To European eyes, vehicles like the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition are hard to understand. Far too large to cope with our roads and a real nightmare to park, as well as being simply too tall to get into some multi-storey or underground car parks, we actually find it hard to believe that anyone really needs something quite so massive anyway. But Americans see it all differently. As anyone who has ever been on a flight with Americans, you will know that packing light is not a concept that many of them seem to embrace, so having a huge vehicle that will accommodate the entire family and perhaps half of the neighbour’s, a ton of luggage and even the ability to tow a small house is something that many of them find not just irresistible but actually essential. For years there have been four main protagonists tapping into this market: GM with their Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, the closely related GMC Yukon and the luxury Cadillac Escalade; Ford with their Expedition and the luxury Lincoln Navigator, Toyota with the Sequoia and Nissan/Infiniti with the Armada and QX80. In 2021, Jeep announced their offering for this sector. Slightly confusingly, they actually announced two cars which appeared to be the same: the Wagoneer and the Grand Wagoneer. Both come as a standard length car or the one foot longer L model, so the only differences were in trim and equipment, the Grand Wagoneer being plusher and costlier.

As Hertz have been refreshing their rental fleets in the post-Covid post chip supply era, I noticed that a significant number of Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models had appeared. In the days after the Thanksgiving holiday the large number of the biggest vehicles on fleet all tend to return to base and so you find a lot of the biggest cars parked up. That means that securing one is easy and often at no upgrade fee. That led to me sampling a Nissan Armada, which has already been reviewed, which I found in the President’s Circle area. The Grand Wagoneers have not been parked there, but when I asked about testing one, I was offered it at no upgrade cost from what I had booked. I had one day to sample this monster-sized machine, with memories of the Armada very fresh in my mind.

First impressions were of the sheer size of the thing. The rather boxy styling, definitely visually linked to other models in the Jeep range, is actually quite appealing and as you look closer there are lots of nice detailing touches. Jeep have resisted the urge to overdo things and they have thankfully resisted the urge to go down the tacky route that seems to be tempting a number of other brands at present.

Even without doing any research, it was quite obvious when I pressed the keyless start button that I had got a V8-powered model as there is a lovely rumbly sound that emanates from under the bonnet. Jeep have judged this quite well, as the engine is relatively muted, so you would never complain that this is loud, but it is still deeply satisfying.  Whilst this is a very large and very heavy car, it still goes well. There is strong acceleration available, which is perhaps not a surprise when you learn that the 6.4 litre unit develops a lusty 471 bhp and 455 lb/ft of torque. Published acceleration times suggest that you could reach 60 mph in under 6 seconds – which is impressive for a car of this size and weight. All Grand Wagoneers are equipped with an eight speed automatic transmission. This seems well matched and both endows the Grand Wagoneer with good punchy acceleration and yet the car feels docile and refined at a steady speed. Overall noise levels are generally low. A big car and a big engine are never going to result in something parsimonious and that is the case here, though it was not as thirsty as I had feared it would be. I covered 185 miles in my day with this Jeep and it burned through 8.3 gallons which computes to 22.3 mpg US or 26.6 mpg Imperial.

The Grand Wagoneer proved to be more nimble than I was expecting. For sure you have to remember its size, in every dimension, but it is quite easy to drive. The steering is light with not a lot of feel to it. Handling feels quite safe and secure, though with a high centre of gravity this is not a car to hustle on the bends. Grip is good but there is some lean on the corners. There are a number of different driving modes which encompass Rock, Snow/Sand and Sport. This Jeep comes on massive 275/55 R20 wheels and with soft air suspension, it rides well, meaning that the car is a comfortable cruiser. Ground clearance and off-road gear give it some rugged capability, but this Jeep feels more comfortable racking up miles on the highway than scaling craggy terrain. The brakes were powerful and needed only moderate pressure on the pedal in everyday motoring. There is an e-brake in the dash. All-round visibility is excellent. You sit high which gives you a good view above a lot of traffic and there is both a large glass area as well as massive door mirrors, which incorporate a second pane to give you a wider field of view. As well as standard front and rear parking sensors, there is an surround camera system.

