Q2 2023 Jeep Gladiator Sales Results

[Hootbro]

It’s the most expensive, least creature comfort, now oldest midsize in the segment. Not all that surprising.

For the same price you can get a Sport with power nothing you can get heated seats, steering, almost 200 ft lbs more torque in a new GM twin. It’s like how much is a convertible truck and SFA worth to the masses? Probably not as much as you and Stellantis think.

The 4xe should boost sales depending on the price / capability. I could see the same almost 50% sales representing a 4xe after a couple of years like the Wrangler.

Do you own a Gladiator?

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[UM_Ftown]

Do you own a Gladiator?

I do not, why?

 

[bleda2002]

I do not, why?

Because if you did you'd know the sum is greater than it's parts when it comes to a gladiator. There is a lot of charm to this truck that allow for a markup compared to the rest of the segment even with less creature comforts.

That said, it does need an update given how much the other midsizes have improved for 2023/4.

 

[Hootbro]

I do not, why?

Just getting a frame of reference of where your opinion is coming from and whether you had skin in the game.

A lot of what you speak has been said by others about the Wrangler standing outside looking in. All valid opinions like Wrangler is a terrible SUV, the Gladiator is not a leading spec truck. What many who buy it for is a lifestyle vehicle first and a SUV or Truck second.

Until recently, the Wrangler and Gladiator were viewed by most owners as a vehicle that really only competes against itself. If one just sees the Gladiator as just transportation with a bed or wants bleeding edge tech, then they really should not be in the market for it.

I have owned just about every make and model of full size, mid size and compact truck both domestic and foreign over the last 35+ of my driving years. The three Gladiators I have owned has gotten me more positive public interactions many times over of what people wish they had vs. the rest. So I think Jeep is doing something right in the aggregate of the market.

 

[MPMB]

Because if you did you'd know the sum is greater than it's parts when it comes to a gladiator. There is a lot of charm to this truck that allow for a markup compared to the rest of the segment even with less creature comforts.

That said, it does need an update given how much the other midsizes have improved for 2023/4.

This.

If people look at other "popular" <cough>trucks<cough> like the Ridgeline or Maverick, there's a growing need/want for smaller pickups. Hell, I cannot believe the number of Santa Cruz vehicles are down here in UT. Many people want that cargo hauling feature for HD runs, SUP days at the lake, camping, Costco runs, etc.

The Gladiator is really a jack of all trades, with better strengths for off-roading. The relatively low MPG is a knock, and some of the typical Jeep things (seats, ride) aren't everybody's cup of tea when they're coming from a VW Atlas or Armada.

No one wants a convertible CUV, despite Land Rover and Nissan offering those abominations. But people want convertible SUVs like the Wrangler and Gladiator. People shy away because of the "unrefined" nature of these offerings.

I have a friend who just moved to FL. They were trying to dump their vehicles (SQ5 was one). I'm like, get a Gladiator. They were looking at a Raptor. Before that it was a convertible 3-series. Pretty sure the Gladiator takes the biggest use from both those.

But, like most on here, I think our biggest gripe about the platform is power. Give us some f'ing power. Turbo. V8. Anything. The V6tt from Alfa in the Quattrofoglio.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

People shy away because of the "unrefined" nature of these offerings.

