The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Huge interior
- Road-smothering ride
- Strong 6-cylinder
- Big towing capacity
Dislikes
- Expensive against rivals
- Massive fuel consumption
- Far from nimble
- No hybrid tech
Buying tip
Retro in its thirst and heft, if not its styling, the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer lineup is nonetheless appealing for those who need lots of space and towing ability.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer? What does it compare to?
The Wagoneer and its dressier Grand Wagoneer sibling are full-size SUVs with a traditional body-on-frame construction. Compare them to the Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Ford Expedition.
Is the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer a good car/SUV?
While comfortable and brimming with features in any form, the Jeep Wagoneer lineup is eye-poppingly expensive and downright thirsty. It’s a 6.6 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer?
Jeep has dropped the previously available V-8 for 2024.
Offered in two lengths (the L version is a foot longer than the base Wagoneer), the Wagoneer and high-zoot Grand Wagoneer are full-size SUVs with blocky styling that offers only occasional nods to the lineup’s classic names. Jeep is somewhat stingy with color offerings, though the contrasting black roof can dress things up a bit.
Inside, these big SUVs have a lovely cabin with high-end materials and as many as 75 inches of screens. They’re not retro in the least when it comes to tech.
The engine lineup has been trimmed to just one, but it’s a sweet choice. The 420-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 in the Wagoneer sees a boost to 510 hp in the Grand Wagoneer. Either way, it’s tied to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Wagoneers can be had in a rear-wheel-drive configuration, with optional four-wheel drive. Grand Wagoneers are four-by-four-only.
These big SUVs can weigh as much as three tons, which is enough to smother out just about any bump in the road below. The available air suspension offers the best overall ride, plus the ability to rise or lower for more ground clearance or easier ingress/egress. Certainly not mud-pluggers, the big Wagoneer models are nonetheless surprisingly adept in the dirt.
They’re even more impressive at hauling passengers around. Look for exceptional space in all three rows, especially in the gargantuan Wagoneer L/Grand Wagoneer L.
All models have a good array of crash-avoidance and driver-assistance tech. Jeep doesn’t offer a hands-off system, though available tech can control braking, throttle, and steering on the highway for relaxed cruising.
How much does the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer cost?
The Wagoneer range kicks off at $64,945, including a massive $2,000 destination charge. That money buys a well-outfitted truck with leather trim, a good 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated and cooled front seats with power adjustment, and Alpine speakers. The range skyrockets to $115,000 or so as you add nicer leather, real wood trim, McIntosh audio, glass roof panels, and even more screens.
Where is the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer made?
In Warren, Michigan.
2024 Jeep Wagoneer Styling
Blocky outside, the Jeep Wagoneer’s huge doors open to reveal an exceptional cabin.
Is the Jeep Wagoneer a good-looking SUV?
The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer make no effort to be sleek or sporty. These big SUVs have a conventional two-box shape with some quirky touches outside. We like their lavish cabins far more than their exteriors. Based on interior design, we score the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer lineup at a 7 for styling.
The squat seven-slot grille up front is flanked by headlights that curve into the fenders, but that’s as soft as these big Jeeps ever get. There’s nothing in the way of retro; even the seven-slot grille is a design that never appeared on the Wagoneer’s long-running predecessor. From the side, huge windows and slab sides accentuate the Wagoneer’s mass.
The longer Wagoneer L adds about a foot of length behind the rear doors for more cargo carrying.
Inside, things improve dramatically. The design is fresh and modern, with plenty of wood and brightwork to help these large SUVs justify their equally hefty price tags. If there’s one kvetch, it’s that Jeep offers limited interior hues. A cabin this luxurious begs for more choices.
2024 Jeep Wagoneer Performance
The hulking Jeep Wagoneer is quick and capable, if far from nimble.
Jeep’s biggest SUVs are lumbering and cumbersome, but they’re also powerful and capable of impressive towing ability. We score them at 7 for their immense lugging ability.
Is the Jeep Wagoneer 4WD?
Base Wagoneers come in Sunbelt-friendly rear-wheel-drive form. Those with four-wheel drive have a simple single-speed setup with a mechanical limited-slip rear differential. An optional low-range setup is useful for lugging boats up a wet ramp, while the high-zoot Quadra-Drive II system tosses in a limited–slip front differential.
Various off-road drive modes accessed via a center console toggle tailor the traction and stability control systems for different types of terrain. Don’t look for rock-crawling ability, though, since the Wagoneer is simply too big for typical trails.
How fast is the Jeep Wagoneer?
The lineup comes with a single engine option this year, though two different states of tune mean a wide range of ability. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-6 puts out 420 hp in Wagoneers, which is good for a 6.3-second run to 60 mph. Top Grand Wagoneer models up the ante to 510 hp.
Acceleration is good from a stop and passing power impresses, but the 8-speed automatic can be reluctant to slip down a cog or two unless you dig into the throttle.
Where these big SUVs really excel is in towing ability. Grand Wagoneers are rated to lug as much as 10,000 pounds. A rear load-leveling system is standard to help balance things out, too.
