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The Jeep Gladiator is Struggling

OnlyOne

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I like to know why people buy things because it tells me more about them. Like if they truly understand the value of what they have or are idiots. It helps me go forward with interactions with them.

and it also gives me a sense of where the platform could go. If wealthy soccer moms buying Rubicon mall crawlers is the majority of FCA’s profits on the JL/JT models, then as a company they will focus on that market and take away from actual “off road” oriented folks. It can mean the difference between an executive’s decision to put in Dana 44s over Dana 30s, for example
Although I understand what you’re saying, I live on top of a mountain, in the Rocky Mountains. I don’t have to talk to many to recognize if they’re idiots or not. I can usually tell when they flag me down in their new Jeep, Subaru, Taco etc. wanting to know if they can make it.........
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Kyanche

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that’s why most every soccer mom buys a wrangler Rubicon for the sticker on the hood.
My JK was a Sahara. I wanted the Rubicon for all the wrong reasons, I assure you! At ~$3k more than the Sahara I wanted, it had tires that I liked, the hood with the vents, the red accents, better looking grille/bumper accents, better gearing (even if only strictly on-road, some people would say they prefer the gearing), and probably some other things I can't remember.

Plus if I ever do decide to take it off road, I have a couple more buttons to play with.

Theoretically, since they don't use Rubicons as rental cars (but they do use Saharas as such) I should get slightly better resale value out of it. Probably wouldn't make the $3k back, but still!

Plus I really like it. I go outside and see my silly mall crawler and it makes me happy. People have spent more than $3k to get painted trim on a Porsche before.

Anyway, besides the tires, springs/shocks, lockers, and the swaybar disconnect.. it is both a lot of features for $3k and.. well, it's not necessarily going to help you much off road. I'm pretty sure someone who knows what they're doing in a basic JLU sport will be able to do a lot more than I can!

Although I understand what you’re saying, I live on top of a mountain, in the Rocky Mountains. I don’t have to talk to many to recognize if they’re idiots or not. I can usually tell when they flag me down in their new Jeep, Subaru, Taco etc. wanting to know if they can make it.........
I suppose it's better than if they get stuck and need help getting pulled out. Or worse. lol.
 

OnlyOne

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My JK was a Sahara. I wanted the Rubicon for all the wrong reasons, I assure you! At ~$3k more than the Sahara I wanted, it had tires that I liked, the hood with the vents, the red accents, better looking grille/bumper accents, better gearing (even if only strictly on-road, some people would say they prefer the gearing), and probably some other things I can't remember.

Plus if I ever do decide to take it off road, I have a couple more buttons to play with.

Theoretically, since they don't use Rubicons as rental cars (but they do use Saharas as such) I should get slightly better resale value out of it. Probably wouldn't make the $3k back, but still!

Plus I really like it. I go outside and see my silly mall crawler and it makes me happy. People have spent more than $3k to get painted trim on a Porsche before.

Anyway, besides the tires, springs/shocks, lockers, and the swaybar disconnect.. it is both a lot of features for $3k and.. well, it's not necessarily going to help you much off road. I'm pretty sure someone who knows what they're doing in a basic JLU sport will be able to do a lot more than I can!



I suppose it's better than if they get stuck and need help getting pulled out. Or worse. lol.
It would be better if they keep driving west.......:CWL:
 

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OnlyOne

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I should have bought the Mojave!

send it.jpeg
 
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Kyanche

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It would be better if they keep driving west.......:CWL:
Pleeeeease no. I already dodge enough tourists and uber drivers lol.

One of my possible ways to commute home is PCH. In fact I just took that today. So many people who randomly dart across the road because Waze told them to. X_X

And then there's the cars with the plate that has the cute little green tree on the plate. Oregon. Ya know how Oregonites whine about Californians? Yeah the feeling is mutual. Bwahahahhaahahaha

(I kid but still, tourists!)
 

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as far as looks go, i think Jeep screwed up in making the JT look just like the JL. its just not working (unless lifted and tired). for non-jeep people, they see a stock wrangler and go :like: then they see a stock gladiator and go :puke:. people ive talked to say wtf is that thing? it looks weird. the same people dig the wrangler.

they should have just given it its own design. similar but not the SAME.

as far as using the same doors to cut costs..... yet jeep makes 3 different fender flares, three different (four?) fog lights, 4 different bumpers, etc...

i dig the Sport Trac wheelbase/bed photoshop. the looong wheelbase is what's keeping me from jumping ship. i have small kids so i need a 4 door. a good size extra cab with suicide doors (like the colorado) would probably work. small bed works for me. just drop the tail gate if i need to carry something long.

at the same time, i think its great for the overlanding crowd which is huge. it seems like Jeep was aiming at Tacoma customers. i see plenty of Tacoma overlanding rigs around here. moreso than tacoma rock crawlers. and people into overlanding seem to have $$, because its a stupid-expensive hobby. too rich for my blood.

i was at the toyota dealer. they had a tacoma TRD pro for $50k+. im pretty sure a fully loaded tacoma doesnt come with nearly as many options as a loaded gladiator. convertible? doorless? sfa? disconnecting sway bars? front/rear lockers? 33s? leather? etc... even a base rubicon comes with more than a loaded tacoma. and i see loaded tacomas everywhere out here.. the million question is, can jeep convert tacoma people to become jeep people? that's a pretty loyal crowd, much like wrangler people. how many wrangler people did the FJ steal?? i just built a tacoma. with optional packages they can get really pricey as well, but pound for pound you get more with the gladiator.

i think jeep should have introduced the wrangler and gladiator at much lower pricing to get people on board. then started raising the prices after a year or two. with high pricing right off the bat they're just turning off potential buyers, especially with the gladiator. its 10x harder to reverse course and lower prices.
 

twisty

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Went to take my JLUS for service last saturday and got to speak with a sales guy, and he offered me some insight to the basis of "struggling sales" at least within northern california. Stock base model JT's are not selling at all. Unless your a jeeper who wants to build a base model JT. They are selling JT's easily that are already outfitted with a Mopar lift & 35's w/ bumper & winch because this is the only way it looks good. The dealership i was at had a base model JT that has been sitting since launch so it would actually be a good sale for someone looking to build a JT.
Yeah I went the other day. Very true. I think the base wranglers look kinda lame to but the JT even worse. They had a lifted JT with 37s and it would take some extreme willpower to not pick that one over the stock JT. It looked bad ass.

The salesman told me now is a great time to buy one given the economic issues we have now. Be quick about it though. They have slowed or even stopped production on them.
 

TPadden

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Yeah ...I think the base wranglers look kinda lame to but the JT even worse. ...it looked bad ass. The salesman told me now is a great time to buy one given the economic issues we have now. Be quick about it though.
Yeah, I'd be in a hurry for sure to pick the bad ass at the fat and ugly partner dance; they all cook and can make their own clothes. :LOL:
 

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If only i was a year late to trade in my renegade for my current wrangler... Id def have a JT by now.
 

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Always thought the Gladiator would cannibalize some of FCA's existing product line. The price for a Wrangler or Gladiator keeps some of the numbers down but that's an FCA decision on how much they want to price buyers out of the market. I did see the other day Gladiator sales exceeded the sales numbers for Chevy Colorado pickups. I guess the author considered the bed size when comparing against another vehicle.
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