I suppose generally speaking, yeah....... then you have my wife. Grand Cherokees since the ZJ was offered. Started with an early Cherokee, then she found Grand Cherokee and was hooked on Jeep forever. ZJ, WJ, WK and so on. She liked the creature comforts. When I got my JT she missed the higher end stuff like 150 way power seats, lane departure, power liftgate and other nifty stuff.
She insisted I load my JT with every possible option (Thus the Overland at that time)
The one thing she's always had her heart set on was a purple Jeep. She asked each time we ordered a new GC "can we get that in purple" or "how much will it cost me to paint it purple". The reactions from dealers didn't stop her from asking the next time.
Back in 2020 when we ordered her a new 2021 Grand Cherokee, she again asked about purple. I told her she needed to look at Wrangler if she wanted a fun color. I told her -any Jeep you want, GC, Wrangler, anything you want in the Jeep line. Nope, no Wrangler. That was out. Not refined enough, hard to operate this or that (with her handicaps, I 150% agreed but still offered and said some things we could overcome)
Then I made the mistake of teasing her....... with a photo of a purple Wrangler sitting in the showroom of the dealer where I was having my JT's PCM update done. I took the pic, texted it to her back home. Next response was "how much". Oops, what have I done!
I got home and the first words were how much and did you find me one.
So the next week was spent scouring every dealer in the whole center of the US, then broadening my scope out to CA, WA, NY, FL, TX, you name it. 2 to 3 hours every evening for a week searching for a purple Jeep for her.
Never say never because now she's a very proud owner of a purple Wrangler. I've had to overcome some obstacles for her due to her handicaps - a strap to pull the rear glass back down when loading up her quilting/sewing stuff, one-press up window device (still have to modify the switches as she can't actually operate it with her bad shoulder and abbreviated right arm). I had to add power steps and such. Now every time she sees a Wrangler I hear "but mine's prettier".
Amazing - October 2020 I heard "nope, no Wrangler, going to be Grand Cherokee" then in January 2023 we traded her 2021 Grand Cherokee with about 11,000 miles for a JLU 4xe - in purple.
Limited edition as it was, and from the fall of 2022, so you can imagine what it took to find one she liked.
Jeep killed our budget because of a paint color.
They sold 1 more Jeep - because of a paint color.
I suspect they sort of half-way know what they are doing.

 

[MPMB]

I suspect they sort of half-way know what they are doing.

I'd say so.

The people on forums usually represent the 5% of owners that sit outside the bell curve majority. So when someone's on a forum who isn't an owner of that forum's namesake, that's long tail s**t and pretty easy to dismiss their opinions.

I do miss a spirited drive now and then; why we still have the Audi. But that's long in the tooth and lacks many of the safety and comforts of a "modern" car (it's a 2012). So we're looking for something that checks the zippy boxes.

So far the first choice from her is the Corolla GR.

 

[NHyde]

Odd to me that in Q2 they sold almost as many Chrysler Pacifica‘s as Wranglers.
And the Gladiator stats are just sad.

We bought a Pacifica PHEV in March (I know, not Q2) after seeing our tax bill. I am sure others were in similar boat and saw that Pacifica qualified under the new laws and scooped up the inventory.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

We bought a Pacifica PHEV in March (I know, not Q2) after seeing our tax bill. I am sure others were in similar boat and saw that Pacifica qualified under the new laws and scooped up the inventory.

Yeah, it still qualifies for the full amount due to the USA sourced batteries even if they are made by a Korean company. They are made in the US by US people and that's what counts.
JL 4xe qualified until the rules were tweaked. We bought our 4xe in January and at that time the IRS said yeah, full amount. Then I think it was in April, that changed. We have the IRS form completed by the dealer so we're fine. Still made it an extremely expensive vehicle even after that tax thing but hopefully it will be a long-term vehicle.

Our CPA had just done our taxes shortly after that purchase and I asked him about next year, explained the credit and all and he said "you need to find some more income if you want all of this back - you'll only get part of it since you won't owe 7500" so I figure on taking fewer deductions and pulling in some more income somehow to increase our tax bill.

 

[NHyde]

Yeah, it still qualifies for the full amount due to the USA sourced batteries even if they are made by a Korean company. They are made in the US by US people and that's what counts.
JL 4xe qualified until the rules were tweaked. We bought our 4xe in January and at that time the IRS said yeah, full amount. Then I think it was in April, that changed. We have the IRS form completed by the dealer so we're fine. Still made it an extremely expensive vehicle even after that tax thing but hopefully it will be a long-term vehicle.

Our CPA had just done our taxes shortly after that purchase and I asked him about next year, explained the credit and all and he said "you need to find some more income if you want all of this back - you'll only get part of it since you won't owe 7500" so I figure on taking fewer deductions and pulling in some more income somehow to increase our tax bill.

This will be our second time taking the credit. First in 2021 w/ an iD4 and now w/ the Pacifica. For us, it just reduces how much we pay in, so I will take it

 

[ShadowsPapa]

This will be our second time taking the credit. First in 2021 w/ an iD4 and now w/ the Pacifica. For us, it just reduces how much we pay in, so I will take it

We have expected taxed deducted before we see the money. It's generally pretty close in the end. So it won't impact our monthly living, however, next spring I'm thinking of using that chunk we get back to help pay off a chunk of our HVAC bill from this spring when our heat pump needed to be replaced. It should cover about 1/3 of the bill - a big help.
I can see it being nice for some who can say - hey, we won't need to let them have any money since we won't owe any/much in the end. You get it back through the year. Makes sense - each has their own needs/methods/ways/financial situations.
Those who make estimated payments - it's a nice thing as it happens more quickly.

