Jeep Commander   Women's view

The Jeep Commander offers a lot of family utility for those Not worried about handling a big hunk of metal. June Neary reports

Lets cut straight to the chase. The Jeep Commander is a big vehicle. Park one outside your neighbours house and theyll likely start consulting planning bylaws regarding their right to light. As such, youd probably think its not the normal sort of vehicle that would appeal to women.

Its blocky styling and military surplus detailing look as if it would be better with an Arnie lookalike at the wheel and by strange coincidence, the Commander shares its birthplace with the Governator, both man and machine hailing from Graz in Austria. That said, the last time I ran my kids to school I counted mums in Nissan Navara double cabs, Land Rover Discoveries and Mitsubishi Shoguns. Big is beautiful, it would seem, and this Jeep is big enough to face them all down.

The Commander runs on the same underpinnings as the rather svelter Grand Cherokee model, but features an extended body so that it can seat up to seven. Space in the front two rows is pretty generous but the rear seats are, as with most such items, set rather close to the floor and thus are only really suitable for short distances with kids. The floor of the Commander rises as it moves back so theyll at least get a great view out, something that helps alleviate travel sickness with the young uns. From the outside its easy to miss the subtle step up in roof height that makes this trick possible, Jeep concealing it behind a set of smart roof rails.

Squeeze seven passengers on board and youd better hope theyve packed light because thatll leave a mere 6 cubic feet of luggage space available. Seat five, fold the rearmost pair of seats down and youll have a more satisfactory 36.3 cubic feet. Drop the middle row as well and youll have a massive 67.

4 cubic feet of available space.

The great thing about the Commander is that despite its size, it feels relatively nimble. The suspension has been set up for European tastes and doesnt exhibit the wallowy ride that afflicts many American sports utes. A turning circle of just 36.7 feet means you wont need a street the width of the M25 to effect a smart about face.

The steering is nicely weighted and direct while visibility out of the car is very good, although it does help if the rear seats are folded down - especially when reversing into a parking place. This is the time that youll realise that youre driving a vehicle that measures 15ft 9 inches from stem to stern! Only one engine is now offered in the UK specification Commander but its an absolute stormer and one of the most impressive diesel engines on general release. The 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel has seen the light of day in other Jeep, Chrysler and Mercedes products and with 215bhp on tap it doesnt want for power.

Its also surprisingly economical (a combined figure of around 25mpg is reckoned) and the 376lb/ft of torque make it a great companion if you do decide to leave the beaten track.

Like most Chrysler Jeep products, the Commander majors on value for money. The range opens at just £27,490 for the well-equipped Predator model with the 215bhp 3.0-litre CRD diesel engine. Thats a mere £540 over what youd pay for a 180bhp Toyota RAV4 diesel or, to target a more direct rival, over £1,500 less than the sparsely furnished entry-level seven-seat Land Rover Discovery diesel, a model that makes do with a mere 188bhp.

If youre looking for more kit, theres a Limited version of the 3.0CRD which retails at £31,490. With margins this tight there isnt a lot of scope for negotiation with your dealer but some haggling could well see a couple of sweeteners thrown into the deal. News of the three-year, 60,000-mile warranty should also convince many wavering buyers that the importers are serious about the long-term quality of these tough-looking off-roaders.

Although Id need to extend my garage to get it to fit, Id gladly make the sacrifice. The Commander may not be the prettiest car Ive ever clapped eyes on but functional can be beautiful too and the big Jeep certainly scores big on practicality. Sometimes the less obvious choice is worth going out on a limb for.