Jeep Wagoneer vs Buick Encore GX

Jeep is digging deep into its back catalog for new models. The Stellantis brand (formerly Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) recently resurrected the Jeep Gladiator pickup truck, and now it’s bringing back another name from the past—the Wagoneer.

The Jeep Wagoneer was one of the original American SUVs and boasted a 28-year production run, spanning 1963 to 1991. It’s a tough act to follow, then, as demonstrated by Jeep’s last attempt at a full-size SUV, the ill-fated Commander.

The Wagoneer returns not just as a new SUV, but as a sub-brand that sits atop the rest of the Jeep lineup in size, price, and prestige. For the 2022 model year, Jeep is launching both the standard Wagoneer and a more luxurious Grand Wagoneer (covered in a separate review). As the lower-tier model, the standard Wagoneer targets full-size SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, Nissan Armada, and Toyota Sequoia.

The 2022 Wagoneer launches in Series II and Series III trim levels, with a base Wagoneer Series I model scheduled to join the lineup at a later date. Our test vehicle was a Wagoneer Series II, which is the de facto base model until the Series I arrives.

General Motors has big plans for Buick. The near-luxury division positioned between Chevrolet and Cadillac is slated to go all-electric by the end of the decade, with a fresh lineup of EVs highlighted by a new design language. But those new models aren’t scheduled to arrive for a few more years, so for now Buick carries on with a lineup of conventional gasoline crossover SUVs, of which the 2023 Buick Encore GX is the entry-level option.

The Encore GX was launched for the 2020 model year as a larger sibling to the Buick Encore, but the standard Encore is being discontinued, leaving only the GX for 2023. It slots below the Envision and Enclave in Buick’s three-model crossover lineup.

While Buick is generally considered a step up from mainstream brands, the Encore GX’s size and pricing are more in line with subcompact SUVs from mainstream brands, such as the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30, or the lifted-hatchback Subaru Crosstrek. In fact, the Encore GX shares powertrains and a basic platform with one of these vehicles—the Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The only change for 2023 is a new extra-cost Moonstone Gray Metallic paint option. That means the lineup still consists of base Preferred, mid-level Select, and top Essence trim levels. We tested out an Encore GX Essence for this review.