2023 Jeep Wagoneer L Review

When Jeep brought back the Wagoneer last year, it was the first time in decades that a proper large SUV had graced the Jeep lineup. With mechanical bits borrowed from a Ram 1500, the Wagoneer is a three-row utility vehicle that goes head-to-head with the Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, among others. It even spawned an even more luxurious Grand Wagoneer cousin that competes with the Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade.

But each of the vehicles mentioned above also offers a long-wheelbase variant with a more spacious cargo area. And now, so does the Wagoneer with the introduction  of the 2023 Jeep Wagoneer L, which stretches the Wagoneer by 12 inches overall to give it a significant bump in carrying capacity. All of the L versions' added length goes to the rear, giving it different proportions and a tail that sticks out far behind the rear wheels.

The L comes with a new 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine instead of the regular Wagoneer's standard V8. It makes a stout 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque, which is appreciable gain over the V8's 392 hp and 404 lb-ft output. Dropping two cylinders also gives the Wagoneer L slightly better fuel economy compared to the standard model, rising from 18 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and 17 mpg combined with four-wheel drive to 19 mpg combined in both RWD and 4WD Wagoneer L models. Switching to a new engine hasn't dulled the big SUV's exceptional towing capacity — the Wagoneer L can still pull up to 10,000 pounds, according to Jeep.

An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission option and rear-wheel drive is standard. There are two four-wheel-drive systems offered for owners who want to dial up some off-road capability. The more robust system, Quadra-Trac II, comes with a two-speed transfer case (for low-range gearing) and hill descent control.

The new engine offers plenty of power to get the Wagoneer L around with relative ease. There is a difference in the waythis power is delivered versus the V8 in the smaller Wagoneer — the smaller engine's lower displacement means it feels like it's working a bit harder initially and you have to dig into the pedal a little bit more to reach that extra power. Even so, there shouldn't be any complaints about this engine (or its higher-output sibling that powers the Grand Wagoneer L). It's quite good.

Jeep offers the Wagoneer L with a standard suspension or an air-spring suspension that can raise and lower the vehicle's ride height. We've driven both setups and noticed a big difference between them. On the standard suspension, the Wagoneer L feels unsettled and bouncy,  especially at highway speeds, and rolls a lot in corners. Feeling the nose of the big SUV wobble up and down on the road gets old quickly.

With the air suspension, however, the Wagoneer L's road manners improve markedly and it glides down the road with a ride that rivals some luxury vehicles. We complained about the ride quality (even with the air suspension equipped) in the standard-length version of the Grand Wagoneer, but stretching things out seems to have given the platform a bit more stability that it needed. In corners you can feel the weight of the Wagoneer L shift around, but it doesn't feel sloppy or unsettled. The air suspension is the clear choice between the two.

Though the Wagoneer L's added length goes purely to grow cargo room, the L still offers plenty of room for passengers across all three rows. Two adults will fit in the third row comfortably even for longer trips — and get four USB charging parts and well-positioned air vents in the bargain. The second row has plenty of travel with either the standard bench seat or the available captain's chairs to apportion the legroom as needed for each passenger.

Captain's chairs are also available that have a wide pass-through to the rear seat, but they can also tilt and slide forward easily to allow third-row access from either direction. Those seats are comfortable as well, only lacking a bit of thigh support. The front seats remain the most comfortable place to be, with standard heating and ventilation. Even the base Wagoneer L comes with standard leather upholstery as well, giving it a touch of class.

The cabin of the Wagoneer L mirrors that of the standard Wagoneer. That means that even the base model has a luxuriously detailed and feature-rich interior, with amenities that include eight USB ports, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and a blind-spot warning system. The Wagoneer feels more premium than its competitors — an impression that is reflected in its higher price tag.

The Wagoneer L's length gains are felt once you look beyond the third row. The stretched wheelbase moves the wheel arch away from the door cutout, enlarging the side door and making it easier tto get in and out of the second and third rows.

A 10.3-inch display fills the instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch touchscreen is perched as the centerpiece of the dashboard. The screens are easy to use and don't require too much digging into menus to get where you need to go and the wireless smartphone pairings fill the whole screen.

If those aren't enough displays for you, an optional 10.3-inch touchscreen for the passenger and an Amazon Fire TV-powered pair of rear-seat entertainment displays are also available. Each display in the rear comes with its own HDMI input and functions independently, so kids won't have to fight over what to watch. Adding the rear entertainment system pushes the number of USB ports from eight to 11 as well.

On the safety front, a blind-spot warning system, automatic forward emergency braking, and front and rear parking sensors come standard. A 360-degree surround view camera is optional on the base model but standard on all others and is a very worthy addition. Maneuvering this big vehicle in tight spaces is already challenging so any tools to make that easier are very much appreciated.

The Wagoneer's additional 12 inches in length is all added to the rear of the vehicle and that significantly increases the amount of cargo space behind the third row. While the Wagoneer has a respectable capacity of 27.4 cubic feet, the Wagoneer L offers 50% more than that with 42.1 cubic feet. You'll be able to fill up all three rows with passengers without having to worry about fitting luggage or equipment.

Drop the third row and cargo volume expands to 70.8 cubic feet, and the space grows to 116.7 cubic feet with the second row dropped down as well. The Wagoneer L doesn't come with the Grand Wagoneer L's large console between the second-row captain's chairs, which makes its cargo area more flexible than its fancier sibling.