Jeep Grand Wagoneer vs Buick Envista

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer presented a traditional SUV aesthetic, sharing its frame and body shell with the standard Wagoneer. This resulted in a tall hood, broad shoulders, and an upright profile, reminiscent of the smaller 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The Grand Wagoneer distinguished itself with a standard black roof, model-specific hood, front fascia, and grille, featuring laser-etched knurling in the grille slots. It offered a choice between 20-inch standard wheels and optional 22-inch wheels, with acrylic glass covering the wheel centre caps to protect the “Wagoneer” logo. The vehicle's body-on-frame architecture, shared with the Wagoneer, allowed for independent suspension and incorporated lightweight materials like an aluminum hood and doors.

Inside, the Grand Wagoneer shared styling cues with the Wagoneer, such as an integrated infotainment touchscreen and a two-spoke steering wheel. However, it elevated the experience with 24-way power front seats, Nappa leather upholstery, and optional higher-grade Palermo leather. The interior featured aluminum and American Walnut wood trim, with seat controls placed high on the doors, reminiscent of Mercedes. The Grand Wagoneer also included heated first- and second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, and optional ventilated second-row seats, ensuring a luxurious ride.

The 2024 Buick Envista, based on the Chevy Trax platform, took a different styling approach with its "crossover coupe" look, inspired by larger vehicles like the BMW X2. Its sloping roofline and new front-end styling, influenced by the Buick Wildcat EV concept, featured a split lighting design with daytime running lights and vertically positioned headlights. This sleek design was a first for Buick, setting the Envista apart from models like the Envision and Encore GX. The ST grade featured black exterior trim and 18-inch wheels, while the top Avenir trim boasted bright exterior trim and 19-inch wheels with a Pearl Nickel finish.

Inside, the Envista's cabin mirrored the Trax but with smoother surfaces and softer materials. Despite some materials feeling cheap, the interior offered a flat-bottom steering wheel and an eight-way power driver's seat. The Envista's cabin was a step up from the Trax, providing a more premium feel. The vehicle's design allowed for good outward visibility, and its compact proportions made it easy to maneuver in tight spaces. However, the coupe-like design resulted in reduced headroom compared to the Trax, affecting passenger comfort slightly.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer was powered by a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 engine, delivering 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. This engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, enabled the Grand Wagoneer to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in approximately six seconds, despite its hefty 2,900-kilogram weight. The vehicle came standard with a Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system, featuring a two-speed transfer case and electronic limited-slip differential. It also included Jeep’s Selec-Terrain system with five drive modes and a Quadra-Lift air suspension system, providing up to 25.4 centimetres of ground clearance.

The Grand Wagoneer impressed with its quiet cabin and smooth ride, thanks to the air suspension. However, its size and weight made it feel ungainly, especially at higher speeds, where the ride became bouncy and the steering imprecise. While it excelled in off-road capabilities, its size limited its trail performance, and it did not receive Jeep’s “Trail Rated” badge.

The 2024 Buick Envista featured a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. This powertrain, shared with the Trax, offered a refined driving experience, with smooth power delivery. Unlike its predecessor, the Buick Encore, the Envista did not offer an all-wheel-drive option, differentiating it from the Encore GX.

The Envista's suspension setup included a torsion-beam rear suspension for base models and a Buick-exclusive Watts Link rear suspension for models with 19-inch wheels. The front suspension was a MacPherson strut setup, with Buick-specific bushings and damper tuning. The Envista handled bumps well, but its rear end felt unsettled on less-than-perfect pavement. Despite this, the Envista provided a quieter and more comfortable ride than the Trax, with adequate acceleration for highway merges.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer offered seating for seven with standard second-row captain’s chairs or eight with an optional third-row bench seat. It provided more third-row headroom and second-row legroom than competitors like the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. However, it offered less first-row space compared to these rivals. The Grand Wagoneer boasted 775 litres of cargo space with all seats in place and 2,007 litres with the third row stowed, although its total cargo capacity was less than some competitors when all seats were folded. It had a maximum towing capacity of 4,472 kilograms, slightly less than the standard Wagoneer due to its extra weight.

The Grand Wagoneer came with a standard sunroof, four-zone automatic climate control, and large storage bins. However, its hood design limited forward visibility, partially mitigated by a standard 360-degree camera system.

The 2024 Buick Envista, 36 centimetres longer than the Buick Encore, offered a 14.5-centimetre wheelbase stretch, enhancing interior space. Rear-seat legroom increased by 7.6 cm, and shoulder room grew by 5 cm, although headroom decreased slightly due to the coupe-like roofline. The seats were comfortable, and a power moonroof was optional on Sport Touring and standard on Avenir trims. The Envista's design provided good outward visibility, with a low side glass and short hood aiding maneuverability.

Cargo space was limited, with 586 litres available with the rear seats up and 1,189 litres with them folded, less than the old Encore and the Trax. Despite this, the Envista offered a car-like driving position and visibility, making it easy to handle in tight spaces.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, dual touchscreens, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a McIntosh audio system. It supported simultaneous Bluetooth pairing for two phones and included a 4G-LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. Second-row passengers had a 10.25-inch touchscreen for climate control, and an optional rear-seat entertainment system added two 10.1-inch screens. The Grand Wagoneer used the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, which was Android-based and supported over-the-air updates. However, the screen response was slow, and the instrument cluster graphics were plain.

The 2024 Buick Envista came standard with an 11-inch touchscreen and 8-inch digital instrument cluster, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The interface was user-friendly, with buttons and knobs for climate control and audio volume. However, the centre stack's tilt towards the driver made controls a bit of a reach for passengers. The Envista lacked a head-up display, and wireless phone charging was optional on all but the top Avenir trim.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer had not yet been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA. It included standard safety features like a 360-degree camera system, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Optional features included intersection collision assist, driver-attention monitor, night vision, and traffic-sign recognition. The Active Lane Management System combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centring, with a hands-free version planned for future release.

The 2024 Buick Envista also lacked crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA at the time of publication. It offered standard driver-assist features like automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. In Canada, adaptive cruise control, lane-change alert, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear park assist were also standard.