Jeep Grand Wagoneer vs Honda HR-V

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer shared its frame and body shell with the standard Wagoneer, resulting in a similar traditional SUV styling. It featured a tall hood, broad shoulders, trapezoidal wheel arches, 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. Its grille leaned forward slightly, with laser-etched knurling in the slots, and the wheel centre caps had an acrylic glass covering to protect the “Wagoneer” logo. The vehicle's body-on-frame architecture allowed for independent front and rear suspension, with an aluminum hood and doors, and a composite tailgate to save weight. Inside, it shared styling features with the Wagoneer, such as an integrated infotainment touchscreen and a two-spoke steering wheel, but offered more convenience features and higher-quality materials, including 24-way power front seats with memory and massage functions, Nappa leather upholstery, and optional Palermo leather.

The 2023 Honda HR-V underwent a substantial styling update, shedding some of the funky charm of its predecessor for a more sophisticated modern look. The lowered beltline and simplified detailing contributed to a sleeker appearance, with cleaner lines and fewer interruptions. The black molding strips on the roof were removed, and the windshield wipers were tucked under the hood's lip. The HR-V was available in new colours like Nordic Forest Pearl, enhancing its aesthetic appeal. Standard 17-inch silver alloy wheels were featured, with EX-L models sporting Shark Grey finishes. Inside, the HR-V offered black cloth seats with heated front seats and side mirrors. The Sport trim added a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, and a power moonroof. The EX-L trim boasted perforated leather seats with additional shoulder support, although the eight-way power driver’s seat was unavailable in Canada due to supply shortages. The interior followed the refinement trend set by the 2022 Civic, with a metal honeycomb grille hiding the vents and touch-sensitive lights, contributing to a premium feel.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer was powered by a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 engine, delivering 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. It featured cylinder deactivation for improved fuel efficiency and was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This setup allowed the Grand Wagoneer to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in approximately six seconds, despite its hefty weight of around 2,900 kilograms. The vehicle came standard with a Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system, including a two-speed transfer case and electronic limited-slip differential. It also featured Jeep’s Selec-Terrain system with five drive modes: Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow, and Sand/Mud. The Quadra-Lift air suspension system was standard, offering adjustable height for off-roading or reducing aerodynamic drag on highways. With a maximum ground clearance of 25.4 centimetres, the Grand Wagoneer could handle a 25-degree approach angle and ford up to 60 centimetres of water. Despite its power, the Grand Wagoneer was best driven at a stately pace, as its ride became bouncy at higher speeds, and its steering was imprecise.

The 2023 Honda HR-V featured a 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine, producing 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque, an improvement over the previous model. It was equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a Step-Shift function to mimic traditional automatic transmission sounds. The HR-V offered Normal, Snow, and ECON drive modes, with a Sport mode available by pulling the shifter back. Snow mode adjusted the transmission and throttle response for better traction, while ECON mode optimized fuel efficiency. The HR-V was available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, with the latter standard on higher trims. The new independent rear suspension and widened tracks improved driving dynamics, making it enjoyable on mountain roads, though it lacked power compared to some competitors. The HR-V was quieter than its predecessor, but still noisy at higher speeds. Despite its fun-to-drive nature, it lacked multiple powertrain options available in competitors like the Kia Seltos and Subaru Crosstrek.

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, though front-row space was more limited. Cargo space measured 775 litres with all seats in place and 2,007 litres with the third row stowed, surpassing rivals in commonly used configurations. However, with all rear seats folded, its 2,667 litres of cargo space fell short of the Escalade, Navigator, and Infiniti QX80. The Grand Wagoneer had a maximum towing capacity of 4,472 kilograms, slightly less than the standard Wagoneer due to its extra weight. It featured a standard sunroof, four-zone automatic climate control, and large storage bins. Forward visibility was somewhat limited by the hood, but the standard 360-degree camera system helped mitigate this issue.

The 2023 Honda HR-V, a subcompact SUV, offered a well-thought-out interior despite its compact size. The centre console featured a shelf for drive mode controls, parking brake, and hill-descent control, with two USB ports for convenience. The HR-V sacrificed a centimetre of rear-seat headroom for its fastback design, with front headroom measuring 1,002 millimetres (976 mm with the moonroof) and rear headroom at 965.3 mm (964 mm with the moonroof). Cargo space was 691 litres with rear seats up and 1,559 litres with them folded, slightly smaller than the previous model. Despite this, Honda claimed it had one of the largest cargo capacities in its class. The Magic Seat was replaced with a hinge for the 60/40 split rear seats, offering a higher seating position and a nearly flat floor when folded. Passenger volume was 2,794 litres for LX and Sport trims and 2,775 litres for EX-L, with front legroom improved to 1,064 mm.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with 3D graphics, dual touchscreens, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a McIntosh audio system. It supported simultaneous pairing for two Bluetooth-enabled phones and offered a 4G-LTE Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices. Second-row passengers had a 10.25-inch centre console touchscreen for climate control, with an optional rear-seat entertainment system adding two 10.1-inch screens. The Grand Wagoneer had a larger touchscreen than the standard Wagoneer, with a second screen for seat massagers. A separate 10.25-inch touchscreen for the front passenger could control navigation and entertainment. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system, based on Android, offered over-the-air updates. While the screen was sometimes slow to respond, the head-up display was clear and legible.

The 2023 Honda HR-V's infotainment system was now tablet-style, with power and volume controlled by a physical knob. The EX-L trim included buttons for Home, Back, and Seek functions. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard across the lineup, with wired versions on LX and Sport trims and wireless on EX-L. All HR-Vs had a 7-inch digital gauge cluster and a 7-inch colour touchscreen, with EX-L featuring a 9-inch display and a Qi-compatible wireless charging pad. The 9-inch system offered programmable shortcuts and Smart Shortcuts using machine learning. Standard features included three USB-A ports, Bluetooth connectivity, keyless entry, remote start, and a four-speaker audio system. Sport trims had a six-speaker system, while EX-L added an eight-speaker system, Wi-Fi capability, and SiriusXM and HD Radio.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer had not yet been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA. Standard safety features included a 360-degree camera system, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Optional features included intersection collision assist, driver-attention monitor, night vision, traffic-sign recognition, and two levels of driver-assistance systems. The Active Lane Management System combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centring, requiring hands on the wheel. A hands-free version was planned for certain highways, with driver monitoring to prevent misuse.

The 2023 Honda HR-V now included the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver assistance systems as standard on all trims. This suite featured adaptive cruise control, collision-mitigation braking, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, road-departure mitigation, lane-departure warning, and forward-collision warning. New standard features for 2023 included traffic-sign recognition, traffic jam assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. A blind-spot information system with rear cross-traffic alert was also standard, with EX-L adding front and rear parking sensors. The safety features were generally unobtrusive, with lane-departure warning being less aggressive than in some other vehicles. The HR-V received a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS, though the NHTSA had not yet rated it.