The "NEW" Cherokee...Commander

http://xkjeeps.com/

I know most of you have heard or seen pics, but here is a website.

Not sure what to think about it.

Just wanted to share.

Robert

I like em.. more in the luxury class, tow rig...
Here is another page of detailed info.
http://jeepin.com/news/commander/index.asp#specs

Perrsonally I think they look like

Personally ........... I think they look like

Kinda small. We just got one in where I work. Its a 3.7L 2wd if you can believe that. With the rear seats up there is maybe 6" of luggage space from the seat back to the liftgate.

Mike R

I haven't seen on in person, but from what I can see from the web, I don't like it.

Which brings me to a question... Why don't DC just bring back the Cherokee, which IMHO has been the best Jeep if you're looking for a DD and a mudder. They have come out with the Liberty, which I don't like, and now this? WHy not stick with something they know people like?

Oh well... We do we, the lowly buyers know...


Jamie
Long Live Cherokee!

I say they got at least one thing right on the Commander - towing capacity, 7,500 lbs isn't too bad.

I still think if they had their hearts set on being big they should've brought back the SJ - all this bullshit about being the biggest Jeep ever as if the SJ never existed irritates me.

Jamieinnh said:

I haven't seen on in person, but from what I can see from the web, I don't like it.

Which brings me to a question... Why don't DC just bring back the Cherokee, which IMHO has been the best Jeep if you're looking for a DD and a mudder. They have come out with the Liberty, which I don't like, and now this? WHy not stick with something they know people like?

Oh well... We do we, the lowly buyers know...


Jamie
Long Live Cherokee!

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Take a look at the market. DC need to compete with GM, Hummer, Land Rover.. etc

ruggedjeep said:

Take a look at the market. DC need to compete with GM, Hummer, Land Rover.. etc

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Oh, I agree with you, but I still believe there would be a market for the Cherokee and Others... I mean thay currently have how many different SUV's on the market. Why not work with one that is proven.

I didn't mean to take the place of, I meant in addition too..

Jamie

Looks like a fair tow truck but it needs the Cummings option to really tow. I think it's funny that DC thinks the Cherokee's popularity was due to it's styling. I wish they would build a new updated vehicle with the cherokee formula. Relatively light, powerful, cheap, simple and capable. Something in the low 20k to start and have the Rubicon option. Oh well I can dream.

Okay. We're pretty much all in agreement that the Commander isn't a serious off-road vehicle. And to be fair to it, that's not really its intended market segment. Jeep does have some history of making what are essentially ruggedised people carriers (I'm thinking back to the various Willys Jeepsters) as well as the off-road machinery, so this isn't really a huge departure for them. Having said that:

I got to spend some time in a preproduction Subaru B9 Tribeca last night. This vehicle should have the other SUV manufacturers going back to the drawing boards in a number of ways.

- Expect to see the dash design being copied by everyone else over the next couple of years.

- The middle row of seats are both reach and rake adjustable, and legroom is good across most of the range.

- You can actually fit two people in the rearmost row of seats. They aren't the most comfortable to sit on, but two adults will fit. Kids up to about the age of 12 would be fine.

- Yes, it could do with a bit more power. Taking the flat-six out to 3.5 litres would probably do it.

It's a very well-done package. I never thought that I'd say I actually liked the way a vehicle like this turned out, but I really think this one kicks some ass. With a much lower sticker than the Commander, there is some good competition out there.

BUT IT'S HIDEOUS!!!! So it has true family history. One of the ugliest cars ever was the late 70's Subi wagons. My dad had one of those; tough as hell and lasted a long time but I had to close my eyes until I was in it and I feel the same way about the look of the Tribeca. Seems to be more of a car than an off road machine but that's what they intend so it's O.K.

ruggedjeep said:

Take a look at the market. DC need to compete with GM, Hummer, Land Rover.. etc

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And there in lies the problem. Did Jeep create the XJ to compete with an existing competitor, no it created a whole market segment by being different and innovative. This is what Jeep needs to do, be innovative and create what others don't know. Take a real chance.