 

[BearFootSam]

Poor sales as a result of one or more of the following (speculation on my part):

1) Current gas prices vs MPG of the Gladiator

2) $60k+ vs perceived value is a tough sell right now. Most people don't appreciate the capability. They just see an overpriced light duty pickup that really does nothing well that the typical family wants, compared to competition.

3) Bad press around the recalls that have prevented sales of stick shift and diesels, with more bad press around Jeep's inability to resolve, let alone quickly.

4) Early model year reliability issue perceptions that are still prevalent, despite improvements.

5) It's a niche vehicle, and perhaps most who like the design have already purchased. Is it a 'fad vehicle'? Is the fad dying as fads do?

*(5)* It is a niche vehicle to be sure but as the longevity of the Wrangler and it's near kin lineage attest, the niche isn't a fad. Enthusiasm for ''off road" & "overlander" vehicles (a fad) has not lost vigor judging by the number of new iterations (TRX, Ranger Raptor, Toyota's OL focused trims for 25'). In terms of the classic or OG off roader, Jeep is king and I expect the other marques will cut their respective off-roaders from lineups before we see the gladiator get the axe. I'm predicating this theory on the stance that the gladiator is a Wrangler derivative based on the part commonality.

Having got mine, low sales numbers will help future value assuming Jeep doesn't have a killer refresh. Hopes of such a refresh in the context of the regulatory pressures on the auto industry are limited. Weight, poor fuel economy and naturally aspirated engines are not long for the world. I assume the next gladiator, presuming there is one, will be victim of a lot more compromise than the current iteration within the context of Jeep purism. Case in point, I wouldn't be surprised if we lost the solid front axle within 5 years, one of the defining characteristics of a 'Jeep'.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

*(5)* It is a niche vehicle to be sure but as the longevity of the Wrangler and it's near kin lineage attest, the niche isn't a fad. Enthusiasm for ''off road" & "overlander" vehicles (a fad) has not lost vigor judging by the number of new iterations (TRX, Ranger Raptor, Toyota's OL focused trims for 25'). In terms of the classic or OG off roader, Jeep is king and I expect the other marques will cut their respective off-roaders from lineups before we see the gladiator get the axe. I'm predicating this theory on the stance that the gladiator is a Wrangler derivative based on the part commonality.

Having got mine, low sales numbers will help future value assuming Jeep doesn't have a killer refresh. Hopes of such a refresh in the context of the regulatory pressures on the auto industry are limited. Weight, poor fuel economy and naturally aspirated engines are not long for the world. I assume the next gladiator, presuming there is one, will be victim of a lot more compromise than the current iteration within the context of Jeep purism. Case in point, I wouldn't be surprised if we lost the solid front axle within 5 years, one of the defining characteristics of a 'Jeep'.

Look at Chevy advertising "factory lifted trucks". Would they have done that in the past? The other companies must have figured this fad would have died by now - oops, no, it's not, and Jeep is still going strong - time to get a part of that action.

Why would the solid front axle be lost?

 

[Wildtoad]

For your average truck buyer, the Gladiator is a tough sell. Let’s be honest, it’s not the best looking truck out there, not the most powerful. The Gladiator appeals to those that already appreciate the Wrangler brand, Wrangler capabilities for customization, and off roading capabilities.

My previous vehicle was a 2015 2dr Sahara HT which was in pristine condition but I wanted a truck so when I found a Gladiator that had all I wanted, it was a done deal. (Sold it to my neighbor)

I would love to know the profile of the people who are buying the 4Xe. A lot of money for a few extra MPG’s.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I would love to know the profile of the people who are buying the 4Xe. A lot of money for a few extra MPG’s.

Not sure there is one. Some buy because that's what you get if you want a certain color or set of options. I've been in other forums, one dedicated totally to 4xe, and the type of buyers appear all over the map, no real location or type, IMO.
The cost? Naw, the same if you bought when the tax credit was still the full 7500. But even after the rules changed, it's about the same with the lower tax credit.
We couldn't have bought a JLUR with a 3.6 any cheaper after factoring in the incentives. So for us, the cost was a total wash. And the torque blows away any other combo so if you want torque, the 4xe is a good option.

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