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Gladiator's Off-road capabilities vs JL

rezar1

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Hello, new to the site.

I was hoping to get some opinions. I was very close on pulling the trigger on JL Rubicon until I saw the new Gladiator. It looks amazing and combines all 3 different things I am looking for; 4x4, convertible and a truck combined.

The question I had was around off-road capabilities of Gladiator vs JL. Do you think it will be comparable or would be at a disadvantage?

The reason I ask is that when I was watching an interview with the design head, the question was asked (if the off-road capabilities of Gladiator is the same as the JL and he didn't answer the question on purpose. He pivoted to another feature.)

So I am not sure. I don't want to sacrifice that aspect of it for the truck feature of the Gladiator. What do you guys think?
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Ian cj10

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break over angle due to longer wheel base & to a lesser degree the departure angle will be the main things that will get it hung up but unless you want to rock crawl or cross creeks with steep banks i dont think youll have any problems anyway thats what a winch is for;)
 

Mac

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All things being equal the Gladiator will be at a disadvantage, heavier, longer wheelbase, lower breakover angle and longer overhang in the rear, but it will still be way more capable than anything other than a Wrangler
 

AdrenalineRush

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In regards to comparing it to what else is available. What Mac said, ... to a degree.

Stock vs stock, maybe not. But overall capability, yes.

Let me explain. I'll be moving to a JT next year to increase capability over the Chevy ZR2 I have now. My ZR2 is a wonderful truck, and works very well in the desert for exploring. The suspension, handling, power are all really good, and it has lockers front and rear that really help out. But the limits of the ZR2 are the pathetically small 30" tires that GM sends it out with, and the fact that you can't fit more than a 32" tire without major changes that would negate the benefits of the ZR2 package. I have found that in the mountains, in deep snow, and other places that require better ground clearance, that the ZR2 really finds its limits fast, because of small tire size. For most of my life I have been used to Jeeps, often with 35s or 37s, and this ZR2 with 30s isn't doing it for a lot of areas I like to go exploring. The JT has a 9" longer wheelbase than my ZR2, which I don't like, but the overall length is only 4" longer, so the overhangs are less. Comparing a stock ZR2 to a stock JT I would bet they are pretty equal in capability. The difference lies in the aftermarket support that is going to be available for the JT. After just a 2" lift and 37s, it is going to totally transform the JT as far as offroad capability goes. At that point it becomes much better than my ZR2, which is why I'll be making the switch.
 

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Off-road off the lot your most capable Jeep would be the JL, then JLU, then Gladiator.

There are some instances where the longer wheelbase of the Gladiator come in handy (more stability), however you need more lift and tire size on the Gladiator to get to the same level of capability that the JL/JLU are at off the lot.

When I bought the JKU Rubicon off the lot I had issues overcoming the break over angle until I hit the 3" lift and 35" tire size, and 4" and 37" was even better.

I am guessing that with the larger wheel openings I would expect a 3" lift and 40" tires is the sweet spot to get the Gladiator very off road capable.
 

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Vegas_Sirk

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Like everyone said in an off-road competition the Wrangler will be better than the Gladiator. With that said you need to look at your individual needs and see why type of off-roading you want to do and how often. If your rock crawling the Wrangler might be a better fit for you needs, but if your on fire roads, and basic trails, or in the desert there isn't going to be much difference between the two. In fact in the desert and on fire roads the Gladiator might be better with its new locking rear 4wd high set up which is a first on any Jeep.
 

eternus

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Off-road is one of those fuzzy words that means different things to different people... so being precise definitely helps in defining what you want.

If you mean you plan to rock crawl, the JL and JLU will dominate, as mentioned above, breakover angle and length work against the JT

If you're mudding or "sand duning" then the JT Rubicon may work better for having the high speed rear-locker, again mentioned above.

The nice thing about the Wrangler/Gladiator "platforms" is that they are SUPER easy to upgrade to overcome shortcomings. My recommendation is to not get hung up on having the most options... new vehicle sales depend on you thinking you have to have the best of the best of the best... and you probably don't.

You'll have a compromise to make in every category based on what you choose. Personally, I encourage you to get a JL so that it's one less person trying to get in line before me when I go to buy my truck. (c:
 

drogers

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Like everyone said in an off-road competition the Wrangler will be better than the Gladiator
That completely depends on what your 'off-road' competiton consists of. I'd bet a Galdiator would feel a lot better bombing a sand trail at 60+, be more stable in a hill climb, and be able to cary more speed on rutted, bumpy trails.

That said, JLs and JLUs (to a lesser extent) have a definite advantage in breakover and departure angle.
 

eternus

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I suppose its worth mentioning the marketing speaking point... Trail Ready & Rubicon. That's to say, the Rubicon spec'd Gladiator DID traverse the actual Rubicon trail so... it's no slouch at Off-roading.
 

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We bought a 2 door JLR with a 6 spd for off-road use and buying the JT to replace our GC for those days out with the family where I wish I had the JLR.
 

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Off-road off the lot your most capable Jeep would be the JL, then JLU, then Gladiator.

There are some instances where the longer wheelbase of the Gladiator come in handy (more stability), however you need more lift and tire size on the Gladiator to get to the same level of capability that the JL/JLU are at off the lot.

When I bought the JKU Rubicon off the lot I had issues overcoming the break over angle until I hit the 3" lift and 35" tire size, and 4" and 37" was even better.

I am guessing that with the larger wheel openings I would expect a 3" lift and 40" tires is the sweet spot to get the Gladiator very off road capable.
what's the difference between a JL and JLU?
 

Ian cj10

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jlu is longer therefore breakover angle would suffer but the longer wheelbase will help with stability & ride quality
 

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rezar1

rezar1

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Thank you all for your feedback. Quick question based on one of the post, when Gladiator gets the Rubicon badge, does that mean that it has gone through the Rubicon trail? I saw some videos of the trail and that's exactly what I had in mind. Little bit of everything in terms of off-roading.
 

Ian cj10

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Thank you all for your feedback. Quick question based on one of the post, when Gladiator gets the Rubicon badge, does that mean that it has gone through the Rubicon trail? I saw some videos of the trail and that's exactly what I had in mind. Little bit of everything in terms of off-roading.
yep you got it
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