Mike R

MJR said:

This is what Jeep needs to do, be innovative and create what others don't know. Take a real chance.

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I wonder if they can - if anybody can.. The whole truck thing has gone so stale lately because everybody wants a truck to hang their plastic nuts from.

I'll be happy as long as they don't start sharing stuff with the Neon platform...oh wait :rattle:

What they need is to stop showing off the competition things they should build like the Gladiator as is. Granted its not as revolutionary as the XJ was but its the kinda stuff that makes Jeep Jeep and not anything else.

slowrider said:

BUT IT'S HIDEOUS So it has true family history. One of the ugliest cars ever was the late 70's Subi wagons. My dad had one of those; tough as hell and lasted a long time but I had to close my eyes until I was in it and I feel the same way about the look of the Tribeca. Seems to be more of a car than an off road machine but that's what they intend so it's O.K.

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Fair enough, but I have to admit I rather like the way that it looks - it cribs *heavily* from current Alfa-Romeos, and to my eye that's not a bad thing. However, it's important to remember that it really isn't a car or an SUV - it's more of a crossover vehicle like the Chrysler Pacifica, only done better IMHO.

MJR said:

This is what Jeep needs to do, be innovative and create what others don't know. Take a real chance.

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Agreed, but being innovative, creative, *and* successful at it is the trick. In a lot of ways, the XJ was something of an underdog and it's surprising that it was as successful as it was for as long as it was, particularly given its development history. The problem is that Jeep, like every other auto manufacturer, is marketing-driven, and it's a lot easier to make me-too vehicles than ones that stand on their own merits. GSequoia's truck nuts analogy summed it up nicely, but part of the problem is that as long as the buying public only cares about image and not performance the trend will continue.

Put it this way: I saw my first Saab 9-7x yesterday, the answer to a question nobody asked. If consumers are dumb enough to pay $20K more for a Chevy Trailblazer, we'll keep seeing the consistent watering-down of Jeep to keep pace with that particular lowest common denominator.

MJR said:

And there in lies the problem. Did Jeep create the XJ to compete with an existing competitor, no it created a whole market segment by being different and innovative. This is what Jeep needs to do, be innovative and create what others don't know. Take a real chance.

Mike R

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Ding....Ding.....Ding! We have a winner. The only times in the last half century that Chrysler Corp ever did well is when they did something quite out of the ordinary. Remember muscle cars? Chrysler did it best by doing it differently. Remeber the CJ's, The Cherokee and the minivan? How about the 1st generation Ram truck that looked like a Mac truck? All Chrysler/AMC original ideas that somebody took a chance on. Now they are unwilling to take much risk and therefore cannot be but marginally sucessful. With the germans in charge the company cant even come up with a product that will sell without having to have someone in the company "americanize" it. The 300C is a perfect example. The germans wanted a car like a mercedez benz in the chrylser line up to replace the LH platform(Intrepid/Concord). It took an american with vision to get that car out and marketed to the right kind of people. These are the reasons I no longer work for a DC dealership. I cant stand the germanising of a company that I used to love. They have ruined the innovating spirit and replaced it with slow european evolution. There idea is see what works and make small changes until its different enough to stand on its own and produce it. Wheres the innovation? Wheres the company that siad after the 92-93 auto shows that people either loved the new Ram or hated it. Chysler siad theres a lot of emotions tied up with this so lets produce it and see where it goes. I will allways side with the underdog willing to take a chance than the corporate mega jerks. Has anyone looked closely at the Mercedes-Benz lineup. Has the car really changed that much in appearance in the last 20 years? They have the worst buyback record of ANY automaker in the unites states! Nuf siad.

Are they trying to compete with the 50k rigs? That thing is not practical or good looking at all.

I kind of like the way it looks. It has some cool options to make it perform fairly decent off-road, and it is available with a bunch of power. I'd have to actually see one in person to make a definate opinion about it though. Maybe I'll run up to the Jeep dealer some time in the next week or so...