Jeep, with an eye on the upper echelons of the luxury SUV market, has revived a storied nameplate for two all-new, full-size utes: the Wagoneer and the more opulent Grand Wagoneer.
They are the same vehicle, differentiated by powertrain, equipment and trim details, and drawn from the newest body-on-frame platform from Stellantis that underpins the latest Ram 1500. The two SUVs are equipped with an independent rear suspension. They each measure slightly longer than a Chevrolet Tahoe. Rear-wheel drive is standard and three different four-wheel-drive systems with varying degrees of capability are available.
The powertrain lineup is simple: The Wagoneer features a 392-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission with rear-wheel drive. The Grand Wagoneer packs a 471-hp, 6.4-liter V-8 engine bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission with four-wheel drive. We’ve scoured the Web for the earliest reviews from the automotive press.
“”round town, a little residual body-on-frame jiggle runs through the structure after abrupt inputs or bumps. Out on twisting roads, the big truck rolls — you should really let the inertia settle before turning the wheel in the opposite direction — and to maintain the vehicle’s path, the steering needs constant attention. That softness pays dividends on the highway, where the ride is quite plush and appropriate for road trips. The throwback two-spoke steering wheel offers a vague connection to what’s happening at the tires, and the overall feel is light.
“Buyers will have to parse through seven Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer trim levels to find their best match. Wagoneers come three ways, all powered by Chrysler’s Hemi 392-hp 5.7-liter V-8, which is backed by the company’s 48-volt eTorque hybrid system and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The electric assist adds 130 lb-ft of torque on initial throttle application and makes for one of the more seamless start-stop systems we’ve experienced. Equipped with the optional 3.92:1 axle ratio, the combo moves the Wagoneer’s mass off the line smartly, and the smooth V-8 doesn’t leave you wanting on the highway.
“Grand Wagoneers come in four versions, each with a beefy 6.4-liter V-8. A GW-exclusive intake manifold and exhaust cap the fun at 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque — 14 horses and 20 lb-ft short of what the engine makes in a Scat Pack Challenger. A robust torque curve gives an easy initial surge; stay in it and you’ll find that the big V-8 loves to run to the top of its rev range. It sounds great, too, if a little out of place. There’s no hybrid system here, but like the 5.7-liter, cylinder deactivation and variable valve timing help make the most out of a gallon. The Grand Wagoneer feels a bit livelier with its larger engine — Jeep claims a 60-mph time of 6.0 seconds — but the lesser Wagoneer, with its electrically assisted 5.7, seems quicker than its claimed 7.3-second time to 60.”
— James Tate, Car and Driver
“”o vehicle measuring 214.7 inches long and 83.6 inches wide can be described as nimble in city traffic, but the Grand Wagoneer’s agility is like an NFL defensive lineman. It can cut and run when it sees a hole, but most people just get out of its way. (For comparison, the Cadillac Escalade measures 211.9 and 81.1 inches although the longer Escalade ESV stretches to 227 inches.)
“Much of the credit for its spry moves goes to the standard 6.4-liter V-8 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission plucked from the Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler) empire. Rated at 471 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque, it easily motivates the Grand Wagoneer’s 6,420-pound body. It weighs in about 600 pounds heftier than the Escalade ESV but has a 51-horsepower advantage over the Caddy’s 420-horsepower 6.2-liter V-8.
“Still, the Grand Wagoneer’s smooth, precise steering, independent rear suspension and luxurious, ultra-quiet interior keep nerves calm and casts a mellow spell over passengers, keeping the harried city hubbub at bay.
“Highway travel is predictably serene, and the hands-free active driving assist works with the same deft speed and steering control as it did in the 2021 Grand Cherokee L. However, unlike the Escalade’s Super Cruise ‘eyesight’ system, the Grand Wagoneer requires the driver to contact the steering wheel every few moments.
“Despite its sophisticated suspension system, when equipped with the 22-inch wheels (20-inchers are standard on the base Grand Wagoneer) and 285/45 Goodyear all-season touring and performance tires, a surprising amount of harsh impacts find their way into the Grand Wagoneer’s cabin. The structure is rattle-free and the impacts muted, but significant road imperfections make themselves known in town and on the highway.
“Unsurprisingly, fuel economy doesn’t top the list of the Grand Wagoneer’s favorable traits. The EPA rates it at 13 mpg in city driving, 18 mpg on the highway and 15 mpg combined. Cylinder deactivation and a fully disconnecting front axle help some, but even the Escalade with the big 6.2-liter V-8 manages an EPA rating of 16 mpg in city. The Lincoln Navigator is rated to achieve 17 mpg city.”
