The Commander Goes Down

fdezone · **Posted:** Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:17 am

"The guys and gals at DaimlerChrysler haven't made an announcement yet, but according to sources within the United Auto Workers (UAW) and industry analysts, the size-16 shoebox on wheels from Jeep is on its way out.

The Commander will likely be nixed after the 2009 model year due slow sales and a high sticker. Competition between vehicles within the same brand is never a good thing, and it seems that the Commander may have cut into sales of Jeep's similarly sized 'ute, the Grand Cherokee."

Imagine that! Now throw some SFAs back underneath them Jeeps.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/20/jeep-commander-going-down-by-2009/

desertkj · **Joined:** Mon Jan 30, 2006 8:24 pm **Posts:** 677

I definitely saw this one coming. I think they should cancel the GC though instead (or at least give it some less generic styling).

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:01 pm

And the companies spent all that time building the 2.5- 4 inch lifts for them too.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:20 pm

Well, the lifts also go to the GC's.

I agree. Get rid of the GC and keep the Commander. I mentioned this to the Jeep guy when he visited us in Colorado. Ther eis no real place for both the GC and Commander. The Liberty is being upgraded to a longer vehicle. The Commander is the luxury bus. The GC sits in limbo.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:02 pm

The grand has been WAY to succesful to cut it out. Its been going since 1993 and its been selling great ever since. Jeep wont cut the vehicle thats selling good. Crazy thing is, the place that we bought out Grand said that they cannot keep the commanders on the lot? Guess it depends on the location.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:12 pm

You forget, the Cherokee was popular also but they cut it. Though it got a replacement. I feel the Liberty would go into the GC's slot.

I am finally starting to see more Liberty's than Cherokee's....at least on the Air Force Base I work. The metro area still has a ton more Cherokee's than Liberty's.

I might see one Commander a week.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:25 pm

Here in Toledo I still look when I see a Commander, not because I like it but because they are still pretty rare. Of course everybody and their brother has a Liberty here. I think its a wise choice to get rid of the Commander. But then making the Liberty bigger is just plain stupid no matter what some think. Watch what happens sales will drop off on the Liberty after the first year of the new bigger better one.

wendell · **Posted:** Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:02 pm

Me to, keep the comander and ditch the GC, the comander looks more like a jeep, they ruined the GC with the last restyle.

02LibertyLimitedChick · **Posted:** Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:28 pm

I saw that comin'.....

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:33 pm

Tokyojoe wrote:

You forget, the Cherokee was popular also but they cut it. Though it got a replacement. I feel the Liberty would go into the GC's slot.

I am finally starting to see more Liberty's than Cherokee's....at least on the Air Force Base I work. The metro area still has a ton more Cherokee's than Liberty's.

I might see one Commander a week.

True. They didnt want to kill it though.. Right before they stopped making them, sales went WAY up and they extended them awhile.

OzLtd · **Posted:** Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:15 pm

wendell wrote:

Me to, keep the comander and ditch the GC, the comander looks more like a jeep, they ruined the GC with the last restyle.

I agree. The WK GC is just too small in the backseat and boot are for my liking. It has less usable space than the KJ.
Commander's look pretty ghay imo std, but those couple of lifted and tyre'd pics look great. Turns it into somthing it should be more closer to off the showroom floor imo. It suits the market place here in Australia, we love em !!

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:17 am

I'm glad they are thinking about dropping the Commander. I never saw the reason to have both Jeep Rugged and Jeep Urban. And while we all love our liberties here - how can you say that the Liberty could replace it? The liberty is smaller inside and out, the powertrains are completly different and so on...

I'd love to be able to afford a GC

Donkeykong · **Posted:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:38 am

sleeve84028 wrote:

I'd love to be able to afford a GC

My purchase decision was unfortunatley based on two things: the availability of a manual transmission and 4 doors. (With the obvious being 4x4)

I looked at the new jk's and found a very slightly used libby with 8k miles on it complete with a 6-speed gearbox. Needless to say $15K versus $25K was a no brainer.

I would have considered the other jeep models but I won't consider driving an automatic.
-Mark

wendell · **Posted:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:33 am

If thier gonna keep it untill 09, a whole lot can happen between now and then. The gas crunch brought on slow sales. If things stablize, it could be a whole new ball game. Also, if you want to sell more of a particular vehicle, just anounce your going to stop production. The kj and grand are to close in size, they don't need both, not to mention that the new liberty will be a little bigger. It would make more sense to lose the grand and keep the lib and comander. There is more of a size destinction between those 2 vehicles than the lib and the grand.

moose_1978 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:48 am

I love the commander and think it is a much better buy than the grand.I agree the back seat is not that great but in a pinch it will work and it is a great five passenger vehicle.We sell as many or more commanders on our lot than grand's due to me and the other salesman pointing out apples to apples the commander is priced about the same.The new 07 sports are $31 and change and that is with some nice equipment.I am in charge of the off road program at my work and I started to do one of these up with a rusty's lift and bigger tires and some mopar accessories and think it will look great.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:15 pm

If the Grand is dropped, the sales for Commanders would rise sharply since hardcore Jeep luxury buyers will only have the Commander to choose from....or drop down to the Libby and help Libby sales.

desertkj · **Joined:** Mon Jan 30, 2006 8:24 pm **Posts:** 677

Tokyojoe wrote:

If the Grand is dropped, the sales for Commanders would rise sharply since hardcore Jeep luxury buyers will only have the Commander to choose from....or drop down to the Libby and help Libby sales.

They definitely arent getting rid of the GC. I just read an article about the new CRD in Four Wheeler.

Taz · **Posted:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:57 pm

Most writers are saying that the mileage is killing the Commander sales. And by 2009 the fuel prices could be double what they are currently. So why not put a CRD in the Commander.

wendell · **Posted:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:21 pm

This counrty can't afford to have fuel prices double what they are now, it would cause a resesion, mass inflation for a start. The poor and half of the middle class would be out of the loop. Wouldn't be able to afford to go to work, no point anyway if your check just pays for gas to get there. 3.00 a gallon is about the limit before it starts causing some serious problems. We even heat with fuel oil, it would be devestating. It would be time to bring out the horse and buggy. If you can afford a comander, you should be able to afford gas for it I would think, us ditch diggers can't afford one.

FastTRX · **Posted:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:41 pm

Taz wrote:

Most writers are saying that the mileage is killing the Commander sales. And by 2009 the fuel prices could be double what they are currently. So why not put a CRD in the Commander.

IMO...this would be a wise decision. Between the look of the new KKs and the Commander if it is still in production when I'm looking for another Jeep...I would choose the Commander....definitly if it had the CRD. I'm think I'm pretty set on the fact that my next Jeep will be a CRD!

The Commander Goes Down

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