The Jeep Grand Cherokee has for decades been a popular family hauler with off-road chops, and fans have been requesting a three-row version for almost as long. For 2022, the automaker has finally done it, with a new seven-passenger “L” variant. The addition coincided with the move to the Grand Cherokee’s all-new fifth generation. 

The standard SUV got revised front-end styling and a sleeker bodywork, which translates well to the extended Grand Cherokee L, which is meant to compete with vehicles like the Kia Telluride, Volkswagen Atlas and Ford Explorer as well as some premium models like the upcoming Land Rover Defender 130. The two Grand Cherokees are built in separate factories but share powertrain and tech features. That said, the standard Grand Cherokee is available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, while the L is not.

Jeep offers the Grand Cherokee L in six trims: Laredo, Altitude, Limited, Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve. Though it’s difficult to ignore vehicles like the Toyota 4Runner and Ford Bronco, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has always been a more luxurious take on an off-roader, with more creature comforts and upscale materials than any of its rivals. The same remains true today, though at the price points the Grand Cherokee is hitting, the Land Rover Defender can’t be underestimated. 

At long last, there’s a Grand Cherokee with three rows of seats. The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is nearly 205 inches long and aimed at growing families, but it loses none of the model’s famous off-road aptitude.  Alex Kwanten

Jeep offers two powertrains in the Grand Cherokee L. The entry point is a 3.6-liter V6 making 293 horsepower and the optional mill is a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 357 horsepower. Both pair nicely with a smooth and responsive eight-speed automatic transmission. It should be noted that neither of the L’s engine choices make it feel sporty or particularly quick, but the SUV fills the luxurious family cruiser hole in Jeep’s lineup just fine.

The Grand Cherokee L starts at $43,250 and climbs to nearly $70,000 at the top end. Neither price includes options, which in typical Jeep fashion are numerous and add quickly to the price tag. It’s easy to drop $1,700 for a rear-seat entertainment system or $1,200 for a power sunroof, and the interesting thing is that lower trims can be optioned up with features included in higher trims, creating some overlap in pricing that could be confusing to buyers. 

The Grand Cherokee scored mixed results in crash testing, including Marginal and Poor ratings. That said, Jeep does include a better-than-most package of standard driver aids for the SUV that includes adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts and parking sensors. Few of the L’s competitors can match its off-road abilities or its classy cabin, though the capability does come at a price.

Building on the similarly new fifth-generation two-row Grand Cherokee, the L is an upscale machine in most trims, but particularly luxurious in the top trims. They don’t come cheap, however.  Jeep

Performance: 13/15

The Grand Cherokee L comes standard with 3.6-liter V6 that produces 290 horsepower and 257 pound-feet of torque. A punchier 5.7-liter Hemi is available with 357 hp and 390 lb-ft. Both come with an eight-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or four-wheel drive (4WD). The base engine takes longer than it should to reach highway speeds, though in-town driving is not much of a chore. The 5.7-liter V8 is much more potent and makes a great sound under heavy throttle, but it’s thirsty, returning just 17 mpg combined with 4WD. It can, however, tow an impressive 7,200 pounds.

Jeep could always throw a curveball and add another Hellcat-powered variant to the Grand Cherokee lineup, but as it stands now the powertrains is not as compelling as many of its competitors from a performance standpoint. This is a product of the Jeep’s price point, as near the top end it’s scraping against three-row models from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, all of which are more engaging to drive on the road.

In the dirt, it’s a different story as the L leaves no stone unturned in off-road capability with several levels of 4WD hardware. Ther Lower trims get Jeep’s Quadra-Trac I setup with a single-speed transfer case that reactively adjusts when tire slip is detected and sends 100% of torque to the wheel with the most traction. Quadra-Trac II with a traditional two-speed transfer case and low range gear reduction is standard on Overland trims. Quadra Drive is standard on Summit and can be added to Overland. 

The top two trims get the Quadra-Lift air suspension system, which adjusts shock tuning for a smoother ride on different terrains. It also dramatically alters the SUV’s 8.3-inch standard ride height. Though the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk comes only as a two-row, the L is a highly capable off-roader.

Fuel Economy: 10/15

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L’s fuel consumption numbers may come as a shock to some, especially people not used to driving big, heavy SUVs with big, powerful engines. With the base V6 and 2WD, the Jeep returns 19 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway and 21 mpg combined. Four-wheel drive cuts one mpg from the city and highway numbers. The 5.7-liter engine pairs exclusively with four-wheel drive, and is rated at 14 mpg in the city, 22 mpg highway and 17 mpg combined.

The Jeep falls just short when compared to mainstream rivals such as the Kia Telluride. With all-wheel drive, the Kia returns 19 mpg city, 24 mpg on the highway and 21 mpg combined. On the premium side, a V6-equipped Audi Q7 returns 18 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway and 20 mpg combined.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 11/15

The Grand Cherokee missed out on a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, with Poor and Marginal ratings in certain categories. Jeep does better than many premium SUV brands, equipping all Grand Cherokee Ls with blind spot monitoring, lane departure warnings, lane keep assist and more. 

Though not unsafe by any means, the Jeep’s crash test results are made to look especially unfavorable by its excellently appointed rivals from Korea and elsewhere. The Kia Telluride earned a Top Safety Pick and offers the same or better safety equipment for less money.

