Jeep Wagoneer vs Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer, Jeep's largest SUV, adopted a design similar to the smaller Grand Cherokee models, featuring a high-mounted grille, LED headlights, and a boxy profile with trapezoidal wheel arches. It lacked the retro styling of the original Wagoneer, opting instead for a look reminiscent of an enlarged Grand Cherokee. The Wagoneer rode on a new body-on-frame architecture, a rarity in modern SUVs, which allowed for independent front and rear suspension. Despite its size, the vehicle incorporated lightweight materials like an aluminum hood and doors. Inside, the Wagoneer offered a central touchscreen framed by wing-like structures, a two-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel, and a prominent engine start button with knurled detailing. However, the interior materials, including glossy plastic and heavily lacquered wood trim, fell short of premium expectations, making it feel like a step down from the Grand Wagoneer.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a true crossover built on the TNGA-K platform, sharing its underpinnings with the regular Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry. It was larger than its competitors, with a length of 5,115 millimetres and a 2,950 mm wheelbase, offering a spacious interior. The Grand Highlander's design was more conservative and blockier than the smaller Highlander, drawing inspiration from rugged vehicles like the 4Runner. It featured a trapezoidal grille with a horizontal slit between narrow headlights. Inside, the Grand Highlander offered three trims: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, with varying levels of luxury. The interior was well-built, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in all rows. The Grand Highlander excelled as a comfortable road-trip vehicle, with high-quality materials and seamless fit and finish.

The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer was powered by a 5.7-litre V8 mild-hybrid powertrain, producing 392 horsepower and 404 pound-feet of torque. The eTorque mild-hybrid system improved fuel efficiency but did not allow for electric-only driving. It featured an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive in Canada, with an upgraded system available. The Wagoneer offered Jeep's Selec-Terrain system with five drive modes and an optional Quadra-Lift air suspension system for enhanced off-road capability. On the road, the Wagoneer impressed with its quiet cabin and responsive V8 engine, though it exhibited body roll and shuddering over bumps. It performed well on a short off-road course but was hindered by its size on tighter trails.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options: a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder with 265 horsepower, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid with 245 combined net horsepower, and the Hybrid Max powertrain with 362 combined net horsepower. All powertrains came with all-wheel drive in Canada. The Grand Highlander prioritized comfort over sporty performance, with solid brakes and adequate acceleration. It featured three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—with additional off-road modes for gas-only and Hybrid Max models. The Grand Highlander excelled in providing a comfortable and well-sorted driving experience, though its steering feel was somewhat numb.

The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer could seat up to eight people with a standard second-row bench or seven with optional captain's chairs. It prioritized second- and third-row space, offering more legroom than other full-size SUVs. The Wagoneer provided 775 litres of cargo space with the third row in place, 2,004 litres with the third row folded, and 3,304 litres with both rows folded. It boasted a maximum towing capacity of 4,536 kilograms, surpassing its competitors. The Wagoneer featured large storage bins and a covered storage cubby, though forward visibility was hindered by the tall hood.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its rivals, offering a total cargo capacity of 2,761 litres. It provided 1,640 litres of space behind the second-row seats and 583 litres with all three rows up. The Grand Highlander excelled in comfort, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in every row. Its spacious interior and good outward visibility made it a comfortable choice for passengers, even in the third row.

The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer featured a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a 4G-LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. It offered an optional McIntosh audio system and up to 11 USB ports. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system was user-friendly, though the touchscreen was slow, and the digital gauge cluster graphics were plain. The head-up display was easy to read.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering an intelligent assistant, cloud-based navigation, and live agent assistance via a connected-services subscription. Standard features included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. The Grand Highlander Limited and Platinum trims featured an 11-speaker JBL stereo. Toyota's tech offering had improved significantly, though subscription options required careful consideration.

The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer had not yet been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA. It included standard driver-assist tech such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS. It featured Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, including automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring. The Platinum grade offered traffic jam assist and a head-up display. Adaptive cruise control with four following-distance settings was standard.