2022 jeep grand cherokee limited 5.7 l v8 4wd suv

The two-row Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a near-total redesign for 2022, entering its fifth generation with a bold new look previewed last year by the three-row Grand Cherokee L (reviewed separately). Like its long-wheelbase sibling, the shorter Grand Cherokee features striking new sheet metal and a massively upgraded interior. Available luxury appointments—featuring some items that are scarce in this segment—include massaging front seats, a night-vision camera, and an exclusive passenger-side dash screen, to name just a few. 

It might be all new, but the fundamentals haven’t changed. The 2022 Grand Cherokee remains one of the market’s most varied and versatile family SUVs, and one of the most capable when it comes to off-road adventure. It’s also grown even plusher, with higher trims venturing into territory once reserved for vehicles like the BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz GLE.

The lineup includes an array of trims, from a base rear-wheel drive Laredo that’s well-equipped at around $40K with standard LED lighting, digital gauge cluster, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a host of active safety tech, including adaptive cruise control, up to a luxury-dripping Summit Reserve that can easily stretch past $70K with the right boxes checked. In between, the Limited, Overland, Trailhawk, and Summit trims offer varying levels of opulence and offroad prowess.  

In addition to its choice of two- or three-row configurations, the Grand Cherokee offers three different powerplants: along with the familiar V6 and Hemi V8 options, a first-ever plug-in hybrid, the 4xe, joins the lineup for 2022. There are also three different four-wheel drive (4WD) systems to choose from. The burliest is Quadra-Drive II, which teams with an electric rear locker in the adventurous Trailhawk variant. It also boasts off-road goodies like an adjustable air suspension and electronic swaybar disconnects that help make it the most off-road-capable vehicle in its segment. 

The Grand Cherokee is technically a midsize crossover but lives large. At 193.5 inches in length, it gains about four inches over the outgoing generation. Stretching past two-row mainstream competitors like the Honda Passport and Chevy Blazer, it’s more on par with three-rows like the Toyota Highlander. However, its uncrowded interior makes it prodigiously comfortable for five full-sized passengers. Shoppers seeking more passenger capacity will want to look to the larger Grand Cherokee L, which seats up to seven and is 11.4 inches longer than the two-row version. 

Despite its formidable size, many competitors can pack more cargo, as the two-row Grand Cherokee tops out at just 70.8 cubic feet total capacity with the rear seats folded down (or 37.7 with them in place). Nonetheless, this new Grand Cherokee represents a formidable upgrade over its aging predecessor in interior comfort, tech, and luxury. Along with its agreeable road manners, impressive off-road capability, and available electrified powertrain, this reimagined Grand Cherokee succeeds as a standout in the category.

Performance: 14/15

Base power comes from Jeep’s venerable 293-horsepower 3.6L V6, which still feels perky in the Grand Cherokee despite this generation’s increase in size. Available only on Trailhawk and Summit Reserve, the 5.7L Hemi V8 is a $3,795 upgrade and adds convincing grunt with its 357 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. Notably, the two previous top-power Grand Cherokee variants, the 475-hp SRT and the Hellcat-powered Trackhawk don’t return this year, but an SRT version is rumored to be in the works. 

But Jeep has a powertrain trick up its sleeve that’s perhaps more in line with the times: a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder plug-in hybrid system shared with the Wrangler PHEV gives the Grand Cherokee 4xe 470 lb-ft of torque, beating the output of the V8 and reaching 60 mph a second faster. 

The Grand Cherokee Traillhawk trim offers unmatched off-road capability for a midsize family SUV, even compared to the Toyota 4Runner. Its serious four-wheeling hardware includes electronic front swaybar disconnects, a proper low-range two-speed transfer case, and an adjustable air suspension with electronic semi-active damping that can raise ground clearance to 11.3 inches. With much of its hardware shared with the legendary Wrangler and sophisticated off-road controls like selectable terrain modes, crawl control, and Jeep’s Off-Road pages, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is the choice of off-roading traditionalists.

