Sounds like a military vehicle, overpriced, lacking in comfort, probably need a maintenance company following you around after 30,000 miles, and you better hope someone else is paying the fuel bill.
Did you review the usability of the bed? My concern is if it’s actually big enough to use for trips to the dump, hardware store, or if you’re moving furniture.
All trucks 1/2 ton and smaller crew cabs have a useless bed. If you need a useable bed Buy an extended cab truck. I need a useable bed on my truck. I have a 2011 f250 supercab with a gas motor. 6&3/4' bed, straight axles, high tow capacity, and a 3,300lb payload. Those stats are hard to beat. Yeah it is a big truck and doesn't have automatic disconnecting sway bars. But so what. I need a truck for truck things.
To fix the driver seat not going back far enough, there is a seat rail upgrade you can get for big and tall people. I wonder if a regular 2dr Wrangler also has the issue with drivers seat.
Based on my experience no shop time at 5k miles is absolutely amazing! Kudos to Jeep! No recalls! No “drive it off the lot” and discovering this that or the other thing doesn’t work. AWESOME! Mine had 3 failures on the first day, then 27 others over the first 3 years. LOVED mine, but hated the shop time and it’s frequency of repairs.
I have mine for one year sad to say that all complaint about Jeep is all true ,I have frequent problems with leak and trip to the dealership, trade it in to Toyota Tacoma off road never look back!!👍👍
Just got back home from a 1000mile road trip in my Gladiator Rubicon, towing my fishing boat (3k lbs) and bed loaded to the gills with camping gear. Worth every damn penny. What other vehicle can you haul your family and camping gear, tow your boat, and offroad/ cruise topless and doorless while on vacation? By the way for the entire trip, 800 miles of which was towing, I averaged 15.1 mpg. This was from western NY through the Adirondack mountains to Burlington VT- not a piece of cake by any means. I also have an F150 with the 3.5 ecoboost and 10 speed and I know it wouldnt get that fuel economy. Never loved a vehicle so much- for my use there is nothing better.
u would think that they would make the logical choice and put a cummins in it but sadly it will be a decrepit italian made diesel so don't get your hopes up :/
@@Ckperes where is cummins at? Seems like they are avoiding this market. But that vm motori, I had a 2 gen and I had no issues. I could only imagine the redesign will only be better! So until cummins comes to bat I really think the 3rd gen motori is the best bet right now until we get more data on the duramax.
@@groofromtheup5719 r2.8 looks great on paper but then you realize it's only emissions compliant on '99 and older vehicles and the thing costs ~$7600 plus installation, so by the time you shell out for the engine and get it installed you've just dropped $~12,000 upgrading a 21+ year old vehicle with a 165hp diesel engine. I think people were expecting the price to be quite a bit less than what it is, $5,000 or so would be a liveable price point for a 4 cylinder diesel engine but the $7,600 is far too high
The lack of safety systems like pre collision a million cameras is something i love about it. My last few trucks had way to many sensors and beeps and warnings. I love how my Mojave is like an old school truck without all the nanny systems. I love it!
The driver size and seat adjustments for me are ok and I’m 6’ 4” tall. I worried based on this review if I would fit ok and it’s way more comfortable than a Tacoma. What I don’t like on long drives is the steering wobble. I have a Ford 250 and it drives straight without effort. This seems to take more active steering to keep it going down the road.
Have you looked into the steel steering box replacement for wranglers and gladiators? I've been reading that they seem to cure that deadzone in the center of the steering wheel.
Truck U showed a kit from Baxter Performance for the Gladiator that prevents the engine oil drain back issue. 30 minutes after shut off all the engine oil drains back to the crankcase, even the filter is bone dry. Every start up is a dry start.
I actually sat in a JL and Gladiator yesterday for the first time, I’m 6’4”.. and can’t agree more with the seating position and lack of room for a tall person. My head would be 1/4 - 1/2” away from the roof, if I tilted the seat back my head would hit the B pillar hoop.. and leg positioning is way off. Was debating between getting a mid sized truck gladiator vs Tacoma and that seating position and lack of room picked it for me.
I have a Gladiator and just to get a Tacoma TRD Pro up to the same capability out of the box off-road as the Rubicon it was going to cost me more not to say that the Tacoma isn’t good off-road just that the modifications were going to make the price much higher. If you plan living on pavement don’t buy a gladiator much cheaper and better options
Great video! surprised that at this price range you get crappy headlights since it’s built for off-road. You would think jeep would want you to have the best visibility at night while off roading especially at 55k+
Marc Delgado right 😂😂😂 only see a handful being used for off roading in the mountains here in Hawaii lol most buy em brand new and slap some chrome deep dish 24-26s on em with a little lift
I looked at Gladiators and EVERY one of them had 10 to 15 thousands dollars worth off options. So Base Gladiator starts at 44 thousand. That's like crazy. The only exception are the manuals. I tried learning manual years ago and it didn't work out. I wouldn't mind trying again.
It’s great that the mid size truck is not just an afterthought but if you are going to market it as an “all around” truck you need more options with motor, transmission other options, I.e Dana 44’s and Lockers. Let’s be honest if you need to tow 7k lbs this isn’t the vehicle for you.
10:45 mark Tommy missed the handle on the side of the seat that is for adjusting the bottom inclination. I'm 6'2" and find it more spacious than a seat in the JL.
Everybody always says they never take the top off. I live in FL I take it off almost every weekend. Mine came with a cushioned carrying bag to put them in in the truck bed. Keeps them safe and compact and it literally takes like 2 minutes to take them off.
Looks awesome guys and thanks for your honest review. Though, with the longer wheel base, I’d be nervous to have the spare tire underneath while off roading on the tougher trails.
I adore my Mojave. A Wrangler with a bed is perfect for my needs. The only problem is that I like the seat all the way up, and there is a flaw in the system in that every time I get out, it pushes down on the lever, and after I drive it around town, getting in and out, I have to do about 4 pumps to bring it back up. Took a while to figure out that it wasn’t malfunctioning. Finally, after replacing the seat rails, the dealer finally took the lever off for the weekend, and it didn’t go down at all.
Very thorough as per your usual. I really enjoy your videos, full of great information. The Gladiator, is certainly a specialized vehicle. Not really for towing, can't really haul a lot in the tiny bed, not built for speed, but it will rock crawl, and climb and off road... not really practical for urbanites, but we all still want one! Hahaha.
Comparing the Gladiator (Rubicon) to the Power Wagon, you get front and rear locking diffs, sway bar disconnect. In the Power Wagon, you get a Warn Winch, more horsepower, better storage space, and just a monster of a truck...for near the same price as a Rubicon. And the PW is a highly capable off road truck!
Completely, agree. The PW is a much better value. The people who say the PW is too wide for the trail need to think about how often the Gladiator gets hung up on the trail because of its terrible break over angle. The PW break over angle according to FCA is better than that of the Gladiators by several degrees.
You could do what I did and buy them both 🤷🏾♂️. Excessive..yes.. but I use them for different things. The PW is used for towing, hauling, and off roading where I need a large truck. The Gladiator is used for daily driving and off road in where I need a smaller truck. Both are great trucks and very similar. One can’t go wrong either way.
As a Wrangler owner, I can give a few more negatives to watch out for that also apply to the Gladiator. 1. Stock hood latches do not lock, so people can get into your engine bay without the key or having gotten into the inside. The alarm does go off if you open the hood when the car is locked, but that is not good enough. This is fixable with after market parts. 2. Gas cap does not lock, so same issue as the engine bay. People can siphon your gas without breaking into your car. This can also be solved with after market parts (Mopar even has a locking gas cap for Jeeps). 3. The flat front windshield is good for visibility but is a magnet for bugs and small rocks that get kicked up on the highway. This is not solvable completely without drastically altering the look of the car, but I got a hood deflector to help with this problem, and I would recommend anyone that does not want to replace their windshields often or does not want to have to deal with bugs hitting the windshield often, get one as well. This is likely also a problem with G-Wagens, Bronco, and anything else with a flat windshield. 4. There are no stock mud flaps. The front tires kick stuff up to the side of the vehicle, which can damage the paint r dirty up the side. Mud flaps are not great if you are rock crawling, but they are 100% worth it if you are doing literally anything else. RokBloks makes good ones that you can take off easily on the fly if you ever do go rock crawling, so I would recommend those. They are what I have on my JL Wrangler. 5. If you have a hardtop, you should get a headliner .They not only make it less hot on hot days and keep the heat in on cold days, but they also help with making it less noisy. If you are driving on the highway above like 50mph, it is not quiet in Wranglers and Gladiators. They are not aerodynamic and the stock hard top roof is a piece of fiberglass. The headliners help to fix these problems. Mopar has a stock option, but Hotheads makes the best ones. 6. There is not a lot of storage for the front seats. The arm wrest storage has two compartments and the base one goes pretty deep, but there is not any good areas to quickly access things. The solution is to get a phone holder for the dash. I have the Bulletpoint mount for the driver's side and the passenger's side, and it is great. It grips the phones no matter how bumpy it is and it keeps your phone in a convenient position for you to see and access without getting in the way. There are also plastic storage things that attach with mounting tape to your center area that provide a couple of pockets to hold stuff.
