Back in 1992, Jeep helped ignite America’s love affair with the SUV when it introduced the Grand Cherokee. Between this and Ford’s new sport ute called Explorer, millions of families discovered that they didn’t have to be seen in mini-vans anymore. The rest, as they say is history.

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Though Commander is family friendly, that doesn't make it a trail wuss.

The Grand Cherokee has done well for this DaimlerChrysler division. Its Achilles heel has been the lack of seating. It only holds 5 people (legally anyhow). Enter the Commander, which has been on sale for a year now. I’ve got my hands on a Limited model for this test.

Commander is the first Jeep to have seatbelts for seven. Based on the Grand Cherokee platform, it’s only 2 inches longer but four inches higher than its little brother.

Let’s get right to that third row. As you might imagine, it’s not a great place for adults to spend extended time. It’s easy enough to get in and out of though. The second row folds and tumbles out of the way in a simple manner. The exterior cargo rack disguises the fact that the roof actually slopes upward so those in the second and third row sit progressively higher for great visibility.

Though Commander is family-friendly, that doesn’t make it a trail wuss. Jeep only puts “Trail Rated” badges on rigs that can truly perform. Maneuvering a wet and sloppy motocross track at Portland International Raceway, I find the optional Quadra-Drive II full-time all-wheel-drive system hardly breaks a sweat. Approach and departure of steep hills finds no bumper scraping.

Serious off-roaders might feel this is a mild excursion but most owners will never ever drive this way. The tires slip a little bit in deep mud but this truck’s wearing highway shoes and optional chrome wheels. If you’re doing the Rubicon, I'd suggest different wheels and rubber.

So, Commander can do the “over the river and through the woods” part of getting to Grandmas house. It’s also surprisingly composed on the highway, too. That’s good since most Grandparents live on paved roads these days. Drivers don’t have to deal with those micro steering wheel adjustments to stay on course. Despite its squared-off silhouette, there’s very little wind noise. The only curious sound comes from the heating and cooling system. It produces a very slight melodic hum when blowing air. Sounds like A# to me.

The Limited gets its power from a 4.7 liter 235 horsepower V8 engine. With 295 lb-ft of torque, it provides decent power. For $845 a Hemi with 330 HP and 375 lb-ft of torque is available. I saw 14 miles to the gallon in mixed use with the 4.7. The Hemi should get similar mileage because of cylinder shut-off technology. The towing max for a properly outfitted rig is 7,200 pounds.

Many who see this Jeep think it follows the Hummer school of design. All square and boxy, I mostly see Jeep heritage going all the way to the original Cherokee. And let’s not forget that Hummer was taken to court by DaimlerChrysler for borrowing the 7 slot grille treatment used by Jeep for years. Hummer won by the way.

It would appear the designers got a great deal on allen-head bolts because outside and inside, they’re everywhere. This being a Limited model, the interior tastefully straddles the line between lake cabin lifestyle and luxury living. There are lots of small handy storage slots throughout the cabin.

You can load up the Commander with high end features including hands free Bluetooth phone connections. The DVD entertainment system comes with wireless headphones and a dedicated playback unit that second row occupants can easily reach. Twin skylights with mesh diffusers near the DVD screen are a nice touch.

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The interior tastefully straddles the line between lake cabin lifestyle and luxury living.

I have a few gripes with the interior. The windshield is very upright meaning the mounting point for the visor is very far forward. That means the visors don’t block the sun when it’s directly left of the driver and right of the passenger. The nav system with its slow data entry system is average.

Also I find the windshield pillars to be a bit thick and the gauges dark and hard to see. The steering wheel tilts but doesn’t telescope. Good thing the pedals adjust.

Checking out the cargo area finds the load floor a bit on the high side. There’s also a cover for the jack near the bumper that is a little awkward. With the third row in use there’s only room for a few small duffle bags. I always do the Toilet Paper Test with 3rd rows flat and in this case 13 packs fit. That’s decent.

Safety features include standard front and rear side curtain airbags. Commander also has Electronic Stability Control and Electronic Roll Mitigation so there’s less chance those bags will be needed. The NHTSA gives this Jeep its best 5 star rating for frontal impact protection (side tests have not been done). Its rollover rating of 3 stars is about average for full sized truck-based SUVs.

The price for a loaded Commander? My loaded tester stickers for 44 grand. A quick check of Jeep’s website shows there’s incentives on the table. The Commander Limited is flexible and sized right for city driving. This Jeep is a comfortable choice for those who need off-road capability.