The Grand Cherokee also impresses with its 7,200-pound maximum towing capability from the V8 when properly equipped. Sticking with the V6 knocks that maximum down by only 1,000 pounds, which still beats competitors like the Ford Explorer (5,600 pounds) and Nissan Pathfinder (6,000). Even the 4xe will tow up to 6,000 pounds, which is ahead of the 5,000-lb segment standard. In the class, only the Dodge Durango beats the Grand Cherokee with its 8,700-pound max, though one can get higher tow ratings along with the much higher price tags of luxury rigs like the Land Rover Defender (8,201) and the Porsche Cayenne (7,716) as well. 

Fuel Economy: 11/15

Equipped with the V6, the Grand Cherokee gets segment-average fuel economy, at 22 mpg combined, 19 city and 26 highway. Unsurprisingly, the V8 does worse, returning just 17 mpg combined, 14 city and 22 highway. 

The Grand Cherokee’s fuel-saving ace in the hole is the plug-in electric 4xe, which returns a combined 56 MPGe if kept charged, and can travel up to 25 miles on all-electric power. Even in gas-only mode, its 23 mpg combined makes it more efficient than the base V6. Though its economy matches that of the Lincoln Aviator PHEV (also 56 MPGe, 23 mpg on gas), it trails that of more budget-minded offerings like the Kia Sorento PHEV (76 MPGe, 34 on gas). And its gas-only figure falls short of the Toyota Highlander hybrid’s (up to 36 mpg combined). 

Safety and Driver Assistance Tech: 12/15

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have yet tested the new Grand Cherokee, but we can hope it will improve over its predecessor’s modest scores on specific crash tests. Until then, note that the previous-generation Grand Cherokee is still sold this year under the model name “Grand Cherokee WK,” and the safety testing data for it does not apply to the new model. 

Thankfully, its roster of standard active-safety tech is much improved. While the outgoing Grand Cherokee counted only blind-spot monitoring as standard equipment, the new 2022 model is a different story. It receives standard blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warnings, forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, active brake assist, lane departure warnings and lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control with stop and go. Additional assists like rain-sensing wipers, a 360-degree overhead cam, a quasi-autonomous “Active Driving Assist” and a cool night-vision setting in the digital gauge cluster are available on various trims.

Comfort and Room: 13/15

The new Grand Cherokee gets a significant upgrade in the cabin, with opulent finishes and top-shelf features that push this Jeep into territory generally reserved for the Europeans. Seats are wide and plush, with an optional massaging front seat and heating and ventilation available for second-row perches as well as the fronts. Quad-zone climate control is available, and the optional huge panoramic roof lets the sunshine warm the cabin. Controls are well-weighted but sometimes a little small and fussy, and the overabundant piano-black trim, while it looks nice new, acts as a lint magnet and quickly accumulates scratches. 

As a larger midsize two-row, the Grand Cherokee feels spacious even for taller adults. The second-row seats recline slightly but don’t slide fore and aft; at higher trims, they get manual sunshades, an entire bank of connector ports (including an optional 110V socket) and their own climate controls. With 38.2 inches of rear legroom, the Grand Cherokee is about average for the class and offers more room than some rivals (like the X5). Climate vents in the B-pillars and below the front seats and a fold-down armrest with a pair of cupholders round out the rear-seat amenities.

Infotainment:  14/15

The Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a standard 8.4-inch touchscreen running the U-Connect 5 platform. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, and an available 10.1-inch unit includes navigation. It’s a good and intuitive interface, especially by luxury-vehicle standards, though responses can occasionally be laggy. Also, too many functions are buried within the screen: for example, an off-road cam should have shortcut-button access instead of being hidden two menus deep. Thankfully, seat and steering wheel heat and climate controls are separated from the screen, but the controls are small and can be tough to locate and operate on the fly.

The Grand Cherokee has many other screens besides the central unit. A sharp-looking 10.3-inch all-digital gauge cluster is standard and on higher trims can be optioned with a “night vision” infrared cam that shows you any warm-blooded organisms in your path long before they’re visible to the naked eye. Perhaps more gimmicky, a front-passenger dash screen is available as a standalone option, enabling your companion to watch Fire TV or content via HDMI while riding. 