Especially a Rubicon Gladiator. The Rubicon is a river north of Rome which Julius Caesar famously crossed when he decided to become the emperor by force.
The only bad thing about Jeeps is that they won’t honour their own warranty. My 2020 JTR 3.6 sounds like a diesel and has done since 36k. They replaced the rockers, lifters and cams and the ticking persists. Now at 59k the ticking is worse and they told me to “baby the engine” and go away. The engine is disintegrating, throwing metal filings throughout. This was my “dream Jeep” that I was planning on keeping and modifying. Now I can’t trade it in or sell it without taking a huge loss. This engine will fail prematurely and FCA has known about this issue since 2013, with class-action law suits in both the US and Canada regarding the 3.6 “ticking issue”. I have had many FCA vehicles including Jeeps, but this is going to be my last due to way I was treated and the warranty not being worth the paper it’s written on!
I like the look you all came up with. I am considering it because I want the best of both worlds. I want a jeep but I sometimes need a truck. I am willing to compromise on the breakover angles and hardcore offroad capability for towing capability and the bed. Thanks alot guys.
I own this truck in white. Get a freedom panel bag. Throw the panels in the bed. The bag can hook behind the front seats as well. I can't imagine you always have passengers. I live in Massachusetts and I haven't had a roof on my Jeep in just over a month. It's such a better experience. Thankfully I have a garage to store it in at night. I'm 6'2", while I'm comfortable in the truck, it certainly is a sucky long road trip vehicle. Personally, I'd make a bigger complaint on the wonky HVAC operation and windnoise with the hardtop.
@necroona97 hi points have actually done pretty decent in torture tests and are pretty reliable for a $150 firearm. The gun snobs just like to give them a bad name for the price because its not a $900 Kimber 1911....
My 2021 Gladiator broke down after 360km with electronic issues. 7 months later, it has broken down 5 times. I’ve actually used it for 1 month, the rest it has spend in different dealerships without any solution in view…
Digging my 21 Willys, love that you can still get manual everything, and the vast Jeep aftermarket. My only complaint is the 3.73 gears, makes 6th gear useless and doesn't really help mpg (will be getting 4.56s). 4.10s shouldve been standard, 4.56s optional.
Wife and I recently test drove a Mojave Gladiator. The appearance with the bigger off-road tires were nice. I’m 6ft and like what was said I couldn’t move the seat further back and after maybe 15 mins of driving. My lower back started to hurt from the hard leather seats. I really wanted to like this, but with the seats, lights, and comfort. For us not worth the price tag. Understandable it’s an off-road rig, but at that price. You’d expect more.
Leg and head room in vehicles has ALWAYS been an issue for me, since I’m 6’8” tall. For most of my life, even finding a vehicle that i can get behind the wheel in, without having to swing my leg under and around the steering column, or having to hunker down, or have to lean the seat ALL THE WAY BACK behind the B pillar is a common issue for extra tall people. So it’s not terrible, but I agree, that it would be nice to have a little bit more rail on that seat to give room if needed. You can always do the Harry and the Henderson’s method and take the freedom roof off!
@@richfarfugnuven6308 taking it to the heights necessary to compensate for the breakover angle just compromises performance in other areas. Like entering and exiting and driving on the street.
@@06colkurtz i disagree up to a point. 35" tires need no trimming or regearing. Look at Ford with the Tremor package, 35" tires, no problems. The Powerwagon, Wrangler Rubicon, and Gladiator Rubicon should all come with 35" tires standard.
I put 35s on mine went to Moab and it was fully forked, suspension as contorted as it could go on the front and back, both axles were opposite directions and the 35’s didn’t rub with no lift I also have a grab handle and it’s super easy to get in
😂 Tommy, Tommy, Man if you think seat adjustment is not great on the Gladiator, you should try a pre 2016 Land Rover Defender Pickup. Legend off road but the seat has a limited travel on its forward/aft movement, the backrest slaps right up against the back of the cab and to rest your elbow you need to roll down the window and place your arm on the door. At least when you're driving you're not risking castration by gear lever in the middle seat. Love the Gladiator. You chaps have made it amazing. Good luck on No Pavement Needed.
I agree with you guys on the headlights as I have bought the Gobi as well. I am 6’ 2 and as for my 2020 the front driver seat for me is perfectly fine. I suppose this is a preference among personal comfort. Being a 16 year military veteran along with PMC work, I have definitely had much more uncomfortable seats than my Jeep has. I have added $5,500 in extras to mine as well. I love how these are blank canvases that you can personalize and make them your own. The only issue I had after putting the oversized 35s on was a little rubbing on tighter turns than normal even with the 3 inch Skyjacker kit. I cured that by installing spacers. I replaced the standard dim yellow headlights with the more capable HID headlights. However, I would have thought for the $52,995 value it would have had a few things standard that it didn’t come with when I purchased it. ***The lower cost was with employee pricing currently going on as of 07/04/2020)*** Overall I love my Jeep Gladiator. With so many aftermarket parts on the market one can get pretty expensive if you haven’t thought or planned out exactly what you want to do with the Gladiator. I started off with a budget and worked the parts from their. I came in just south of what my ceiling was. I hope all of you have a great 4th of July. God bless the United States of America!
Or go back to the AMC days and say "screw it,lets put a V8 in a Jeep" to get a Wrangler/Gladiator with something other than a damned minivan engine that sounds like a choked vacuum cleaner
Agree with you on the driver seat (in my Wrangler) - but my problem is short legs. I ended up putting some nuts under the seat rail to get a little bit of tilt in the front because I felt there was no support for my legs and I kept wanting to slide forward. Power adjustable seats would be nice, if other offroad vehicles can have them, why not the Wrangler/Gladiator? I love my Wrangler, have a Gladiator on order. Wrangler will not tow the trailer I want to get, so decided to get a Gladiator.
As long as people keep buying these as is, at these prices, they won't change a thing w/o charging you for it. We need more competition for off road worthy, fun to drive, topless vehicles. Bronco, you're up!
Your asking alot for ford to lower the price point on something to increase competition. All ford is going to do bring in the bronco at about 6k to 8k higher, which will raise jeep prices up another 4K.
Funny looking at your comment made in 2020.Now in late 2021 these are going $5000 over MSRP Iand you have to order it with a who knows how long waiting list.I just can't wait for 2022
Man, nothing played out as anticipated. A dealer in Tulsa is willing to place a factory order for wrangler 1,000 under msrp. Said it would be 3 month wait. I would guess longer. Ford screwed the pooch on the Bronco rollout (referring to hard tops)and chip shortage just sort of put the nail in the coffin. This is a crazy world right now!
I am glad they omitted some of the electronic safety stuff. I don't want that on a vehicle and it is very annoying when it comes standard and you cannot avoid it.