It’s the third row most L buyers are after. It’s best suited to kids but adults under six feet can actually fit comfortably and it’s more substantial than alternatives like the Highlander and 4Runner.  Jeep

Comfort & Room: 13/15

What the Jeep gives up in performance and fuel economy, it claws back – and then some – with its stellar interior. A new design with thoughtfully-placed technology elements created a space that is comfortable, spacious and intuitive. Even the base Laredo trim gets a cabin with premium-feel materials and upscale looks. 

Standard features include cloth upholstery, a power driver’s seat, dual-zone climate controls, and plenty of room for the entire family. Front head room measures 39.8 inches and space in the rear comes in at 39.9 inches. Legroom measures 41.3 inches up front and 39.4 inches in the second row. 

Those numbers are closely in line with the space offered by the Kia Telluride, and they’re more generous than any of the more rugged, off-road-oriented SUVs that buyers may consider. The Toyota 4Runner, available with a third-row seat fares decently on front head room and legroom, but its second row offers just 32.9 inches of legroom.

The L’s all-important third row is still primarily for kids, with 30.3 inches of legroom and 37.3 inches of headroom. It feels much smaller than the third row in the Atlas but is only marginally tighter than the Telluride, and its more than in the Toyota Highlander or 4Runner.

Infotainment: 14/15

The Grand Cherokee L comes standard with an 8.4-inch touchscreen running Stellantis’ excellent Uconnect 5 infotainment system. The unit runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and offers Bluetooth, voice commands, and more. Higher trims come with a 10.1-inch touchscreen that offers navigation. Jeep offers a passenger-side display with touch controls for climate and more.

Uconnect is easily one of the best and most intuitive infotainment systems on the market today. It’s colorful and responsive, and menus are easy to navigate, requiring no more than a tap or two to accomplish most tasks. That’s a huge benefit for drivers and can greatly reduce distraction while the SUV is in motion. 

 The L doesn’t use its extra space as efficiently as the Chevy Traverse, but it still offers a very large amount of cargo volume overall. Full up, however, there are only 17.2 cubic-feet behind the third row.  Jeep

Cargo Space & Storage: 12/15

With the third-row seat upright, the L manages just 17.2 cubic feet of space. The area opens to 46.9 cubic feet with them folded flat and expands further to 84.6 cubic feet with all seats flat. Jeep equips a manual liftgate as standard, but a hands-free power gate is available. 

Despite its stretched profile (it’s a full-size 205 inches long), the Grand Cherokee L is behind the smaller Kia Telluride (21 cubic-feet behind the third row, 46 with row three stowed, and 87 overall) and Volkswagen Atlas (20.6, 55.5 and 96.8) in cargo space. The similarly-sized Chevrolet Traverse offers even more cargo volume (23, 57.8 and 98.2 cubic-feet overall), beating the Grand Cherokee L by 10 to 15% in most measures. This makes it hard to justify the extra spend on the L’s fuel needs when the interior room just isn’t there.

Style & Design: 8/10

Jeep didn’t swing for the fences with a radical departure from the Grand Cherokee look with the extended L, and opted instead for a milder, evolutionary approach. The SUV’s grille is more upright than in previous years, but the grille shape and overall body shape are instantly recognizable as a Grand Cherokee and feel newly upscale after the model’s previous long-lived generation. The extended body works well with the new look, and it avoids looking frumpy or awkward, despite its extra sheet metal.

The cabin looks and feels upscale too, with nicer materials than before and newly bright, crisp screens. The lower-end trims are a sea of black and gray, but higher versions get more light color options and even higher-grade materials that look and feel expensive.

 The Grand Cherokee L is a highly capable off-roader, but it can also be configured as a luxury cruiser, and it looks the part in Summit Reserve guise.  Jeep

Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee L worth it? Which model is the Best Value? 

The base Jeep Grand Cherokee L Laredo starts at $43,520 and comes with a 3.6-liter V6 engine and rear-wheel drive. 

There are plenty of nice standard features including 18-inch wheels, cloth upholstery, a power driver’s seat, an 8.4-inch touchscreen, a Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six speakers, tri-zone climate controls, and more. But this is a fairly basic model and the L’s best configurations are 4WD versions, which add $2,000 to the bill on each model except the top Summit Reserve, which is 4WD only. 

The Grand Cherokee L is best had in the middle of its expansive trim lineup. The Limited and Overland trims bring much of the best content, open the door for the best options and keep the price mostly reasonable. The larger infotainment screen and navigation add $1,075 to the 4WD Limited, and any paint color other than White $395. Things get even more expensive (if admittedly plusher) if you opt for the $1,935 panoramic sunroof or $2,295 Luxury Tech Group. It’s easy to option this vehicle into the mid $50,000-range without even realizing it.

At the top end, the $69,970 Summit Reserve adds 21-inch wheels, Palermo leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, navigation, HD radio, SiriusXM radio, connected apps, and a 506-watt sound system with 9 speakers.

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

The Grand Cherokee L’s Insurance costs are a little higher than its competitors. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $2,034 for a Grand Cherokee L Altitude, though this averages all 50 states. That compares to $2,080 for a Kia Telluride SX, $2,017 for the Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road and $1,999 for the Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.