DC's loyalty is to their stock holders, not us. Their interest lies in what moves new vehicles.
All of us had the choice to choose something else when we bought our KJ's. If you, or I , did not do enough research and now feel "stuck" because of preceived KJ shortcomings, how is that DC's fault, not ours?
I bought my '05 a a solid daily driver with good creature comforts, room for two car seats with easy access, a great price ($18,500), and the ability to get me to work when we get 8" of snow. I could have spent more money for a Wrangler X if I was willing to sacrifice room, creature comforts, and ride, but I did not. I could have spent another $9,000 for an Unlimited Rubi, but the same draw backs when I considered my needs led me to the KJ. The Xterra's I have seen sell for thousands more than I paid for my KJ, and the KJ blows away the other SUV's in its class. I have done some off-roading with my KJ, and I was pleasantly surprised at its ability. It exceeded my expectations, even stock.
I do have some off-road experience. My current hard-core rig is a '71 Commando with a swapped-in 304, locked scout D44's front & rear, and little 33x12.5's. It is a decent off-road rig, but it sucks on-road. Previous 4x4's included a '45 CJ2A with 32's and 5.38 gears that I swapped a 225 V6 into, a '79 CJ5, and a '78 Dodge stepside with 38" swampers.
You are right, the Commander is nothing but a re-bodied Grand. And I have read that the '07 TK will have solid axles front and rear. The replacemant for it, due in 2013 or so, is already being designed as independent at both ends, according to a "spy" article that was sent to me.
Dodge only uses IFS in its 1/2 ton trucks, using solid axles for the 2500 & 3500 series. But GM has used IFS in ALL of its light-duty trucks for nearly 20 years, even duallies. Sure, there are people who do a SFA swap on them , and kits are available for that ( as KJ kits will be available). But there are tens of thousands of work and farm trucks out there with high milage and IFS. My brothers single rear wheel 3500, a 1991, that he uses on his farm has 170,000 miles on it and IFS that does get used.
I am tired of hearing about XJ's. I am not questioning the trucks themselves, but if people were buying them in sufficient numbers, the re-designed vehicle called the KJ would have probably been more like the XJ. Kj sales blow XJ sales away. And that is what DC cares about. They do not give a fig that you can buy a 10 year old Xj and modify it, as that does nothing for their bottom line. There must be a lot of youngsters out there that cannot remember the XJ's introduction in 1984. It was considered a travesty and the end of 4x4 civilization in general and Jeep in particular: unibody, crappy 2.5L I4 or crappier 2.8L GM V6, renault-sourced wiring, etc... The first run of XJ's, up to '88 or '89, were horrible stock. And yet the XJ now has a cult following. I wonder what we will be saying about our KJ's in 2015, especially after a redesign or two? The first run of KJ's are head-and-shoulders above the first XJ's.
I really appreciate the trail-blazers out there leading the off-road charge with our rigs. They are paving the way for the rest of us who, like me, are not willing or able to make those mods on brand-new KJ's. But their work will mean that I have more choices in a year or two when I am more comfortable modifying my KJ. For me, right now, it was easier for me to build a rig for less than the purchase price of the RK 7up lift ( about $3000!) in my Commando to beat up off road and keep my KJ to drive. But someday.....
Ok, I will go take my meds now........
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. The sad fact of the matter is that the Liberty was designed as a grocery getter for soccer moms, and no high tech suspension systems are available for it because there is no market for them. Soccer moms don't go off-road. 