2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer L
An Impressive Luxurious Beast Of An SUV
Jeep has been going big lately, whether you’re talking about adding a 3rd row to the Grand Cherokee or reviving the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer as highly capable full-size 3-row utilities. Well, that obviously wasn’t enough. Now they’re going even bigger with this Grand Wagoneer L. So, let’s see how it shakes up America’s suburban lifestyle.
The Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer burst onto the scene last year, giving Jeep owners with growing families a whole new 3-row option to grow into. Now, Jeep delivers a stretched alternative, the 2023 Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L.
Wagoneer is of course the reintroduced premium extension of the Jeep brand, and the Grand Wagoneer takes it to extremes with standard air suspension, cargo management rail system, full LED lighting, running boards, black accent roof; plus, unique hood, front fascia, grille, and fender flares. Not to mention a whole suite of interior niceties; a unique dash design, walnut and aluminum trim, leather aplenty, and even massaging seats.
But both Wagoneer Ls share an elongated 130-inch wheelbase, 7 more than the standard Wagoneer, and an overall length that’s a foot more. And while the added length certainly makes it look large and in charge, it doesn’t appear too ungainly with things out of proportion.
Designed to haul up to 8 people plus plenty of gear as comfortably as possible; both 2nd and 3rd row legroom stay the same. The benefit comes strictly in cargo space behind the 3rd row, which here in the Grand Wagoneer L grows from 28.4 cubic-ft. to 44.2. That climbs to 88.8 with the 3rd row folded, and to a max of 112.9. The Wagoneer L’s less bulky seats allow for an even greater max total of 130.9 cubic-ft. All seats folding with a push of a button, of course. Towing capacity stays the same at 10,000-lbs.
But doing the pulling is an all-new 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-6 engine; designed to deliver more power, more torque, and better efficiency than the standard Wagoneer’s V8. Dubbed “Hurricane,” two versions are available. The Wagoneer L’s with 420-horsepower and 468 lb-ft. of torque; while this Grand Wagoneer L gets a high output version with 510-horsepower and 500 lb-ft. of torque.
So, even with a bigger vehicle, you’ll be getting better fuel economy than the Grand Wagoneer’s 6.4-liter V8, as the turbo-6 with 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive, both standard, achieves Government Fuel Economy Ratings of 14-City, 19-Highway, and 16-Combined, all numbers one better. We managed to average a fine 18.9 miles-per-gallon of Premium.
Depending on which trim is selected, you’ll get either Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, or Quadra-Drive II 4-wheel-drive. For our Series II tester, that means Quadra-Drive II along with Quadra-Lift Air Suspension and 22-inch polished aluminum wheels which we steered towards Mason Dixon Dragway…
…where it was clear, this engine delivers an impressive amount of torque, considering how easily it dealt with the well over 3-tons of weight here. The Grand Wagoneer L launches hard, hitting 60 in just 4.9-seconds. Smooth and consistent power delivery from there, with almost every run we did coming in at 13.5-seconds at 104 miles-per-hour.
2023 Grand Wagoneer L Series III Interior
There’s not much you can do about the close to 19-feet of length however, as it requires keeping inputs smooth; but we were able to get through our handling course carrying quite a bit of speed.
The interior is just as amazing as the regular Grand Wagoneer; with up to 75-inches of screen space and a McIntosh reference audio system pumping 1,375-watts of sound through 23-speakers. Front seats in Series II are 24-way adjustable with controls on the door just like Mercedes-Benz. If you opt for 2nd row captain’s chairs, a big center console houses a 10-inch comfort display screen for making adjustments, and of course other screens are available on the backs of the front seat headrests to keep you entertained and informed.
If all this space and luxury sound too good to be true; well, we can assure it’s real, but it will cost you, as the Grand Wagoneer L starts at a whopping $93,495. But, if you just need the space, and can get by with a lot less luxury and without 4-wheel-drive, you can get into a Wagoneer L for as little as $64,495.
In a few short years, Jeep has gone from having no 3-row offerings at all in their lineup, to having a multitude to choose from. The 2023 Grand Wagoneer L is an impressive luxurious beast of an SUV that takes the brand to even loftier heights.
