The all-new Wagoneer, which is based upon the body-on-frame construction of the Ram 1500 pickup truck, is a super-comfortable, three-row cruise ship with a brawny powertrain and a well-finished cabin. But this throwback to a nearly bygone era of enormous, fuel-sucking vehicles is about $10,000 more than its main rivals, and that’s before you factor in the absurdly high $2,000 destination charge.
The powertrain is a guilty pleasure. The 5.7-liter V8 pumps out a throaty 392 horsepower, scooting this behemoth down the road with surprising alacrity, and the eight-speed automatic transmission shifts with supreme smoothness. But even with a cylinder-deactivation system that runs the engine as a four-cylinder at times to save gas, our tested four-wheel-drive Wagoneer (rear-wheel drive comes standard) gulped fuel at a rate of 15 mpg overall—that’s not just behind the times compared to most of today’s vehicles, but it’s the lowest even among large SUVs. Keep in mind, that’s with the Wagoneer’s standard mild-hybrid setup, so-named because it uses a stronger 48-volt battery instead of the traditional 12-volt. This allows accessories, such as the air conditioning, to operate seamlessly when the fuel-saving stop/start system turns off the engine while sitting at a red light, while also ensuring a smoother getaway from a stop. Note that the even more luxurious Grand Wagoneer comes with a 471-hp, 6.4-liter V8, albeit almost for sure at the expense of even worse fuel economy.
The Wagoneer sails down the highway with grand stability, and the suspension soaks up broken pavement with ease. Unlike the Ram truck which uses a live rear axle, the Wagoneer makes use of an independent rear suspension, a design which typically aids both ride and handling. Most versions of the Wagoneer also come equipped with an optional package that includes air springs in place of coil springs, a move that further contributes to a settled and comfortable ride. It was only on bumpier back roads that we noticed some pickup-truck-like jitteriness from the robust, body-on-frame construction.
The Wagoneer does a good job managing its weight through turns, but this is not a vehicle that likes to be pushed when the road gets twisty. You feel the SUV’s bulk through corners, but it still ultimately proved secure when pushed to its limits around our test track. But, it doesn’t stop very well; it tied the recently-tested Ford Bronco with some of the longer stopping distances we’ve seen in years, needing 149 feet to stop from 60 mph on a dry surface.
Step up into the tall, super-quiet cabin and there’s room aplenty, along with leather, wood, and lots of stitched surfaces. However, although it’s nice, the level of sumptuousness doesn’t quite match the Wagoneer’s lofty price. The front seats are wide and supportive, and the second-row seat is spacious, if a bit short on leg support. Squeeze into the way-back row and you’ll find one of the roomiest and most comfortable third-row seats on the market—suitable, in fact, for adults. Not surprisingly, the cargo room is plentiful. Outward views are aided by the commanding and upright driving position, but there are large pillars all around the vehicle which form some big blind spots, although the extremely tall and square side windows are a huge benefit.
Controls aren’t as user-friendly as they used to be with Jeeps. Our biggest gripe is with the touch-capacitive “buttons” for the heated and cooled seats, and heated steering wheel; they are small, close together, and don’t offer any haptic feedback, and quite often they fail to respond to the touch at all. We also don’t like that the steering-wheel controls don’t make it clear which button is for regular cruise control and which one activates the more advanced adaptive cruise control system that comes on the Series II we tested. Also, the instrument panel switches its display briefly anytime you make a change with the steering-wheel controls, which is needlessly distracting and cumbersome. On the bright side, there are handy storage cubbies and USB ports throughout the cabin.
Forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic warning come standard. Lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control are optional.