Has anyone looked at the Jeep Gladiator?

[Redcatcher70]

Saw one on the street yesterday and glanced at the specs online. Interesting numbers and features for towing with a 3.6L engine with a 6 speed manual or 8 speed auto., 7600 tow cap. And 1600 lb. cc. I will not buy one, but anyone who likes back country camping might want to look at one...

[FishOnOne]

BigDinAZ wrote:

Flashman wrote:
They are starting to show up in Tucson. Dealer couldn't keep them on the lot long enough for me to check them out. Bad timing for the Ranger to come out at the same time as the Jeep.

They have them here in Sierra Vista, the problem for me is that 3.6 Penstar. If only they had put the 4.0 in.
I am a huge jeep fan, but my love goes way back. I had a 69 Willies Jeepster Commando, and a 77 CJ5 (that we put a 350 in).
I just don't like those Penstar's.

LOL... My take away is Flash had to take his big bad ram to the shop for a repair or safety recall. Anyways I'm sure he'll have plenty of opportunities to visit the Glads. :B

[rjstractor]

BigDinAZ wrote:

Flashman wrote:
They are starting to show up in Tucson. Dealer couldn't keep them on the lot long enough for me to check them out. Bad timing for the Ranger to come out at the same time as the Jeep.

They have them here in Sierra Vista, the problem for me is that 3.6 Penstar. If only they had put the 4.0 in.
I am a huge jeep fan, but my love goes way back. I had a 69 Willies Jeepster Commando, and a 77 CJ5 (that we put a 350 in).
I just don't like those Penstar's.

The old 4.0 was great in the Wranglers and Cherokees of its day, but in a truck as heavy as the Gladiator it would be a gutless turd on the highway. The Pentastar doesn't have much low end but it's got the horsepower needed for good highway performance, which is where nearly all Gladiators will spend most of their time. The Ecodiesel should be a great motor for this truck.

[BigDinAZ]

Flashman wrote:
They are starting to show up in Tucson. Dealer couldn't keep them on the lot long enough for me to check them out. Bad timing for the Ranger to come out at the same time as the Jeep.

They have them here in Sierra Vista, the problem for me is that 3.6 Penstar. If only they had put the 4.0 in.
I am a huge jeep fan, but my love goes way back. I had a 69 Willies Jeepster Commando, and a 77 CJ5 (that we put a 350 in).
I just don't like those Penstar's.

[wowens79]

If it wasn't for having to pull my TT id get one as soon as the prices settle. I think the diesel would be perfect in it.

I've also seen a few videos where people have dropped a Hellcat engine 700+hp in there. The jeep engineer confirmed they had tested hemis in them, and said it fits like a glove, but it took up all the crumple zone space so the would not pass safety tests.

[FishOnOne]

ShinerBock wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:
I've yet to see one on the road yet.

I have seen several roaming around the Texas hill country and even a lifted one with what looked like 37's. This is mostly due to all of the rock climbing off road parks around here like Cline Ranch and Hidden Falls.

That's strange... Here in the Houston area you typically see new released (including very expensive) vehicles on the roads as soon as they hit dealer lots. I've been making trips to our deer camp and fishing trips to the coast and haven't seen any in these parts either. Having said that I see 4 door Wranglers every day.

Hopefully they ride better than the Wranglers and with a longer wheelbase they should, but I wouldn't want one with a diesel.

[kellem]

They are quite popular in my area but as a Jeep person, I see other equally equipped vehicles more affordable but speaking from experience......nothing compares to a Rubicon offroad.

[RoyJ]

mich800 wrote:
It still rides and drives like a Wrangler. So having a V8 is not a big deal for extra towing. The engine performance seems in line for the intended use. If you like the capabilities of the Wrangler but looking for more cargo space this is a good option.

Most medium size trucks are limited by cooling capacity. Jalopnik has an excellent article, where a Jeep engineer explained just how far they went to achieve the tow rating:

https://jalopnik.com/the-engineering-behind-the-jeep-gladiators-tow-rating-1833657453

Many people wonder why the diesel Colorado can't tow much, and it's not because of power / torque. With a diesel's heat rejection: intercooler, the engine itself, and EGR load, it can't tow 7000+ lbs which uphill in 100-degree ambient with AC on. OEM have very rigorous cooling requirements.

This is why DOT and Transport Canada here do not enforce "tow rating", as it's not primarily safety driven, but power-train/marketing.

[parker_rowe]

ShinerBock wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:
I've yet to see one on the road yet.

I have seen several roaming around the Texas hill country and even a lifted one with what looked like 37's. This is mostly due to all of the rock climbing off road parks around here like Cline Ranch and Hidden Falls.

I've seen a lot on the road here as well.

A couple already with new wheels, bigger tires, led light bars...you know, the standard mall duty Jeep package.

Of course, a lot of dealers kit brand new trucks out like that and sell them that way, since it is so popular in this area.

[ShinerBock]

FishOnOne wrote:
I've yet to see one on the road yet.

I have seen several roaming around the Texas hill country and even a lifted one with what looked like 37's. This is mostly due to all of the rock climbing off road parks around here like Cline Ranch and Hidden Falls.

[larry_barnhart]

Dodge dealership in Wenatchee Wa has one oftheir lot.

chevman

[Flashman]

They are starting to show up in Tucson. Dealer couldn't keep them on the lot long enough for me to check them out. Bad timing for the Ranger to come out at the same time as the Jeep.

[FishOnOne]

I've yet to see one on the road yet.

[JAC1982]

I saw one in a showroom and thought it was hideous looking. Sticker price was in the 50s. But I am not a Jeep person in general.

[Bionic_Man]

If I wanted a mid-size, that is what I would buy. But I would get the Eco Diesel.

[mich800]

IdaD wrote:
It's the only midsize truck I would seriously consider other than a Tacoma, if I were in that smaller truck market. The blend of off-road capability and towing capacity is pretty appealing. I assume you'll give up a little bit on suspension flex and ride quality with stiffer springs compared to a Wrangler, but in return you get better towing ability plus all the cargo space in the bed.

Ride quality it very comparable. Not much difference. Maybe a little less wandering in the Gladitor. But comparing similar trims like Rubicon/Rubicon or Sahara/Overland you probably will not notice much difference.