Wrangler vs Gladiator?

[Hamandcamo]

Jt owner here, frequent this forum often because you all have more info on off roading that your sister jt forum. Reasons I got the jt:
-Wanted a midsize
-wanted a 4x4 manual
-i don't have heavy toys
-was going to use it as an overlander and farm truck
- wanted the least amount of tech as possible
- wanted solid axles
- four doors for kids someday
- wanted a large aftermarket and parts, as I plan on keeping the vehicle in some form for as long as I can. Ideally 30+ years

The base sport jt i spec'd was 34k otd. That was with a hardtop, lsd, bigger altenator, aux switches, and towing setup. A four door 4x4 sr5 Toyota ordered new at the time was 7k more. Colorado was 4k more. I'm in tech, and I don't want hardly any of it in my vehicle. The jt is the simplest 4x4 truck on the market. Thats the appeal for me. I can dump 10k into it, and blow the socks off of any other midsize truck (trd pro, zr2, ranger raptor) in most categories, and still spend less money than those. I can find dana 44's and 3.6l motors 20 years from now at a reasonable price, can't say the same for other manufacturers. Also, an imported 79 series in decent shape to the us is 50k+, and good luck finding parts.

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[gato]

Gladiators started piling up on dealer lots a few months after release, when the pent up demand for the Jeep guys who wanted a pickup, started to dry up. Some of them had $10K+ discounts. They were also dumping them at Herts, Avis, etc. I had several business rentals where I got a Gladiator, having reserved an intermediate vehicle.

Now, they are actually selling better, because, guess what, not only are dealer lots bare of JLs, Ford/Chevy/etc lots are also bare of pickup trucks.

So Gladiators are being saved by the supply chain shortages - a rare win in these crazy times.

 

[Bayrat]

Right?!

Or how much business Dodge lost out on, stubbornly, in the 90's by refusing to do a true crew cab truck. I've seen several here in Idaho, but they're custom rigs. It's asinine to me why they didn't do this. Piss poor business strategy to go, "Everyone loves our trucks! We're killing it on Ford and Chevy finally!"

"People want a crew cab, not just a quad-cab."

"The people don't know what they want. We know better."

"Yup, it's working for GM and the Aztec. Great idea sir."

Why Dodge, why?

It begs the question doesn't it! Dodge invented the super cab truck and had crew cabs back in the 60s.

 

[zouch]

i had the hots for a JT a couple of years ago, and thought the Mojave would suit the bill. the idea of having something to haul motos around in had great appeal, especially if i could run the thing across the Dez at speed.

of course it would have to be lifted to even approximate the breakover of my old J**p, and that drag angle was going to suck, and it was going to be a bitch to park in most of the neighborhoods because it was so long,... and the minimum of interior space that wasn't a rear seat kinda' sucked unless you wanted to leave your dog and/or bicycles languishing in the open bed, or cover it up and ruin the benefit of having a truck.
once i figured out how tall it was going to have to be to manage the trails where we play and what a PITA that would make it to load motos into, i was less enthralled. that was ignoring the fact that a full-size KTM didn't really fit all the way *in* the bed, anyway. and that's all assuming you have any room at all after you put that full-size spare in the bed because it won't fit in the stock location.

then, i drove a JLU with the diesel. when i found out i couldn't get the diesel in the JT, i was done.

 

[zouch]

and that's what i wound up with; a Diesel Willys.

Same here in Columbus, Ohio. Rarely do I see a JLU, especially a diesel or Willys, but always have several Gladiators of all various trims.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

There are lots of JT Diesels, just not Mojave for whatever reason.

 

[K9Jeeper]

I don’t know the answer. But I have owned multiple of each and can say I prefer the JLU. I get more out of the SUV setup and will use a small trailer for the once a year I need to. If towing 1-2K more over what the JLU can handle or carry 500-800 LB payloads often, then you’d want a Gladiator

 

[dragoneggs]

To each his own and it depends also where you are coming from and where you want to go!

Personally the JT doesn't do anything for me. I have a 15yr old F-150 that I plan to keep forever. No longer a daily driver now that I have a JLR 2dr that I can tow behind a small RV, go have all the day fun I want and use as a daily driver if my wife has our bimmer out on her mall adventures. I don't partake in that.

The JT to me fills the overloading niche very nicely and the timing to market was spot on considering covid and the trend to travel more independently. Heck, the times 'forced' me to buy a Class C RV and mod it heavily for boon docking and living off the grid longer than typical in style.

The JT is mod friendly (a huge plus) but other than that, it is a compromise that I'm not interested in at this point in my life. I can afford a couple three vehicles in the household that each excels in what they can do.

Long term I wonder about the current love affair with Gladiators. I was at SEMA 2021 in Las Vegas and they were the rage... so much so I was disappointed that they overshadowed the Wrangler that I was in the market for at the time. FCA is really pushing them and I don't blame them. Takes a lot to introduce a new model that sticks for the long term successfully.

 

[Capricorn]

There are lots of JT Diesels, just not Mojave for whatever reason.

I wish Mohave had come with a diesel option. But I guess it's too heavy for the Mohave suspension.

 

[zouch]

yeah, hence the problem.

There are lots of JT Diesels, just not Mojave for whatever reason.

 

[zouch]

we're only guessing here, but i suspect that the marketeers might not have seen enough of an overlap in people that wanted a truck for racing across the Dez and dieselheads.

that could make it hard to justify dealing with another configuration of suspension for the Mojave.

I wish Mohave had come with a diesel option. But I guess it's too heavy for the Mohave suspension.

 

[fourfa]

Similar to a post above me, I ordered a JT but follow both JT and JL forums.

First I decided on an Alu-Cab Canopy Camper. Then picked the JT to carry it, as the most off-road capable option, and by far the easiest to fit larger tires. Colorado, Tacoma, Ranger all need mods for the 33s that come stock on Rubicon, yet more mods and lift for 35s which fit on the stock Rubicon, and the other trucks need extensive mods and huge stupid lifts for 37s, which fit with a mild lift on Rubicon.

I also only looked at midsize trucks with factory locker options. Jeep and GM have front locker options, Toyota and Ford don't. (I didn't consider Wrangler or Bronco at all)

Big plus for diesel, again only Jeep and GM.

JT is somewhat ugly in my opinion, but at least it has a certain utilitarian vibe, especially with the Alu-Cab. GM just looks like an absolute POS imho.

 

[KevinC11]

JTR and JLUW owner here and a lot of good comments in this thread.

Reasons I own a JTR
1. I could never afford a new one and agree they are overpriced. I stumbled into a deal that was hard to pass up though.
2. It is the most capable off road truck on the market. Sitting in the driver seat, you are in a Jeep. Know the limitations of breakover and departure angles and you are still in the most capable pickup.
3. Primitive camping. I can haul more stuff in a JT and still have four seats available.
4. Towing. I can pull a micro camper in the Tennessee hills with ease and still maintain 14-15 mpg.
5. The weekend Home Depot run. I can carry a sheet of plywood. (JT Forum joke)
6. I can put a young steer in the back and haul him to another pasture; properly secured of course.

They are ugly, yep. But over time it has grown on me.

KevinC

 

[Marshall11]

I feel like this article says it all, what do you guys think

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

They are ugly, yep. But over time it has grown on me.

KevinC

I think they look perhaps not ugly... but from the factory with those small tires it looks disproportionate in general... .once you lift it and install 37 inch tires (or larger LOL) they look freaking awesome..!!

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