2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer vs. 2021 Cadillac Escalade

2021 Cadillac Escalade ・ Photo by General Motors

The Cadillac Escalade has ruled the roost among the traditional three-row luxury SUVs for decades. Now Stellantis has introduced the Grand Wagoneer, and it hopes the revival of a vaunted name will help make inroads versus the Cadillac. One thing the Grand Wagoneer has going for it is Jeep technology that makes it very capable off-road and in inclement weather. Just months before the introduction of the Grand Wagoneer, the Escalade went through a major transformation of its own. Its thorough makeover changed its exterior and interior styling. The Escalade’s chassis was reengineered and now includes an independent rear suspension, so it rides and handles even better than before. The stakes are high, and the battle lines have been drawn... Here is the comparison of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade and the 2022 Grand Wagoneer.

Exterior Design

One peg the Escalade hangs its hat on is distinctive styling. Some say Cadillac goes too far at times, but the Escalade has always resonated with the public. In the 2021 redesign, the Escalade takes a less in-your-face direction. It offers the old bling-filled Escalade styling as one alternative, but it also offers a Sport version that goes light on brightwork and long on stealth. In comparison, the all-new Grand Wagoneer has an exterior that seems lighter and lither than the Caddy. At the same time, the Grand Wagoneer flashes some eye-candy of its own. In overall length, the Grand Wagoneer is almost two inches longer than the Escalade, but its roof is lower by about an inch. So the Grand Wagoneer looks more athletic than the Cadillac.

: Grand Wagoneer

Photo by Jeep

Interior Style

These days, luxury brands are tripping over themselves vying to deliver richer, more luxurious materials in their cabins. The atmosphere is very competitive, but the Jeep/Grand Wagoneer team believe they have nailed the interior with a design that reflects traditional American luxury. The two-piece instrument panel employs satin-finished American walnut while aluminum and genuine leather are sprinkled about the Grand Wagoneer’s cabin. Series I Grand Wagoneers have Nappa leather seats, while Series II and Series III models offer even richer Palermo leather. Both front seats are 24-way power-adjustable with power lumbar, memory, and massage settings. The Escalade delivers materials and craftsmanship that rivals the Grand Wagoneer. And the most prominent interior feature is the Escalade’s multi-pane OLED information screen.

: Grand Wagoneer

Photo by Jeep

Infotainment & Tech

The Grand Wagoneer’s interior features a whopping 75 inches of combined digital display screen area — that’s 25 inches more screen space than the Wagoneer, and it’s a clear differentiator between the two new models. Of the Grand Wagoneer’s many screens, the most prominent are the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and the 12-inch infotainment touchscreen. The Grand Wagoneer also offers the availability of a large front-passenger screen, so the person riding shotgun can do everything from sort out directions to watch streaming Fire TV. Cadillac’s vast array includes three screens: 7.2-inch driver information center, 14.2-inch instrument display, and a 16.9-inch infotainment screen stretching out to the driver’s right. The OLED is paper-thin, and the displays are curved to optimize visibility.

: Cadillac Escalade

Photo by General Motors

Powertrains

The Grand Wagoneer uses Stellantis’s highly regarded 6.4-liter V8 as its standard engine. It delivers 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft. of torque. That’s nearly 80 more horsepower than the Wagoneer’s 5.7-liter V8 engine and 50 horsepower more than the Cadillac provides. The V8 is smooth as a new bowling ball, and it offers buttery torque across a very broad operating range. The standard 8-speed automatic transmission is a willing partner that is also standard in every Grand Wagoneer. The Escalade offers a pair of interesting powertrain choices. Standard is a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine that produces 420 horsepower. The optional engine is a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder turbo-diesel that delivers 277 horsepower plus a lot of torque and excellent fuel economy. One big differentiator is the sophistication of the Grand Wagoneer’s Quadra-Drive II all-wheel-drive system with its electronic limited-slip rear differential.

: Grand Wagoneer

Photo by Jeep

Driving Impressions

Buyers of these full-size luxury SUVs want a lot of interior room, and they are comfortable driving vehicles that some liken to school buses. From a dynamic point of view, the Grand Wagoneer doesn’t feel as big and bulky as the Escalade even though it is a little bit longer. Driving is enhanced by the Selec-Terrain multi-mode traction control system that electronically coordinates a wide variety of inputs. Another plus is the standard Quadra-Lift air suspension system. As a counter, the Escalade offers Magnetic Ride Control and the availability of Air Ride Adaptive Suspension that leverages the Magnetic Ride Control tech. Both vehicles can transport large numbers of passengers and immense amounts of luggage quietly and comfortably. Both are excellent vehicles for long cross-country drives on Interstate highways. We’d choose the Grand Wagoneer for twisty mountain roads.