Specifications
- Engine: 3.0L Twin Turbo V6
- Torque: 500 lb-ft
- 1/4 Mile: 13.5 seconds at 104 mph
- EPA: 14 City / 19 Highway / 16 Combined
- Horsepower: 510
- 0-60 mph: 4.9 seconds
- 60-0 Braking: 121 feet (avg)
- MW Fuel Economy: 18.9 mpg (Premium)
2023 BMW X7
Should Keep The BMW Faithful Coming Back For More
While BMW got serious about their SUV game around the same time as most other luxury brands, it took them until just a few years ago to deliver a 3-row example. This year, that X7 is updated with new style and new tech. So, let’s see if that makes it the ultimate premium 3-row family machine.
When it comes to utility vehicles, bigger seems to be better for a lot of people. So, for BMW, there’s none bigger or better than the X7 3-row utility, which for 2023 gets a comprehensive update after just 4-years on the market. That includes a facelift to bring it more in line with the new 7-series carline, which is to say joins the more vertical, aggressive grille party. Also, the actual headlights have been moved lower in the front fascia, with squinty DRLs above for the first time on a BMW. In back, taillights take on a 3D posture, with a new chrome bar connecting them.
There are also multiple new M Sport packages to choose from to spice up the exterior, with larger air intakes up front, high-gloss black trim, upgraded exhaust, cascade grille lighting, and 22-inch wheels, as well as M Sport brakes…
…and the interior too, with aluminum trim and exclusive steering wheel. But, by far the biggest change inside for ‘23 is a new dashtop curved display that eliminates the typical BMW well-hooded gauge pod and blends 12-inch Live Cockpit Pro into the 15-inch infotainment touchscreen, which now features iDrive8. Both a Head-Up Display and a large panoramic sunroof are standard.
Whether set up for 2 or 3 passengers, 2nd row seat room remains plentiful, and though the X7 doesn’t look ungainly large like many of its competitors, access to the 3rd row is quite good. Cargo space is reached through a fairly unique, Range Rover-style, split tailgate, which is quite oddly satisfying to watch unfold. There’s room for 48.6 cubic-ft. of goods behind the 2nd row, with a max of 90.4 cu.-ft.
The base xDrive40i has always been the sensible choice, even more so now with a new inline-6 turbo getting a significant bump in horsepower from 335 to 375, and a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that results in a total of 398 lb-ft. of torque.
At our Mason Dixon test track, there was enough to blast this big beast to 60 in just 5.4-seconds. That’s only about half a second slower than the V8 did the deed back in 2019. Making that optional 523-horsepower V8 simply overkill at this point. Our best ¼-mile pass was 13.9-seconds at 100 miles-per-hour. All X7s get a quick shifting sport-tuned 8-speed automatic transmission, which adds a new Sprint Function that finds the lowest usable gear instantly and maxes electric boost with a hold of the left shift paddle. What fun!
New looks and updated tech are cool, but BMW has also addressed dynamics as well, with a retuning of all chassis systems, including the optional Dynamic Handling Package which adds adaptive suspension with roll stabilization and uses GPS and camera data to prepare for what’s coming. We’re not sure if our slalom course was anticipated, but the X7 sure felt well-equipped to handle it. All-wheel drive is standard on all X7s, along with comprehensive drive modes.
In our braking runs, the pads bit down hard quickly, stopping us from 60 in just 115-feet with very little nosedive.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the 6-cylinder are 21-City, 25-Highway, and 22-Combined. We averaged just 21.0 miles-per-gallon on Premium.
There’s an average Energy Impact Score; 13.5-barrels of oil yearly, with CO2 emissions of 6.5-tons.
Pricing starts at $78,845, and it’s a significant step up from there to $104,095 if you want the V8. Even more reason to stick with the 6-cylinder as far as we’re concerned.
It took the ultimate driving machine folks quite a bit of time to enter the 3-row family crossover segment, but when they did, they were able to create their largest utility ever and keep it consistent with their values. For 2023, the BMW X7 gets even more dynamic, embraces new tech, and looks better too. All things that should keep the BMW faithful coming back for more.
Specifications
- Engine: I-6
- Horsepower: 375
- 0-60 mph: 5.4 seconds
- 60-0 Braking: 115 feet (avg)
- MW Fuel Economy: 21.0 MPG
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- Torque: 398 lb-ft.
- 1/4 Mile: 13.9-seconds at 100 mph
- EPA: 21 City / 25 Highway / 22 Combined