In recent years, Jeep have made massive strides in the quality of the interior of their cars and the Grand Wagoneer, as befits its positioning as a luxury car, is without doubt their best effort yet. There is a lot of use of leather, matt wood and some chrome inlays which add up to a high-quality appearance to the interior. The dash incorporates all the latest modern trends. The instrument cluster is digital with two large round dials for speedometer and rev counter with smaller fuel level and water temperature gauges inset. There are various trip display options which you can select to present here.  There is a Head-up display. Twin column stalks operate indicators and wipers whilst the lights are operated by a rotary dial on the dash. There are plenty of buttons on the steering wheel boss for audio repeater and cruise control functions. The central dash area houses the 12” integrated colour touch screen which runs the uConnect Version 5 system with which I am familiar, as it features across the former FCA brands quite widely. This has a lot of info available and clear graphics and proved easy to use. Incorporated within this is a McIntosh premium audio system. The lesser of two available systems, the one on the test car featured a 19-speaker system with 950-watt amplifier and 10″ subwoofer. Also available is a larger 23-speaker McIntosh system with 1,375-watt amplifier and 12″ subwoofer. Other features of the uConnect system include XM Satellite and HD radio, as well as wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa and Bluetooth. Below this screen are a row of physical buttons for the multi-zone climate control. There is the currently fashionable cylindrical gear lever. Wireless phone charging also features.

When you open the front doors, a running board powers out and most people will need it, as this is a tall vehicle and you do need it to climb aboard. That said, I found it easier to get in and out than with the Nissan Armada that I had driven the day before. The large front seats are trimmed in perforated Nappa leather, and they are heated and cooled as well as including a massaging function. All the adjustment – 24 ways apparently – is from buttons on the door. There are height adjustable belts. Add in an electrically adjustable steering column. and everyone should be able to find the perfect driving position, though you will have to get used to the fact that you are a long way off the ground. Between the two seats there is a huge central console with a padded armrest, which extends up higher than the seats so as driver you do feel quite separated from the passenger.

There were two Captain’s Chair style seats in the second row. They were on sliders so you can adjust how far forward or back they go. Between them is a massive console which has a touch screen panel on it for the rear seat climate control and there is stowage space underneath this. There are map pockets on the back of the front seats. Side window blinds are a nice feature. Posher trim versions also have a dual-screen rear seat entertainment system that allows rear seat passengers to connect their own external devices via HDMI or Bluetooth, connect to the Internet, view entertainment from Amazon, and play integrated games, but this feature was not present in the spec I tested. Access to the third row is a little awkward but once installed, there is a decent amount of space. Leg room should prove ample for all but the very tall and the backrest angle can be varied. There was also sufficient headroom.  The middle seat belt is suspended from the ceiling which is never an elegant solution and it interferes a bit when the seats are folded down. Occupants here get their own USB ports and there are cup holders moulded into the side trims.

