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1 week review on traded 21 Tahoe High Country

Bigmanny

Member
Wagoneer Fans,

so a bought a WSIII last week which had 89K sticker vs the 82K on my2021 loaded Tahoe High Country. I am pretty impulsive guy and have always loved the Jeep brand having owned an old boxy Cherokee and 3 different Grand Cherokees over the years. Dealership gave me what I paid for it! It was a year and half old truck with 25k miles on it and in need of new rubber, so the decision for me was pretty easy. Before I get into pros and cons I want you all to know that swore that I never would buy a 1st model year vehicle again.... My Tahoe was in the shop for 40 of my 1st 90 days of ownership and had a ton of bugs. It was so bad that I was ready to give it back. However, once they worked things out it ran perfect with no issues or crazy warning lights for the past year. My advice is to not get discouraged as things will get fixed once more of these hit the streets. You should visit the forums for Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade to get an idea for how bad it was.

Pros for Wagoneer
  • The Wagoneer is so refined when compared to the Tahoe. Much less plastic, more leather, plush carpet, etc...
  • Better suspension (the air ride was not an option when I bought Tahoe). The Magnetic ride control on the previous gen and new Tahoe are both rough
  • The cluster stack and tech is modern and not looking like a 5 year old Silverado
  • Although, the 5.7 is smaller compared to the 6.2 it does feel much smoother, the fuel economy is better, and it doesn't need Premium Gas (Note to all...GM bases their Fuel Economy on 2WD/ RWD mode not full time 4wd like the Quadra Trac II system)
  • The 4 wheel drive system is light years ahead. The mechanical diff on the Tahoe is bad. People have posted videos of it getting stuck in the smallest rut. The Tahoe had to be moved to Auto 4 any time the pavement was wet or snowy and the auto mode was usually not enough in the snow when 4wd High was needed. My wife hated dealing with that.
  • Super Comfortable seating. The Tahoe seats are like bricks
  • Interior lighting is better.
  • Power running boards that are useful. go out further and lower on the Wagoneer
  • standard factory cross bars on the WSIII
  • 3rd row can fold with the second pushed fully back

Cons for Wagoneer (I understand that I could have bought a GW, but nobody around here had a series I)
  • Flaky Infotainment and instrument cluster. The bugs will certainly need worked out.
  • No power fold mirrors! At this price that is a complete joke and one that I wish I would have caught in advance
  • No rear view camera mirror (standard on a cheaper Tahoe)
  • Less torque/HP. My Tahoe had the Performance exhaust and 430HP. Not as refined as the 5.7 etourqe but 0-60 in just under 6.0 and sounded great. The factory exhaust in the Tahoe was really bad no V8 grumble at all. The base Hemi is much better sounding , but I will pursue an exhaust mod at some point when available.
  • No advanced trailering package which is standard on the Tahoe HC. I don't tow so this was not an issue for me.
  • Minimal Accessories. GM had a nice list of accessories from day 1. I can't even get all weather mats (backordered)
  • Squeaky center console armrest
  • Surround camera was better
  • Exterior lighting. the chevy logos on the hood and the running board LED are pretty cool. I had the chevy puddle lights and the Wagoneer puddles are much nicer.
I am sure this list will grow
 

Newwagon

Active member
I came from an 18 Yukon Denali. I wanted another one but the options and availability weren't going to happen so I opted for the Wagoneer Series III. I am more than satisfied with the ride and handling of this car. The only difference I notice is that it is shifting from 7-8 a lot more. My Denali really didn't drop out of OD very often. I also got better MPG. It is much quieter and rides smoother that the Denali. I don't like the options available in the heads up display. My biggest complaint is I wish they would have spent more time to refine the info system rather than providing a useless fireplace. The screen is very slow to react and constantly needs resetting. I hope with all of the problems they've encountered with this car they will continue to upgrade and update the electronics. Once things start working like they said, it will be a pretty good car.
 

DocSkip

Moderator
Staff member
Wagoneer Fans,

so a bought a WSIII last week which had 89K sticker vs the 82K on my2021 loaded Tahoe High Country. I am pretty impulsive guy and have always loved the Jeep brand having owned an old boxy Cherokee and 3 different Grand Cherokees over the years. Dealership gave me what I paid for it! It was a year and half old truck with 25k miles on it and in need of new rubber, so the decision for me was pretty easy. Before I get into pros and cons I want you all to know that swore that I never would buy a 1st model year vehicle again.... My Tahoe was in the shop for 40 of my 1st 90 days of ownership and had a ton of bugs. It was so bad that I was ready to give it back. However, once they worked things out it ran perfect with no issues or crazy warning lights for the past year. My advice is to not get discouraged as things will get fixed once more of these hit the streets. You should visit the forums for Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade to get an idea for how bad it was.