I’m right around that same height as well and headroom was my major issue, at a comfortable seating position my head was right in the way of the rollbar
I’m the same height and I sit in these on almost a daily basis, maybe I’m used to it but its perfectly fine to me, if you think its bad go sit in a TJ then one of these again lol its crazy
We owned an '18 Ram Promaster 3500E and after 34k /100% no issues miles in 12 months, we thought the Gladiator was worth checking out. Our goal is to have a very capable OLV that needs are few mods as possible. We looked at all of the mid-sized options and it came down to the Ranger, Taco and Jeep. As a former Toyota owner, Tacos and 4R have their own set of issues and limitations; not to mention, a Taco OR Pro is easily $47-52k at all of the dealerships. Rangers are similar in price, but none have the dual lockers, etc. Go add those aftermarket and it's nearly a even playing field $ wise. We had read over and over that the Gladiator had steering issues and drove rough, but to make a real solid decision, we decided on a test drive one & It was pretty amazing. We went is thinking we'd likely rule the truck out we were 100% sold on the truck after about 20 miles. It's been 6 weeks now and we have 9,000 miles on it. It's driven across country with a trailer in tow, we avg. 11.4mpg until we made it east of the rockies; after that, the avg. was closer to 15.5mpg & this is with 33" M/T's, not A/T's. My old 2010 4R with Falken A/T3's (31.5") brought that truck to 15.3 at h.way speeds; so we're stoked on the Jeep. Staying closer to highway speeds (70), the Jeep is around 19mpg, head towards 80mph and drop about 1.5mpg, drop to 65 and gain 1mpg. We've enjoyed the Gladiator so far, on and off-road. We hope it stays as carefree as our old PM3500. IMO, it's worth test driving! One thing I still can't wrap my head around is how it beats out Toyotas because you can install real size off road tire without clearance issues. Most notably, you don'just to fit a 33" tire on a 4R /Taco, you need to cut off the major part of side cash protection. And forget trying to stuff a 35" or 37" tire in other mid-sized trucks witout 4-6" lifts and more frame mods.
Gladiator is considered a litmus test. So they decided to make the most popular truck configuration in America. That is the Crew cab, short bed pickup. A regular cab version might come later. I doubt it though. Regular cab pickups are a rare creature these days.
Just like manual transmissions, people say they want a regular cab truck, but regular cab trucks don’t sell. Hell I didn’t want a 5.5 ft bed coming from a 2nd Gen Dodge with an 8ft bed….however it’s been fine.
For the record, I currently own a '16 Ram 1500 reg cab/shortbed, and an '18 JL Wrangler 2 door with manual trans. I've only ever owned regular cab trucks, prefer 2 door Wranglers, and get a manual when available. I know I'm an outlier in the grand scheme of things, but I walk the walk.
Only thing I hate about my glad. The back up cam is on the tailgate. So if you leave it down to haul anything. The camera will be faced down and constantly beep. Other then that. I love my Glad!
Worth every penny. I’m 6’5” and I fit well, so I’m not sure that I agree on driver comfort. No power seats is a bit ridiculous though. Loving my Gladiator Rubicon!
@@jacobstrutner8232 I fit! It’s no full size but I fit. I’m used to mid size trucks though. I drove 24 hours to Telluride in it with no discomfort. Obviously it’s tight, but not uncomfortable.
Drinks fuel like a cow drinking water , accelerate like an elephant , handles corners like a fainting goat and cost as much as a rhino.... thats a PASS for me.
WOW ... I was considering one of these. But after seeing your comment about the front seat room, not for me. I'm 6'2" and one of my worries about driving one of these is room and more specifically safety. These things will get tossed around in a collision and the lack of room, protection and leg room is a no go for me. Good honest review TFL.
Theres just as much room in them as the jlu. Im 6’2” as well and all legs and i have plenty of room in it. And once you buy a cap such as a smartcap, you have more usable storage space than a jlu. Unless you are doing serious rock crawling, theres nothing the gladiator cant do that the jlu can. Its better on road and more stable at speeds when going down flat trails
My cheap ass 2018 F150 XL gives me all those same temp gauges on my regular ole instrument cluster and pitch/roll on the center display -- no load time needed. Jeep just over complicating things lol
There’s a bag that comes for the panels which makes it easy to carry and transport both. The back part is super easy to take off. I pulled the Jeep challenge and took the hole thing off by myself. I know have the soft top. Super easy to install and looks great. I got my Gladiator on rollout last year and have been living it. I got the sport model and have put a few upgrades to it
Funny what you mentioned about the seats. Im 5'11¨ and my old 2001 Cherokee XJ had the same issue with leg room. I test drove a Wrangler a few years ago and again, not much leg room. Funny how things havent changed.
LEDs don’t emit heat like incandescent bulbs. They won’t be hot when you touch them. There’s some other explanation for that cover melting. Maybe infrared light?
I’m an Fj guy but I have to say I did test drove the gladiator and when I was about to configure one there’s no sand color on a diesel option!! Sucks!!
I’ve had mine and put thousands miles on it ! Love it ! Mine came with a luggage bag for two roofs ! I notice there’s a blind spot in passenger front window be careful !
Ill be getting the Sport S with max tow package. Invest savings into goodies! I have the exact same issue with the driver position in my JLU. Looking at a seat replacement for sure. Also re-gearing makes a HUGE difference with the JL/JT. Although you can adjust the trans with a tuner, its nowhere near the same.
Sport s with max tow or sport s with diesel is the bang for the buck. Big brakes, axles. Or spend all the money on a rubicon and remove the extras for all the great aftermarket out there
I had freedom panels on my Wrangler, and they did come off often, but Yeah, you can get packs to securethem to the bed, but there should have been something in the back seat for just the two front panels.. Off roading, I'd drive to Moab, and leave the panels in either the hotel room or the campsite and install the mesh top.
It would be nice if Jeep actually would sell the “Available Trailer Brake Controller”. A soft top that would fully retract such as found on the JL/JLU would be nice too. Great review guys!
Great review, your production is top notch. Absolutely love my Max Tow Gladiator in Gobi! Non jeep people just don’t understand, and that is fine, they don’t have to. I get compliments all the time. So far all I have done is put nerf bars on side, 13” antenna (black), rugged ridge slush mats (do not recommend, get the Jeep brand ones) and plasticoated my stock wheels flat black. Looking for some rubicon take offs or 35s and going to do the decked storage system as well as a rack over bed and some KC lights...then I will be finished, I think 😉
Careful what you wish for on driver assists on an offroad vehicle? Could cause unpredictable behavior in off road situations and make repairs much more expensive if sensors need re-alignment.
Maybe if you bring a thick blanket with you, you could put the roof panels wrapped up in it. It think some company should make camper shells for the Jeep Gladiator.
@@infiniteepoch8 Most people have 3% interest, not 20% interest Depends on credit and cars value depreciate when you drive off Car is 50k minus 10k in deals You get approved for a loan for 45k, car goes down to 40k, after taxes and title is 42k
My commentary: Drivers seating position - the Wrangler has always had a seating position more like sitting at your dining room table then in any car, with your legs going almost straight up and down as opposed to forwards. I am 6'2 and I find this to be the most comfortable I can get in cars/trucks. I actually put my seat so far forward my knees are almost touching the dash in my stick JT for best access to the shifter, pedals, and wheel, and I'm super comfy on long rides. Towing - I towed a 5k boat and trailer 120 miles at 65ish mph and got 12mpg on my six speed, staying mostly in 4th. The tow rating of the 6 speed is lower, which I have pretty much ignored (because... Bullshit?) but it sounds like the six speed can be made to be quite a bit more efficient then the auto when towing compared to your results. The 3.6 - JEEP; PLEASE PUT A V8 IN THESE ALREADY. My Rubi is on 37s and 6th is totally useless, 5th borderline useless, and I need to go to 3rd to pass anyone at MA highway speeds (80... At least). I have gotten as little as 12mpg going through hills into a headwind going 75/80. It's an awful, awful motor that is undersized for the truck.
I was curious about these, so I rented one for a week (overland model). I’m 6’5”, moderately built. The head room? There was no headroom. My right knee continuously hit the transfer case lever. The overall interior was absolutely appalling. Why was I able to count nine different materials and patterns JUST on the dashboard? “How many different soft touch materials and plastic patterns do you want, mr chief jeep interior designer guy?” “Yes” chief jeep interior guy.
Because that’s what car reviewers have convinced the auto industry that that’s “high quality”. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone from KBB complain that the dash is too hard and boring.
I've never thought about renting a vehicle for a week to test drive it. I'll have to do that next time. So much you don't notice on a 2 mile test drive at the dealer.
