Rental Review - 2024 Jeep Wagoneer Series II - 3.0 liter Twin Turbo w/ 420 hp.

[mrsilv04]

Hoo boy! I've never had a full sized SUV before with enough giddyup to squat the rear end when she launches! Four hunnert and twenty horsepower on tap with the 3.0 Twin Turbo V6. She can sure get up and move for a big girl... has to be right around 5 seconds for the 0-60. And someone decided NOT to have this one built with a black leather interior... it has a really light grey leather interior. Jeep calls it "Sea Salt". Really nice. And the speakers from the Alpine stereo move enough air to move your clothes.

Now I can't wait to drive a 2025 Ram with the new SST engine. Local dealer just got their first one in yesterday.... and in the correct color no less, Delmonico Red. My 2018 Sierra SLT might need to start sleeping with one eye open, once I get to test drive a Ram with that SST engine.

Early in the morning, I'm headed south to chase that hole in the sun that they keep talking about. Decided that I'd have some fun and headed out to the airport, and when the gal at the rental counter told me that I could have *anything* I wanted on the lot.... I had to take the big girl. Last rental was a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, so I just had to follow that up with this. And thanks to National Emerald Club, every 7th rental is free... and this one is #7!

The MPG readout is at 17.4 mpg average, and I'm not sure for how many miles that is, or how it was driven. I took it out on the open road and set the cruise at 70, and it was coming back with 20-21mpg. So, not unexpected at all.

I did the eclipse in 2017 (in a Chevy Traverse rental) and decided a few weeks ago that one eclipse in a lifetime, might not be enough. I'm also rendezvousing with some friends from St. Louis while in Southern Illinois, so it should be a good time.

This is far from anything that I'd ever buy, but it'll sure be fun to put 500+ miles on it in one day.

 

[daves87rs]

They are growing on me!

 

[CharBaby]

Yeah Baby!

 

[Skippy722]

They look better in person than they do in photos, but I’m really digging the white. All the ones I’ve seen are black or gray.

 

[John105]

I liked it on paper for so long due to the McIntosh stereo and front screens....but drove myself insanely crazy wondering why the Grand Wagoneer had so little cargo for something that large (regular, extended didn't exist yet). I finally realized when the regular Wagoneer showed its numbers that it has to do with the fixed rear console....had even thought why not get the regular vs. grand...I think it's like 5 or 6 cu ft difference. imho on a car that expensive I'd rather have the V8 over the I6, let us know how that 6 goes!

 

[nate379]

Look like a Jeep version of a Tayhoe or Suburban.

I saw a dealer ad with one for near 100k.
Holy snickes!

 

[John105]

Look like a Jeep version of a Tayhoe or Suburban.

I saw a dealer ad with one for near 100k.
Holy snickes!

What bugged me when I first was dreaming of the Grand Wagoneer (when it came out) was the cargo being less than GM and the 36k warranty…price is Escalade level so imho so should the warranty be…

 

[demarpaint]

I look forward to that engine finding its way into the Wrangler. IIRC the Ram will get the Twin Turbo 500+HP version of the Hurricane engine.

 

[atikovi]

Look like a Jeep version of a Tayhoe or Suburban.

Look like a Grand Cherokee.

 

[D60]

One drove into our local post office a couple months ago.

Welp.....that's all I got on the subject. They seem to go through walls pretty well.

 

[jeepman3071]

Twin turbo 3.0L inline-six.

 

[PF52]

One drove into our local post office a couple months ago.

Welp.....that's all I got on the subject. They seem to go through walls pretty well.View attachment 213195

420 HP will do that apparently!

 

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

I’d rather have a CX-90, personally.

 

[drtyler]

One drove into our local post office a couple months ago.

Welp.....that's all I got on the subject. They seem to go through walls pretty well.View attachment 213195

Looks like they are ready for a Wrangler now.

 

[mrsilv04]

Well, after a long day yesterday, I turned it back in at the airport after 24 hours and 2 minutes in my posession.

My biggest complaint was the seats. I noticed fairly early on that they were pinching my hips, and as the miles piled up... it didn't get any better. I'm 6 foot 2 and 210 pounds and a 34 inch waist. I don't know how someone who is 250+ pounds with a 40 inch waist would last very long at all in these seats. The distance between the side bolsters gets narrower as they go downwards. And since they were leather, one of my biggest complaints about most leather seats is that they seem to keep getting firmer and firmer as the miles pass by. For long days in a vehicle, I prefer cloth seats. My passenger also had the same exact complaints about the seats. The seats out of the current generation Ram pickup would be a serious upgrade in this vehicle.

The second and third row seats didn't appear to be anthing better than the second and third row seats from a 10 year old Chrysler minivan. The seats overall were a whopping disappointment.

Coming home from the eclipse, I set the cruise at around 60mph, and in the mostly flat lands of southeastern Illinois, it was reporting 24-24.5 mpg. All things considered, I found that quite impressive. The ride was as I expected it would be. The cheap Nexen tires were a disappointment on a $72,000 vehicle. They were fine as long at the pavement was fine, but were too eager to be noisy otherwise.

Power is never in short supply with this beast. Passing was easy with brisk acceleration as far up as you'd ever need it. And despite its considerable girth and height, it handled amazingly well.

I did catch a few clunky shifts from the transmission that were much too noticible.... mostly 1-2 shifts. I'm not sure if it is fair to blame that one on Stellantis with a rental vehicle with 16,000 miles.

And as always, I found the nanny electronics systems to be annoying. I was backing it into the garage, into the same space where a full sized pickup can easily go (so it would fit, for sure), and the nanny electronics got so upset with me for daring to do such a thing, that it went so far as to put the vehicle into park AND it set the emergency brake when it felt that I was somehow trying to do something impossible. I test drove a 2022 Ram pickup with this same system and found it equally annoying on it.... so I really shouldn't be surprised at all.

I was going to keep this one for a second day and run some errands in it (read: go and look at a pickup truck halfway across the state, LOL)... but meh. The seats were plenty enough of a reason for me to take this one back.

This was my view yesterday from McLeansboro, IL.

 

[BAJA_05]

Very impressive looking vehicles. EVERY time I see one, I take a triple take.

 

[Pew]

I'm not a fan of the exterior but I love the interiors of them. I saw them everywhere when I was in MI but not so much in IL.

 

[Snagglefoot]

There’s nothing like an SST. Actually, American Motors owned Jeep and produced the AMC Rebel. Then AMC was purchased by Chrysler and Chrysler eventually became part of Stellantis, so there is a connection.