— Andrew Wendler, Forbes
“”e drove a so-equipped Wagoneer on a short off-road course specifically laid out to show off the big Jeep’s abilities. Axle articulation isn’t as great as in more hardcore Jeeps — a couple of times we were left with a tire hanging in the air — but the Wagoneer, which has 10 inches of ground clearance with the air suspension on its tiptoes (or 8.3 inches with the fixed suspension), nonetheless clambered over the rocks and dips without wheelspin or hesitation. And a feature called Active 4 Low (on both of the upper 4WD systems) also allowed it to maneuver around the tight turns in low range without crabbing.
“The rest of our drive time was in the Grand Wagoneer. With its 6.4-liter V-8, acceleration is certainly adequate, though it’s not on the frenetic level of the Grand Cherokee SRT with the same engine. Instead, the 6.4-liter is smooth and quiet; the accelerator is linear in its response; and the eight-speed automatic’s shifting is utterly unobtrusive. Because Jeep uses a dial shifter, manually downshifting — or, more accurately, setting a maximum gear — is done via buttons on the steering wheel.
“Air springs and adaptive dampers are standard on the Grand Wagoneer (and optional on the Wagoneer), and they deliver impressive ride quality. Driving north out of New York City, we were on the West Side Highway and, later, the Saw Mill River Parkway, both older highways with storm drains at the edge of the lane, sometimes considerably below the pavement level. In some sections, you hit one after the other, and the Grand Wagoneer acknowledged them with a single body motion, and that’s it. There was no head toss and no shudder through the structure. A goodly portion of this vehicle’s considerable mass must have gone toward structural rigidity, because the GW felt solid no matter what patched and pockmarked pavement we traversed. The adaptive dampers also effectively quell body motions, but toggling between Sport and the default Auto drive modes didn’t make much discernable difference. The drive modes only affect the powertrain and suspension, not the steering, so cranking the two-spoke steering wheel always remains a low-effort affair.”
— Joe Lorio, Autoblog
“”n the tight, tree-lined roads that wander through southern New York state’s rural areas, we’ll be golly-gosh-darned if the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer didn’t feel dynamically closer to a Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander than it did to a Suburban. We understand how trite this might sound, but hey, we call it like we drives it. It’s a capable SUV, insofar as you want something to drive smaller than it is. The substantial bulk is well damped by the suspension, but it still roils in the background with each saw of the wheel, and you’ll quickly drive past the limit of the standard all-season tires if you’re not careful.
“Who cares, right? Who’s buying a Grand Wagoneer for how well it handles the back roads? Not a soul. However, the upside to this is the Grand Wagoneer is easier and more pleasant to weave through tighter urban areas, provided you can find somewhere to moor the damn thing when you go into a store to shop.
“What people do buy the Grand Wagoneer for is hauling. Anything, really: mainly people, but even the nicest, plushest SUV is occasionally relegated to trash hauling every once in a while. On that front, the third row is incredibly spacious, with this 5-foot-11 writer experiencing no issues getting comfortable in steerage. We were also electronically and calorically topped up, thanks to third-row USB charge ports and cupholders for our frosty tumbler of Capri Sun. We felt quite safe, too; the driving assist tech was comprehensive for the most part, including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, active lane assist, collision warning and assist, and intersection collision assist.”
— Conner Golden, Motor Trend
“Jeep engineers promised that the Wagoneer would feel like the smallest big truck we’d ever driven — and they were not wrong. …
“Out on the road, either of these beasts is simply lovely to drive. Acceleration from either powertrain is immediate and forceful, but the base 5.7-liter provides so much punchy torque accompanied by a resonant V-8 burble (an engine you can’t get in any Ford or Lincoln SUV anymore) that it almost makes the 6.4-liter in the Grand Wagoneer seem silly. The 5.7-liter is so good that upgrading to the Grand Wagoneer for its engine doesn’t make sense, meaning that the only reason to do so and spend the extra money is for the more exclusive creature comforts and the mild styling differences. Either engine can tow a maximum of 10,000 pounds, also a best-in-class figure according to Jeep, so the big engine isn’t for a better towing number — it’s a prestige item only.
