Jeep Wagoneer Yearlong Review Arrival: Can a Big Jeep Handle Big Jobs?
We're going to find out if Jeep’s Chevy Tahoe alternative can win over Suburban-ites.
"Why not us?" That question, asked at one point or another by every underdog sports squad, must've bounced around the Stellantis universe when coming up with the Jeep Wagoneer. General Motors has dominated the full-size body-on-frame SUV space for decades with its Silverado-based Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. Stellantis' Ram brand, meanwhile, was regularly trouncing GM's trucks in the eyes of critics and even occasionally in sales. Could the marrying of Ram's pickups with Jeep's SUV expertise and cultural cachet seriously challenge GM? Whynotthem?
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Over the next 12 months we hope to find out. We've just taken delivery of our new 2023 Jeep Wagoneer Series II yearlong test car and intend to see if Stellantis' best is ready to take on Chevrolet's Tahoe and Suburban—not to mention its GMC Yukon twin, the Ford Expedition, the new Toyota Sequoia, and the Nissan Armada.
Wagoneer Specs
Things are off to a good start, even if Wagoneer sales haven't met Jeep's initial expectations.
The winner of sister publication Four Wheeler's off-road-focused SUV of the Year award, our 2023 Wagoneer (which is identical to the $2,250 pricier 2024 Wagoneer) aims to stand out with a blend of luxury and capability not seen in its rivals. Beneath its insurance-commercial-esque anycar styling and $695 River Rock blue paint is a beefy Ram 1500-based platform backed up by a jewel of an engine: Stellantis' new "Hurricane" 3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6. The replacement for the company's beloved but thirsty Hemi V-8s, the Wagoneer's new Hurricane churns out a healthy 420 hp and 468 lb-ft of twist, putting that power down via a ZF eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. At an EPA-estimated 16/23/19 mpg city/highway/combined, it's the second-most efficient vehicle in its class, trailing just the hybridized Sequoia.
But the Wagoneer is more than just its sweet new engine. Inside it features a spacious and ritzy Nappa-leather-lined eight-passenger cabin, Stellantis' latest Uconnect infotainment system, and a nine-speaker Alpine audio system to keep everyone entertained. Other family-friendly features include heated and cooled front seats, three-zone climate control, Wi-Fi, and USB ports throughout all three rows.
What We Got
Our Wagoneer came well-equipped from the factory, but we nevertheless opted to jump up from the base standard-length non-L Wagoneer Series I to the $71,695 Wagoneer Series II for one reason and one reason only: its Advanced All-Terrain package.
Call us traditionalists if you must, but to us a Jeep without four-wheel drive and off-road hardware is like an aircraft carrier patrolling without planes aboard. Available solely on the Wagoneer Series II, the $2,595 Advanced All-Terrain package replaces the Jeep's standard rear- or optional all-wheel-drive systems with a true full-time four-wheel-drive system and a two-speed transfer case. It swaps out steel springs for a height-adjustable air suspension with adaptive damping, fits the rear axle with a 3.92:1 final drive and electronic limited-slip diff, and drops down from 20- to 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. The off-road pack is rounded out by tow hooks as well as skidplates covering the front axle, transfer case, and fuel tank.
Considering how many folks regularly put their Tahoes to work, we didn't stop there. We also opted for the $1,070 Heavy Duty Trailer Tow package, which improves engine cooling and adds a trailer brake controller, boosting tow capacity from a measly 5,980 pounds to 10,000 pounds.
The rest of our upgrades were less functional and more about creature comforts. We spent $2,495 for the Premium Group and its large tri-pane panoramic sunroof and neat roof rail crossbars that stash underneath the rear cargo floor. We also popped for the $2,595 Rear Seat Entertainment Group and $1,695 Front Passenger Interactive Display. The former package includes Amazon Fire TV and a 10.1-inch display on the back of each front seat, while the latter is a 10.25-inch auxiliary infotainment touchscreen on the passenger's side of the dash. We're aiming to tell you how useful—or not—both are over the next year. The out-the-door price for our new Wagoneer is $82,840, though shoppers for 2024 models can expect a sticker price of around $87,000 before generous Stellantis discounts on this slow-selling model.
What's In Store
Over the coming 12 months we plan to put our Wagoneer to the test in the same way Americans have been putting Suburbans to the test for the past 89 (!) years. We intend on towing and hauling in support of weekend adventures and projects. We'll hit the road to explore our national parks. And this being a Jeep, we intend to put its off-road credentials to the test. Most important, however, we hope to answer that question we suspect Stellantis asked itself. Is the Jeep Wagoneer good enough to challenge the General? Stay tuned.
I generally like writing—especially when it’s about cars—but I hate writing about myself. So instead of blathering on about where I was born (New York City, in case you were wondering) or what type of cars I like (all of ’em, as long as it has a certain sense of soul or purpose), I’ll answer the one question I probably get most, right after what’s your favorite car (see above): How’d you get that job? Luck. Well, mostly. Hard work, too. Lots of it. I sort of fell into my major of journalism/mass communication at St. Bonaventure University and generally liked it a lot. In order to complete my degree senior year, we had to spend our last two semesters on some sort of project. Seeing as I loved cars and already spent a good portion of my time reading about cars on sites such as Motor Trend, I opted to create a car blog. I started a Tumblr, came up with a car-related name (The Stig’s American Cousin), signed up for media access on a bunch of manufacturer’s websites, and started writing. I did everything from cover new trim levels to reviewing my friends’ cars. I even wrote a really bad April Fool’s Day post about the next Subaru Impreza WRX being Toyota-Corolla-based. It was fun, and because it was fun, it never felt like work. Sometime after my blog had gotten off the ground, I noticed that Motor Trend was hiring for what’s now our Daily News Team. I sent in my résumé and a link to my blog. I got the job, and two weeks after graduation I made the move from New York to California. I’ve been happily plugging away at a keyboard—and driving some seriously awesome hardware—ever since.
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