Road Trip: 2022 Jeep Wagoneer to Lake Superior Provincial Park

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The Summer Vacation. A rite of passage and family bonding that we all love and cherish. Some retreat to resorts in exotic locales, some explore the museums and trappings of civilizations in cities, or return to their roots in foreign lands, but we like to torture ourselves by driving 10 hours, sleeping on the ground, repeatedly walking in circles over rough terrain, and providing nourishing sustenance to underserved mosquito populations. That’s right, camping is our family’s favoured summer getaway, and every year we do it in a different vehicle to see how well it handles that final per cent of a family-vehicle lifestyle. Last year it was the Audi SQ5 long-term tester we had, and the year before that, the Kia Telluride, and we’ve tried everything from a Corolla to minivans over the years.

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This year, there’s a new family truckster on the market, and I had been itching to find out how the slightly-more-populist 2022 Jeep Wagoneer (versus the bourgeois Grand Wagoneer) would execute the annual camping trip ritual, and to see for myself just how bloody big it is. It’s really big. When first revealed, I thought it was just a stretched Grand Cherokee, but the Wagoneer is actually half-a-metre longer (5,453 mm vs 4,914 mm) and 12 cm taller (1,921 mm vs 1,801 mm). Size-wise, it outstretches the standard full-size SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, and Nissan Armada, but falls far short of the Chevrolet Suburban, Ford Expedition Max, and GMC Yukon XL.

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Being about 30 cm shorter in length than the Suburban, but 10 cm longer than the Tahoe, not surprising that the Wagoneer splits the difference in cargo space between those extra-large and large SUVs: Wagoneer offers 800 litres behind the third row versus Tahoe’s 722 L and Suburban’s 1,175. Maximum cargo space for the Wagoneer is 3,300 L with all seats down, but with just the third row folded it is 2,000 L, and that was enough for our whole arsenal of camping gear and what seemed like half of our earthly possessions. If not simply maxing out the cargo space behind the second row, the third row folds via 60-40 split and the second row is 40-20-40, so there are all manner of configurations that allow for long items, or cargo plus passengers sharing space.

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With the big Jeep packed to the gills, we set out at the crack of dawn for a long haul, an estimated nine hours of driving time to reach Lake Superior Provincial Park from Brampton. A couple of food and fuel stops pushed that to 10-plus hours in order to reach our campsite with plenty of time to set up tents and shelters and get the fire going for our first camping dinner.

The drive north was a perfect time to get familiar with the Wagoneer’s V8 engine and its ‘eTorque’ mild hybrid assist. Despite the 2,808 kg (6,191 lbs) heft of the largest of Jeeps, the 12-kW electric motor provides 130 lb-ft of torque from zero rpm to help get the wheels turning until the 5.7L V8’s torque kicks in, ramping up to a maximum of 404 lb-ft at 3,950 rpm. It never feels particularly fast unless you really thrash it, but its smooth and confident rollout are a great foundation for a vehicle that starts at $80k and climbs steadily into $120K luxury territory and beyond in Grand Wagoneer form. Peak horsepower of 392 crests at 5,600 rpm, and the eight-speed transmission responds well to drop gears and access that top-end power when using the long climbs to pass slower trucks and RVs.

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No doubt the torque, power and eTorque transmission would come in handy climbing those same hills with a trailer in tow; the Wagoneer is rated for 4,536 kg (10,000 lb) towing capacity, meaning it should be adequate for things like a modest power boat or large camper. Considering that rating, it was little surprise that our payload of two adults, two children and all of our camping gear were easily shuttled to Ontario’s northern reaches with confidence and ease. 

Another feature of the Wagoneer that we all really appreciated were the large windows and high seating position, which made appreciating the gorgeous vistas unwinding in front and around us, and the huge amount of natural light infusing the cabin thanks to large sunroof over the first two rows and a smaller one over the third row. Although the Grand Wagoneer is even more luxurious, the modestly optioned Wagoneer Series II we drove was elegant and welcoming with its light cream leather interior and bright cabin.