“Handling is equally exceptional, with light, quick-ratio steering that is communicative and responsive. Body control is excellent, and while you’ll still feel all of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer’s heft, it doesn’t wallow or feel tippy in corners or transitions. It really does drive like a smaller vehicle, allowing you a greater degree of confidence in around-town maneuvers or twisty back roads. And either model is a supremely good highway cruiser, with a stability and refinement that belies its pedestrian pickup truck origins. It may have started life as a lowly Ram 1500, but finishing school has transformed the Wagoneer into a refined, sophisticated luxury limousine and all-purpose transport worthy of going up against the best in the field.
“There’s only one complaint with the Wagoneer’s operation: the cylinder deactivation function. Whenever it cuts in and the vehicle operates in four-cylinder mode, something happens to the resonance of the Wagoneer’s exhaust, sending an unpleasant booming drone through the cabin. It happens with either model but seems more noticeable in the Grand Wagoneer. Thing is, it’s a recurring complaint with Stellantis Hemi engines — we’ve experienced this exact issue for years now in Dodge Challengers, Jeep Wranglers, Ram 1500s, anywhere that the cylinder deactivation happens on a 5.7 or 6.4-liter V-8.”
— Aaron Bragman, Cars.com
“”ew can afford it, but this is a halo vehicle — a fashion plate that inspires the rest of the lineup. You covet it, then settle for a handsome, three-row, $50k Grand Cherokee L.
Escaping Gotham north along the Hudson River, I hustled my remarkably nimble, 6,400-pound tester over a variety of bridges, highways, and undulating country roads. Deeper and deeper I rode into the Empire State. Credit major upgrades to the ladder-frame truck chassis (shared with the Ram 1500 pickup) like air suspension and independent rear suspension.
“This is the second $100,000-plus Jeep I’ve driven — the 707-horse Grand Cherokee Trackhawk being the first. Like that Hellcat-powered rhino in tennis shoes, the Grand borrows a V-8 engine — the 471-horsepower, 6.4-liter V-8 — from the Dodge Challenger. While the V-8 does yeoman’s work below decks powering the land yacht along, the Trackhawk and Grand are otherwise as different as Rocky Balboa and Rock Hudson.
“Drop six figures on the Trackhawk and you’ll hang out at Woodward parking lot with the boys talking horsepower, launch control, and superchargers. Invest in the Grand to take to the family to, well, Mackinac Island.
“Talking about the Garden Wagoneer’s drivetrain is as besides the point as boring the family over dinner at the Grand Hotel’s Main Dining Room about the hydro-electric plant that powers the resort.
“What the kiddies really want to hear about is all the cool activities on tap. The Grand Wagoneer has plenty.”
— Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“This is not America’s answer to the Range Rover. In fact, in a few crucial ways, the Grand Wagoneer lags behind its American counterparts. But as a first effort and the long-overdue expansion into the three-row, full-size luxury SUV space, Jeep is showing promise. It’s just not there yet.
“A vehicle’s verdict is relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. By now, you should know that the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer don’t shake out in the usual way of smaller and bigger that you see with Jeep’s own Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. Rather than the ‘Grand’ designation indicating increased size, these two vehicles are fraternal twins, both riding atop a 123.0-inch wheelbase and offering similar interior measurements. Instead, ‘Grand’ here indicates the vehicle’s aspirations, taking the already plush Wagoneer and adding more of everything but size: tinsel, power, technology, and comfort.
“For the multi-hour drive from Manhattan’s posh Chelsea neighborhood to the relative wilderness outside the Big Apple, I wanted all that the Grand designation offered, selecting a well-equipped Series II trim. But immediately apparent as I set out on the West Side Highway was how small this 214.7-inch chunk of rugged Americana felt.
“At 83.6 inches wide, this Jeep is 2.6 inches wider than a Cadillac Escalade and 3.7 inches girthier than a Lincoln Navigator (all measurements are sans mirrors). It has several inches on the short-wheelbase versions of each, too. But predictable and well-isolated steering, with an appropriately sized dead zone and natural-feeling weight make managing the tight lanes easy. And despite that long hood and upright nose, forward visibility is good.
“The road that rings Manhattan is far from silky, though. Expansion joints and potholes are common, and while the Grand Wagoneer one-ups the Navigator and matches the Escalade with an available air suspension, this Jeep has the worst ride in the class by a healthy margin. There’s somehow too much vertical motion and a substantial amount of harshness over imperfections. Bigger bumps reverberate through the body while low-amplitude hits still send an unpleasant shudder directly to your backside. It’d be a catastrophe on rough roads were the steering not so well isolated.”
— Brandon Turkus, motor1.com