Cargo Space and Storage: 10/15

As one of the largest mid-sizers you can get without going to three rows, the Jeep Grand Cherokee offers a fair amount of room out back for cargo, with 37.7 cubic feet behind the second row and 70.8 with the seats folded flat. However, its capacity trails that of smaller two-rows like the Hyundai Santa Fe (72.1 total cargo) and Honda Passport (100.7), in part because its rear-drive architecture cuts into cargo volume. 

The higher floor can make loading heavy items challenging, but it is at least a well-equipped hold, adorned with proper chrome tie-down loops and an open storage well to corral smaller miscellany. However, there are no remote flippers for the rear seats, which must be folded individually. As a side note, the spare tire stashed in the underfloor compartment is mismatched with the other four, which doesn’t make a lot of sense for a vehicle at risk of cutting a tire during off-road adventures.  

Up front, small-item storage is fine, with a deep split-level main center console compartment that’s a particular highlight. However, other center cubbies are concealed behind touch-to-release lids that can be argumentative, and cupholders are a little scarce for a family vehicle. 

Style and Design: 9/10 

The Grand Cherokee’s all-new sheet metal gives it a fresh appearance while keeping the look unmistakably Jeep. On-brand flourishes like the seven-slot grille and high-riding, trail-ready stance link this new rig to the Grand Cherokees of yore, while modern touches like a chiseled face and standard LED exterior lighting prevent it from looking like warmed-up leftovers. 

Meanwhile, on the off-road Trailhawk, nubby terrain tires, red-painted recovery hooks, and an anti-glare, matte hood graphic lend a burly character and adhere to the form-over-function design philosophy that working Jeeps have traditionally followed. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the Grand Cherokee is an objectively handsome rig compared with the current crop of mid-sizers. Moreover, its family resemblance to the also-new and attractive Wagoneer harmonizes its appearance with that of its corporate siblings. 

On the inside, Jeep brings to bear all the right luxury cues, including lots of padding, stitching, and a combination of brushed-metal and piano-black finishes, but look closely, and you’ll still find hard plastics hidden down low. You can vanquish most of these by selecting the extravagant Summit Reserve trim, which swaddles surfaces ostentatiously in leather. But regardless of trim, the Grand Cherokee’s cabin feels solidly put-together: in a week of driving, including off-road, there was no sign of the interior squeaks and clatters that sometimes show up to cast aspersions on Jeep’s build quality.

Is the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Worth It? Which Grand Cherokee is the best Value?

The Grand Cherokee plays in a middle ground between mass-market and luxury midsize SUVs, so its value depends on what you perceive as its competition. It’s not cheap at any trim, with the base rear-drive Laredo V6 starting at $40,515. That feels like a bargain compared to the entry-level Land Rover Defender 110 ($54,975, though that’s with standard 4WD). However, the value equation isn’t as definite against the base Kia Telluride ($34,725). The Kia offers comparable standard safety tech, a larger standard 10.25-inch touchscreen, and an extra row of seats (you’d have to size up to the Grand Cherokee L with its $42,120 pricetag to seat seven in the Jeep).

The 4WD Limited offers the best combination of features and value, with standard rear-seat heating, terrain modes, and premium sound. Add the 10.1-inch screen with nav and the Luxury Tech Package II, which gives you a host of additional safety features, plus goodies like front ventilated seats, wireless charging, and a surround-view monitor with an integrated off-road camera, and you’re out the door for $51,750. 

Those wishing to tap Jeep’s legendary trail capability will want to choose the 4WD-only Trailhawk, which offers segment-exclusive off-road hardware starting at $56,030 (assuming you stick with the V6 and choose white, the only paint color that doesn’t come with an upcharge).

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Jeep Grand Cherokee? 

Insuring the Jeep Grand Cherokee is more reasonable than one might expect. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $1,960 for the base Laredo trim, ranging to $2,159 for the Trailhawk. However, these numbers average all 50 states. That compares to about $2,121 for a Ford Explorer Timberline, $1,882 for the Honda Passport and $2,080 for a Kia Telluride and $2,017 for a Toyota 4Runner. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.

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