Jeep Commander

Our verdict

Exposed bolts and military-square, the seven-seat Jeep Commander is what you go for is you think a Discovery looks a bit effete.

Comfort

That soft suspension makes the Commander a decently comfy tool. The usual SUV seating position and acres of space thanks to the boxy shape mean it suits the daily grind better than you might think. Excellent off-road, with surprisingly good ride quality on the rough stuff.

Performance

Only one engine available in the UK and it's a Mercedes-sourced 3.0-litre V6 with 215bhp. The usual 0-62mph dash takes nine seconds and the Commander can bully its way to 118mph. Not bad for something that has the aerodynamic efficiency of a Bolton council house. There used to be a 5.7-litre V8 Hemi, but then they heard about the price of oil.

Cool

If you like pseudo-military stylings then the Commander is a kind of better packaged, more useful Hummer. But people will also know that you could afford a Disco and didn't buy one, and will wonder what's wrong with you.

Quality

Inside, the Commander is a mediocre mish-mash of stuff. It feels solid enough, but where it sells most (the US) it's much, much cheaper, so don't expect it to rival a Rolls. The exterior is supposed to look like that by the way.

Handling

The Commander is pretty soft on the road, so there's reasonable comfort to be had if you're just pottering. Can't keep up with the Land Rover Discovery, but not a bad car for rough roads and lots of speed bumps.

Practicality

It's a box and boxes are usefully boxy. For five there's loads of space, but that third row of seats sits on top of the rear axle, so passengers (ie, kids) have to eat their knees and then try not to throw up immediately afterwards.

Running costs

Just cresting the 20mpg mark, the Commander isn't the most economical in the world and the C02 liabilities are correspondingly high. Useful £7k saving over something like a Volvo XC90 2.4 D5, but then again, that's about 7k better.