Gladiator worth the trade in ?

[Badgertits]

Jeeps (Wranglers) are much more a blank canvas than Raptors are. They may be the most modded vehicle on the planet - and rightly so since they have so many specific uses. My 2011 Rubicon was modded with over $35K of suspension, lighting, tires and wheels, etc., in order to tackle the Rubicon trail and other trails around Tahoe.
Great fun, and very capable in every way - once modded that is. Useless in every way prior to that.

Now that I have a Raptor I find that very similar mods are WAY more expensive than on the Wrangler.
I don't believe it is an issue of getting what you pay for, many Raptor companies have figured out that their clients are more wealthy than the verge Jeep guy. They price accordingly.

I would only consider another Wrangler if it had a Cummins Diesel in it, with a turbo.
Jeeps have always been gutless and the Gladiator is no different.

You make some pretty extreme exaggerations here- first of all, unless you’re ordering the most basic stripped down version w/ an auto, There is no other vehicle you can buy that would be more capable off-road from the factory than a Jeep- useless??? In stock form a wrangler rubicon will be capable off road & @ the beach can tow a bit & can plow (raptor ain’t plowing) can double as a convertible & if the interior gets trashed hose it out....

On the other hand while it’s a proverbial Swiss Army knife as an all around utility vehicle even w/ the refinements made over the years it still ain’t a very practical DD w/ bad fuel economy a rough ride crap turning radius & difficult to park in some instances - so to assume owners of Jeeps are in a lower income bracket I think is false, in many cases it’s the exact opposite. Many wrangler owners I know legitimately consider & treat their Jeeps as big toys, or as the equivalent of a bobcat/skid steer- keep it parked in a corner of their property under a tree waiting for the next time they need to tow a trailer, plow the driveway, screw around off-road or on the beach.

I def agree they need a better engine.....dodge/Chrysler seems so dumb sometimes, they drop a hemi and/or slap a turbo or SC onto pretty much any vehicle, and yet their most iconic beloved selling like hot cakes wrangler they have yet to do it- they would sell every single one & could jack the price if they offered a V8. A strong diesel would be cool too....but probably too heavy.

 

[Raptor911]

My wife really wanted the new wrangler so we went to test drive one. For cruising around town, it is ok. Get it above 60mph and it starts to suffer. I can't imagine the degree of suffering once you put on a bigger tire/wheel combo.

I just don't understand jeep. They put a hell-cat engine in the Grand Cherokee but can't upgrade the wrangler's engine?

Wait until the Bronco comes out. Ford has already said it will be a wrangler competitor .. and Ford will not skimp on HP.

 

[FastEddie]

I did a comparison of Wrangler vs Raptor a few times. I agree with the blank canvas comments about the Jeep above. They start really stripped and you can then option them up, way up. The problem is the price gets redic and it still doesn't compare to the Raptor. I considered a loaded Rubicon and then thought I'd need to get some AEV mods to really compare vs the Raptor. The problem was, the Wrangler would be more expensive, for a smaller vehicle with less capacity, with a dog engine and much worse on road driveability. I looked at adding a hemi, but then the total cost gets really redic. In comparison I thought the Raptor was a bargain even with the Raptor tax.

 

[JPW Colorado]

I own a 2015 Jeep Rubicon Wrangler and a 2019 Raptor. Recently drove a 2019 Wrangler Rubicon to see how much improvement there is.
Performance wise it rode noticeably better (my 15 rides lousy though), the seats were much improved as was the 8 speed auto transmission compared to my 5 speed. I love my Jeep for 4X4 trails and around town for it's small footprint and resiliency to pot holes. I haven't driven a Gladiator yet but it is hard to imagine that at highway speeds or on longer trips that it is much more civilized. Despite their both having off road capability they are such dramatically different vehicles in most other ways that I can't imagine substituting, or trading, one for the other.

 

[Frank N]

I had just read a comparo of all the midsize trucks with the Jeep in it, in Motor Trend. Jeep only beat the new Ranger, which was last. Got beat by the Ridgeline and the Colorado.


https://www.caranddriver.com/review...gladiator-chevrolet-colorado-honda-ridgeline/

What area did the Ridgeline win in? Cup holders?

 

[Frank N]

Wrangladiator....

I won't bash wrangler' they are what they are, very versatile, off road to convertible. Super easy to work on. Awesome resale. I'd own one for an around town vehicle in a second.

Basic facts they are gutless and not the ideals road manners for a long haul.

If you have the opportunity to run fast off road, you really appreciate the Rap suspension....no Jeep is doing that, no matter the mods....unless the mod remove the solid front axle and extended the wheel base.

