The Jeep Gladiator is Struggling

[DaltonGang]

FCA marketed JT properly. Marketing JT to the Jeep crowd would have resulted in 100% sales cannibalization, given the close association of JL and JT. A high degree of cannibalization was inevitable, but for FCA to grow sales, it had to get them from the competition.

Also, “lifestyle” pickups come and go; real pickups stick around. FCA had no choice but market JT as a through and through midsize pickup. That’s why it gave JT a 7,000 lb tow rating. Otherwise Gladiator would have looked like little more than an expensive toy.

If there’s anything FCA should have done different was price JT more competitively, and launch with the Mojave Edition. The original Gladiator Launch Edition was a gimmick; nothing but a bunch of stickers. There are a few out there still sitting on dealer lots with a $10,000 discount on them. Mojave, on the other hand, is a big deal: it expands the Jeep brand beyond “rock crawling,” and brings the fight right to the competition.

Because marketing budgets are their largest at launch, Mojave is unlikely to get a marketing budget anything close to that Gladiator got 10 months ago.

Better late than never, for sure. But Jeep missed the boat by not having Mojave ready for the JT launch or the Super Bowl.

Mojave should have been Gladiator’s Launch Edition

No one can say that your gladiator is ugly. It looks awesome and I bet it suits your needs very well. I like it alot but It would be way to big of a truck for where I would use it. It would be a struggle for me to even change one of the tires, ha ha.

As much as I dislike the look of the Gladiator, I would like to see it with the top off, an Half Doors. I think body colored half doors would make it look better. That, and a 2dr version. Oh, drop a Hemi in it, while they are at it. Then, and only then, would I even consider one.

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[four low]

A 2 door, extended cab Mojave, would be PERFECT. Could do this on the 4 door chassis, the Scrambler redux

 

[Toycrusher]

Too much wheelbase, too much money, not enough truck

A 2 row SUV is only expected to haul five passengers and a little bit of gear. Maybe tow a small trailer. The Wrangler dominates in being able to accomplish it's goals anywhere better than anything this side of an M1 tank. Removable top and doors is icing on the cake

A truck is supposed to do much much more. The Gladiator doesn't excel at doing anything truck-y. It doesn't excel off-road in stock form like the ZR2 due to excessive wheelbase and relatively low horsepower. And to nail shut the coffin, they priced it like a Baja-ready superduty

 

[DadJokes]

I don’t care much but here’s my point of view.

Though it may be cross shopped due to pricing, around here I don’t think I’d want to take a Ram on these narrow/brush lined trails over something narrower and possibly more maneuverable.

Visually, I do only like the Rubicon Gladiator with a lift and 37’s. Are Rangers and the ZR2 able to run those? Does that offset the longer wheelbase/worse breakerover angle any? Not sure.

I think the Rubicon/Mojave version would make a great overlanding mild-moderate trail vehicle because of the extra payload over a Wrangler and between the sway bar disconnect and longer wheelbase, a better ride on rough trails. Is it better in that regard than a Ranger and, what...Colorado ZR2?

The only full size “truck” that might get my money is a Ram at this point. It looks good. The Ford and Chevy no longer look great so they’re out. That’s if I was comparing to a Gladiator but I don’t understand why one would make the comparison outside of pricing.

The Ranger and ZR2 are butt ugly imo. I mean ugly. Like throw a match on that heap ugly. Lol Even with stock 32.7” tires on a Rubicon version Gladiator, please God give me the Gladiator. I’d take a Tacoma first before those two.

I think the pricing is an issue from the Wrangler on up. Not so much just the Gladiator. They need to scale it all down around 3k but probably will not.

Last thought, I think if this diesel gets in the Gladiator and it goes off without a hitch, they’ll attract some buyers. I hope they worked out the bugs on this generation of 3.0 diesel. If they don’t have a more powerful gas engine available than the 3.6, I think that’ll help sales some but there goes that $ again and cross shopping again. They do need a 5.7 Hemi or a twin turbo V6 like the Raptor. I’d prefer keeping the weight off the nose as much as possible so whichever was lighter.

