2022 JEEP GRAND WAGONEER TEST DRIVE

2022 JEEP GRAND WAGONEER TEST DRIVE BY CAR CRITIC STEVE HAMMES

2022 Grand Wagoneer Obsidian 4X4

It’s a Jeep so above anything the brand has ever produced that it doesn’t even use the Jeep name.  It simply goes by Grand Wagoneer and it’s the big, highly capable, opulent 3-row affluent Jeep owners have been waiting for. 

 

 

 

So watch out Escalade and Navigator; there’s a new 4X4 in town and it isn’t pulling any punches.   

 

 

 

They’re both the same size – huge – but if you prefer your Wagoneer to be grand you’re going to need an extra $30,000 and an even more fervent desire for fossil fuels. Each premium fill up of its 26 gallon tank costs more than $100 in order to feed the 6.4-liter V8.  Even with engineering tricks such as cylinder deactivation and a front-axle disconnect, consider yourself lucky if you get 15mpg. 

 

 

But the Grand Wagoneer’s story isn’t about fuel economy.  It’s about oversized American opulence; a new choice for fat-cat families in the gigantic SUV segment. GM and Ford now have a new competitor to wrangle with and Jeep is coming in hot. 

 

 

But you can barely find the Jeep name on the Grand Wagoneer and if you go to Jeep’s retail site the Wagoneers receive their own special tab, so consider this a Jeep subbrand if you will.

 

 

 

This here is the penultimate Obsidian trim in the only monotone color choice; Diamond Black with a starting MSRP of just over $100,000.  But despite the name, the Obsidian is also available in white, silver, red and blue. But even those colors receive 22” black wheels, black grille and badging, black interior accents and as a bonus a 23-speaker McIntosh audio system with a cool amp app to make you feel like you’re in a home theater. 

 

The sticker price of this one is $109,025 with the optional Rear-Seat Entertainment Group, Heavy Duty Trailer Tow Package and Convenience Group.  But if the blacked-out treatment just isn’t for you, the Grand Wagoneer Series III is basically the Obsidian with more shiny metal and standard equipment starting at $4,000 more.  

 

 

Backed by the massively powerful 6.4-liter (don’t call me a HEMI) V8 the Grand Wagoneer drives with effortless yet enthralling bursts of American potency, a ride that isn’t as sumptuous as the big GM SUVs but darn close, and the precise driver controls demanded in the 6-figure luxury segment. 

 

 

It’s quiet, composed and despite its American-sized largesse, very easy to drive in all situations…well, to be honest off-roading isn’t in the cards for me this week but the Grand Wagoneer has the resume to excel at that as well.  It’s the 3-row SUV of your road trip dreams.     

 

 

Though Jeep leaves the Advanced All Terrain Group to the Wagoneer, the Grand Wagoneer still comes standard with the best 4-wheel drive system they offer, air suspension and Selec-Terrain – missing out on only the off-road tires and skid plates.  But for me, it’s been mostly highway driving and sightseeing where the 392 is as lively as can be yet subdued when desired, packing the heat of 471 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque. 

 

An 8-speed automatic provides the seamless gear changes.  So no matter your seat, this Wagooner lives up to its Grand billing – a quiet, steady, smooth, confident transporter where everyone gets their own personal space and all of the toys. 

 

 

 

Not only is there this huge UConnect screen in the middle, but your copilot gets their own set of controls for assisting with navigation input, camera views or simply watching their favorite TV show. 

 

 

 

And in the rear, Fire TV also provides the entertainment options which Maddie has told me works quite well.  And of course, in this rarefied air there are massage programs, night vision, a heated steering wheel with 3 settings, this cool welcome mat, a baby cam, rear view camera mirror, cooled center console, incredible displays with animated graphics and an abundance of information, and another screen down here for seating functions that flips up to reveal a wireless charge pad.  Wireless phone integration that allows you to use your phone’s mapping software for navigation embedded in the driver and head-up display is also very smart.  And even my little Hyundai Kona has cool relax modes but check these out – they’re so immersive they can only be activated when the vehicle is parked.  The materials are rich, the build quality is top notch and the details are exquisite but that doesn’t mean everything is perfect.       

As much as I love this Grand Wagoneer, and I do, a road trip to New England has revealed some room for improvement.  Mostly small stuff but for nearly $110,000 nitpicking is most certainly allowed. 

 

 

 

So in no particular order, the exhaust fumes have often interfered with the rear park sensors literally preventing me from backing up, the head-up display is small, dim and underwhelming, ditto for the ambient interior lighting that makes almost no visual impact, and lastly the UConnect system has at times been laggy and glitchy, forcing me to perform a system reset at one point. 

 

 

And even though hands-free driving is coming to this model it isn’t here yet.

 

 

 

 

Chalk one up for Cadillac who has been offering Super Cruise for 5 years already.  I also hate that the Surround View Camera button only exists on the screen where it can take some time to activate and parking this thing is rarely an easy maneuver.  The windshield also has a wavy effect if you catch it the wrong way which can be a little nauseating.  But as for people space, you’re not going to beat the Grand Wagoneer.

 

All Grand Wagoneers seat 7 not 8 like the Wagoneer but every placeholder is a spacious one.  Adults in the 3^rd row?  No problem?  All the seats articulate in multiple ways to provide maximum comfort and super easy access as well as simple cargo configurations. 

 

 

Everyone also gets their own glass roof.  There are no switches that lower the rear for easier loading but in addition to the power folding seats there is an underfloor cubby that can also hold the roof rack crossbars.  Recent spy shots of an even longer Grand Wagoneer make me wonder how much space does one family really need?   Towing is maxed at 9,850 pounds.  

 

 

I’m not sure its outside appearance says $100,000 but everything else about it resonates as 6-figure material in what will undoubtedly be a profit margin success for the ages.     

 

 

 

 

 

2022 JEEP GRAND WAGONEER TEST DRIVE BY CAR CRITIC STEVE HAMMES  |  TESTDRIVENOW 2022(c)