Does the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee have what it takes to outmuscle the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series for top honours in the large 4x4 SUV class?
- America versus Japan
- Exquisite and expensive
- Safety, comfort and tech ticks
- Diesel grunt and petrol punch
- Taking it to the streets
- Finding a winner
America versus Japan
The 2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series has few direct competitors but is eagerly sought after as the ‘King of the Road’ for many Australians, considered the go-to, go-anywhere large SUV.
That ‘go’ might simply be the school gates, but the LC300 is primed for bigger landscapes, such as Highway 1 and the Outback.
We’ve already tested the new Toyota LandCruiser against its old foe, the Nissan Patrol, both in on-road and off-road comparison tests, and the new-generation ’Cruiser has been a clear winner, setting a higher benchmark in class.
But a new challenger has sidled up, the fifth-generation seven-seat 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, with the ‘L’ denoting a stretched 3091mm wheelbase (under a 5204mm body) that’s actually a fair bit longer than the Toyota LandCruiser’s 2850mm wheelbase and 4980mm overall length in the Sahara model tested here.
The all-American challenger has the same essential ingredients as the LC300, coming with seven seats, serious off-road componentry, a six-cylinder powerplant and, in this instance, lots and lots of luxury.
With the latter, the Jeep makes quite the impression in Summit Reserve guise with its quilted Palermo leather seats (with massage functionality) and high-end 19-speaker Macintosh premium sound system.
While these big rigs have excellent off-road trail-blazing capabilities, complete with low-range transfer cases, we’re looking for the best on-road warrior this time around.
That’s because they’ll spend much of their time navigating the urban jungle, highways and country roads, their tyres pressed into service on sealed roads more often than biting the dirt and slinging the mud.
Exquisite and expensive
Toyota and Jeep might be mainstream brands rather than luxury marques, but their latest-generation flagship SUVs require hefty outlays.
The 2022 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara, which is a mid-series model in the new LC300 range, is priced at $130,381 plus on-road costs.
It’s lining up here against the Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve, which is the top model in the new Grand Cherokee L range tagged at $115,950 plus ORCs.
While the Sahara isn’t at the pinnacle of the LandCruiser line-up, both the LC300 and the GCL on test have eye-popping interior fit-outs that, at first glance, suggest the investment in either case will be easily justified.
The LandCruiser’s ‘leather-accented’ upholstery may not be 100 per cent cowhide but it’s soft, supple and appealing to the eye. The wide and welcoming front seats are heated and cooled, feature eight-way power adjustment and, along with a power-adjustable (and heated) steering wheel, the driver will find it easy to get comfortable.
Dominating the dashboard is a big 12.3-inch touch-screen, surrounded by well-damped, high-quality buttons and dials. The only sticking point in terms of overall fit and finish and material quality are the fake wood inserts, best described as tawdry.
Swap into the Jeep GC Summit Reserve and there’s a greater sense of luxury, starting with the quilted Palermo tan leather seats. The front seats get heating and cooling like the Toyota, but have a wider range of power adjustment (12-way) and a back massage function.
The Jeep’s cabin design looks more modern and has better material quality, with real open-pore timber inserts in the dashboard and doors, a nicely integrated central touch-screen (although it is smaller at 10.1 inches) and a highly customisable 12.3-inch digital driver’s display.
The aforementioned mega 19-speaker 950W Macintosh sound system in the Jeep delivers better audio quality than the Toyota’s 14-speaker JBL unit, and the American SUV gets a digital rear-view mirror providing a wider and higher view out the back.
For all that, the Jeep doesn’t feel quite as tightly bolted together as the Toyota, with slightly more play in trim elements around the transmission tunnel, for example.
Provisions in the second row are very good in both vehicles, with heated and cooled outboard seats, rear climate control (both have four zones), USB ports galore and, in the Jeep, side window blinds.
But the Toyota’s twin touch-screen entertainment system takes the cake, allowing back seat passengers to watch DVD movies, connect wireless devices or hook in via an HDMI port. There are even separate auxiliary jacks for two headphone sets, with their own volume control.
Third-row seats are much of a muchness, both featuring push-button power-operation to unfold or stow. The Jeep’s sliding second-row seats can deliver more (or less) legroom and there’s more headroom in the new Grand Cherokee L too.
A full-size spare wheel is located underneath the rear of both vehicles, but the Jeep’s is steel and won’t match the others, whereas the Toyota’s is a matching alloy wheel.
Up on top, the Jeep’s full-length moonroof is also a nice way to feel connected with the world outside, making a bigger impression than the LandCruiser Sahara’s regular sunroof.
Safety, comfort and tech ticks
Both the 2022 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara and the Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve cover plenty of ground on the safety front, with standard features including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control and lane keep assistance.
