[03silversport]

A co-worker of mine is looking at buying a used SUV.

He is looking at commanders and has found a couple local deals. I am trying to get him to buy one with the Hemi, but he keeps thinking about going with the V-6 because of cost. My argument to him is that the Hemi will hold its value better and that the mpg between the Hemi and the V-6 is almost the same, plus the other benefits that come with a Hemi like power, towing ability, etc......

I have no experience with Commanders at all. I am wondering if anybody can shed some advice into persistant mechanical problems, mph estimates between the V-6 and Hemi, options to go with, etc.....

Thanks in advance,

[Diabl0]

Please get it through his head to get the Hemi. My mom bought her Commander brand new in 2006 with the V6 after saying the Hemi would eat too much gas. Our V6 gets 15 mpg on a good day and 13 mpg any other time. Another point to make is that the V6 does not have a selectable transfercase and is AWD or whatever. It'd be nice to have the option for 4Lo when you need it. She has been kicking herself since the first few days of driving it for not getting the Hemi. If where you live is hilly definitely do not get the V6. Ours can barely get up the hills and after awhile it will completely shut down and stall. There is no reason to not get the Hemi if you can afford the initial price difference. I hate the V6. Luckily hers is a lease and she can turn it in this January. She's considering getting the Hemi next. It's a really great Jeep and we love it, but it's way too heavy to push the V6. In fact, she bought an 02 TJ with the 4.0 to drive around daily because that's how much she hates the Commander's lack of power.

Also, because this was a leased vehicle it was maintained meticulously plus she bought the thing where all maintenance is included for the duration of the lease. I don't think this engine is going to last much longer and it doesn't even have high mileage yet. The Commander is definitely too big for the V6 to adequately push.

If he does end up buying a V6, you can guarantee you'll be saying "I told you so".



As far as mechanical problems, ours had a whistling and leaky windshield. The dealer resealed it under warranty. It also had a transmission leak in the first 20,000 miles that the dealer fixed. Look under it for leaks if you can before buying it! It eats brakes, but that's probably because my mom drives like an idiot. There is also the stalling problem that I mentioned earlier. There used to be a thread here on JF about it. Apparently it's a common issue that has happened to people with all engine styles in the Commander. It's very scary and has happened to us quite a few times. The Jeep just completely stalls and shuts off while driving no matter how fast you are going. Last I checked, dealers were still saying they have no clue what causes it. We had an erratic idling problem that the dealer fixed, but it still stalls from time to time. Lastly, the guy who inspired us to get our Commander sold his at a complete loss because of a water issue. He was getting water on the floorboards to the point where it was flooding the rest of the Jeep. The dealer couldn't fix it and had it in the shop most of the time he owned it. I'm not sure if there's an easy way to get under the Commander's carpet, but if you or your friend can figure out a way, look under the front carpets to see if there is any sign that water has been there.


I found the thread about the stalling problem: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f67/commander-stalls-traffic-when-slowing-down-253493/

[danwags999]

Get him to think long term instead of short term. And make sure he get's the Hemi.

[03silversport]

Thanks, keep the comments coming. Thinks for the long post Diablo.

[RogueSpear2023]

While I have no direct info on a commanders, the local police department bought Hemi Chargers, and the Sheriffs office bought Chargers with the V6, they get the same mileage, and the Hemi has way more power and get up and go the that V6. In a commander I don't even know how you could think of a V6, the mileage will probably be worse over all, that's a heavy vehicle to drag along, the Hemi will do a much better job, with less effort, getting similar fuel economy. No matter what SUV you get the mileage won't be great, so why get an SUV that you can't do anything with because it is underpowered.