I love my launch edition Gladiator, and none of the cons you mention are any issue for me, but I do have two gripes. Mine is stock, and every time I slide out of the driver seat, I hit the height lever and push the seat back down, so it never stays put. My other gripe isn't Jeep's fault, but I HATE that stupid stop/start "feature." I know the EPA is to blame for that boondoggle.
I just bought a JT Rubicon. So far so good. Expensive and not for everybody but for my wife's and I, its the best. Great review. Pretty much how I feel about my Truck.
Andre and Tommy. After the use of the Jeep Gladiator for 6 months and 40,500.00 miles , I would like to know about the wear out of the 35x12.50MT BF because the rims are 7.5 wide. I want to do the same set but I have this doubt if the tire doesn't wear out properly. Thanks
I'm a Jeep Dude from way, way back and was tickled when this truck was announced (I missed out on it's Jeep pickup predecessors)....And was almost ready to pull the trigger on one when, within only three or four months of it's release, I started seeing well equipped, low mileage examples showing up on (brand name) used car lots. Within four more months equally well equipped, low mileage examples were showing up, in substantial numbers, at large auctions in our immediate area and on Mom and Pop second and third tier used car lots. Granted Jeeps are not for everyone and the Gladiator is not for every Jeep owner/enthusiast but I was left to wonder what was "wrong" with it. Though I was drawn to the Gladiator I decided to buy a "beater" 2005 Chevy Colorado Z71 4X4 quad cab with just over 230,000 miles on the five cylinder engine and drive train instead. Is/was it perfect? Far from it. But everything I need to work works and it was from fifteen to twenty thousand dollars less than a roughly equivalent Gladiator. Can I upgrade the Colorado? Yes. To a point. Would it be worth spending the cash to upgrade it to something relatively close to a Gladiator with similar "bells and whistles"? Definitely not since The Lovely Bride and I have bills to pay, and like to eat. My high mileage Colorado gets around 30mpg and goes where I NEED to go....Common sense being the deciding factor of course. If and it's a BIG IF I feel the need for a Gladiator for my purpose (fishing and hunting trips) I'll trade the Colorado in for what I can get for it and happily replace it with a Gladiator....And by the way....I'm not now, nor have I ever been, a fan of GM trucks or cars in any configuration as new, off the, lot, I consider them "beaters" at best.
Having owned an older Jeep truck, a 1988 Comanche SporTruck short bed. I was extremely excited for the Gladiator. I went and looked at it at the dealer and decided it was way too large of a vehicle. If they offered a two door with a 6ft bed, I'd be really interested. Now I'm looking for another Comanche.
@@johnpearson492 Yep...I can't argue with that....Not even a little bit except to say that at just over 6ft 4in tall I could live with an "extended cab" model.
@4:34 is it just me, or does that look like the whole body sits a bit off center towards the passenger side? Also, I think that the Toyota 79 series pickup would strongly disagree that the Jeep is best out of the box. They also have all the same options. No sway bar though. But a higher payload and range.
Then it wouldn't be able to hit 80mph? Less than 200hp probably not what the people want...full disclosure, I have a 2003 Rubicon and I bought a TJ to get the 4.0L for reliability...so I am a fan. But this thing really needs a Hemi or a Cummins as an option for $55k+
Love what you guys did to the Rubicon, looks like a military vehicle
Sounds like a military vehicle, overpriced, lacking in comfort, probably need a maintenance company following you around after 30,000 miles, and you better hope someone else is paying the fuel bill.
Carl Rice keep your stupid comments to yourself.
Mark Gosser what is the internet for otherwise?
Mark Gosser truth hurts window licker.
@@markgosser9578 sorry you paid that much for a FCA product, come back in a few years and tell me how reliable it is.
"My favorite part is this 8.4 inch uconnect screen...it's quick to respond".
Screen "Please wait"
😂😂😂😂
Apparently you've never used a Ford's touchscreen.
Y'all need to put led headlights and running lights on it. It looks odd as is with all those led pods
It's a Jeep thing. ;)
It’s a cheap thing
You need a Bestop Sunrider top, I use mine so often because it's so easy to open and enjoy the outside.
Is it loud when driving?
@@markmedina4072 not bad
I'm on the fence between a Sunrider and soft top. Too many choices ha
Did you review the usability of the bed? My concern is if it’s actually big enough to use for trips to the dump, hardware store, or if you’re moving furniture.
With a bed extender you can do a lot
modern trucks are not made for that... the bed is for a big cooler and maybe a small bbq
All trucks 1/2 ton and smaller crew cabs have a useless bed. If you need a useable bed
Buy an extended cab truck. I need a useable bed on my truck. I have a 2011 f250 supercab with a gas motor. 6&3/4' bed, straight axles, high tow capacity, and a 3,300lb payload. Those stats are hard to beat. Yeah it is a big truck and doesn't have automatic disconnecting sway bars. But so what. I need a truck for truck things.
There are many mid size trucks with a 5’ bed. It beats throwing your yard waste and garbage into the back of your fancy suv.
V R just buy a double cab Tacoma OFf road with long bed
To fix the driver seat not going back far enough, there is a seat rail upgrade you can get for big and tall people. I wonder if a regular 2dr Wrangler also has the issue with drivers seat.
Still not bad for the first pass at this vehicle. I see it getting better as it matures.
It won't mature well.
this comment aged very well. 😂 GM can’t sell enough
Lol can’t say it’s a really reliable only after 5k miles
Cj Ruiz , 5k with no major repairs by Chrysler Fiat standards that’s extremely reliable
Agree, but longterm now a days seems to be anything longer then a week. :(
Shit you must not own a ford lol..
Based on my experience no shop time at 5k miles is absolutely amazing! Kudos to Jeep! No recalls! No “drive it off the lot” and discovering this that or the other thing doesn’t work. AWESOME! Mine had 3 failures on the first day, then 27 others over the first 3 years. LOVED mine, but hated the shop time and it’s frequency of repairs.
I have mine for one year sad to say that all complaint about Jeep is all true ,I have frequent problems with leak and trip to the dealership, trade it in to Toyota Tacoma off road never look back!!👍👍
Just got back home from a 1000mile road trip in my Gladiator Rubicon, towing my fishing boat (3k lbs) and bed loaded to the gills with camping gear. Worth every damn penny. What other vehicle can you haul your family and camping gear, tow your boat, and offroad/ cruise topless and doorless while on vacation? By the way for the entire trip, 800 miles of which was towing, I averaged 15.1 mpg. This was from western NY through the Adirondack mountains to Burlington VT- not a piece of cake by any means. I also have an F150 with the 3.5 ecoboost and 10 speed and I know it wouldnt get that fuel economy. Never loved a vehicle so much- for my use there is nothing better.
Yeah that trip must of been a bitch. NYS Thuway to Albany then I-87 north to Burlington. Only time you went off a 4 lane superhighway was to get gas.
You need to be rocking 42" tires just to deal with that break over angle once you start to really get into it.
If you're comparing it to other jeeps then yes.
But it's similar to most mid-sized trucks.
I can’t wait to buy a diesel gladiator in 15 years when they’ve depreciated enough to actually be worth the money 😍
u would think that they would make the logical choice and put a cummins in it but sadly it will be a decrepit italian made diesel so don't get your hopes up :/
@@Ckperes where is cummins at? Seems like they are avoiding this market. But that vm motori, I had a 2 gen and I had no issues. I could only imagine the redesign will only be better! So until cummins comes to bat I really think the 3rd gen motori is the best bet right now until we get more data on the duramax.
@@persistentwind Cummins has their r2.8 in this segment, but nobody is buying it.
@@groofromtheup5719 r2.8 looks great on paper but then you realize it's only emissions compliant on '99 and older vehicles and the thing costs ~$7600 plus installation, so by the time you shell out for the engine and get it installed you've just dropped $~12,000 upgrading a 21+ year old vehicle with a 165hp diesel engine. I think people were expecting the price to be quite a bit less than what it is, $5,000 or so would be a liveable price point for a 4 cylinder diesel engine but the $7,600 is far too high
Smart guy
when you buy these things new they come with a cover for the freedom panels you can can store them safetly when taken off
The lack of safety systems like pre collision a million cameras is something i love about it. My last few trucks had way to many sensors and beeps and warnings. I love how my Mojave is like an old school truck without all the nanny systems. I love it!
