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2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer L Series III
Class: Premium Large SUV
Color: River Rock
Seating capacity: 7
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | A |
| Power and Performance | A- |
| Fit and Finish | A |
| Fuel Economy | C- |
| Value | B- |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide’s impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A |
| Tall Guy | A |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. “Big” rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, “Tall” rating based on 6’6″-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 510-horsepower 3.0-liter |
| Engine Type | Turbocharged 6-cylinder |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | 4WD |
Miles driven: 109
Observed fuel economy: 14.7 mpg
Driving mix: 60% city, 40% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 14/19/16 (mpg city/highway/combined)
Fuel type: Premium gas
Base price: $113,095 (not including $2000 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Special paint ($695), Heavy Duty Trailer-Tow Package ($1370), Rear-Seat Entertainment Group ($2595), 22-inch alloy wheels with “Black Noise Pockets” ($1595), embossed interior accents ($1695)
Price as tested: $123,045
Quick Hits
The great: Roomy and comfortable, premium-level trim
The good: Powerful and refined drivetrain
The not so good: Pricey–even for the class, requires premium fuel
Tom Appel:
Fun fact: The word Jeep does not appear on the Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer exterior. This because Jeep marketing folks want to establish the big SUVs—more or less—as a stand-alone brand, and because there was some worry that the vehicles were offered at a price point higher than most Jeep customers would accept.
Jeep is trying to do a lot with its big SUV duo, including covering a vast area in terms of market position. With just two models, Jeep has positioned itself against the likes of the Chevrolet Tahoe on the low end, and the Cadillac Escalade up top. In between, the landscape is crowded, and includes the Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon Denali, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, and the Toyota Sequoia.
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Jeep does this by breaking the segment into two, with the Wagoneer covering mainstream brands (Chevy, Ford, Toyota), and the Grand Wagoneer taking on the likes of Cadillac and Lincoln. As you might expect, the price range covered by the big Jeeps is vast.
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For 2023, the entry Wagoneer “Series I” starts at $63,595 including destination. This in rear-wheel drive, standard-length guise. In 4WD long-wheelbase “L” trim, the Grand Wagoneer Series III Obsidian starts at $113,693. All prices include a $2000 destination charge.
That’s almost a 100-percent price spread from top to bottom, and should provide a sense of all the ground Jeep is trying to cover with this vehicle.
We’re going to look at the luxury Grand Wagoneer today, which is offered in four trim levels for 2023: Series I (about $93,000), Series II ($99,000), Series II Obsidian ($105,000), Series III ($112,000), and Series III Obsidian.
Note that for 2024, the standard Series II is dropped, leaving the Series II Obsidian alone in the middle of the Grand Wagoneer lineup. No other significant updates are in store for ’24.
New for 2023 is Jeep’s “Hurricane” 6-cylinder engine. The turbocharged 3.0-liter powerplant replaces the 6.4-liter “Hemi” under most Grand Wagoneer hoods, and represents a significant power bump over the old V8. Rated at 510 horsepower, the Hurricane engine cranks out 39 more horsepower than the retired Hemi. And, in most cases, per the EPA, the new engine outperforms the old engine by at least 1 mpg.
Series I trucks are still powered by the Hemi V8, and will be in 2024, as well. All Grand Wagoneers come standard with 4WD. Note that a less-powerful version of the Hurricane engine is now standard on the non-Grand Wagoneer, replacing a 5.7-liter version of the Hemi V8.
Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of a 2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer L Series III loaded to a cool $123,045, which is firmly in—and even slightly above—fully trimmed Cadillac Escalade money. So how does the Grand Wagoneer compare to the luxury-brand big SUVs? Let’s break this down…
Inside, the biggest, baddest Jeep holds its own, perhaps even leads. The Grand Wagoneer cabin feels larger and roomier than that of the Escalade or Lincoln Navigator, and is about as well finished, which is to say it looks fabulous. Our test Jeep’s perforated-leather seats and piano-black and bright-metal accents present a classy front, which feels both luxurious, and slightly restrained. Build quality, too, appears high grade.
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There is plenty of passenger space in every seating row, and access to the front-two rows is generally simple. Even getting into the 3rd-row is relatively easy, where younger and nimbler passengers will find plenty of space, as will adults with a sense of adventure.
The Grand Wagoneer cabin is quiet underway, though perhaps not as quiet as the class-leading Escalade. That said, easy conversation between all three seating rows is possible, which is saying something. In terms of ride and handling the Jeep falls somewhat short of the surprisingly nimble Navigator and the supremely composed Escalade. Not that the Grand Wagoneer fails in this regard, but steering is generally without feel, and the truck feels big and floaty in routine driving. As for ride control, the big Jeep generally feels like a luxury vehicle, but wallows more-, and suffers impact harshness more, than the big Cadillac. We do commend Jeep for the Grand Wagoneer’s surprisingly tight steering radius, which takes some of the pain out of negotiating parking garages and tight city streets.
The new Hurricane engine, however, may be the Grand Wagoneer’s ace in the hole. The turbocharged six mates well with the standard 8-speed automatic transmission, and provides smooth, effortless acceleration from a stop, and plenty of refined muscle for passing and merging. Additionally, the engine sounds great. When pushed, the Hurricane mill emits a refined, premium-sounding growl, which fades completely away at highway speed.
In mostly city driving, we observed 14.7 mpg, a little shy of the EPA combined estimated of 16, but still better than the 13.5 mpg we saw in a test 2022 Grand Wagoneer equipped with the old Hemi V8. During a recent evaluation of a standard-wheelbase 4WD Lincoln Navigator we saw 15.1 mpg, so the big Jeep is now playing in the same efficiency ball park at the other premium big rigs.
Just a quick note to reaffirm that the Jeep’s available McIntosh audio system is an audiophile’s delight, and is standard on upper Grand Wagoneer trim levels. Be sure the system out if you choose to test drive a Grand Wagoneer.
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What the Grand Wagoneer lacks in chassis sophistication and premium-brand cachet, it makes up for in powertrain refinement and cabin accommodations. While the price is high—and perhaps a little too high for a category upstart–Jeep is currently offering cash back on the vehicle, and dealers seem ready to negotiate. Also, stepping down to a lesser Grand Wagoneer—or higher-end standard Wagoneer—will go some distance in lowering the purchase price, while still affording consumers all of the space, comfort, and Hurricane power, these big Jeeps have to offer. If you’re shopping big rigs, be sure to make time to test drive the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer.
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