Pros for Wagoneer
  • The Wagoneer is so refined when compared to the Tahoe. Much less plastic, more leather, plush carpet, etc...
  • Better suspension (the air ride was not an option when I bought Tahoe). The Magnetic ride control on the previous gen and new Tahoe are both rough
  • The cluster stack and tech is modern and not looking like a 5 year old Silverado
  • Although, the 5.7 is smaller compared to the 6.2 it does feel much smoother, the fuel economy is better, and it doesn't need Premium Gas (Note to all...GM bases their Fuel Economy on 2WD/ RWD mode not full time 4wd like the Quadra Trac II system)
  • The 4 wheel drive system is light years ahead. The mechanical diff on the Tahoe is bad. People have posted videos of it getting stuck in the smallest rut. The Tahoe had to be moved to Auto 4 any time the pavement was wet or snowy and the auto mode was usually not enough in the snow when 4wd High was needed. My wife hated dealing with that.
  • Super Comfortable seating. The Tahoe seats are like bricks
  • Interior lighting is better.
  • Power running boards that are useful. go out further and lower on the Wagoneer
  • standard factory cross bars on the WSIII
  • 3rd row can fold with the second pushed fully back

Cons for Wagoneer (I understand that I could have bought a GW, but nobody around here had a series I)
  • Flaky Infotainment and instrument cluster. The bugs will certainly need worked out.
  • No power fold mirrors! At this price that is a complete joke and one that I wish I would have caught in advance
  • No rear view camera mirror (standard on a cheaper Tahoe)
  • Less torque/HP. My Tahoe had the Performance exhaust and 430HP. Not as refined as the 5.7 etourqe but 0-60 in just under 6.0 and sounded great. The factory exhaust in the Tahoe was really bad no V8 grumble at all. The base Hemi is much better sounding , but I will pursue an exhaust mod at some point when available.
  • No advanced trailering package which is standard on the Tahoe HC. I don't tow so this was not an issue for me.
  • Minimal Accessories. GM had a nice list of accessories from day 1. I can't even get all weather mats (backordered)
  • Squeaky center console armrest
  • Surround camera was better
  • Exterior lighting. the chevy logos on the hood and the running board LED are pretty cool. I had the chevy puddle lights and the Wagoneer puddles are much nicer.
I am sure this list will grow
This is a great side by side! Recommend you take the time to fill out that EXHAUSTIVE (90 minutes I think I spent) on the 1000 question JD Power review.
 

pmichaelmd

Active member
Wagoneer Fans,

so a bought a WSIII last week which had 89K sticker vs the 82K on my2021 loaded Tahoe High Country. I am pretty impulsive guy and have always loved the Jeep brand having owned an old boxy Cherokee and 3 different Grand Cherokees over the years. Dealership gave me what I paid for it! It was a year and half old truck with 25k miles on it and in need of new rubber, so the decision for me was pretty easy. Before I get into pros and cons I want you all to know that swore that I never would buy a 1st model year vehicle again.... My Tahoe was in the shop for 40 of my 1st 90 days of ownership and had a ton of bugs. It was so bad that I was ready to give it back. However, once they worked things out it ran perfect with no issues or crazy warning lights for the past year. My advice is to not get discouraged as things will get fixed once more of these hit the streets. You should visit the forums for Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade to get an idea for how bad it was.

Pros for Wagoneer
  • The Wagoneer is so refined when compared to the Tahoe. Much less plastic, more leather, plush carpet, etc...
  • Better suspension (the air ride was not an option when I bought Tahoe). The Magnetic ride control on the previous gen and new Tahoe are both rough
  • The cluster stack and tech is modern and not looking like a 5 year old Silverado
  • Although, the 5.7 is smaller compared to the 6.2 it does feel much smoother, the fuel economy is better, and it doesn't need Premium Gas (Note to all...GM bases their Fuel Economy on 2WD/ RWD mode not full time 4wd like the Quadra Trac II system)
  • The 4 wheel drive system is light years ahead. The mechanical diff on the Tahoe is bad. People have posted videos of it getting stuck in the smallest rut. The Tahoe had to be moved to Auto 4 any time the pavement was wet or snowy and the auto mode was usually not enough in the snow when 4wd High was needed. My wife hated dealing with that.
  • Super Comfortable seating. The Tahoe seats are like bricks
  • Interior lighting is better.
  • Power running boards that are useful. go out further and lower on the Wagoneer
  • standard factory cross bars on the WSIII
  • 3rd row can fold with the second pushed fully back