I think I’ve needed to this type of content for the Gladiator. Seems like it’s still relegated to 3rd vehicle option and weekend fun. Thanks guys!
The driver size and seat adjustments for me are ok and I’m 6’ 4” tall. I worried based on this review if I would fit ok and it’s way more comfortable than a Tacoma. What I don’t like on long drives is the steering wobble. I have a Ford 250 and it drives straight without effort. This seems to take more active steering to keep it going down the road.
EZ fix, Gladiator Mojave 😎
Have you looked into the steel steering box replacement for wranglers and gladiators? I've been reading that they seem to cure that deadzone in the center of the steering wheel.
Can someone Show Andre how to use the gas cap hook on the back of the door always just dropping the gas cap against the vehicle
Truck U showed a kit from Baxter Performance for the Gladiator that
prevents the engine oil drain back issue. 30 minutes after shut off all
the engine oil drains back to the crankcase, even the filter is bone
dry. Every start up is a dry start.
Reminds me of a model T Ford....i would lean towards Tacoma TRD pro
I actually sat in a JL and Gladiator yesterday for the first time, I’m 6’4”.. and can’t agree more with the seating position and lack of room for a tall person. My head would be 1/4 - 1/2” away from the roof, if I tilted the seat back my head would hit the B pillar hoop.. and leg positioning is way off. Was debating between getting a mid sized truck gladiator vs Tacoma and that seating position and lack of room picked it for me.
Ridiculous price for what you get
Over priced and under delivering
I have a Gladiator and just to get a Tacoma TRD Pro up to the same capability out of the box off-road as the Rubicon it was going to cost me more not to say that the Tacoma isn’t good off-road just that the modifications were going to make the price much higher. If you plan living on pavement don’t buy a gladiator much cheaper and better options
It reminds me of a Harley Davidson cost wise.
Ikr smh
$55,000 for that?. They can kiss my soft side.
Great video! surprised that at this price range you get crappy headlights since it’s built for off-road. You would think jeep would want you to have the best visibility at night while off roading especially at 55k+
$60k.....I love jeeps but c'mon jeep....you know that just wrong.
You want you cake and eat it too? You don't get all those amenities for free.
Marc Delgado right 😂😂😂 only see a handful being used for off roading in the mountains here in Hawaii lol most buy em brand new and slap some chrome deep dish 24-26s on em with a little lift
Love what you guys did to the Rubicon, looks like a military vehicle
@@krane15 you Should have them for Free,At that Freaking Price!😎😎
And you still are stuck with a minivan motor and no LED headlights.
Per the manual you are advised to use the manual mode when towing to help climb and descend hills.
"Offers a lot for the money"
WHAT? I'm so confused.
Ya it offers 6mpg towing 7000lbs 🤣
I looked at Gladiators and EVERY one of them had 10 to 15 thousands dollars worth off options. So Base Gladiator starts at 44 thousand. That's like crazy. The only exception are the manuals. I tried learning manual years ago and it didn't work out. I wouldn't mind trying again.
It’s great that the mid size truck is not just an afterthought but if you are going to market it as an “all around” truck you need more options with motor, transmission other options, I.e Dana 44’s and Lockers. Let’s be honest if you need to tow 7k lbs this isn’t the vehicle for you.
JD Powah - Mahk😆😆
Darwin Estep I thought the base gladiator was 35k?
10:45 mark Tommy missed the handle on the side of the seat that is for adjusting the bottom inclination. I'm 6'2" and find it more spacious than a seat in the JL.
love mine, 4:10 gears 2" lift, 10.50x35's pulling our 21' mallard travel trailer around 5000lbs at 55mph avg 9 mpg!! just needs a larger gas tank.
Everybody always says they never take the top off. I live in FL I take it off almost every weekend. Mine came with a cushioned carrying bag to put them in in the truck bed. Keeps them safe and compact and it literally takes like 2 minutes to take them off.
Looks awesome guys and thanks for your honest review. Though, with the longer wheel base, I’d be nervous to have the spare tire underneath while off roading on the tougher trails.
Yeah with all the room having the bed provides, its surprising its underneath.
I adore my Mojave. A Wrangler with a bed is perfect for my needs. The only problem is that I like the seat all the way up, and there is a flaw in the system in that every time I get out, it pushes down on the lever, and after I drive it around town, getting in and out, I have to do about 4 pumps to bring it back up. Took a while to figure out that it wasn’t malfunctioning. Finally, after replacing the seat rails, the dealer finally took the lever off for the weekend, and it didn’t go down at all.
Very thorough as per your usual. I really enjoy your videos, full of great information.
The Gladiator, is certainly a specialized vehicle. Not really for towing, can't really haul a lot in the tiny bed, not built for speed, but it will rock crawl, and climb and off road... not really practical for urbanites, but we all still want one! Hahaha.
Comparing the Gladiator (Rubicon) to the Power Wagon, you get front and rear locking diffs, sway bar disconnect. In the Power Wagon, you get a Warn Winch, more horsepower, better storage space, and just a monster of a truck...for near the same price as a Rubicon. And the PW is a highly capable off road truck!
Too wide.
Completely, agree. The PW is a much better value. The people who say the PW is too wide for the trail need to think about how often the Gladiator gets hung up on the trail because of its terrible break over angle. The PW break over angle according to FCA is better than that of the Gladiators by several degrees.
@@3098jorge not the Rubicon model. The PW is awesome. But people who buy the Gladiator, buy it for a reason. They dont want or need a fullsize truck.
You could do what I did and buy them both 🤷🏾♂️. Excessive..yes.. but I use them for different things. The PW is used for towing, hauling, and off roading where I need a large truck. The Gladiator is used for daily driving and off road in where I need a smaller truck. Both are great trucks and very similar. One can’t go wrong either way.
I was one or the other for us. We chose the PW.
I keep a moving blanket in the bed for the tops - separates and protects
As a Wrangler owner, I can give a few more negatives to watch out for that also apply to the Gladiator.
1. Stock hood latches do not lock, so people can get into your engine bay without the key or having gotten into the inside. The alarm does go off if you open the hood when the car is locked, but that is not good enough. This is fixable with after market parts.
2. Gas cap does not lock, so same issue as the engine bay. People can siphon your gas without breaking into your car. This can also be solved with after market parts (Mopar even has a locking gas cap for Jeeps).
3. The flat front windshield is good for visibility but is a magnet for bugs and small rocks that get kicked up on the highway. This is not solvable completely without drastically altering the look of the car, but I got a hood deflector to help with this problem, and I would recommend anyone that does not want to replace their windshields often or does not want to have to deal with bugs hitting the windshield often, get one as well. This is likely also a problem with G-Wagens, Bronco, and anything else with a flat windshield.
4. There are no stock mud flaps. The front tires kick stuff up to the side of the vehicle, which can damage the paint r dirty up the side. Mud flaps are not great if you are rock crawling, but they are 100% worth it if you are doing literally anything else. RokBloks makes good ones that you can take off easily on the fly if you ever do go rock crawling, so I would recommend those. They are what I have on my JL Wrangler.
5. If you have a hardtop, you should get a headliner .They not only make it less hot on hot days and keep the heat in on cold days, but they also help with making it less noisy. If you are driving on the highway above like 50mph, it is not quiet in Wranglers and Gladiators. They are not aerodynamic and the stock hard top roof is a piece of fiberglass. The headliners help to fix these problems. Mopar has a stock option, but Hotheads makes the best ones.
6. There is not a lot of storage for the front seats. The arm wrest storage has two compartments and the base one goes pretty deep, but there is not any good areas to quickly access things. The solution is to get a phone holder for the dash. I have the Bulletpoint mount for the driver's side and the passenger's side, and it is great. It grips the phones no matter how bumpy it is and it keeps your phone in a convenient position for you to see and access without getting in the way. There are also plastic storage things that attach with mounting tape to your center area that provide a couple of pockets to hold stuff.
What do you call a happy Roman???? A GLADIATOR! Get it?
Especially a Rubicon Gladiator. The Rubicon is a river north of Rome which Julius Caesar famously crossed when he decided to become the emperor by force.
Meaning you want all the extras for free, or you just prefer the raw chassis with a molded plastic dash and vinyl bench seats?
