Driven: 2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer L Has 510 HP to Haul All Your Stuff

• New, extended-length version of the Grand Wagoneer
• Bigger cargo area than the Grand Wagoneer
• New 510-hp turbocharged six-cylinder engine
• Part of the second Grand Wagoneer generation introduced for 2022

How does the Grand Wagoneer L drive?

The new engine has more than enough grunt to get the Grand Wagoneer L moving with ease. The big SUV climbs hills, merges onto highways, and scoots around town without exerting too much effort and, when you get deep into the accelerator pedal, provides surprising acceleration.

Where the L's bigger size seems to have made a difference, however, is ride quality. In our review of the Grand Wagoneer, we noted that it had a problem with larger bumps that would unsettle the ride. The longer L feels more settled on broken pavement, and the suspension does a good job of absorbing road imperfections without drama. There is still some body roll in corners and nosedive under braking, but those are expected qualities in a big and comfort-oriented SUV like this.

How comfortable is the Grand Wagoneer L?

Supremely. As mentioned above the Grand Wagoneer L hasn't gotten any larger in the passenger compartment, but it didn't really need to. This thing is seriously roomy, and adult passengers — even those over 6 feet tall — will be able to fit in any of the three rows for long and short trips alike. The rear doors have also been stretched on the L, making it even easier to climb into the third row.

As for the seats themselves, both the second- and third-row seats come with plenty of recline and the ability to slide the second row forward and back as needed to facilitate legroom for everyone. Headroom, as the upright styling would suggest, is also plentiful. A panoramic sunroof comes standard and includes a separate pane of glass for the third row with a manually operated shade. Third-row passengers also get four USB ports and well-placed vents.

Power front seats with 24-way adjustment, with heating, ventilation, and massage functions controlled via the lower of the two center console screens, come standard. In our initial testing, these thrones remained comfortable and supportive after about six hours spent behind the wheel.

How's the Grand Wagoneer L's interior?

For a Jeep, the interior is more luxurious and well appointed than anything the company has made before. But with a price tag that stretches up into the six figures for even the middle trim levels if you add any option packages, the Grand Wagoneer L must compete with the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. And on that front, it falls a little short.

We'll get into the Grand Wagoneer's prodigious outlay of screens in the technology section, but we will take a minute to talk about the ergonomics of it all. We're thankful for the switches and buttons for the climate controls found under the main screen, but there's another row of touch controls below that screen that can be distracting to use. It's hard to ascertain when they've been engaged, and the row of touch-sensitive controls that line the screen on either side are similarly difficult. It's a slick setup and we see what Jeep was going for, but in practice the execution is a bit lacking. The lower screen does require you to look down and take your eyes off the road to use it (to turn on the massage functions, for example), so be wary of that as well.

How's the Grand Wagoneer L's tech?

The Grand Wagoneer L comes with lots of standard and optional screen real estate. A 12.3-inch instrument cluster display, a 12-inch multimedia touchscreen, and a 10.3-inch touchscreen below that all come standard. Additionally, a rear seat entertainment system with 10.1-inch dual touchscreens behind the front seats can be added (powered by Amazon Fire), and yet another 10.3-inch touchscreen can be equipped for the front passenger to use. And if you go for the captain's chairs, another 10.3-inch display is found between them to control the backseat climate functions. Whew.

The main center touchscreen is fairly easy to use. It has simple menus that keeps most functionality within a button press or two away. Wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is standard, but the wireless charging pad is hidden in a cubby behind the lower screen. It also doesn't do a good job of gripping your phone, so it can slide around on the charger and disengage without you realizing.

How's the Grand Wagoneer L's storage?

You can now fit as much as 44.2 cubic feet of cargo behind the third row, compared to the regular Grand Wagoneer's 27.4-cubic-foot capacity. That also translates to 88.8 cubic feet behind the second row (with the third row folded down) and a maximum capacity of 112.9 cubes with both rows folded. A regular Grand Wagoneer can hold 70.9 cubic feet behind its second row and a maximum of 94.2 cubic feet. Jeep boasts that you can fit a full sheet of plywood behind the Grand Wagoneer L's front seats with room to spare. The third-row and second-row seats are power operated, so you can lower them easily from the cargo area. If you do opt for the captain's chairs, there is a large center console between them that does stick up, so the cargo area isn't completely flat and you won't want to put anything dirty or abrasive on the leather-topped console.

How economical is the Grand Wagoneer L?

It's a big SUV, so these numbers aren't going to be great. EPA-estimated fuel economy comes in at 16 mpg combined (14 city/19 highway) for the Grand Wagoneer L, a hair better than the standard Grand Wagoneer's 15 combined mpg with the V8.

Edmunds says

The added length has not only increased cargo room, it seems to have helped with some of the Grand Wagoneer's ride shortcomings as well. The downsized engine is plenty powerful and keeps towing capacity at a robust 10,000 pounds, giving the Grand Wagoneer L plenty of capability to go along with excellent cabin comfort and roominess.