2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vs 2022 Ford Bronco

The 2022 Ford Bronco, with its retro styling and go-anywhere attitude, quickly became one of the most sought-after vehicles. It returned with two new top-tier models: the Everglades and the Bronco Raptor. The Everglades model was designed for swamp trekking and deep water, featuring an intake snorkel, a Warn winch, and 35-inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires. The Bronco lineup expanded to seven trims, each with increasing off-road capabilities. However, the 2022 models sold out quickly, leaving many potential buyers disappointed. The Bronco offered a choice between two-door and four-door body styles, a four-cylinder or six-cylinder engine, and a removable roof with either a soft- or hard-top.

The Bronco's design was heavily influenced by its off-roading mission, featuring short overhangs, low-profile bumpers, and a tall ride height. Its utilitarian appearance included large recovery hooks, removable fender flares, a full-size spare mounted to the tailgate, and modular construction for easy customization. Inside, the Bronco continued its rugged theme with features like sealed switches, marine-grade vinyl upholstery, and drain plugs for easy cleaning. Despite its ruggedness, the Bronco was equipped with modern technology, including G.O.A.T. modes, a digital instrument panel, and a large infotainment touchscreen. Advanced safety features and a full complement of cameras further enhanced its appeal.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, building on the success of its predecessors, offered a luxurious and spacious experience. The L model extended the Grand Cherokee by more than a foot without compromising its classic style. The Hydro Blue example with the High Altitude package featured blacked-out grille, logos, and door handles, along with dark gray 21-inch wheels and black leather with gold stitching. The interior boasted matte-finish light walnut accents, a polished black dash, and aluminum speaker grilles, creating a classy atmosphere. The Grand Cherokee L's design combined traditional Jeep elements with modern touches, ensuring it remained stylish and durable.

Upper trims of the Grand Cherokee L impressed with their interiors, featuring high-quality materials and thoughtful design. While not every piece was Mercedes-grade, the overall feel justified the price. The polished black dash hid an optional touchscreen, and the gear selector and driving mode toggles felt appropriately damped. The diamond-patterned stitching on the seats and door panels added to the luxurious feel. Lower trims, while lacking some of these details, still offered a significantly better experience than their lower-priced competitors. The Grand Cherokee L's interior space and features made it a standout in the midsize SUV segment.

The 2022 Ford Bronco offered two engine options: a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder producing 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, and an optional turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 with 330 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. The four-cylinder engine could be paired with a seven-speed manual transmission, featuring a unique crawl gear for low-speed driving, while the V6 came with a mandatory 10-speed automatic. All Broncos came with four-wheel drive and an electronic two-speed transfer case. Both engines delivered ample power, making the Bronco capable in almost any setting.

The Bronco's off-road prowess was evident across its lineup, with even the base model capable of conquering challenging terrain. The Wildtrak and Everglades models were particularly impressive, handling difficult trails, deep water crossings, and steep rock climbs with ease. On pavement, the Bronco performed well, offering better steering and ride quality than typical off-road vehicles. It tracked straight on highways and provided a smoother ride than its direct rival, the Jeep Wrangler. The only minor complaint was the wind noise on the highway, but it wasn't intrusive enough to be a significant issue.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L's standard V6 engine, a 3.6-liter Pentastar, produced 293 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. While the engine was quiet, it struggled to provide sufficient power for the heavy SUV. The optional 5.7-liter Hemi V8, with 357 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, was a better choice, especially for towing, with a max rating of 7,200 pounds compared to 6,200 with the V6. The V8 also offered a more satisfying sound. Fuel economy for the V6 was 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined, while the V8's ratings were 14/22/17.

The Grand Cherokee L's chassis provided confident handling, with air suspension ensuring a smooth ride. The steering, while not as quick as some competitors, was adequate for most driving situations. Jeep offered three four-wheel drive systems, with rear-wheel drive standard on most trims. The Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, and Quadra-Drive II systems provided varying levels of off-road capability. When combined with the air suspension, the Grand Cherokee L could achieve ground clearance of up to 10.9 inches, making it one of the most capable off-road SUVs in its class.

The 2022 Ford Bronco's squared-off styling contributed to its spacious interior. Headroom was abundant, even for tall passengers, and there was plenty of legroom and lateral space. Accessing the rear seats in the two-door model required some effort, but grab handles and side steps helped. Cargo capacity varied depending on the model and roof type, with the two-door hard top offering up to 22.4 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 52.3 cubic feet with the seats folded. The four-door hard top increased capacity to 35.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 77.6 cubic feet with them folded. The soft-top models offered slightly more space.

The Bronco's interior featured clever storage solutions, including a large armrest bin, netted door pockets, and a rubberized phone tray. Accessory rails atop the dash allowed for secure storage of items like action cameras. The Bronco also offered stowable doors that fit in the cargo area, eliminating the need to leave them behind. External hard mounting points, hidden anchors, and cleats provided additional utility for carrying heavy loads or securing cargo.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L's added length provided more legroom for second-row passengers, making it feel spacious even with the front seats slid back. Second-row captain's chairs were standard on all trims, with a center console available on the Summit and Summit Reserve. The third row, while tight for adults, was suitable for children. The driver's seat offered good visibility, and the interior featured a well-organized layout of buttons and controls. However, some graphics and text in the infotainment system were difficult to read.

Cargo space in the Grand Cherokee L was generous, with 17 cubic feet behind the third row, 47 cubic feet behind the second row, and 85 cubic feet with both rows folded. This made it one of the most spacious SUVs in its class, surpassing the standard Grand Cherokee's 71 cubic feet. The Grand Cherokee L's interior space and thoughtful design made it a practical choice for families and those needing extra room.

The 2022 Ford Bronco smartly integrated technology to enhance its off-road capabilities. The G.O.A.T. modes provided confidence for novice drivers by optimizing drivetrain and chassis settings for specific terrain. More experienced off-roaders could manually select their preferred setups. The forward-looking trail camera, which overlaid lines indicating tire paths, was particularly useful for navigating difficult terrain. The Bronco's Sync 4 infotainment system was responsive and featured sharp graphics, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L came with an 8.4-inch touchscreen and a 10-inch digital instrument panel on the Laredo and Altitude trims. Higher trims featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen and navigation that displayed full-screen maps on the instrument panel. All systems ran Uconnect 5, which was generally quick and easy to use, despite some legibility issues. The McIntosh sound system, with 19 speakers, was available on upper trims and provided good audio quality. The Grand Cherokee L also offered night vision, Active Driving Assist, and a passenger screen that could play video and control various functions.

The 2022 Ford Bronco came with standard safety features like hill-start assist, hill descent control, and trailer sway control. Optional features included frontal collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear parking sensors, and automatic high beams. The Bronco received a four-out-of-five-star rating for frontal crash protection from the NHTSA and a three-out-of-five-star rating for rollover protection. The IIHS awarded the Bronco its best score of "Good" in most tests and "Acceptable" for head restraints and seats.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS for models built after May 2023, thanks to reinforced frame improvements. It also scored five stars in most NHTSA tests, except for rollover, where it received four stars. Standard safety features included driver and passenger front knee airbags, forward emergency braking, rear emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. Optional features included front cross-traffic braking, a backup camera washer, and 360-degree cameras.