 

[KnG818]

The day we picked up our Wrangler late last summer, my 15 year old daughter (who longs for a Ford Ranger some day) seemed to hit the nail on the head. The Gladiators were just arriving at dealerships in our area, and she took one look at a new one on the dealer lot and said, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen, who would buy that when you could get a Ford Ranger for cheaper?"

No disrespect to new Gladiator owners.

Best,
-Tim

Your daughter is obviously very intelligent

 

[viper88]

The day we picked up our Wrangler late last summer, my 15 year old daughter (who longs for a Ford Ranger some day) seemed to hit the nail on the head. The Gladiators were just arriving at dealerships in our area, and she took one look at a new one on the dealer lot and said, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen, who would buy that when you could get a Ford Ranger for cheaper?"

No disrespect to new Gladiator owners.

Best,
-Tim

I am so-so on the Gladiator myself. I am just not much of a pick up person. I will say there is one very noticeable difference between the Gladiator and Ranger. The roof comes off on the Gladiator. It's the only removable roof / convertible pick up on the market for now. For whatever that's worth.

 

[TPadden]

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen, who would buy that when you could get a Ford Ranger for cheaper?"

No disrespect to new Gladiator owners.

Best,
-Tim

"No disrespect to new Gladiator owners". Taken in context: that's the dumbest thing I've read in this thread.

 

[cosine]

The JT like the JL is in it's own segment. The same reasons why you'd pick a JL over a Grand Cherokee, 4Runner, Landrover, etc are the same reasons why a JT owner will pick the JT over a Taco, Colorado, Ranger, etc. I'm not sure why people struggle to understand this.

agreed on the jt and jl being it own segment. the struggle is that people (not the jeepers) are to "accustom" to the current truck market and expect the jt to act the same way. same idea with the jl. people that have never own a wrangler decides to own one and expect it to act like any other car.

us jeep folks have been around jeeps for a long time and know what to expect out of a jeep. same goes for the jt we have an idea on how it rides, etc. the one issue that is mentioned the most is the overall look of the jt. as i mentioned before, i waited to see the jt to come out. and i had mix feeling of it due to the overall design. if jeep came out with a 2 door version, i believe that jeep would of soldmore then the 4 door version.

 

[rallydefault]

Personally, I thought they could have done more. I know some of the chassis is a bit different blahblah, but come on: it's essentially a jeep with a bed tacked on. To me, it just looks lazy and kinda dumb. And the prices are insane.

They had a real chance to make this its own thing. Scrambler, return of the Comanche, whatever - they could have make it a neat little truck with distinct character. But instead, they just bolted a small bed onto a jlu.

 

[twisty]

As much as I hate to say it, I bought a Ranger XLT FX4 with rear locker over the JT because it’s more comfortable, quiet, powerful and cheaper. I have a JL on 37s so I had no need for off-road use but if I did, stock for stock the JT might be marginally better, but I doubt it.

I would’ve had to buy a Rubicon, with nav and heat and all the bells and whistles, to match what I got out of my Ranger. I paid 29k for it over Black Friday. For 25k more, Jeep needs to step it up.

That's a good price and good you like it but you will never get the off road capability or ease of modification on a ranger. It's an apples and oranges comparison between the two uses of the vehicle. Guys are putting 37s spacers or lifts on the JT's and doing the rubicon.

To compare a JT to anything else doent make much sense to me. It's just not in the same ballpark and if one thinks it is they should go to another choice.

 

[OnlyOne]

That's a good price and good you like it but you will never get the off road capability or ease of modification on a ranger. It's an apples and oranges comparison between the two uses of the vehicle. Guys are putting 37s spacers or lifts on the JT's and doing the rubicon.

To compare a JT to anything else doent make much sense to me. It's just not in the same ballpark and if one thinks it is they should go to another choice.

Although I agree with the first part of your argument, you’re missing the point. 99% of people who are looking at a midsize pickups don’t care if you can fit 37’s with a spacer lift and very few people will ever run the Rubicon. It’s competing in a midsize truck market. They drive a Ranger or a Colorado and then get into the JT, or visa versa and are immediately turned off by the utter lack of power, wind noise and ride quality. Now, those are things I’m used to. I own a JLR on 37s (other than the power).