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Living at the top of the Jeep lineup and ringing in at $93,175 as tested, it was also loaded with conveniences and tech thanks to the $4,695 Convenience Group, which added window shades, second–row heated seats, head–up display, traffic sign recognition, 360º parking camera system, and more. The biggest addition of that package, however, was the Quadra–Lift air suspension and adaptive damping suspension, which gave the Wagoneer flexibility on ride height, making it easier to get in and more aerodynamic and settled on the highway and in turns, or lifted for extra ground clearance to allow more freedom to explore rugged trails and rough roads. We didn’t go very far off-road, but a couple of the roads to hiking trailheads were rocky and rutted, plus we bravely ventured up and down one gravel embankment with ease, when I would not have braved it with our own all-wheel drive car.

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In any mode, the ride was comfortable and plush, unless you absolutely tear along pitted and rock-strewn gravel roads. The second major package was the $3,995 Premium Group that strikes me as more frivolous: 22-inch polished aluminum wheels, reversible carpet/vinyl cargo mat, foldable cargo shade, three panel sunroof, and adjustable roof rail crossbars.

Many of the best features are standard equipment on the Wagoneer, like all-wheel drive with terrain control, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, blind–spot monitoring and rear cross–path detection, forward collision warning and emergency braking, front and rear park assist with back–up camera, remote start, hands–free power liftgate, front heated/ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, wireless charging pad, tri–zone climate control and dual 10-inch displays — one for the information-rich gauge cluster and the other for Uconnect colour touchscreen that is Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto compatible.

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Because the driving part of any road trip often revolves around music, that last feature was perhaps the most appreciated as we set up our favourite road trip songs on a Spotify playlist and sang along with rock classics, punk anthems, and show tunes. The base audio system in the Wagoneer is Alpine branded with nine speakers, subwoofer and amplifier, and it suited our tastes just fine. Audiophiles will definitely want to have a listen to the 19-speaker McIntosh system with a 950-watt amplifier and 10-inch subwoofer available in the Series III and higher trims. No matter the stereo, Jeep’s UConnect interface remains one of the best infotainment systems, with large, clear icons, a responsive touchscreen and some essential HVAC controls available through buttons below the screen, and secret volume/tuning buttons on the back of the steering wheel, literally right at your fingertips. However, there is such a wealth of information and functions available that it can take some time to get familiar and set up the home screen and digital gauge cluster to your personal preferences.

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Arriving at our destination after that many hours in the car, I was worried that my back would be stiff when trying to wrestle the tent into shape, but with sufficient breaks and excellent support and comfort from the front seats, we still felt fresh and limber. Although the kids’ space was crowded with extra luggage and last-second additions to our packing, they were comfortable too, and when not buried under pillows and blankets and snack bags, they had a ton of room to stretch out in, with second row seats that recline. The third row is more confining when in use, with limited headroom, but it also offers some recline and decent seat comfort thanks to a seat that is generously lifted off the floor.

The rest of the week and the return trip reaffirmed our satisfaction with the Jeep Wagoneer on a daily basis, getting us safely to the trailheads for Pinguisibi (Sand River Falls), Agawa Bay Pictographs, Nokomis, Gargantua Bay and other stops in between, and the joy of having a vehicle that felt as spacious and more comfortable than our living room, yet did not feel awkward or oversized to drive. Of course, a vehicle of this size does come with the drawback of a hefty fuel bill, though it is no doubt tempered by the mild hybridization. Natural Resources Canada estimate the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer Series II at 15.6 L/100 km in city driving, 11.7 L/100 km on the highway, for an overall combined consumption of 13.8 L/100 km. After logging over 4,000 km on our voyage, the trip computer showed an even 14.0 L/100 km, though it was overwhelmingly highway driving — a bit more time in the suburbs and I would expect this to climb, and towing would again push it up another level.

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Having done so much so well, the Jeep Wagoneer has earned a special place in our photo albums and summer vacation memories, accomplishing the Herculean feat of near-10-hour drives to and from our distant Rabbit Blanket campground with hardly an “Are we there yet?” uttered from the backseat. The space accommodated us, the seats supported us, the stereo entertained us, the connectivity guided us, and the powertrain carried us through and to Ontario’s pristine natural landscapes. The Wagoneer passed the toughest test our family could throw at it, and it passed with the flying colours that the Group of Seven so artfully used to depict these beautiful backdrops.

Pros

✔ Amazing interior space for passengers and cargo
✔ Flexibility between on-road smoothness and off-road capability
✔ Smooth powertrain

Cons

✘ Fuel consumption reflects vehicle size despite mild hybridization
✘ High starting price and expensive options
✘ Awkward styling