2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer First Drive: The New King of SUV Luxury

Grand Wagoneer has big power in a big, luxurious package so comfy that you never want to leave the cabin.

Jeep recently invited a group of media to New York City for the first drive of the 2022 Grand Wagoneer. To some, a dense city may not seem like a great place for a big, truck-based SUV, but New York City is the top large SUV market in the United States while the state of New York leads all others in SUV sales.

If you have never been to the Big Apple, there are a ton of big SUVs on the narrow streets, so it is clearly a market to which the new Grand Wagoneer will appeal. As for testing these new range-topping Jeeps in New York City, it gave us a chance to experience the new SUV in the toughest possible conditions for a vehicle of this size.

Grand Wagoneer is Quiet & Agile

Our seat time in the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series II began in Manhattan during the morning rush. The streets were packed bumper to bumper with cars, joined by the accompaniment of blaring horns and construction noise. As soon as I got into the vehicles and closed the doors, I was shocked at how well the new Grand Wagoneer shuts out the noise.

It is crazy quiet, and that is true when the vehicle is in motion, too. This Jeep cuts out most road noise and wind noise, even at highway speeds, so you could easily hear your child talking from the third row.

In addition to cutting out the road noise, the 2022 Grand Wagoneer absorbs most of the bumps in the road. Even with the 22-inch wheels wrapped in relatively low profile tires, the suspension system eats up all of the lighter bumpers and minimizes the big bumps to the point where they are hardly noticeable.

The New York highways were pretty smooth and on those, the Grand Wagoneer rode like it was on glass, but even on the rough surface streets in Manhattan, things like manhole covers and other inconsistencies in the road were hardly noticeable.

It is hard to say that the 2022 Grand Wagoneer is the smoothest and quietest large SUV on the market without side-by-side testing, but having driven the large GM SUVs that have long dominated the segment, this new Jeep offers the best ride and the quietest interior. Best of all, it offers that smooth ride without compromising handling.

SEE ALSO: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L: All three 4×4 Systems Explained

As one of the largest vehicles on sale in America, it is surprisingly nimble in the tight streets of New York City, comfortably allowing me to navigate the narrow streets, often lined with double-parked garbage trucks and delivery vehicles.

The high seating position and ample window coverage provides a great look at the surrounding area, but when in really tight spots, the 360-degree camera system is helpful in making sure that you don’t lose a mirror on the side of a dump truck that is taking up two-thirds of the road.

The Grand Wagoneer handles itself well in tight spaces, but it also handles well out on the open road. Once we got out away from the heart of the city, we cruised along some winding expressways that let us get a better feel for the big Jeep at speed. On the long, sweeping turns at highway speeds, the Grand Wagoneer was nice and stable, without a hint of body roll.

While it is a large vehicle based on a truck-type chassis, it doesn’t feel like a big, lumbering beast of a vehicle. Even when we got onto the curvy county roads near our lunch stop, the Grand Wagoneer made its way through the sharper curves very comfortably.

Mind you, this isn’t a performance vehicle that owners are going to take road racing, but for a vehicle of this size, it is fun to drive along an empty country road.

‘2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer First Drive: The New King of SUV Luxury’ continued…

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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