Funny I laughed
I bought a Gladiator eco diesel, and I couldn't be more happy with my purchase!
The only bad thing about Jeeps is that they won’t honour their own warranty.
My 2020 JTR 3.6 sounds like a diesel and has done since 36k. They replaced the rockers, lifters and cams and the ticking persists.
Now at 59k the ticking is worse and they told me to “baby the engine” and go away. The engine is disintegrating, throwing metal filings throughout.
This was my “dream Jeep” that I was planning on keeping and modifying.
Now I can’t trade it in or sell it without taking a huge loss. This engine will fail prematurely and FCA has known about this issue since 2013, with class-action law suits in both the US and Canada regarding the 3.6 “ticking issue”.
I have had many FCA vehicles including Jeeps, but this is going to be my last due to way I was treated and the warranty not being worth the paper it’s written on!
LS swap it
I just saw that misch 4x4 makes seat brackets that provide more leg room for taller individuals.
I like the look you all came up with. I am considering it because I want the best of both worlds. I want a jeep but I sometimes need a truck. I am willing to compromise on the breakover angles and hardcore offroad capability for towing capability and the bed. Thanks alot guys.
I own this truck in white. Get a freedom panel bag. Throw the panels in the bed. The bag can hook behind the front seats as well. I can't imagine you always have passengers. I live in Massachusetts and I haven't had a roof on my Jeep in just over a month. It's such a better experience. Thankfully I have a garage to store it in at night. I'm 6'2", while I'm comfortable in the truck, it certainly is a sucky long road trip vehicle. Personally, I'd make a bigger complaint on the wonky HVAC operation and windnoise with the hardtop.
It sounds like Jeep and Glock have the same idea. F*** you'll buy it just because.
Brian Edgett Jeep is more like the AR platform. Very customizable and you can keep it stock for “cheaper” or go all out with accessories....
Except Glocks are reasobably priced and reliable so quite the opposite of a Jeep.
@necroona97 hi points have actually done pretty decent in torture tests and are pretty reliable for a $150 firearm. The gun snobs just like to give them a bad name for the price because its not a $900 Kimber 1911....
@@Mixwell1983 Jeep is definitely NOT highpoint. They are more like higher priced weapons platforms.
Is Jeep like Apple?
My 2021 Gladiator broke down after 360km with electronic issues. 7 months later, it has broken down 5 times. I’ve actually used it for 1 month, the rest it has spend in different dealerships without any solution in view…
Digging my 21 Willys, love that you can still get manual everything, and the vast Jeep aftermarket. My only complaint is the 3.73 gears, makes 6th gear useless and doesn't really help mpg (will be getting 4.56s). 4.10s shouldve been standard, 4.56s optional.
Wife and I recently test drove a Mojave Gladiator. The appearance with the bigger off-road tires were nice. I’m 6ft and like what was said I couldn’t move the seat further back and after maybe 15 mins of driving. My lower back started to hurt from the hard leather seats. I really wanted to like this, but with the seats, lights, and comfort. For us not worth the price tag. Understandable it’s an off-road rig, but at that price. You’d expect more.
A 2 door or a extended cab version would look awesome but the looks of that truck just leave me cold.
Leg and head room in vehicles has ALWAYS been an issue for me, since I’m 6’8” tall. For most of my life, even finding a vehicle that i can get behind the wheel in, without having to swing my leg under and around the steering column, or having to hunker down, or have to lean the seat ALL THE WAY BACK behind the B pillar is a common issue for extra tall people. So it’s not terrible, but I agree, that it would be nice to have a little bit more rail on that seat to give room if needed. You can always do the Harry and the Henderson’s method and take the freedom roof off!
What is more amazing is it drags its bottom on rock after rock after rock and required a huge team of people stacking rocks to get it through.
Lift it with 35" or 37" tires...
@@richfarfugnuven6308 taking it to the heights necessary to compensate for the breakover angle just compromises performance in other areas. Like entering and exiting and driving on the street.
@@06colkurtz i disagree up to a point. 35" tires need no trimming or regearing. Look at Ford with the Tremor package, 35" tires, no problems. The Powerwagon, Wrangler Rubicon, and Gladiator Rubicon should all come with 35" tires standard.
I put 35s on mine went to Moab and it was fully forked, suspension as contorted as it could go on the front and back, both axles were opposite directions and the 35’s didn’t rub with no lift I also have a grab handle and it’s super easy to get in
@@AmericanFry no lift ?
😂 Tommy, Tommy, Man if you think seat adjustment is not great on the Gladiator, you should try a pre 2016 Land Rover Defender Pickup. Legend off road but the seat has a limited travel on its forward/aft movement, the backrest slaps right up against the back of the cab and to rest your elbow you need to roll down the window and place your arm on the door.
At least when you're driving you're not risking castration by gear lever in the middle seat. Love the Gladiator. You chaps have made it amazing. Good luck on No Pavement Needed.
I agree with you guys on the headlights as I have bought the Gobi as well. I am 6’ 2 and as for my 2020 the front driver seat for me is perfectly fine. I suppose this is a preference among personal comfort. Being a 16 year military veteran along with PMC work, I have definitely had much more uncomfortable seats than my Jeep has. I have added $5,500 in extras to mine as well. I love how these are blank canvases that you can personalize and make them your own. The only issue I had after putting the oversized 35s on was a little rubbing on tighter turns than normal even with the 3 inch Skyjacker kit. I cured that by installing spacers. I replaced the standard dim yellow headlights with the more capable HID headlights. However, I would have thought for the $52,995 value it would have had a few things standard that it didn’t come with when I purchased it. ***The lower cost was with employee pricing currently going on as of 07/04/2020)*** Overall I love my Jeep Gladiator. With so many aftermarket parts on the market one can get pretty expensive if you haven’t thought or planned out exactly what you want to do with the Gladiator. I started off with a budget and worked the parts from their. I came in just south of what my ceiling was. I hope all of you have a great 4th of July. God bless the United States of America!
hey how there you say that to the jeep stupid
I work at the factory that makes the rear windows and they suck to make to many extra steps just to cut the hole in the center
If I had a nickel for every time Andre says, "I'm just over 6'2''...."
Daryl Alm he don’t look it......l that’s probably why he has to say it so much...... lol...
LOL, exactly, I am huge & I want everyone to know it,,, LOL he needs to give it a rest,,,,
They all say how tall they are
He's proud of his shovel leverage classification when annual great harvest time comes
Not everyone watches every video they make.
I noticed that dealers are including protective bags for the front tops so you can take them off, put them in the bag and put the bag in the bed.
Solid video as always. A more powerful engine option would be greatly appreciated.
Diesel and/or a plug in hybrid?
I’ll be ordering my diesel in hopefully 6-8 weeks
Or go back to the AMC days and say "screw it,lets put a V8 in a Jeep" to get a Wrangler/Gladiator with something other than a damned minivan engine that sounds like a choked vacuum cleaner
Agree with you on the driver seat (in my Wrangler) - but my problem is short legs. I ended up putting some nuts under the seat rail to get a little bit of tilt in the front because I felt there was no support for my legs and I kept wanting to slide forward. Power adjustable seats would be nice, if other offroad vehicles can have them, why not the Wrangler/Gladiator?
I love my Wrangler, have a Gladiator on order. Wrangler will not tow the trailer I want to get, so decided to get a Gladiator.
As long as people keep buying these as is, at these prices, they won't change a thing w/o charging you for it. We need more competition for off road worthy, fun to drive, topless vehicles. Bronco, you're up!
Your asking alot for ford to lower the price point on something to increase competition. All ford is going to do bring in the bronco at about 6k to 8k higher, which will raise jeep prices up another 4K.
@@marcusjohnson1705 it's good to see you were wrong buddy
Funny looking at your comment made in 2020.Now in late 2021 these are going $5000 over MSRP Iand you have to order it with a who knows how long waiting list.I just can't wait for 2022
Man, nothing played out as anticipated. A dealer in Tulsa is willing to place a factory order for wrangler 1,000 under msrp. Said it would be 3 month wait. I would guess longer. Ford screwed the pooch on the Bronco rollout (referring to hard tops)and chip shortage just sort of put the nail in the coffin. This is a crazy world right now!