The Wagoneer has a comfortable, well-sorted ride. Most versions are fitted with an air suspension and adaptive dampers. The air suspension drops the Wagoneer by more than half an inch for highway cruising to (slightly) improve aerodynamics and it can drop down another full inch for easier loading and unloading. For off-road use, it can rise to reveal a total of 10.0 inches of running ground clearance, too.
Light steering settles in nicely at highway speeds, but it never gives the Wagoneer a nimble speed. It’s slow and not particularly communicative.
2024 Jeep Wagoneer Comfort & Quality
The Wagoneer lineup offers a commodious, well-equipped cabin.
The 2024 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are at their best inside, where they can rival the Cadillac Escalade and even the Range Rover when it comes to features and design. They’re a perfect 10 thanks to huge cargo space, room for humans in all three rows, and a classy overall design.
Standard power-adjustable seats up front are plush and comfortable, and they come with standard heating and massaging. Rear-seat riders will find stretch-out space with either the standard bench or available captain’s chairs. Wagoneer L versions have an extra seven inches of wheelbase, which gives them even more rear-seat legroom. Just be aware that the rear doors are simply too big for most parking spots.
The power-folding row three is capable of handling two or even three adults in both versions, but it’s even better in the L.
Cargo space is massive. Look for as much as 116.7 cubic feet in standard-length trucks, or a hefty 131 cubic feet in the Wagoneer L. Even behind the third row, you’ll find up to 44.2 cubic feet in the Wagoneer L; that’s more than many midsize SUVs have behind row two.
Luxurious in its base form, the Wagoneer gets even dressier the more you spend. You’ll find softer materials and nicer wood trim as you work your way up the lineup. Jeep can be a bit too generous with glossy black trim that doesn’t do a great job imitating piano black wood, though.
2024 Jeep Wagoneer Safety
These big SUVs have yet to be crash tested.
How safe is the Jeep Wagoneer?
They have mass and reasonable tech on their side, but the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer were rated at four stars by the NHTSA, with a three-star rollover rating. The IIHS hasn't weighed in.
All models have plenty of tech, though. Look for automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, blind-spot monitors, and rear cross-path detection. Curiously, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and automatic high-beam headlights as well as a useful surround-view camera system are optional.
Jeep offers a driver-assistance system that can control the throttle, brakes, and steering, but it doesn’t allow for hands-off driving like Ford’s BlueCruise or General Motors’ Super Cruise.
2024 Jeep Wagoneer Features
The Jeep Wagoneer lineup is suitably equipped given its hefty price.
The 2024 Jeep Wagoneer is no bargain, though it wants for little in any form. We rate the range at 8 out of 10 thanks to good standard features, available tech, and a great infotainment system.
The range now costs $64,945 in its cheapest form, or $67,945 with four-wheel drive. That’s the better part of $10,000 more than a Chevy Tahoe, but the Wagoneer also comes with plenty of features. Look for standard leather seats that are heated and cooled up front, a power-folding third row, a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an Alpine audio system.
We particularly like the automaker’s infotainment, which has a customizable home screen, easy-to-sort menus, and a bright but not overwhelming display. Grand Wagoneer versions have the same software with a 12.0-inch display.
The 3-year/36,000-mile warranty is unimpressive, though Jeep includes three years of oil changes and tire rotations.
Which Jeep Wagoneer should I buy?
The base version is actually rather nice, though we’d budget $3,845 for the Convenience Group with its adaptive cruise control, heated second-row seats, surround-view camera, and wireless charging pad. A big sunroof and 20-inch wheels are bundled for a hefty $3,995.
The Series II tosses in softer leather and offers the ability to add a heavy-duty towing package. We’re less enamored with the $1,995 passenger-side interactive display.
You’ll need to step up to the Series III for a no-cost air suspension and adaptive damper upgrade, though.
How much is a fully loaded Jeep Wagoneer?
The Grand Wagoneer lineup begins at $94,540 with standard four-wheel drive. Over the regular Wagoneer Series III, it includes a hefty power upgrade to 510 hp, some exterior styling tweaks, 24-way power-adjustable front seats with massaging, automatic parking, a 12.0-inch touchscreen, and 19 McIntosh speakers. Don’t load up a Wagoneer Series III before considering the relatively small leap to the Grand Wagoneer.
The lineup climbs through the blacked-out Obsidian to the Series III with even nicer leather, a front console cooling bin, night vision, and more McIntosh speakers. Add rear-seat entertainment, a towing package with a trailer-brake controller, and a few other bits, and Jeep will want $121,500.
2024 Jeep Wagoneer Fuel Economy
The 2024 Jeep Grand Wagoneer is massively thirsty .
Is the Jeep Wagoneer good on gas?
It’s not as bad as its size and power might otherwise suggest, but the Wagoneers are not fuel-efficient vehicles.
The lineup rates a 1 overall, though rear-drive versions would eke out a 2 if rated independently.
The Wagoneer rear-wheel drive is estimated at 17 mpg city, 24 highway, 20 combined. Those figures slide to 16/23/19 mpg with four-wheel drive.
The Grand Wagoneer is estimated at just 17 mpg combined due to its extra heft and power.
