Gladiator - Good/Bad?

[AggieOE]

@D45 , the Gladiator really is a cool truck.
Everyone can go on and on about this part of it as compared to other vehicles but truth be told, it isn't like any other vehicle. It's a Jeep truck.

It'll be fun to drive and versatile. If you don't like it after a year, you probably won't lose any money and you'll know exactly what creature comfort or capability you want/need that it doesn't provide.

 

[4S50]

I love mine, I am 99k miles and no issues. I tow a 5500 lbs camp trailer with it, sometimes I use a RTT with it, other times I four wheel it like a Jeep, and it still runs down the freeway comfortably and efficiently at 80 mph. Mine is an automatic Rubicon with a leveling kit, and airbags and I am still running the stock size tires.

 

[Regcabguy]

I'm 6'4" and sat in one at the Auto Show here. Not enough headroom for this giraffe but someone shorter would be fine. The show had a "offroad track and a guy was driving and his head was sticking through the sunroof.

 

[moose545]

I swapped to a Rubicon JT and have been building it up over the past year, will post up a few pics soon. I had a GX460 previously which I listed and sold here. I miss the v8 for sure, but the v6 has enough for now; I still want a diesel one day, of whatever capacity that will be on my laundry list of trucks or swaps. The interior is 1000x better than Toyota anything at the moment, they're way behind. The stock seat is actually comfortable vs the GX seat which was leather but had zero cushion to it (lower back issues don't help - Scheelman later).

Aftermarket is plentiful, I've had the steering box recall/TSB and fighting a few rust/paint things that are on Jeep for poor quality and application, but it's coming together nicely. Just need to get my garage of parts installed soon and get at it again

 

[GATORB8]

I'm 6'4" and sat in one at the Auto Show here. Not enough headroom for this giraffe but someone shorter would be fine. The show had a "offroad track and a guy was driving and his head was sticking through the sunroof.

That was fully pumped down? There are some aftermarket companies that offer some shims that tilt the base for more headroom like “desert does it”

 

[billiebob]

Merry Christmas! Here's a pic of a favorite location, near Winter Park CO.

View attachment 757935

Best post on this thread, focuses on what we should focus on, getting out of the truck to see how wonderful the back country is. Once you put feet on the ground who cares what you drove to get there.

What a gorgeous bridge.

Someone should put on a new deck.

 

[4S50]

I'm 6'4" and sat in one at the Auto Show here. Not enough headroom for this giraffe but someone shorter would be fine. The show had a "offroad track and a guy was driving and his head was sticking through the sunroof.

I am 6’5”, 250 and do not find it too cramped. I guess it is a lifetime of living in a 5’7” world, haha.

 

[4S50]

Some pics!

 

[Mules]

I guess I am considering "downsizing" from a full size truck, my Silverado

I need the bed space and I like that that Gladiator bed is 5' long. My Silverado has a 5'8" bed, so I'm not losing much

Gladiator is 218.10" long
Silverado is 230.00" long

Silverado width is 80.00"
Gladiator width is 73.80"

Gladiator Bed:
60" long
Max width is 56.80"
Between wheel wells is 44.80"

Silverado bed:
69" long (+9")
Max width is 64.60" (+7.80")
Between wheel wells is 51.03" (+6.23")

When I do tow, most loads are well under 5,000 pounds

What size gas tank comes in the Gladiator? One size only?

Engine power I guess is another concern, since I would love to run 35s or 37s

My 5.3L V8 Silverado:

355 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
383 lb-ft of torque @ 4,100 rpm
8 speed transmission (8L90)
3.42 gears

I just switched from a full size Toyota Tundra with a 5.7 liter to a Gladiator JT. I loved the Tundra, it is a huge pickup that was great on the highway and can tow a space shuttle! It was a beast, but it didn't fill my love of 4 wheeling and jeeps. Full size pickups are too big for our Missouri trails. I was waiting to buy a Jeep that could tow my toys. Also, I couldn't wait to take the top and doors off and go cruising with the JT.


Comparing a Gladiator to a full size pickup, here are my thoughts;

• I pulled a 7,000lb tractor and trailer with the Tundra and could accelerate up hills and didn't notice the load at all.
• I max out the Gladiator JT 3.6 liter pulling the same load and have to slow down in order to pull it up paved hills. Although it struggles with this much weight, I only pull my tractor about 20 miles. I also have 38" tires which hurts my towing capacity.
• I also pull my 18" trailer with a Yamaha side by side, with the total weight about 3,000 lb. This is no problem at all and I'll tow this rig across country.
• Also, with my lift and big tires, my Gladiator doesn't like going 80mph on the highway. The 8 speed 3.6 is really wound out going that speed and the gas mileage can drop to 10mpg. The old Tundra could cruise at 100mph happily, not that I do this

I love Jeeps but they are not great at towing or cruising on the highway. The Gladiator is the perfect combination of pickup and ultimate 4 wheel drive, but it can't replace a full size pickup for heavy towing.

 

[Mike W.]

I’m glad they’ve treated you well, I’ve owned a new jeep and enjoyed it also. Bottom line when it comes to reliability- Toyotas are just better. For sample size I am talking about the entire Earth.

Seems in the last 5 years Tacos are less reliable..or just recalled lots more. The Toyota myth is just that a myth. In today's market all manufacturers are doing poorly in quality.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

How is the Gladiator holding up and being reliable?

Any known issues with the transmissions?

Any known issues with the engines?

4cy, V6, Diesel

What are things to look out for?

What's your intended use?

 

[D45]

The Pentastar Problem: Oil Leak Issues in Chrysler V6 Engines

The Pentastar V6 oil filter housing design flaw causes oil leaks in Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, & Ram models. Learn about the issue and potential solutions.

www.ecogard.com

Local shop said they repair this part about 10 times a month

 

[GATORB8]

The Pentastar Problem: Oil Leak Issues in Chrysler V6 Engines

The Pentastar V6 oil filter housing design flaw causes oil leaks in Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, & Ram models. Learn about the issue and potential solutions.

www.ecogard.com

Local shop said they repair this part about 10 times a month

I don't have a 3.6, but I believe Dorman has a metal replacement for the OE plastic housing.

 

[4S50]

No issues with mine, and I have changed my own oil every time the dash light indicates it is time. Also, I had oil analysis done when it was new for the first couple of oil changes and again at 80kish and it tested essentially the same. Hard use does not appear to be causing any unusual wear!

 

[smlobx]

The Gladiator is a unique vehicle and nothing available in North America can compare.

the 3.6l engine is very robust with literally over a million in use in various FCA platforms and the ZF transmission is perhaps one of the best transmissions on the planet. Do some of them have issues, of course, but it is a relatively small percentage.

Out of the box the Rubicon version is more capable than any other stock truck on the market. Period.