Covert CDJR Bee Cave
Two Rows or Three
Same engines, same trims, same 6,200-lb tow rating. The L is 11.4 inches longer, seats up to seven instead of five, and costs exactly $2,000 more on every trim. That is the entire decision, and we sell both.
Eleven inches of extra body length is theoretical until the weekend it has to fit in the same garage bay and turn around at the same trailhead pullout. That is the honest frame for this comparison: the Grand Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee L are not two rungs of a ladder, they are the same vehicle at two lengths, and neither one is the upgrade.
We stock both at Covert CDJR Bee Cave, so we have no reason to push you either way. This page lays out the differences evenly and lets your seat count decide. If you have already settled the size question, the trims compared guide is the next stop.
The quick take: buy the two-row Grand Cherokee if you carry five or fewer; buy the Grand Cherokee L if you carry six or seven with any regularity. They share every engine, every trim and the same 6,200-lb tow rating, so nothing else separates them. The L costs exactly $2,000 more at every trim, is 11.4 inches longer, and gives up about 1 MPG. Neither is the upgrade; the seat count is the whole decision.
The two-row Grand Cherokee is the shape the nameplate has always been: 193.5 inches long, five seats, a 38.0-foot turning circle, and 70.8 cubic feet of cargo with the rear seat folded. It starts at $38,920. It is the one that threads a parking structure without a second thought, and for a household of four it gives up nothing that matters. Roughly nothing about it feels like a compromise until you need a sixth seat.
The L takes that vehicle and stretches it 11.4 inches on a wheelbase five inches longer, which buys a genuine third row and up to seven seats. It starts at $40,920. It also gains second-row legroom over the two-row, gets family hardware the short car does not offer, and carries a higher payload. It still drives like a Grand Cherokee, and it still fits a normal garage. The costs are real but small: a 39.6-foot turning circle, and about one MPG.
This section is short because there is nothing to separate them. Both bodies offer the same two engines, assigned by the same trims, with the same transmission and the same tow rating:
| Spec | Grand Cherokee | Grand Cherokee L |
|---|---|---|
| Base engine | 3.6L V6, 293 hp / 260 lb-ft | 3.6L V6, 293 hp / 260 lb-ft |
| Upgrade engine | 2.0L Turbo, 324 hp / 332 lb-ft | 2.0L Turbo, 324 hp / 332 lb-ft |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Max towing | 6,200 lbs | 6,200 lbs |
| EPA, V6 4WD | 19 / 26 / 22 | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| EPA, Turbo RWD | 21 / 27 / 23 | 21 / 26 / 23 |
| Max payload | 1,280 pounds (Laredo 4×2) | 1,370 pounds (L Laredo) |
| Ground clearance | 8.4 in | 8.5 in |
Both tow figures are with a conventional hitch, properly equipped. Two things worth noticing: the L gives up about one MPG to its extra length and weight, and it carries 90 more pounds of payload for the same reason. EPA ratings are published at fueleconomy.gov. If you are choosing on capability, this table does not decide anything.
| Spec | Grand Cherokee | Grand Cherokee L |
|---|---|---|
| Seating | 5 across 2 rows | 6 standard, up to 7 with the bench |
| Overall length | 193.5 in | 204.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 116.7 in | 121.7 in |
| Turning circle | 38.0 ft | 39.6 ft |
| Width, mirrors | 84.6 in | 84.6 in |
| Cargo, seats up | 37.7 cu ft (behind row 2) | 17.2 cu ft (behind row 3) |
| Cargo, maximum | 70.8 cu ft | 84.6 cu ft |
| Second-row legroom | 38.2 in | 39.4 in |
| Third-row airbags | Not applicable | Standard head airbags |
The width row is the one people miss: both are 84.6 inches across the mirrors, so if one fits your garage door, so does the other. The length and the turning circle are what differ.
