I was going to start my own Website.. Commander Sucks .. or some such title. I still might. I have almost 5000 miles on my Commander and I am not happy.

First, the gas sucking. Okay, on the lot the Commander's window sticker gave it a rating of 19 MPG Highway. That's with the 5.7L Hemi. The 4.7L Grand Cherokee sitting next to it listed 20 MPG Highwat. I've had 1-2-3-4-5 FIVE Grand Cherokees and have (obviously) been very happy with the 4.7L vehicle. But, I thought, (Silly me!) "...the 5.7L Hemi is only one MPG difference. "

Ummmmm... thinly sliced Baloney.

Yes, it will deliver approx 17 MPG when driving steadily at 45-55 MPH. That's when the hi-tech (abandoned by GM) computer system drops out the 4 cylinders.

However, IF you are on any of the Nation's real highways.. trying to avoid being rundown by people on their cell phones doing 85... your mileage will be about 14-15MPG... on the flat and on a cool day. With a PUNY 20 gallon tank, that means you have to stop for fuel even on a modest 300 mile trip.

And for this I have to use expensive synthetic oil and change it every 3000 miles?

Jeep's information about the Commander's Highway Mileage shares the same relationship with the truth as that held by members of the US Senate.

Other little things that bug me are:
- A key-coded driver setup system that doesn't work
- A HVAC switch that LOOKS like it's on"LOW" when it is properly positioned on "AUTO"
- A last-generation Navigation system (no weather option, no traffic option, terrible setup menu)
- A message center in the instrument cluster instead of "heads-up"
- A "check fuel cap" message that nobody can make go away

AND THE WHISTLE!

The vehicle whistles like someone blowing over the top of a bottle when you have quartering winds (from any direction) and go over 45 MPH or so. The pitch of the whistle is about the same pitch as the directional signal beep. Annoying. And LOUD! It grinds at you.

Here it comes.. the answer to the whistle.. at least on my Commander. It is not the HVAC system or the roof racks. It is not the power steering pump. It is the nearly vertical gutters on each side of the windshield. They are nearly perfect tubes and.. when the wind is right.. they resonate like pipe organs. Sometimes just one. Sometimes both together. Try and find that source!

You can do almost anything to break up the resonance. I have stuffed them with rolled craft paper. Used small strips of electrical tape... and even clogged them with wet leaves. Almost anything works.

For all of you who have spent miserable hours listening to the whistle... it is right there in front of you!

Good luck... When the Jeep folks get really really hungry and desperate to meet their sales goals.. about December 20th... I'm going back to try and unload this beast. Hopefully, it will be Jeep who takes the beating.