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The new 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are similar, but very different SUVs. They are both the same size, have the same seating arrangements, look alike, and both aim to make us nostalgic for the original Wagoneers that lived for decades. But according to Jeep, they’re two different vehicles, with two different order sheets. You can’t get a Grand Wagoneer by simply ticking an option box, you have to buy it as a standalone model. So why is one more Grand the other?

How much are the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer?

2022 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer at a ski chalet
2022 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer | Jeep

The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are premium SUVs. The Grand Wagoneer starts at $88,640, while the Wagoneer starts at $58,995. The Wagoneer’s top trim Carbide version can cost up to $87,715 with every option. The Grand Wagoneer, however, comes in three Series trim levels and the Obsidian and all come with four-wheel drive standard. The Series II is $98,640, while the Series III is $107,995. The new 510-horsepower Hurricane engine is a $2,000 option, while a mild-hybrid V8 is the standard engine in either.

A more luxurious SUV model is not a new idea

The Cadillac Escalade is the super-luxo version of the Chevy Tahoe.
2021 Cadillac Escalade | Cadillac

Making a luxury version of a base SUV is not a new idea, after all Ford makes the Expedition but upgrades it for Lincoln Navigator duty, and GM makes the Chevy Tahoe and the Cadillac Escalade is the luxury version. Since Jeep doesn’t have a luxury brand, it had to find a way to make the luxury Wagoneer stand out with the Grand name. It’s not Jeep’s first rodeo doing this: The Grand Cherokee was a different SUV that the Cherokee. The Obsidian is an all-black version of the Grand Wagoneer that starts at $104,135.

How do you spot a Grand Wagoneer in the wild?

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer can be spotted by its chrome trim.
2022 Grand Wagoneer

Basically, look for the chrome trim. The Wagoneer has Jeep’s traditional seven-slat grille with black holes. The Grand Wagoneer has a chrome insert, chrome around the windows, copper-colored window tint, and a black roof. The Grand Wagoneer also gets LED lighting.

Is the Grand Wagoneer bigger than the Wagoneer?

A red 2022 Jeep Wagoneer is driving on the road.
2022 Jeep Wagoneer | Jeep

Both of these big body-on-frame SUVs are 214.7 inches long. They both hold seven or eight passengers with captain’s chairs in the second row or can be optioned as eight-passenger SUVs. You can order a longer L version of either. The L adds an extra seven inches in length that pays big dividends in the third-row room.

The big difference is on the inside

The interior of the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee has screens, wood and leather everywhere.
2023 Grand Wagoneer L | Jeep

Jeep channeled the design esthetic of Frank Lloyd Wright or Ray Eames when it designed the mid-century modern interiors of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. Well, if Wright was a fan of flat screens, anyway. There are screens everywhere in the Grand Wagoneer. The front seat passenger gets one, there are two in the center stack, and the driver’s cluster is a screen. Overall, Jeep says the Grand Wagoneer can have up to 75 inches of overall display area. The Grand Wagoneer also gets much nicer interior materials, four-zone climate control, and available McIntosh audio.

The Wagoneer is more basic, but not by much

The Wagoneer is more basic than the Grand Wagoneer, but it still comes fully equipped. The Wagoneer comes standard as an eight-passenger SUV, however, second-row captains are an option. Jeeps have always been proud of their off-road capabilities and the Wagoneer offers three versions of Jeep’s 4×4 systems. The Wagoneer can tow more than the Grand Wagoneer, but the difference between 9,850 pounds and 10,000 pounds is pretty academic.

While it may not be as luxurious as the Grand Wagoneer, you still can get heated and ventilated front-row seats, tri-zone climate control, and power-folding third-row seats

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.