once Jeep’s only three-row SUV, was discontinued in 2010 after years of sales in a time of reduced demand for huge, gas-guzzling vehicles. Though it was large, it wasn’t particularly roomy—certainly not its third row, which offered 28.9 inches of legroom and sat about eight inches off the floor.

Jeep, long known for the iconic design of its smaller, more rugged

Wrangler

, saw little success with the much larger and clumsier but similarly boxy Commander. Its cramped third row and limited cargo space didn’t inspire many buyers, which is why it was discontinued and ultimately replaced by more modern full-size SUVs.

Here’s a breakdown of the ill-fated Commander’s dimensions and seating options from

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, the

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What is the Jeep Commander’s 3rd row like?

The Jeep Commander’s third row was small and cramped. It seated small children somewhat comfortably, but not anyone else. The 2010 model came in two trims, both with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, started at $32,355, and sat seven people.

Car and Driver rated it 4/10 and said in a review that of those seven people, only those in the front would be particularly comfortable. It likened sitting in the SUV’s back row, whose seats rose about eight inches off the ground, to “sitting on a pair of phone books with your knees in your face.”

Space and comfort

The Commander’s seats must’ve been comfortable enough for some people, but its second- and third-row seats weren’t exactly roomy. Here are legroom and headroom measurements for each of its rows:

Third row: 28.9 inches of legroom, 35.7 inches of headroom

Second row: 36.1 inches of legroom, 40.3 inches of headroom

First row: 41.7 inches of legroom, 42.1 inches of headroom

As far as SUVs from that era go, something like the similarly-priced

2010 Toyota Highlander

offered better fuel economy and a sleeker design, though its third row wasn’t any more spacious.

In the table below, we’ve compared prices and third-row dimensions for some comparable modern SUVs and the Jeeps that replaced the Commander:

Model	Starting price	Third-row legroom	Third-row headroom	Total passenger volume
Jeep Commander	$32,355	28.9 inches	35.7 inches	112.3
Toyota Highlander	$37,070	27.7 inches	36.1 inches	141.3 cubic feet
Jeep Wagoneer	$60,995	36.6 inches	38 inches	179.2 cubic feet
Jeep Grand Cherokee L	$43,520	30.3 inches	37.3 inches	151.9 cubic feet
Chevrolet Traverse	$34,895	33.48 inches	38.21 inches	157.3 cubic feet
GMC Acadia	$36,145	29.7 inches	37.2 inches	Not rated

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MORE:

How to build a custom Jeep Commander

Is the Jeep Commander good for families and long road trips?

Not particularly—it’d get you and your family where you wanted to go, but not very quickly. Or comfortably. And you might’ve had to strap some luggage to the roof.

The boxy shape that made the Commander unmistakable as a Jeep also made it about as aerodynamic as a brick. This meant poor fuel economy (13 mpg city and 19 mpg highway) and a somewhat shaky and unstable ride.

Cargo space was also extremely limited, with just eight cubic feet of trunk space behind the third row of seats. For reference, that’s less cargo space than you’ll find in the average modern sedan and about half of what a 2022

Highlander

has.

MORE:

The top 10 most expensive SUVs to insure

How to find deals on insurance for a Jeep Commander

We wouldn’t call a used Commander a good investment. If you already own one, you’ve got a piece of American auto history, though not one of the more glamorous or memorable ones. Regardless, a good insurance policy is key to keeping it protected, and finding deals on car insurance is what the

Jerry

app is all about.

Signing up is free and takes about 45 seconds—then, Jerry compares plans from over 55 insurance companies nationwide to find users the best price for the coverage they need. Jerry can even help cancel an old plan and sign you up for the new one. Users save an average of over $800 a year!

“I heard about
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