But with 10 airbags the Toyota pulls slightly ahead of the Jeep, which has eight.
An ANCAP safety rating has not yet been handed down for the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, but the 300 Series Toyota LandCruiser received a full five-star rating earlier this year.
Elsewhere, smaller touches like the fitment of wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto in the Jeep give it an edge over its Japanese rival in the tech stakes – the Toyota requires cables to get the popular smartphone mirroring systems to work.
The Jeep also has a more practical wireless phone charger that won’t send your device careening across the car when you turn a corner, and our test car even has night vision beamed into the digital driver’s display.
The Toyota off-roader’s cabin is a huge improvement on the LC200. The big touch-screen, neatly integrated controls and improved quality all-round make it feel less like a tractor and more like the kind of place you can sit back and relax in all day. Or week.
Storage solutions are sufficient, starting with large adjustable-depth cup holders and a deep but narrow central bin and cool box. There is little in the way of incidental storage; just a wireless phone charging pad and small door pockets.
You get one USB-A and one USB-C port and the big 12.3-inch touch-screen is easy enough to navigate, really responsive and quick to load new menus. There’s a 7.0-inch digital screen wedged between the analogue dials which tend to make the cockpit feel a bit dated.
The reversing camera is so-so. You’ve got a nice wide view, but the resolution is average, there are only two angles and the surround view is a tad small.
The Jeep is, well, very suave. It feels less truck-like than the Toyota and has a seriously luxurious ambience. The overall layout and design is a bit classier and the cabin materials are generally of a higher quality.
The jury is out on the digital rear-view mirror, which forces the driver’s eyes into a momentary lack of focus. Fortunately it’s possible to select between digital and conventional view.
The front seats are a little narrower in the Grand Cherokee, but will still accommodate big bodies. The quilted Palermo leather is softer and feels more lavish. The Jeep matches the Toyota’s heated and cooled seats but ups the ante with its 12-way power adjustment and massage function.
The Jeep’s incidental storage is on par with the Toyota’s, and although it has bigger bottle holders in the door pockets, the twin cup holders and central bin are smaller. However, the wireless phone charger is more sensibly positioned and there’s double the amount of USB-A and USB-C ports.
The 10.1-inch screen may not be as big as the Toyota’s, and the menu system is certainly not as quick to respond to input, but there’s more functionality and better graphics.
A 12.3-inch digital driver’s display adds a bit of razzle dazzle and works effectively, with an abundance of customisability.
As far as the Jeep’s off-road controls go, they’re similarly clustered in one area and likewise there’s not much difference between the head-up displays.
The Jeep’s reversing camera has better resolution and significantly more angles to choose from – and there’s a very welcome camera-cleaning function.
There’s also a ‘Fam Cam’ display that enables front-seat passengers to monitor what’s going on in the second and third rows.
Diesel grunt and petrol punch
There are some big differences between the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and the 300 Series Toyota LandCruiser, but possibly nowhere more significantly than in the powertrains.
Against the Jeep’s hoary – but nonetheless refined – normally-aspirated 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine, Toyota’s all-new 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel shines with its power, fuel economy and its vast reserves of torque.
Though achieved at much lower rpm (4000 compared to 6400), the LC300’s 227kW output is greater than the Grand Cherokee’s 210kW. And the torque, well, with 700Nm punched out from as low as 1600rpm, that’s more than double that of the Grand Cherokee’s 344Nm.
That’s not the whole story, though. At more than 2.6 tonnes, the LandCruiser is way heavier than the sub-2.3t Grand Cherokee, which means its power-to-weight ratio is less favourable, so it’s up to the massive torque to balance things out on the road.
Which it does with ease. The lusty 3.3-litre diesel adds a noticeable surge for quick passing on the open road and has the sort of muscle that shrugs off heavy-duty towing capabilities.
On that front, the LandCruiser’s rated towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes outstrips the Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve’s unimpressive 2268kg – which is less than its steel-sprung Night Eagle and Limited siblings (both 2813kg).
Combined with the LandCruiser’s 10-speed auto gearbox, this makes for a full-size 4WD that feels as refined as it is nonchalantly capable on the road.
All that said, the Jeep’s petrol V6 sounds alluring and delivers handy lower-speed throttle responses that are assisted by the eager eight-speed auto transmission. It’s mainly when the 3.6-litre engine is approaching high revs that the driver becomes aware of its limitations.
The advantages of the 300 Series Toyota LandCruiser’s newer-generation, smaller-capacity and more efficient twin-turbo diesel over the Jeep Grand Cherokee L’s aged Pentastar 3.6-litre petrol V6 are blindingly obvious. Not only does the Toyota have more punch for making passing manoeuvres on the open road, but it’s also clearly better suited to towing boats or caravans.