There is an aftermarket rock slider that wayalife put on his JT and it helps with that awkward sheetmetal behind the rear door....
Had mine for 7 months and 9,200 miles so far. I absolutely love the thing
For that price you could get a jeep tj, a cheap pickup to carry shit, AND a tesla!
I am glad they omitted some of the electronic safety stuff. I don't want that on a vehicle and it is very annoying when it comes standard and you cannot avoid it.
I’m the same height as you and the driver seat literally killed the deal for me.
Yeah, Jeep's not a big man vehicle. It's FORD for me.
I’m 6’4” with a 36” inseam and love the seating position! I usually put the seat a couple inches forward from full extension.
Bronco killed the jeep deal for me.
I’m right around that same height as well and headroom was my major issue, at a comfortable seating position my head was right in the way of the rollbar
I’m the same height and I sit in these on almost a daily basis, maybe I’m used to it but its perfectly fine to me, if you think its bad go sit in a TJ then one of these again lol its crazy
We owned an '18 Ram Promaster 3500E and after 34k /100% no issues miles in 12 months, we thought the Gladiator was worth checking out.
Our goal is to have a very capable OLV that needs are few mods as possible.
We looked at all of the mid-sized options and it came down to the Ranger, Taco and Jeep. As a former Toyota owner, Tacos and 4R have their own set of issues and limitations; not to mention, a Taco OR Pro is easily $47-52k at all of the dealerships.
Rangers are similar in price, but none have the dual lockers, etc. Go add those aftermarket and it's nearly a even playing field $ wise.
We had read over and over that the Gladiator had steering issues and drove rough, but to make a real solid decision, we decided on a test drive one & It was pretty amazing. We went is thinking we'd likely rule the truck out we were 100% sold on the truck after about 20 miles.
It's been 6 weeks now and we have 9,000 miles on it. It's driven across country with a trailer in tow, we avg. 11.4mpg until we made it east of the rockies; after that, the avg. was closer to 15.5mpg & this is with 33" M/T's, not A/T's.
My old 2010 4R with Falken A/T3's (31.5") brought that truck to 15.3 at h.way speeds; so we're stoked on the Jeep.
Staying closer to highway speeds (70), the Jeep is around 19mpg, head towards 80mph and drop about 1.5mpg, drop to 65 and gain 1mpg.
We've enjoyed the Gladiator so far, on and off-road. We hope it stays as carefree as our old PM3500.
IMO, it's worth test driving! One thing I still can't wrap my head around is how it beats out Toyotas because you can install real size off road tire without clearance issues. Most notably, you don'just to fit a 33" tire on a 4R /Taco, you need to cut off the major part of side cash protection. And forget trying to stuff a 35" or 37" tire in other mid-sized trucks witout 4-6" lifts and more frame mods.
I’d be a lot more interested if it was a 2 door with a 6’ bed like the J6 concept truck.
Shorter wheelbase = even better off road performance
Gladiator is considered a litmus test. So they decided to make the most popular truck configuration in America. That is the Crew cab, short bed pickup. A regular cab version might come later. I doubt it though. Regular cab pickups are a rare creature these days.
Just like manual transmissions, people say they want a regular cab truck, but regular cab trucks don’t sell.
Hell I didn’t want a 5.5 ft bed coming from a 2nd Gen Dodge with an 8ft bed….however it’s been fine.
For the record, I currently own a '16 Ram 1500 reg cab/shortbed, and an '18 JL Wrangler 2 door with manual trans. I've only ever owned regular cab trucks, prefer 2 door Wranglers, and get a manual when available. I know I'm an outlier in the grand scheme of things, but I walk the walk.
Only thing I hate about my glad. The back up cam is on the tailgate. So if you leave it down to haul anything. The camera will be faced down and constantly beep.
Other then that. I love my Glad!
I heard I’ll finally be able to order my diesel version in August. Been waiting 3 years
The delays on the engines seem odd, since the 2.0 Turbo is already available in the Wrangler. The diesel should have been out by now, too, imo.
jedironin380 theres a cap to the productionof 3.0 s
Will it be a Fiat diesel?
Not exactly something to be excited about
Our sales manager was able to order 1 on the 2nd of July. The sales finally opened for orders.
Michel T yes it is a redesigned V.M Motoir diesel( Fiat)
Worth every penny. I’m 6’5” and I fit well, so I’m not sure that I agree on driver comfort. No power seats is a bit ridiculous though. Loving my Gladiator Rubicon!
There's no way you fit lol.
@@jacobstrutner8232 I fit! It’s no full size but I fit. I’m used to mid size trucks though. I drove 24 hours to Telluride in it with no discomfort. Obviously it’s tight, but not uncomfortable.
Drinks fuel like a cow drinking water , accelerate like an elephant , handles corners like a fainting goat and cost as much as a rhino.... thats a PASS for me.
I'll argue that it handles great, actually. The rest you're right on.
Wickedlee
If you hate Jeep so much then, why are you on here? Trolling much, Toyota fanboy?
Looks cool but i think a Wrangler is a better buy in my opinion. Not a practical pickup, especially for 50 grand.
@@Sig721Tau The Cybertruck is coming....
You're right, worst track car I've ever driven.
WOW ... I was considering one of these. But after seeing your comment about the front seat room, not for me. I'm 6'2" and one of my worries about driving one of these is room and more specifically safety. These things will get tossed around in a collision and the lack of room, protection and leg room is a no go for me. Good honest review TFL.
Theres just as much room in them as the jlu. Im 6’2” as well and all legs and i have plenty of room in it. And once you buy a cap such as a smartcap, you have more usable storage space than a jlu. Unless you are doing serious rock crawling, theres nothing the gladiator cant do that the jlu can. Its better on road and more stable at speeds when going down flat trails
My cheap ass 2018 F150 XL gives me all those same temp gauges on my regular ole instrument cluster and pitch/roll on the center display -- no load time needed. Jeep just over complicating things lol
the offroad pages is meh. Its fun to see pitch and roll, that's really it.
Thanks for the review, I'm the same size as Andre and I really appreciate him showing how he fits in the back seat.
There’s a bag that comes for the panels which makes it easy to carry and transport both. The back part is super easy to take off. I pulled the Jeep challenge and took the hole thing off by myself. I know have the soft top. Super easy to install and looks great. I got my Gladiator on rollout last year and have been living it. I got the sport model and have put a few upgrades to it
Funny what you mentioned about the seats. Im 5'11¨ and my old 2001 Cherokee XJ had the same issue with leg room. I test drove a Wrangler a few years ago and again, not much leg room. Funny how things havent changed.
So how much do they have in theirs? $75K? More?
LEDs don’t emit heat like incandescent bulbs. They won’t be hot when you touch them. There’s some other explanation for that cover melting. Maybe infrared light?
Who left the lights on to melt the covers on the LEDs lmao
Cuz the lights have powahhh
I bet they tried to pin it on Tommy.
Since when do LEDs get hot?!
@@GuacPapi When you dump lots of amps through them.
thakurtis
All modern high power LEDs create heat, with the leds on my car you can feel the heat stood in front of them similar to halogen.
I’m an Fj guy but I have to say I did test drove the gladiator and when I was about to configure one there’s no sand color on a diesel option!! Sucks!!
What gas mileage are you getting on that set up? MPG?
The headlights look so lame when you have the aftermarket lights on
I’ve had mine and put thousands miles on it ! Love it ! Mine came with a luggage bag for two roofs ! I notice there’s a blind spot in passenger front window be careful !
Ill be getting the Sport S with max tow package. Invest savings into goodies! I have the exact same issue with the driver position in my JLU. Looking at a seat replacement for sure. Also re-gearing makes a HUGE difference with the JL/JT. Although you can adjust the trans with a tuner, its nowhere near the same.
Sport s with max tow or sport s with diesel is the bang for the buck. Big brakes, axles. Or spend all the money on a rubicon and remove the extras for all the great aftermarket out there
I had freedom panels on my Wrangler, and they did come off often, but Yeah, you can get packs to securethem to the bed, but there should have been something in the back seat for just the two front panels.. Off roading, I'd drive to Moab, and leave the panels in either the hotel room or the campsite and install the mesh top.
