I ordered a Gladiator but think I would rather go with the Wrangler

[rocky4by]

I have been thinking that maybe I should stick with the Wrangler. I am keeping our 2018 Ram 2500 Cummins, I just haul a lot of heavy and big loads around, so I don't really need another truck. I have been watching a lot of videos and the Gladiator really seems long out on the trail, I know it can do it, but dang its long. We are buying this to replace our Subaru and my 91 Isuzu trooper which has been tough as any other truck, Jeep, Toyota that we have had, we have beat it everywhere Mountains/Dunes/ quad trails. I have been looking at wheel base numbers:
2018 Dodge Ram 147"
Trooper 104"
Gladiator137"
I think Wrangler is 118" ?
And I am not sure on the Toyota Tacoma ?
We really need an off road capable and daily driver combo, so we are not using our Ram for grocery's and and general town runs. I also just ran into a guy that spent 2 weeks out in the south west in a Gladiator and said he would have much rather been in the Wrangler, he said he hauls an off road trailer when needed and much prefers that setup. Anyone else came this way from the gladiator or are happy they stuck with the Wrangler?

So I am not sure what to do, I ordered the Gladiator on 9/23/20 not really sure if that dealer will still work with use if we want to change our order or not. Just looking for opinions.
Thanks.

Sponsored

 

[Oldbear]

I dunno man. A Gladiatoris a cool truck, but you’ve GOT a truck. A JL is a LOT more maneuverable than a Gladiator, and even a JLU will turn tighter. for off road a regular JL is tough to beat

 

[JimLee]

For my usage in the desert I wouldn't get a Gladiator unless it came on 40's and was fitted with full end to end skid plates. My .02. I've seen Gladiators out here, but I've never seen one on the trails I run regularly.

 

[oceanblue2019]

I'd also 2nd the cancel the order, and go with a JL or JLU depending on if you need the extra room or not.

A nice built JL 2 door would be tough to beat off road. Or buy some older off road Jeep and trailer it behind your Cummins to the off road park

 

[Sydwaiz]

Cancel it. I have a 2500 Duramax to do the heavy work. Just picked up my JLURD a couple days ago to replace the wife's Outback. I feel the bed is too short on the Gladiator to make it really useful anyway and too long overall to make it convenient.

 

[OMTBiker]

I had a 2018 JLUR, traded it for a Gladiator Rubicon and the other half has a 2019 JLUS. Considering you have the Ram for the heavy lifting it comes down to what you are planning to do with the vehicle.

I have the Mopar 2' lift with 35" tires, the Gladiator is more than capable for the trails I go on but I have not gone on some other trails as a result of being concerned with break over and departure angle. The Wrangler is definitely more nimble and you can feel the extra weight of the Gladiator with the 3.6L.

I traded my JLUR in to have larger tow capacity for a slightly larger trailer and I wanted an all-in-one fun daily driver. If I had the space and disposable income for a dedicated hauler I would have kept the JLUR.

 

[rubileon]

Change your order. The Gladiator needs a really big lift and/or a bed bob to make it work well on any serious trail. The wheelbase and overhang is just too long.

Don't know how serious the trail below is but the Gladiator is more capable than the specialised offroader they call the new Defender..

 

[TxJeep69]

If having second thoughts, I would talk to the dealer. I would imagine they aren't having trouble moving those vehicles. I like those gladiators myself as an overloading option, but went with the JLUR myself. If the gladiator had a diesel option, I might have gone that way.

I used to have a 91 Trooper. Great truck!

 

[JimLee]

Don't know how serious the trail below is but the Gladiator is more capable than the specialised offroader they call the new Defender..

Meh, no secret that the new Defender sucks.

 

[OMTBiker]

If having second thoughts, I would talk to the dealer. I would imagine they aren't having trouble moving those vehicles. I like those gladiators myself as an overloading option, but went with the JLUR myself. If the gladiator had a diesel option, I might have gone that way.

I used to have a 91 Trooper. Great truck!

The Gladiator has a diesel option.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

I have an F150. I wanted another Jeep. Thought about the Gladiator and it didn’t make sense to get one as I already have a 4 door hauler. So I went with a 2 door Wrangler. My original intent was to use it as a weekend run around fun vehicle, as I had recently sold my Harley. Didn’t last long, it has become my primary driver now. The F150 has a 157” wheelbase CC with a 6.5’ bed. The JL is much easier to park at work or when going to the store etc. The truck is now for towing, hauling and longer trips

 

[aldo98229]

I haven’t driven a Gladiator, but I owned a 2019 Tacoma crew cab short bed: the thing was too damn long! It was too long to turn on the trail and too long to park at the mall.

I really like the Gladiator, but it drags its belly on every off-road video I see; that wheelbase is just too long.

If you are looking for a trail vehicle, I’d get the Wrangler, no ifs or buts.

I don’t know if the dealer can cancel the order, but unless you ordered a pink Gladiator with green interior, it should have little trouble selling it to someone else and selling you a JL. Both are selling very well.

The tricky part is how to approach the dealer; that is a crapshoot. I’d start with being upfront about it and telling them that despite your order, you think a JL is better suit to your needs. Hopefully they respond positively. If they are dicks about it, there’s nothing holding you to them. In most states they have to give you your deposit back because no goods switched hands.

Good luck.

The evidence

 

[RubiconTN]

I own a 2018 Ram 4 door. The Gladiator is just a mid-size pick up imo, so I didn’t need 2 trucks, went with a Wrangler 2dr.

 

[aldo98229]

FCA’s own Gladiator got high centered in front of hundreds of visitors at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show. It was during a “breakover” demonstration of all things!

 

[aldo98229]

There are tons of JL vs JT comparisons out there, but most of them are highly subjective: JT is the new and shiny thing and everyone wants to like it.

Edmunds has the most objective comparison I’ve seen so far.

Sponsored