: Grand Wagoneer

Photo by Jeep

Safety & Driver Aids

The Escalade is cutting edge with its Cadillac Super Cruise driver assistance technology. The system enables hands-free driving on system-compatible highways using LiDAR map data, global positioning satellite data, driver attention system, and a network of cameras and radar sensors. A new feature is “automated lane change” that will initiate and complete a safe lane change after the driver activating the turn signal. Stellantis says the Grand Wagoneer will offer a hands-off driving mode sometime in its first model year, but the system will not have the capability to change lanes. Beyond the near-autonomous operation, both the Escalade and Grand Wagoneer have full arrays of driver-assist tech. Standard systems on the Grand Wagoneer include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, active lane management, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking assist sensors with automatic braking.

: Cadillac Escalade

Photo by General Motors

Interior Space & Cargo-Carrying Ability

Both the standard-length Cadillac Escalade and the Grand Wagoneer will carry a lot of people and their gear. With the rear rows of seats in use, the Grand Wagoneer has 27.4 cubic feet of cargo space. That outshines the Cadillac’s massive cargo hold by two cubic feet. With the third-row seatbacks folded, the Grand Wagoneer offers 70.8 cubic feet of cargo area, and the Escalade offers 63.0 cubic feet. With all the rear rows folded, the Grand Wagoneer has 94.2 cubic feet of space versus the Escalade’s 109.1. The longer Cadillac Escalade ESV has 126.6 cubic feet of cargo area. Grand Wagoneer doesn’t have a comparable model. Both vehicles offer powered hands-free liftgates. Escalades equipped with the 6.2-liter V-8 can tow up to 8,200 pounds, while Grand Wagoneers can tow up to 9,850 pounds when properly equipped.

: Grand Wagoneer

Photo by Jeep

Trim Levels

If you are looking for opulent comfort, both the Cadillac Escalade and the Grand Wagoneer will deliver. The Grand Wagoneer vehicle lineup has four trims – Series I, Series II, Obsidian, and Series III. All are 4-wheel-drive only using the sophisticated Quadra-Drive II system. The Series III is the most luxurious of the Grand Wagoneers. It features a front console cooler bin, available Active Driving Assist System, and night vision with pedestrian and animal detection. The Escalade is available in five different trim configurations – Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury, Premium Luxury Platinum, and Sport Platinum. The various Sport trims have a more performance-oriented look, while the Luxury trims go for full-on bling. The top of the line Premium Luxury Platinum features a AKG Studio Reference 36-speaker audio system among scores of niceties.

: Cadillac Escalade

Photo by General Motors

Pricing & Value

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade is all-new, and the 2022 Grand Wagoneer is all-newer. One distinction is the Escalade offers more variations than the Grand Wagoneer. For instance, the Escalade offers rear-drive versions. Up to now, the Grand Wagoneer doesn’t. The Escalade has a starting price of about $76,000. The Grand Wagoneer starts at more than $86,000. A mid-level Grand Wagoneer Series II has a suggested list price of about $94,000. The line-topping Series III lists for more than $103,000. The most luxurious Escalade, the Premium Luxury Platinum, has a starting MSRP of a bit over $100,000 as well. The more performance-oriented Escalade Sport Platinum has the exact same suggested list price, reflecting Cadillac’s strategy on Sport trims. Both vehicles offer opulent luxury and excellent value, but the Escalade gives buyers options like rear-drive models the Grand Wagoneer doesn’t... at least yet.

: Cadillac Escalade

Photo by General Motors

The Winner

Both are very fresh in the market. The Cadillac Escalade was brand new for the 2021 model year and the Grand Wagoneer has just been introduced for 2022. Both vehicles bathe their occupants in luxury with beautifully crafted interiors and sound systems worthy of a billionaire’s bachelor pad. Both can transport eight lucky adults in opulent comfort and have excellent driver-assistance features. In a comparison like this of vehicles that can do it all and then some, looks matter. To our eyes, the Grand Wagoneer is a better-looking vehicle than the Escalade. It also has off-road capabilities that the Escalade doesn’t pretend (or care) to have. The Grand Wagoneer engineers have achieved an enormous feat. They have made their larger vehicle feel smaller than the Escalade. That has a lot of advantages. So when all is said and done, we like driving, sitting in, and looking at the Grand Wagoneer just a little bit better than the Cadillac Escalade. So the winner of this comparison is the 2022 Grand Wagoneer.

: Grand Wagoneer

Photo by Jeep