The cargo rows need reading carefully, because they are not measured at the same place. The two-row’s 37.7 cubic feet is behind its second row with everyone seated. The L’s 17.2 is behind its third row with all seven seated. Fold the L’s third row and it comfortably beats the two-row’s seats-up space; fold everything in both and the L wins 84.6 to 70.8.
| Trim | Grand Cherokee | Grand Cherokee L |
|---|---|---|
| Laredo 4×2 | $38,920 | $40,920 |
| Laredo X 4×2 | $41,415 | $43,415 |
| Limited 4×2 | $44,320 | $46,320 |
| Laredo Altitude 4×2 | $44,360 | $46,360 |
| Limited Reserve 4×4 | $51,915 | $53,915 |
| Summit 4×4 | $60,600 | $62,600 |
Every figure is Jeep’s Base Price and excludes the $1,995 destination charge, plus tax, title and registration; the destination charge is identical on both, so the comparison is like for like. The delta is derived from these figures and it is the same $2,000 at every rung. Four-wheel drive adds $2,000 on the Laredo, Laredo X, Laredo Altitude and Limited in both bodies.
The useful way to read this table: $2,000 is what a third row costs, and it is fixed. It does not get proportionally cheaper or more expensive as you climb.
Route by use, not by budget. The $2,000 is not the deciding factor for most households; the seat count is.
| If this is you… | Buy |
|---|---|
| You carry four or five, ever | Grand Cherokee. Shop two-row inventory |
| You carry six or seven regularly | Grand Cherokee L. Shop L inventory |
| You carry five, but need a sixth seat a few times a year | L, and keep the third row folded. The extra cargo is yours the rest of the time |
| Your garage or your commute is genuinely tight | Grand Cherokee. The mirrors are the same width, but 11.4 inches and 1.6 feet of turning circle are not nothing |
| You load heavy: gear, people and a trailer | L, for the 1,370-pound payload. Towing is identical, so it comes down to what rides inside |
| You want the lowest running cost | Grand Cherokee, turbo, rear-wheel drive, at 21 / 27 / 23 |
The fastest way to settle this is to park them next to each other and sit in both, which takes about fifteen minutes. We keep both bodies at 16501 Sweetwater Vlg Dr Building 3, an easy run for families from Lockhart and Taylor, worth the trip from Temple and Killeen, and a straight shot for anyone coming down US-281 from Marble Falls or in off RM 620. Bring the whole family, including whoever would be riding in row three. Call (512) 900-6192 or schedule a test drive online.
Length and seats. The L is 11.4 inches longer at 204.9 inches, on a wheelbase five inches longer, and it seats six or seven instead of five. Engines, transmission, trims and the 6,200-lb tow rating are identical, and the L costs $2,000 more at every trim.
If you need six or seven seats, yes, because $2,000 is a modest price for a third row and it is the same premium at every trim. If you never carry more than five, no: you would be paying for length you do not use and giving up about 1 MPG and 1.6 feet of turning circle.
With the rear rows folded, yes: 84.6 cubic feet against 70.8. With all seats occupied it is the other way around, because the L’s 17.2 cubic feet is measured behind its third row while the two-row’s 37.7 is behind its second.
Yes, exactly the same two: the 3.6L V6 at 293 horsepower on the Laredo and Laredo X, and the 2.0L Hurricane turbo at 324 horsepower from the Laredo Altitude up. Both use an eight-speed automatic and both bodies follow the same drivetrain rules.
Slightly. Both are 84.6 inches across the mirrors, so garage width is the same problem for both. The L is 11.4 inches longer and turns in 39.6 feet against 38.0, which shows up in a tight structure or a three-point turn, not in everyday driving.
About 1 MPG more in matched configurations, from the extra length and weight. A V6 4WD L rates 18 / 25 / 21 against the two-row’s 19 / 26 / 22, and a turbo RWD L rates 21 / 26 / 23 against 21 / 27 / 23.
We stock both bodies at Covert CDJR Bee Cave. Park them next to each other and decide.
