convince them to buy an SUV originally, but their needs have changed quite drastically in the past 2 weeks, therefor the minivan has become their only option really. They're looking at the new Toyota Sienna, Nissan Quest, and Honda Oddessy. I'm trying to sell them on the Quest or at least the Sienna but all three are good choices in my opinion...

[Jesda]

I liked the Chrysler Town and Country back in the late 90s, but minivans aren't much fun to drive. The latest offerings can be quick, but their drivetrains are mush and there's little or no pleasure in the handling, styling, or interior design. Give me a minivan with a turbo or a V8 and I'll take an interest. A modern sleeper van like a Chrysler turbo from the 80s would be awesome.

[PoorManQ45]

I never understood all the van hate in the US.

People hate minivans because they're compromises. They don't do anything well. They're the jack of all trades and master of none. SUVs tow and go offroad.

Someone needs to make a full frame mini-van. Combine that with all-wheel-drive. Throw in a V6 in the 280HP/250tq range and you've got a nice setup that should be able to tow a boat comfortably, get decent mileage, and get a little dirty if given enough clearance.

SUVs tow and go offroad.

I don't know about that. I see way too many of them with 20~24" wheels with tires that don't have enough sidewall to take a hit.

Combine that with the fact that the majority of SUV owners won't take their vehicle off the paved road more then required to possibly change a flat tire...

It seems the offroad aspect is simply a marketing point.

We need something that can...go off-road

If you don't mind, can you provide a picture of what you mean by off-road.

[Kompresshun]

If you don't mind, can you provide a picture of what you mean by off-road.

I'll be happy to, seeing as it seems to be assumed that I don't know what "real" offroading is.

Me at Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina for a weekend offroad event in my '81 Jeep CJ7(258 I-6, 4spd manual, 2" lifted poly body mounts, 33x12.50R15 A/T's, blah, blah, blah).




Carolina Beach weekend event, driving a friends '87 Suzuki Samurai(4.3L V6 swap, 6" lift, 35x12.50 Goodyear MTRs, ect). You couldn't get anywhere within a 1/2 mile of where we were without a 4x4 vehicle.


My '04 Ford Ranger Edge(33x13.50 M/T Baja Claws, 3" suspension lift, ect) which I constantly took on trails around where I lived






I've been "offroading" since I was 17, I haven't done any true offroading like pictured above in about 3-4 years but I still do have to take on some stuff a few times a year that a car, minivan, van, or rwd suv cannot go. For example, last time we visited my wifes uncle in Indiana, I drove the QX4 all the way up to their house. They have to park at the bottom of the driveway and walk up to their house, which is a 1/4-1/2 mile hike up a steep hill.

Yes, I will agree some people probably buy a SUV and never put it to use, but doesn't mean that everyone falls into that same category. Regardless, if someone wants to buy a 4x4 SUV and never put it to use, that's their own business. I could care less how people spend their money...

I also don't plan on keeping it stock either, i'm not doing anything to it until we've had it for a couple of years though but this is my goal for it(minus the paint job, the paint will stay as is)

[Dattebayo]

buhuhahaha! Pwned.

You gotta admit tho, most people wouldn't know all that much as you.

[Kompresshun]

buhuhahaha! Pwned.

You gotta admit tho, most people wouldn't know all that much as you.

Agreed, I just get a little defensive when I get put in the yuppie category

[PoorManQ45]

How does wifey view this idea of:

Killing gas mileage
Decreasing stability
Increasing road noise
rougher ride

If she's cool with it, awesome, sounds like a great woman!

Off road vehicle /= comfortable long distance cruiser

*edit* sorry to seem like I'm attacking your choice.

It just seems you have a plan in your head for the vehicle that varies a good bit from what you initially said.

*note* I'm all for offroading, but I'd rather have a specific vehicle for it. A short wheel base is wonderful in the rocks

[Kompresshun]

How does wifey view this idea of:

Killing gas mileage
Decreasing stability
Increasing road noise
rougher ride

If she's cool with it, awesome, sounds like a great woman!

Off road vehicle /= comfortable long distance cruiser

Shhhh.... it's called "Improving your car" and "Increasing the value" to her

[PoorManQ45]

How does wifey view this idea of:

Killing gas mileage
Decreasing stability
Increasing road noise
rougher ride

If she's cool with it, awesome, sounds like a great woman!

Off road vehicle /= comfortable long distance cruiser

Shhhh.... it's called "Improving your car" and "Increasing the value" to her

Sounds like you've done this before

I'm currently wondering about something though. You wanted lots of space, and third row seating. It's been my experience, with the Trailblazer, that these things don't go together. As soon as you put the third row up you have about as much space as a mini cooper in the back...

Do you have any plans to ever really carry that many people over a good distance?

[Kompresshun]

I'm currently wondering about something though. You wanted lots of space, and third row seating. It's been my experience, with the Trailblazer, that these things don't go together. As soon as you put the third row up you have about as much space as a mini cooper in the back...

Do you have any plans to ever really carry that many people over a good distance?

The Commander does have a small amount of space behind the third seat, but yes you're correct in that you do run low on cargo space with all seats up. I do not plan on carrying the vehicles full people capacity on anything more than an overnight trip, now if you subtract one person from the vehicle and fold down 1/2 of the 3rd row, you gain a good amount of space. Which we will be doing next weekend actually for a weekend trip to the lake.

Now in most minivans, you don't really have a lot of usable space behind the third row either. More than the SUV yes but not a whole lot. If we HAD to carry full capacity in the Commander for some reason, I would probably either secure some luggage to the roof or buy one of the luggage carriers that mount in the receiver hitch on the back.

[PoorManQ45]

Just for fun I'm looking at Minivans off roading.

I am convinced that you should have gotten a Chevy Astro Van with AWD and lifted it!