And it’s more economical. On test we recorded an 11.2L/100km fuel consumption average against the Jeep’s 13.3L/100km. These compare to their official manufacturer-quoted figures of 8.9L/100km and 10.6L/100km respectively.
A big fuel tank helps things along too. The LandCruiser’s 110 litres is going to carry you a lot further than the Grand Cherokee L’s smaller 87-litre capacity.
Taking it to the streets
You would expect that an air-sprung, independently-suspended super-size 4WD would lord it over a conventionally-sprung rival with a live-axle rear end, right? Not quite…
Similarly to some other air-sprung vehicles, the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve is prone to telegraphing small, sharp bumps into the cabin while also making a bit of an audible fuss about it.
The low-profile 21-inch tyres (275/45) are contributing factors here, although they combine with quicker and more communicative steering to make for a big 4WD that loves being thrown around a bit on the tarmac.
That said, the adaptive air suspension absorbs large-amplitude undulations in a nice, controlled way.
The Toyota, despite its wheelbase being quite a bit shorter than the Grand Cherokee L, rides nicely on its more conservative, higher-profile tyres that are more absorbent and tend to go about their business more quietly.
But being more amiable over lumps and bumps tends to make the Toyota more wallowy in the bends and, with the notably shorter wheelbase, more prone to fore-aft pitch.
The LandCruiser 300’s brake-activated lane keeping system is deplorable. It veers away from road markings with an often unnerving lurch, slowing the vehicle at the same time. It also washes off speed on even relatively gentle bends to warn the driver that it thinks the speed is too high.
The Jeep’s lane management tech also tests the patience of the driver, activating at unpredictable points in any given situation and lacking subtlety with its long, loud warning note (and accompanying visual display) that overrides the stereo, phone etc.
If anything, it’s an encouragement for the driver to turn it off, though requires wading through several menus to get there and adds further frustration with the screen’s lack of responsiveness. While we’re at it, the unremitting and sometimes inexplicable beeps and bongs that go with Jeep Grand Cherokee L ownership can also prove taxing on driver and occupants alike.
Human torsos are given a slightly easier time in the Jeep by allowing more gracious entry and exit for the third-row seats, and there’s a lower hip point to help access to the first and second rows as well.
The Jeep’s luggage space is gargantuan in any configuration, maxing out at no less than 2395 litres and the room left behind the third-row backrest when all seats are in place is more generous than the LandCruiser.
The Jeep’s centre-row seating has the added advantage of fore-aft adjustment that enables legroom juggling between all three rows. And there’s generous headroom throughout.
Total load space in the Toyota is quoted at 1967 litres – cavernous, but still quite a way behind the Jeep, although there’s not much discrepancy in passenger legroom provisions across all three rows in either vehicle.
In terms of warranty provisions, both are covered for five years and 100,000 kilometres.
Servicing requirements have the new GC in the workshop every 12 months or 12,000km, while the LC300 carries six-month/10,000km intervals. Five years of included roadside assist apply to the Jeep where it only comes with the Toyota at extra cost.
Toyota offers capped-price servicing at $375 per service for up to five years while Jeep’s $399 per service deal runs for the first five scheduled services.
In terms of resale value there’s no question that, particularly in the current market, Toyota has a definite edge.
Finding a winner
So the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve is more luxurious and accommodating inside, sportier to drive and cheaper to purchase off the showroom floor than the Toyota LandCruiser Sahara.
Top marks go to Jeep for bringing its full-size 4WD to maturity while lifting it into contention against not only the best mainstream brands in this segment, but prestige marques as well.
But the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L is wrongfooted in a variety of areas by the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.
For example, the LC300 fronts up with an excellent turbo-diesel V6 which makes it faster, brawnier, better suited to towing duties, more economical and a bit cleaner at the tailpipe.
The ride is on the plusher side, which we’d argue is an advantage over the firmer Jeep given the broad range of driving duties and environments it’s designed to manage, while the cabin space and passenger amenities in the mid-series Sahara are not that far behind the top-shelf Grand Cherokee L.
We won’t make assumptions about longevity at this early stage in the lifecycle of both new models, but note that Toyota’s 200-strong dealer network is about twice the size of Jeep’s.
In the end, it was a very close call but the Toyota LandCruiser Sahara was voted the better full-size 4WD overall in this comparison, despite the unquestioned allure of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve.
How much does the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve cost?
Price: $115,950 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.6-litre V6 petrol
Output: 210kW/344Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 243g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
How much does the 2022 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara cost?
Price: $137,981 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel
Output: 227kW/700Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 235g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)
Keyword: Toyota LandCruiser v Jeep Grand Cherokee L 2022 Comparison