Thankfully there is electric assistance for the enormous tailgate. You can set it to open only as far as a specific height which might be useful in some circumstances and also means it takes less time to open and close. As with even the largest three-row vehicles, of which this is one, boot space when all seat rows are erect appears quite limited and certainly far from sufficient to house everything that seven people are likely to want to bring. There is a small stowage area under the main boot floor. But once you start folding seats down, which is done electrically, then the available cargo capacity becomes massive. All the seats fold down flush so there is a flat and ultimately very long boot space. So long you could probably sleep in it if the need arose! The quoted numbers are actually 28.4 cubic feet of space behind the third row, 72.9 cubic feet with the third row folded and 96.9 cubic feet with both rear rows folded down for the standard length car. Long-wheelbase models offer 44.2 cubic feet of space behind the third row, 88.8 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 112.9 cubic feet of maximum cargo room. Inside the passenger compartment, there is a relatively small glovebox, a massive central armrest cubby, some long bins on the doors and there is a useful stowage recess in front of the gearlever.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer and extended-wheelbase Grand Wagoneer L are available in five trims: Grand Wagoneer Series I, Series II, Obsidian, Series III and Series III Obsidian. All models come standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. The entry-level Grand Wagoneer comes with a 471 bhp V8 engine. The base Grand Wagoneer L comes with a 510 bhp twin-turbo inline-six engine. Standard features include Nappa leather upholstery, 24-way power-adjustable front seats, heated second-row seats, reclining and power-folding second- and third-row seats, a heated steering wheel and heated, ventilated and massaging front seats. Other standard features include a 12-inch upper touch screen, a 10.25-inch lower touch screen, a 10.25-inch second-row touch screen, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, navigation, a Wi-Fi hot spot, wireless device charging, a 19-speaker McIntosh audio system, Bluetooth, USB ports, satellite radio, HD Radio, quad-zone automatic climate control, a 120-volt household-style power outlet, remote start, proximity keyless entry and a tri-pane panoramic sunroof. Standard safety aids include forward collision warning, forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, side distance warning, a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, a surround-view camera system, park assist, a rear-seat alert and a head-up display. The Convenience Group package adds a rear-row monitoring camera system, intersection assist, a rear-camera mirror, night-vision assist, driver-attention monitoring and traffic-sign recognition. Models with the Heavy-Duty Trailer-Tow package gain heavy-duty engine cooling, trailer-brake control, trailer-hitch lineup assist, trailer-hitch zoom and an in-vehicle safe. A second-row bench seat, a 10.25-inch front passenger-side touch screen, a rear-seat dual-screen entertainment system and additional USB ports are available. The Grand Wagoneer Series II comes with the 510 bhp twin-turbo inline-six engine, Palermo leather upholstery, a rear-camera mirror, driver-attention monitoring and traffic-sign recognition. The base trim’s available features carry over. The Convenience Group package for this trim adds night-vision assist, a rear-row monitoring camera system, enhanced adaptive cruise control and intersection assist. The Heavy-Duty Trailer-Tow package for this trim gives you heavy-duty engine cooling, trailer-brake control, trailer-hitch lineup assist and trailer-hitch zoom. The Grand Wagoneer Obsidian gains ventilated second-row seats, a 10.25-inch front passenger-side touch screen, a 23-speaker McIntosh audio system and unique blacked-out interior and exterior styling. All available features and packages from the Series II carry over. The Series III trim includes nearly all of the Grand Wagoneer’s available features, including standard upgraded quilted Palermo leather seating, a rear-row monitoring camera system, intersection assist, enhanced adaptive cruise control, night-vision assist and a centre-console refrigerator. The rear-seat entertainment system, second-row bench seat and Heavy-Duty Trailer-Tow package remain available. In addition to all of the Series III model’s standard features, the range-topping Series III Obsidian gains the blacked-out exterior and interior styling from the standard Obsidian trim. The rear-seat entertainment system, second-row bench seat and Heavy-Duty Trailer-Tow package are available.

I liked the Grand Wagoneer. It struck as the best of the full-sized three row cars that I have driven in recent years. And talking to the Hertz staff they said that the Grand Wagoneer is the vehicle from this category that customer most often ask for. However, the market has not taken to this car in the numbers you might expect, with reports of sizeable unsold inventory across the US dealers. Part of the reason for this is because, like other recent Jeep models, the pricing strategy has been ambitious. Or just plain expensive. The Armada is the value option in this sector, which explains it appeal. There is also fierce loyalty for the GM and Ford products as they have long dominated this sector, so perhaps it is no surprise that Jeep has not had the impact they were hoping for. As a rental car, though, they all cost the same per day, and so, yes. It is not hard to see why these Grand Wagoneers are popular. In the unlikely event that I needed a vast car to carry lots of people and luggage, this is the one I would pick.