If you love doing Truck Stuff™, but also like parking on top of boulders when you go shopping at the mall, you’re going to love our loaner this week.
That’s right, we have a 2024 Jeep Gladiator to drive and review–in Mojave flavor, no less.
Whereas the Rubicon is the trim …
I find it interesting that the auto tows less than the manual.
Looking back over the spec sheet, that's also the case for every version of the Gladiator.
Have you jumped it yet? It's got hydraulic bumpstops so it's basically a trophy truck.
Not easy to get in and out of.
Wanders on the highway.
Longer than you think.
Wind noise at speed.
Not exactly fuel efficient.
Not exactly quick, either.
$66k as delivered.
I guess it’s a Jeep thing.
Take the top off and drive it on the beach. You'll pick up all the frat boys!
Gladiators are odd. They're big, but not capacious. They sit in a weird off-roader pickup convertible niche. But I'll bet Jeep sells every one they can make.
Keith Tanner said:Gladiators are odd. They're big, but not capacious. They sit in a weird off-roader pickup convertible niche. But I'll bet Jeep sells every one they can make.
I am told they make surprisingly good field trucks where you need something smaller than a full size.
For car guys, Jeeps drive terrible. I would hate to drive one on a trip! They wander, wind noise is unreal, gas mileage is terrible, and they aren't that comfortable. But they sell tons of them, so I guess it is a Jeep thing.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Not sure if they’re still selling like hotcakes.
According to Stellantis, up through Q3 they sold 32,670 units, down 21%.
Colin Wood said:I find it interesting that the auto tows less than the manual.
Looking back over the spec sheet, that's also the case for every version of the Gladiator.
Isn't it the opposite? Auto tows more in every configuration I've seen.
TR7 said:Keith Tanner said:Gladiators are odd. They're big, but not capacious. They sit in a weird off-roader pickup convertible niche. But I'll bet Jeep sells every one they can make.
I am told they make surprisingly good field trucks where you need something smaller than a full size.
That's one of the reasons I bought one. A full size wouldn't fit in my garage, but this will. Plus, taking the doors and roof off is always fun.
People that think of them as "convertible trucks" will never understand why people buy them. If you think of it as a Wrangler with the convenience of a truck bed for dirty and/or bulky stuff, you get it. I thought they were dumb, but here we are...
I read that they are shutting down the second shift at the Toledo plant, 1100 workers being laid off.
I'm 2.5 years and 48k miles into owning mine and it does OK as a DD. Is it a real pickup truck, well, yes and no. It does carry stuff but not as much stuff as my previous full size pickups, but enough for 90% of people out there. Is it quick, no, it doesn't have the grunt of my previous V-8 trucks but it does go down the road just fine. Is it noisy inside? Yep, but not as bad as my Miatas or MGs.
It doesn't really do anything great, because I will always compare it to other pickup trucks that I've had. But I will say, it's the best convertible pickup truck on the market! And one that I can drive into the local grocery store parking lot and not have to back up 3 times to park it.
David S. Wallens said:Not easy to get in and out of.
Wanders on the highway.
Longer than you think.
Wind noise at speed.
Not exactly fuel efficient.
Not exactly quick, either.
$66k as delivered.
I guess it’s a Jeep thing.
I like jeeps. My first jeep was a 1971 cj5. But this sums up my opinion of modern jeeps and the duck thing.
I boughy a 7,000 mile 2022 Gladiator last year and have put 23,000 on in since. I wasn't dead set on the Mojave, but I liked the idea of a taller and softer sprung truck with the nice suspension. And I really wanted an LSD or a Locker. I mainly bought it as a snow rig and it performs exceptionally. My only real complaint is the TERRIBLE factory clutch and the awful choice they made for the recall. The factory clutch is super light and has no feeling and has a very light flywheel. I upgraded to the ACT extra heavy single mass flywheel and single plate clutch. Huge upgrade in performance and driveability. I also did a TazerJL which allows me to completely cut off traction and abs and use the locker in 2Hi. That makes snow driving a breeze.
My two biggest complaints about this truck, beyond the factory clutch, are the power and the gearing. It feels so much slower than my XJ. I recognize that it's a bigger and heavier truck, but it feels like a slouch. Climbing Vail Pass with a full load of skis and people was a 4th gear job. The gearing seems odd. The Mojave and Rubicon have 4.11s and 33s. Going forward the gear spread feels great. However, I feel like reverse should be as low, or lower, than first gear. 1st being 5.13 and reverse being 4.49.
