By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

(April 17, 2022) Jeep has filled a big hole in its SUV lineup by creating a new three-row vehicle that stretches out 214.7 inches — about 4 inches longer than the Lincoln Navigator and two inches longer than the Cadillac Escalade — and offers three adult-sized rows of seating with 27 cubic feet of cargo area behind the seats. For this exercise in bigness, Jeep has resurrected an old nameplate, Grand Wagoneer, and outfitted it with the necessary amenities to put it squarely in the luxury segment.

The original Wagoneer wagon/sport utility was manufactured by Jeep under successive automakers from 1963 to 1991, remaining in production for 29 model years with an almost unchanged body structure, making it the third longest-produced single-generation vehicle in U.S. automotive history.

The resurrected Grand Wagoneer is positioned to compete against such luxury nameplates as the Escalade, Navigator, BMW X7, Infiniti QX80, and Land Rover Range Rover. Jeep also has a less expensive more pedestrian Wagoneer targeted at the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, and Nissan Armada. While the Grand Wagoneer starts at a lofty $89,000, the Wagoneer begins at $64,000.

The Wagoneer line is based on the Ram pickup truck, but rather than using the Ram’s solid-rear axle, it employs an independent rear suspension for a more refined ride.

A big sport utility vehicle demands a big engine and Jeep delivers the goods with a 6.4-liter V-8 that produces 471 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and 455 pound-feet of torque @ 4,400 rpm mated to an 8-speed automatic. The big engine moves the 6,326-pound behemoth from 0-to-60 in a satisfying 5.4 seconds. Quarter mile time has been measured at 13.9 seconds @ 101 mph. We found this to be very practical real-world performance cocooned in the lap of Jeep luxury.

And, yes, there is big towing capacity available with a maximum 9,850 pounds. Payload is rated at 1,450 pounds.



The big downside comes at the gas pumps with gas mileage measured at 13 mpg city, 19 highway and 15 combined on premium in two-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive is virtually the same at 13/18/15. That’s 6.7 gallons of $5 and above premium gas for every 100 miles.

Where the Grand Wagoneer shines is the passenger compartment. Exceptionally  comfortable seats are upholstered in thick, diamond-print belted leather with contrasting stitching. Rich concert-hall-like tones emanate from the standard McIntosh MX950 19-speaker entertainment system or the optional 23-speaker 1,375-watt McIntosh Reference system (as found on our test truck). There's a multifaceted infotainment system, a subscription-free Wi-Fi hotspot, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and USB ports in all three rows.

Genuine wood accents grace the interior, and high-tech features such as a 12.3-inch fully digital gauge cluster, customizable ambient interior lighting, a head-up display, a camera-fed rearview mirror, and rear-seat monitoring system that displays a video feed onto the central touchscreen offer passengers a host of luxury-like features.

There are up to 75 cumulative inches of video screens, including a passenger movie screen and a “relax mode” such as a crackling fireplace visible to all occupants when the vehicle is parked. Our test Wagoneer even included almost 45 inches of rear seat entertainment displays, including Amazon FireTV.

All this new tech is apparently not without some bugs. On one of our outings the navigation screen inexplicably went off replaced with the Sirius XM readout — just as we were approaching a crucial turn. And that's not all. It did the same thing on our return trip.

On the road, the Grand Wagoneer delivered an incredibly comfortable, relaxed, silky-smooth and serene ride in its massive interior. While it didn’t earn Jeep’s “Trail Rated” badge, and we didn’t trek off-road, the Wagoneer can be had with one of three available 4x4 off-road systems.  

The Grand Wagoneer is a good-looking vehicle with stately lines, but you will be hard pressed to discover that it's a Jeep. The only place you find the word Jeep is on the infotainment startup screen and on small insignias in the taillights.

The big SUV comes in four trim levels — Series I, Series II, Obsidian and Series III starting at $88,995. The Series III tops out at $105,995. Our Series II test vehicle carried a base price of $95,995. With several options including 4WD, the bottom line came to $101,580.

For those who want the power adjustable 40/20/40-split bench seat in place of the standard second-row captain's chairs, it can be obtained as a no-cost option.

2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

Essentials
Base price: $88,995; as driven, $101,580
Engine: 6.4-liter V-8
Horsepower: 471 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque: 455 pound-feet @ 4,400 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Drive: four wheel
Seating: 2/2/3
Wheelbase: 123 inches
Length: 214.7 inches
Curb weight: 6,326 pounds
Turning circle: 38 feet
Luggage capacity: 27.4 cubic feet
Cargo capacity: 94.2 cubic feet (all seatbacks folded)
Towing capacity: 9.850 pounds
Fuel capacity: 26.5 gallons (premium)
EPA rating: 13 city, 19 highway, 15 combined
0-60: 5.4 seconds (Car and Driver)
Also consider: Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon XL, BMW X7

The Good
• Adult passenger space in all three rows
• Strong V-8 power
• Quiet inside luxury-appointed interior

The Bad
• Some bug fixes needed with new tech

The Ugly
• Horrific gas milage