Cons for Wagoneer (I understand that I could have bought a GW, but nobody around here had a series I)
  • Flaky Infotainment and instrument cluster. The bugs will certainly need worked out.
  • No power fold mirrors! At this price that is a complete joke and one that I wish I would have caught in advance
  • No rear view camera mirror (standard on a cheaper Tahoe)
  • Less torque/HP. My Tahoe had the Performance exhaust and 430HP. Not as refined as the 5.7 etourqe but 0-60 in just under 6.0 and sounded great. The factory exhaust in the Tahoe was really bad no V8 grumble at all. The base Hemi is much better sounding , but I will pursue an exhaust mod at some point when available.
  • No advanced trailering package which is standard on the Tahoe HC. I don't tow so this was not an issue for me.
  • Minimal Accessories. GM had a nice list of accessories from day 1. I can't even get all weather mats (backordered)
  • Squeaky center console armrest
  • Surround camera was better
  • Exterior lighting. the chevy logos on the hood and the running board LED are pretty cool. I had the chevy puddle lights and the Wagoneer puddles are much nicer.
I am sure this list will grow
Great list. We just traded our '21 Denali for the Wagoneer, largely due to the crazy trade-in values offered. The Denali was/is a great vehicle and we had no problem with it. The instrument cluster was last generation, but they have remedied that with the '22 update. I would say the Denali felt more buttoned down and flatter on curves, but that is to be expected with the lower vehicle weight. It felt sporty as compared to the tank-like luxury vault that is the Wagoneer. I, too, lament the omission of the power side mirrors and I liked the rear view camera that were on my Denali, and the 6.2L V8 was smooth and fast. Perhaps Jeep will decide to change the option packages for the Series III to make it more closely align with the competition, chiefly the Denali and Tahoe High Country. The new Expedition is coming out as well, so there is that to consider.
All in all, the WSIII is a great first effort and just requires some fine-tuning of option packages to be more compelling vs the competition.
 

Bigmanny

Member
Passenger side mirror does not dim. Standard on the Tahoe and even my buddies 60k ram that I was in last night. The mirror stuff is really annoying.
 

Ucla81

Member
Wagoneer won't fit in a 1-car garage because of the side mirrors. If it had electronic mirrors that I could retract (both) with the push of a button, then it would fit. IF I buy one, then it will have to sit outside in my driveway instead of the garage. I live in an area that can get snowfall and ice, so Im not sure I want to get a Wagoneer, for that only reason. (Owning a 80K vehicle that I can't put into a modern-day regular sized garage just doesn't sit well with me.....)
 

Jeepist

Member
I also traded my '21 Tahoe High Country on a GW Obsidian. My new Jeep is different from yours, but I agree on all your Tahoe points. Mine had a ton of bugs and parts that needed swapping (BCM, a couple other modules, even the turn signal stalk). The wireless carplay was never fixed. I didn't have an Escalade, but I thought I wanted one. I drove a couple and couldn't quite justify the price increase over the Tahoe. While there are some obvious differences, the Escalade "felt" just like a Tahoe with a few more options. The 6.2L did fine, but it was never really satisfying to drive. The GW Obsidian is a very different truck and definitely worth the extra cash IMO. The 6.4L is a whole lot better matched to my preferences. The interior is... incredible by comparison. So, comparing Escalade to GW... I'm very happy with my choice - bugs and all.
 

tnedator

Well-known member
Wagoneer won't fit in a 1-car garage because of the side mirrors. If it had electronic mirrors that I could retract (both) with the push of a button, then it would fit. IF I buy one, then it will have to sit outside in my driveway instead of the garage. I live in an area that can get snowfall and ice, so Im not sure I want to get a Wagoneer, for that only reason. (Owning a 80K vehicle that I can't put into a modern-day regular sized garage just doesn't sit well with me.....)
After watching the fun a friend had parking their Escalade in the garage, when I built my house I went with 9' wide garage doors. Glad I did.
 
Great list. We just traded our '21 Denali for the Wagoneer, largely due to the crazy trade-in values offered. The Denali was/is a great vehicle and we had no problem with it. The instrument cluster was last generation, but they have remedied that with the '22 update. I would say the Denali felt more buttoned down and flatter on curves, but that is to be expected with the lower vehicle weight. It felt sporty as compared to the tank-like luxury vault that is the Wagoneer. I, too, lament the omission of the power side mirrors and I liked the rear view camera that were on my Denali, and the 6.2L V8 was smooth and fast. Perhaps Jeep will decide to change the option packages for the Series III to make it more closely align with the competition, chiefly the Denali and Tahoe High Country. The new Expedition is coming out as well, so there is that to consider.
All in all, the WSIII is a great first effort and just requires some fine-tuning of option packages to be more compelling vs the competition.
What crazy trade in offers did you get? I got a rock :(
 

Bigmanny

Member
Only reason why I bought is because I got what I paid 76k. This 18 months later with 25k miles on it and In need of new tires.
 
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