They are in the same ballpark. In stock form a JT won’t ride or drive as nice as it’s midsize counterparts. Not even close. Even off-road the standard midsize buyer thinks that off-road is gravel, with a hill or two on it. Even in moderate to tougher trails the stock JT will not, in anyway shape or form, be a night and day difference. Most people would probably still prefer the ride of IFS over the SFA in those situations.

A JT is not a wrangler. It’s a midsize pickup. The wrangler doesn’t currently have any competition. That’s why the JT isn’t the leading midsize pickup. It never will be, in its current form. I don’t want to believe it, but I live in reality.

I own a Ranger. I think the Gladiator is better looking than the rest of the pack. It’s a whole lot cooler than the rest of the pack. But I’ll take my Ranger on a long trip anywhere in quiet comfort. And if I want to take a little side trip, it will do it just fine. Then I might just but another Turbo RZR and trailer with the money I saved not buying the JTR......

 

[Rubidozer]

I bought a Gladiator with plans to lift it to account for the long wheelbase.
It was horrible to drive when compared to my 2016 Tacoma Longbed TRD Offroad. It was extremely overpriced when compared to anything similarly equipped. It was awkward on the trails because of the long wheelbase. Even if lifted with 37s, it was too big for being a decent trail vehicle. And the suspension sucked for towing, even with the Max Tow package. And the thin steel bed full of holes was begging for dents, rust, and warping the tailgate opening. Jeep needs to go back to the R&D phase.
I traded it for a 2020 JLUR.
Happiness....

 

[viper88]

Jeep is going after the off road desert pick-up truck market that Ford sits in. Maybe the Mojave package will help with sales? Personally I don't know about this because the Raptor seems pretty dominant in that market? And Ford is going after the removable roof and door market of the Wrangler with the Bronco. The fight is ON! lol.

 

[TPadden]

Choice is great but compromise is sometimes necessary; some people want both a mid size truck and a jeep type open air off road-er. If you can have both; great there are plenty of choices available. If you can have only one there are currently fewer choices and more compromise is required. I can certainly see where that buyer might be very happy with a Gladiator purchase.

Tom

 

[twisty]

Although I agree with the first part of your argument, you’re missing the point. 99% of people who are looking at a midsize pickups don’t care if you can fit 37’s with a spacer lift and very few people will ever run the Rubicon. It’s competing in a midsize truck market. They drive a Ranger or a Colorado and then get into the JT, or visa versa and are immediately turned off by the utter lack of power, wind noise and ride quality. Now, those are things I’m used to. I own a JLR on 37s (other than the power).

They are in the same ballpark. In stock form a JT won’t ride or drive as nice as it’s midsize counterparts. Not even close. Even off-road the standard midsize buyer thinks that off-road is gravel, with a hill or two on it. Even in moderate to tougher trails the stock JT will not, in anyway shape or form, be a night and day difference. Most people would probably still prefer the ride of IFS over the SFA in those situations.

A JT is not a wrangler. It’s a midsize pickup. The wrangler doesn’t currently have any competition. That’s why the JT isn’t the leading midsize pickup. It never will be, in its current form. I don’t want to believe it, but I live in reality.

I own a Ranger. I think the Gladiator is better looking than the rest of the pack. It’s a whole lot cooler than the rest of the pack. But I’ll take my Ranger on a long trip anywhere in quiet comfort. And if I want to take a little side trip, it will do it just fine. Then I might just but another Turbo RZR and trailer with the money I saved not buying the JTR......

Nope. Again, the buying public may not put 37s on or go off road or take doors off or tops but they like the idea that you can. Same thing for people who buy sports cars. They aren't going to go 200mph or verify g-forces, they just know they have a vehicle that can do it. \

No other truck competes with the JT. Oh jeep wants a piece of it and will get some of it for sure but only to those who want capability whether they need it or not.

The motor is SWEET, not sure what your saying here. If a mid size has more it needs it to compensate where it's lacking compared to the jeep. MY JL motor is a absolute hoot, I'll always want more but not at the expense of what I would give up.

BTW I hear nothing but good things on ride quality of the JT. Many/most are saying they are a better ride then the JL and I find my JL to be a pleasure to drive.

Still glad your happy with your ranger, I am sure happy with my F150.

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