Jeep Grand Wagoneer vs Toyota Corolla Cross

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer shared its frame and body shell with the standard Wagoneer, resulting in a similar appearance to its lower-level counterpart and the smaller 2021 Grand Cherokee L. It featured traditional SUV styling with a tall hood, broad shoulders, trapezoidal wheel arches, and an upright profile. The Grand Wagoneer distinguished itself with a standard black roof, model-specific hood, front fascia, and grille. The grille leaned forward slightly, with laser-etched knurling in the slots, and the wheel center caps had an acrylic glass covering to protect the “Wagoneer” logo. The vehicle's body-on-frame architecture allowed for independent front and rear suspension, while aluminum and composite materials helped reduce weight.

Inside, the Grand Wagoneer shared styling features with the Wagoneer, such as an integrated infotainment touchscreen, a large rotary shift knob, and a two-spoke steering wheel. However, it offered more convenience features and higher-quality materials, including 24-way power front seats with memory, massage, lumbar support, and four-way power headrests. Heated and ventilated first- and second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, and Nappa leather upholstery were standard, with higher-grade Palermo leather available. The interior also featured aluminum and American Walnut wood trim, with seat controls placed high on the doors, reminiscent of Mercedes. The dashboard prominently displayed the “Grand Wagoneer” name.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross adopted a more conservative design approach compared to some of Toyota's recent daring designs. While it had a snub nose reminiscent of the Toyota Tundra and the obligatory tall ride height and plastic fender flares of an SUV, its overall look was understated. The Corolla Cross was 5.3 inches shorter than the RAV4, making it truly compact, yet larger than the Toyota C-HR. Its conventional shape provided more interior space than the C-HR, which prioritized style over substance. Subtle styling details included scalloping around the rear door handles and exterior mirrors, and hidden Corolla Cross logos throughout the vehicle. Wheel options ranged from 17-inch steel wheels on the base L model to 18-inch alloy wheels on the top XLE model, which also featured LED daytime running lights and fog lights.

Inside, the Corolla Cross's interior closely resembled that of the Corolla sedan and hatchback, with oversized door handles similar to the RAV4. However, material quality was perceived as lower than that of the Corolla sedan and hatch. The base L model felt basic, akin to a taxi, while the XLE trim offered SofTex leatherette upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. A moonroof was available as an extra-cost option on the LE and XLE trims.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer was powered by a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine, producing 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. It featured cylinder deactivation for improved fuel economy and was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This setup allowed the Grand Wagoneer to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in six seconds, impressive for a vehicle weighing around 6,400 pounds. The Grand Wagoneer came standard with four-wheel drive, featuring the Quadra-Drive II system with a two-speed transfer case and electronic limited-slip differential. It also included Jeep’s Selec-Terrain system with five drive modes: Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow, and Sand/Mud.

The Grand Wagoneer boasted a Quadra-Lift air suspension system, which was height-adjustable for off-roading, reducing aerodynamic drag on highways, or easing ingress and egress. With the suspension at its maximum height, it offered 10 inches of ground clearance, a 25-degree approach angle, a 24-degree departure angle, and a 22-degree breakover angle. It could ford up to 24 inches of water and was equipped with skid plates for rocky terrain. Despite its powerful V8 engine, the Grand Wagoneer was best driven at a leisurely pace, as higher speeds resulted in a bouncy ride and imprecise steering.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross was equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine from the Corolla SE and XSE models, delivering 169 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque. It featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with an actual first gear for more responsive acceleration. While the Corolla Cross impressed with its off-the-line response, it exhibited typical CVT issues at higher speeds, such as engine droning and rubber-banding. The engine worked hard to maintain highway speeds, but the interior remained quiet, and ride quality was solid.

The optional all-wheel-drive system, shared with the Toyota Camry, could send 10% to 50% of torque to the rear wheels. It engaged without requiring wheel slip and worked during hard cornering on dry pavement. However, the Corolla Cross exhibited noticeable body roll, making it unsuitable for autocross. With 8.2 inches of ground clearance (8.1 inches for XLE models), it wasn't designed for off-roading, and its 1,500-pound towing capacity was modest compared to traditional SUVs.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer offered seating for seven with standard second-row captain’s chairs or eight with an optional third-row bench seat. It provided more third-row headroom and second-row legroom than competitors like the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and Infiniti QX80. However, space in the front row was more limited compared to the Escalade and Navigator. The Grand Wagoneer offered 27.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all three rows in place and 70.9 cubic feet with the third row stowed. With all rear seats folded, it provided 94.2 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly less than its rivals. It had a maximum towing capacity of 9,850 pounds, less than the standard Wagoneer due to its extra weight. Standard features included a sunroof, four-zone automatic climate control, and large storage bins.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross offered more passenger and cargo space than the Corolla hatchback, particularly in the rear seat area. It had nearly identical front headroom and legroom to the hatchback but provided an extra 2.1 inches of rear legroom and 1.4 inches of rear headroom. Rear climate-control vents were standard, and XLE models featured dual-zone automatic climate control. The Corolla Cross had 26.5 cubic feet of cargo space with FWD (25.2 cubic feet with AWD) and 66.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded (65.5 cubic feet with AWD). It compared favorably to rival crossovers in terms of interior space, although legroom was slightly below average. The interior was spacious but not particularly comfortable, with hard and unsupportive seats.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer featured a standard infotainment system with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, dual touchscreens, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a McIntosh audio system, and a 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot. Second-row passengers had a 10.25-inch center console touchscreen, and an optional rear-seat entertainment system added two 10.1-inch screens. The Grand Wagoneer had a larger touchscreen than the standard Wagoneer and a second screen for functions like seat massagers. It could be equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen for the front passenger, offering control over navigation and entertainment. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system featured an Android-based operating system and over-the-air updates, although the screen response was slow, and the instrument cluster graphics were plain.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen on the base L model, while LE and XLE models received an 8-inch touchscreen. The XLE also had a 7-inch digital instrument cluster. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, WiFi, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and SiriusXM satellite radio were standard across all trims. A nine-speaker JBL audio system was optional for LE and XLE models. The infotainment system was user-friendly but lacked sophistication, with plain graphics and slow startup. The optional digital instrument cluster was cluttered, and the smaller display in lower trims showed redundant information. The Corolla Cross had two front USB-A ports, with an additional port for rear passengers in the LE trim, along with wireless charging.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer had not yet been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA. It came with standard safety features such as a 360-degree camera system, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, intersection collision assist, and rear parking sensors. Optional features included a driver-attention monitor, night vision, traffic-sign recognition, and two levels of driver-assistance systems. Active Driving Assist combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering, requiring hands-on driving, with a hands-free version planned for future release.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross also lacked crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA. It featured Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, which included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, traffic-sign recognition, and Lane Tracing Assist. The Corolla Cross LE added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, while XLE models included rear automatic braking and front and rear park assist with automatic braking.