 

[pastorwug]

You make some pretty extreme exaggerations here- first of all, unless you’re ordering the most basic stripped down version w/ an auto, There is no other vehicle you can buy that would be more capable off-road from the factory than a Jeep- useless??? In stock form a wrangler rubicon will be capable off road & @ the beach can tow a bit & can plow (raptor ain’t plowing) can double as a convertible & if the interior gets trashed hose it out....

On the other hand while it’s a proverbial Swiss Army knife as an all around utility vehicle even w/ the refinements made over the years it still ain’t a very practical DD w/ bad fuel economy a rough ride crap turning radius & difficult to park in some instances - so to assume owners of Jeeps are in a lower income bracket I think is false, in many cases it’s the exact opposite. Many wrangler owners I know legitimately consider & treat their Jeeps as big toys, or as the equivalent of a bobcat/skid steer- keep it parked in a corner of their property under a tree waiting for the next time they need to tow a trailer, plow the driveway, screw around off-road or on the beach.

I def agree they need a better engine.....dodge/Chrysler seems so dumb sometimes, they drop a hemi and/or slap a turbo or SC onto pretty much any vehicle, and yet their most iconic beloved selling like hot cakes wrangler they have yet to do it- they would sell every single one & could jack the price if they offered a V8. A strong diesel would be cool too....but probably too heavy.

The stories of stock Rubicons stuck on the Rubicon are so numerous that there's a whole industry of tow-trucks that will come get your "stock" or broken Jeep/Toyota/etc for huge bucks. Not sure you've ever been on the Rubicon Trail but people that have would quickly report that any stock Wrangler, regardless of trim level, regardless of "trail rating," is useless, and often forbidden on the Rubicon trail without expert guiding/spotting. Jeep Jamboree's guided tour of the Rubicon uses every bypass on the tough stuff, still tons of Wranglers break down out there.
The JK line wasn't improved much to introduce the JL line, the obvious past failures were addressed in a limited amount.
My stock 2011 JKUR wouldn't have made it 100 yards on the namesake Trail. The engine - gutless; the transmission - a weak point that would overheat in Moab almost every time, until modded. Trailering - near impossible with just a 3500 Lb tow rating, and huge struggle with that (my 16' Airstream).
Many of the Chrysler dealers will not even look at a modded Wrangler when warranty work is necessary.
You're welcome to love your Wrangler, or other Jeep, I won't make that mistake again.

 

[ameration]

After riding in several Jeeps (owned by others) one the last 20 plus years, I'm not a fan. Their quality is low...as in REAL LOW. Jeep=junk.

My wife loves her Jeep as it’s “fun” but I hate it as it is crap. She has had two Wranglers (2010 & 2015) and both are very cheaply built and for what they cost - just junk!

Let’s just say that in less than 60k miles on both - shocks were shot, axle seals needed replaced, EGR issues, roof leaks, rusted door hinges, and so much more. Her 2010 burned 2+ qts of oil between oil changes (every 5,000 miles) and they said that was within the Chrysler spec = no problem. ???? They are underpowered and can’t really tow a thing (just towing a log splitter behind it feels like you’re pulling a 25’ boat!

I describe them as a fun piece of $h!t - and that’s really what they are.

 

[Vegas_Sirk]

As a Jeep Wrangler (JKU) owner that been driving it for 6 years daily I can say that while I love my Wrangler and was considering getting a Gladiator to replace it, its most likely going to be replaced with a Raptor instead. The reason is that while around town the Wrangler is fine, it's underpowered and can't get out of its own way. Then take it on long trips (3+ hours of driving) and mix in the terrible road manners on the HWY and I'm frustrated with it every time I get to my destination.

Jeep did nothing to fix the steering/handling or power issues with the JK on the JL or JT.

 

[pastorwug]

As a Jeep Wrangler (JKU) owner that been driving it for 6 years daily I can say that while I love my Wrangler and was considering getting a Gladiator to replace it, its most likely going to be replaced with a Raptor instead. The reason is that while around town the Wrangler is fine, it's underpowered and can't get out of its own way. Then take it on long trips (3+ hours of driving) and mix in the terrible road manners on the HWY and I'm frustrated with it every time I get to my destination.

Jeep did nothing to fix the steering/handling or power issues with the JK on the JL or JT.

Add the road noise with 37s and a soft top and you can barely hear the radio or your passengers in a JKUR. 3+ hours in a Wrangler that's been modified and you're ready for a good rest, and hearing protection.