I was strictly a classic car guy for many years. I got in a really bad accident in 2016, and have been in more modern cars since. I was always a big fan of the VW-esque philosophy where you have everything you need, and not a hp more. Clever engineering beats features every time. I have to admit to really liking the heated seats and steering wheel though... I almost assuredly wouldn't have paid extra for them or the leather interior, but I certainly do not regret their existence! My first post-accident car was a 2002 BMW 330i with all the sporty boxes checked. I don't have any experience with newer BMWs, and I'm sure they've continued moving up scale, but the interior features and quality in my truck are on par with the BMW from nearly 20 years ago. I lost rain sensing wipers and wood trim, and gained a heated steering wheel and... I think it was the automatic climate control? I forget what the BMW creature comfort set was, but it was one for one. I was never a huge fan of the leather BMW used, and I don't especially care for GM's hides for all the same reasons. The ride quality is very similar as well. The BMW typically got 30mpg, and I'm getting 24mpg in the truck (supposedly that will improve as it breaks in the rest of the way), but diesel is cheaper than premium (cheaper than regular most days). The BMW was obviously faster, handled better, and the inline 6 was smoother than the 4 cylinder diesel, but the ZR2 goes anywhere and can tow 5K pounds. Same 5 seats, but the tool boxes in my topper mean I get the same trunk space (if not a hair more) plus a bed. Definitely an unusual comparison, but a surprisingly close one.
Pro tip if you special order (or even if you don't since the dealer will play the obvious games), there are three infotainment upgrades: Premium, nav, and Bose. Either of the latter two options default you into the first. Nav isn't worth a dime with CarPlay/Android Auto, and the price difference between the Bose and the premium check boxes was $5.
Since you'll be in my neck of the woods, one big (huge) argument for the ZR2 over the Gladiator is the ZR2's trick transfer case. The Gladiator has your standard issue manual lever actuated transfer case. This is plenty for the vast majority of cases. HOWEVER!!! If you're living in Bailey, you'll be going down to Denver frequently. That means transitional ice and canyons. You get snow at the house, but it's raining down in the flats.* Somewhere in the middle thar be dragons in the form of ice. 285 backs up regularly in the winter for this reason. Canyons have similar, but more widespread issues in that parts of the road will be thawed and dry, and then a section will be shaded some or all of the time due to orientation/canyon walls/trees/etc. More dragons. If you have a manual transfer case on these variably iced windy roads, you can imagine the inevitable binding and handling squirreliness. The ZR2 transfer case is electronically actuated by way of a knob that's a PITA to get used to because it hides behind the steering wheel and can't be seen very easily while driving, but one of the settings is AUTO. That enables an electronically controlled clutch that senses drivetrain bind, and releases the front driveshaft to keep the drivetrain in tact and keep handling tight and predictable. It works
very well. Supposedly, you can leave it on 24/7, but I go between that and 2WD like I would normally use 2/4wd and save 4WD for when the snow on the roads is deep enough that I don't expect any dry patches.
Also, I don't know the laws in Washington, but tire studs are legal in Colorado, and if you're up here, they're excellent to the point of it being kinda dumb not to have them. It's very difficult to find studded/studable snows larger than 33", so the Gladiator's large tire ability becomes a bit of a liability unless you like doing that level of wrenching between seasons. Studded 33" Nokian Hakkapeliitta are the tire of choice. A Colorado can be made to work with 35" tires just fine, but the effort/cost for the gain doesn't add up in my book. 33" have been the sweet spot on every truck I've ever had, so it works out quite beautifully.
*Local tip: "The flats" is what locals call everything east of the Hogbacks. The Hogbacks are a rocky ridge on the flats side of a small narrow park that runs along the face of the mountains west of Denver containing the town of Morrison and Red Rocks. A park is a flat area in the middle of the mountains. Mountains are big rocky things that are very pretty and a lot of fun. ;-) Also, everyone navigates by way of cardinal directions in much the same way that people in LA navigate by way of rattling off numbered highways; the mountains run more or less due N/S, and are always to your west when you're in the flats.
Responding to the above post that came while I was penning the above novella: My iPhone 8 fits the charger perfectly, and I think the upcoming iPhone 12 mini will too. I'm not a fan of big phones, and may upgrade in the near future now that they've come to their collective senses... There's a dongle you can get to make the CarPlay work wirelessly as well for the slickest of setups. The other piece, is that lift kits for the ZR2 are challenging, because a big part of the awesomeness is the DSSV shocks. There is a
long travel set available now, but spendy and you don't actually gain much height. If you're aiming for a rock crawling rig, stock height might be a bit of a liability. If you're overlanding, and that's what this forum is about, rock crawling is something you might have to do to get where you're going, but it is not the end goal and generally to be avoided if possible to avoid damage far away from anything. No big loss.