David S. Wallens said:Not easy to get in and out of.
Wanders on the highway.
Longer than you think.
Wind noise at speed.
Not exactly fuel efficient.
Not exactly quick, either.
$66k as delivered.
I guess it’s a Jeep thing.
Editorial Director, Grassroots Motorsports & Classic Motorsports
My wife had trouble so I added running boards from an Overland.
Mojave has a lift which recuces the caster compared to a sport. I did a geometry correction kit and now it tracks straight and true.
It's a long truck but turns surprisingly well for how big it is.
Wind noise... I come to my Gladiator from a 345k Cherokee, so I think it's quiet.
I get 23 around town and 18 on the highway. Not great, but similar to my 96 Cherokee which is much worse equipped.
The price is crazy stupid.
David S. Wallens said:Not easy to get in and out of.
Wanders on the highway.
Longer than you think.
Wind noise at speed.
Not exactly fuel efficient.
Not exactly quick, either.
$66k as delivered.
I guess it’s a Jeep thing.
It's a Jeep thing in that, being a Jeep, it is in no way expected to behave like any remotely civilized passenger car.
The good (?) news is that even my old J20 successfully fails in all the same ways as the Gladiator, and does so with an honest Truck Stuff eight-foot bed. And it didn't cost me sixty-six Steves.
I should add that I do see Gladiators around town, so I know it has its fans.
Looking at the Jeep site right now: 10% below factory MSRP right now.
Will it handle curbs, though. ;-)
In reply to David S. Wallens :
They can't sell the things. You could get good deals (off these idiotic prices) if you're willing to haggle now. Lots are full
gladiator sales are down nearly 40% Might not even be renewed next year
To give Jeep credit, I was surprised that they built a whole new vehicle for the Gladiator and didn't just weld a truck bed to the back of the Wrangler.
And, for a little bit at least, the base Gladiator seemed to be one of the most affordable trucks on the market.
I like the idea of a proper offroad pickup. I have flirted with Comanches a few times, they push some of my buttons because they're a good combo of utility and trail capability. But the Gladiator has never pushed those same buttons. Probably because it's become too big, like all modern Wranglers. I know, you want to bring three kids and a bunch of survival gear and have massive tires and all that, but that size makes them clumsy on technical trails because they can't avoid obstacles as well. Give me a modern Comanche and I'd be all over the idea. The most interesting recent Jeep to me is the LJ, and that's 20 years old now. Or the departed JK8 pickup conversion for the JK.
That's just the view from an offroad perspective based on the Moab area trails as seen from the driver's seat of an old Land Rover or an XJ. For the mid-size pickup market, there's some good competition out there these days that doesn't carry the whiff of cosplay that you get from a mall terrain vehicle.
Colin Wood said:To give Jeep credit, I was surprised that they built a whole new vehicle for the Gladiator and didn't just weld a truck bed to the back of the Wrangler.
And, for a little bit at least, the base Gladiator seemed to be one of the most affordable trucks on the market.
I appreciate that it's at least not completely new suspension. The front is shared with the JL and the rear is shared with the 4rd gen Ram.
We have a Cherokee (xj) and a Grand Cherokee (wk2) and are intrigued by the gladiators, since they can tow similar to the wk2 and could have more room. We max out the wk2 on trips.
I would want a bed cover/camper for dry storage on a gladiator
So for me, I would probably buy a troop carrier size, 3 row wrangler based on the gladiator frame if they built it. Carry camping equipment and the German Shepherd, safe and out of the elements while towing our 4,500lbs travel trailer.
In reply to NoBrakesRacing :
If it helps, the Suburban offers three rows of seating and is body-on-frame.
Both can be had in the off-road-ish Z71 trim and, depending on the configuration, are capable of towing 7000-8000 pounds.
There's also the three-row Defender 130. I'm not sure about its towing capabilities (I'd need to dig further into the press releases), but the starting price isn't far off from the Tahoe and Suburban.
I just grabbed the Jeep from David and drove it home.
Initial impressions: Oh my god. People buy these?! And they spend $66,000 in the process?!
Steering is atrocious, even by Jeep standards. Gutless, screaming V6. Seemingly less interior space than a Civic.
I'll drive it more tonight, but so far this feels like a street car that's been immensely compromised by its off-road capabilities--just like an Elise or a McLaren, but aimed at the other end of the spectrum. Is the compromise worth it? Apparently, given how many of them I see driving around town.
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