Have I missed something? When do we see a review on the Carli suspension on the ford
These jeeps are 85 grand in Australia what a joke
Search the channel they covered It.
It would be nice if Jeep actually would sell the “Available Trailer Brake Controller”. A soft top that would fully retract such as found on the JL/JLU would be nice too.
Great review guys!
Great review, your production is top notch.
Absolutely love my Max Tow Gladiator in Gobi! Non jeep people just don’t understand, and that is fine, they don’t have to. I get compliments all the time.
So far all I have done is put nerf bars on side, 13” antenna (black), rugged ridge slush mats (do not recommend, get the Jeep brand ones) and plasticoated my stock wheels flat black. Looking for some rubicon take offs or 35s and going to do the decked storage system as well as a rack over bed and some KC lights...then I will be finished, I think 😉
Careful what you wish for on driver assists on an offroad vehicle? Could cause unpredictable behavior in off road situations and make repairs much more expensive if sensors need re-alignment.
Powered rear window? Really kids? Tops totally removable! Remember?
You've never driven with a kid who shat itself have you?
Gregory Brennan lmfao Itself
You showed us the price from the dealership. Did that include the Mopar upgrades?? What is cost as it sits now?
it adds about $10 grand to the price from the dealer. plus they got the parts and labor for free from Mopar
Really enjoyed this review and Tommy hit the nail on the head with driver seat room. Ya just can't make a silk purse out of a damned good sow's ear!
I literally pulled the seat off the frame of my JKu, and re drilled the mounting holes an 1 1/2" further back.
Maybe if you bring a thick blanket with you, you could put the roof panels wrapped up in it. It think some company should make camper shells for the Jeep Gladiator.
70k after interest is paid.,NO THANKS
What vehicles are still cheap these days?
Nobody pays full msrp
@@infiniteepoch8 Most people have 3% interest, not 20% interest
Depends on credit and cars value depreciate when you drive off
Car is 50k minus 10k in deals
You get approved for a loan for 45k, car goes down to 40k, after taxes and title is 42k
My commentary: Drivers seating position - the Wrangler has always had a seating position more like sitting at your dining room table then in any car, with your legs going almost straight up and down as opposed to forwards. I am 6'2 and I find this to be the most comfortable I can get in cars/trucks. I actually put my seat so far forward my knees are almost touching the dash in my stick JT for best access to the shifter, pedals, and wheel, and I'm super comfy on long rides.
Towing - I towed a 5k boat and trailer 120 miles at 65ish mph and got 12mpg on my six speed, staying mostly in 4th. The tow rating of the 6 speed is lower, which I have pretty much ignored (because... Bullshit?) but it sounds like the six speed can be made to be quite a bit more efficient then the auto when towing compared to your results.
The 3.6 - JEEP; PLEASE PUT A V8 IN THESE ALREADY. My Rubi is on 37s and 6th is totally useless, 5th borderline useless, and I need to go to 3rd to pass anyone at MA highway speeds (80... At least). I have gotten as little as 12mpg going through hills into a headwind going 75/80. It's an awful, awful motor that is undersized for the truck.
I was curious about these, so I rented one for a week (overland model). I’m 6’5”, moderately built. The head room? There was no headroom. My right knee continuously hit the transfer case lever. The overall interior was absolutely appalling. Why was I able to count nine different materials and patterns JUST on the dashboard?
“How many different soft touch materials and plastic patterns do you want, mr chief jeep interior designer guy?”
“Yes” chief jeep interior guy.
Because that’s what car reviewers have convinced the auto industry that that’s “high quality”. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone from KBB complain that the dash is too hard and boring.
I've never thought about renting a vehicle for a week to test drive it. I'll have to do that next time. So much you don't notice on a 2 mile test drive at the dealer.
I'm kinda surprised at all the corrosion underneath it after only six months. Also surprised that you didn't call that out.
I love my launch edition Gladiator, and none of the cons you mention are any issue for me, but I do have two gripes. Mine is stock, and every time I slide out of the driver seat, I hit the height lever and push the seat back down, so it never stays put. My other gripe isn't Jeep's fault, but I HATE that stupid stop/start "feature." I know the EPA is to blame for that boondoggle.
that is not the EPA. all FCA products have this and not all other brands have this. it's a dumb FCA feature
I just bought a JT Rubicon. So far so good. Expensive and not for everybody but for my wife's and I, its the best. Great review. Pretty much how I feel about my Truck.
No mention of the poor weld issues?
that affected the first 5500 of them. That’s been resolved and now the frame is also been hardened
Yeah the picture of the gladiator that literally split in half while towing is just unacceptable, even for Jeep.
Andy Ham google truck bent frame. Physics can defeat anything. Some turd was running 40mph through the desert with a trailer
@@andyham6094 Jeep can't fix common sense.
Andre and Tommy. After the use of the Jeep Gladiator for 6 months and 40,500.00 miles , I would like to know about the wear out of the 35x12.50MT BF because the rims are 7.5 wide. I want to do the same set but I have this doubt if the tire doesn't wear out properly.
Thanks
6000 miles is long term? I'd love to see what changes to bad and ugly after 100,000 miles. Hooray Chrysler quality!
Pizzleboy lol exactly
I'm a Jeep Dude from way, way back and was tickled when this truck was announced (I missed out on it's Jeep pickup predecessors)....And was almost ready to pull the trigger on one when, within only three or four months of it's release, I started seeing well equipped, low mileage examples showing up on (brand name) used car lots. Within four more months equally well equipped, low mileage examples were showing up, in substantial numbers, at large auctions in our immediate area and on Mom and Pop second and third tier used car lots. Granted Jeeps are not for everyone and the Gladiator is not for every Jeep owner/enthusiast but I was left to wonder what was "wrong" with it. Though I was drawn to the Gladiator I decided to buy a "beater" 2005 Chevy Colorado Z71 4X4 quad cab with just over 230,000 miles on the five cylinder engine and drive train instead. Is/was it perfect? Far from it. But everything I need to work works and it was from fifteen to twenty thousand dollars less than a roughly equivalent Gladiator. Can I upgrade the Colorado? Yes. To a point. Would it be worth spending the cash to upgrade it to something relatively close to a Gladiator with similar "bells and whistles"? Definitely not since The Lovely Bride and I have bills to pay, and like to eat. My high mileage Colorado gets around 30mpg and goes where I NEED to go....Common sense being the deciding factor of course. If and it's a BIG IF I feel the need for a Gladiator for my purpose (fishing and hunting trips) I'll trade the Colorado in for what I can get for it and happily replace it with a Gladiator....And by the way....I'm not now, nor have I ever been, a fan of GM trucks or cars in any configuration as new, off the, lot, I consider them "beaters" at best.
Having owned an older Jeep truck, a 1988 Comanche SporTruck short bed. I was extremely excited for the Gladiator. I went and looked at it at the dealer and decided it was way too large of a vehicle. If they offered a two door with a 6ft bed, I'd be really interested. Now I'm looking for another Comanche.
@@johnpearson492 Yep...I can't argue with that....Not even a little bit except to say that at just over 6ft 4in tall I could live with an "extended cab" model.
Good video,..but that 'non-adjustable' driver's seat would stop my ownership decision! Driver/passenger comfort are paramount,...to me.
@4:34 is it just me, or does that look like the whole body sits a bit off center towards the passenger side?
Also, I think that the Toyota 79 series pickup would strongly disagree that the Jeep is best out of the box. They also have all the same options. No sway bar though. But a higher payload and range.
front axle is off center
If only they still made the 4.0 i6 like in my old 96 Cherokee. Not the power tech version.
Then it wouldn't be able to hit 80mph? Less than 200hp probably not what the people want...full disclosure, I have a 2003 Rubicon and I bought a TJ to get the 4.0L for reliability...so I am a fan. But this thing really needs a Hemi or a Cummins as an option for $55k+
5.9 magnum or 4.0
jh45 My 04 LJ is slow as hell lol
@@SLICKW1993 so is my 2000 TJ with the 2.5 and 4:11s great milage in the mountains though not too good on the hwy!😁😁🇺🇸🇺🇸
A modern straight 6 would've been cool.
I’m 6’2 and I was comfortable in a Gladiator. Maybe you need to adjust the steering wheel? Because I’m your height and was fine.