Comparing Gladiator to Current Truck (F150) - Didn't Fall in Love Like I Wanted To

[WXman]

Newb here. First post. Pertinent topic for me.
I have a 2008 JKU built pretty nice. EVO suspension. 37” tires, and so on. Has about 120k miles on it. Many of them are hard miles off the beaten path. I’m not as confident taking it over the remote passes in CO any more. Things are breaking. So I’m looking at options.
I also have a 2013 F150. 115k miles on it. I want to transition it to my ranch truck. So I’m looking at new trucks.

I can absolutely see myself being very happy in a built up Gladiator. It would take me into the mountains just like my JKU can, And it serves the purpose of a truck to a good degree.

But I’m also looking at an F250 bc my needs for a stronger truck will grow down the road.

I’m really torn at this part. And like the others who have commented, “It’s a Jeep thing” is VERY REAL!. I have loved my Jeep. My heart is leaning towards the GLADIATOR.

But my brain says “F250” again and again!!
Ford is coming out with the Tremor which is supposed to have improved off road capability.

But it will never be a Jeep.

#TheStruggleIsReal

I giggle when I hear the Tremor name because that used to be a package on the little Ranger pickups that gave you a wicked audio system. Now they're using the name on the biggest truck they make as an off-road package. Lol. Ford is horrible at proper usage of trademarks and nameplates. Sort of like how they're now killing the Mustang and Mach 1 names by diluting them on an ugly electric golf cart. But I digress....

The 2020 F-250 with that new big block gas engine will be a sweet truck, but I can't imagine taking a 7,000 lb. monster into the trail systems. There are a lot of places where a truck that big just will not fit.

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[Jt-wrx]

A half ton is the most versatile vehicle going. It does more things really well than all other vehicles available. Work, play, family. It is the ultimate swiss army knife.

The Gladiator is the most versatile mid-size truck and lifestyle vehicle going. It can't do as many things as well as the full size half tons but it can do several things better than half tons, at the trade off of doing several things not nearly as good as a half ton. It's more like a leatherman.

A Gladiator also has an 'it' factor. Half tons don't. So if you need practicality above all else, then half ton is for you. If you can get by with the capabilities of the Gladiator and like to be 'moved' by your vehicle then it's tough to beat a Gladiator.

There's nothing like the Gladiator on the road in terms of being an emotional vehicle while still being a versatile daily.

 

[whiteglad]

I'm keeping my Ram 3500 diesel single rear wheel pickup for heavy towing. It has a second fuel tank in the bed, so there isn't much more space than the Glad has, but if you were hauling lead bricks, it could hold a lot more--about 4000 lb. rather than 1500. It is way better at heavy towing, of course, but it weighs about 8000 lb. on the hoof, and as my daughter says: "it's fat." Well, it is, and so is an F150 or Ram 1500. Six inches wider and longer. Not a trail vehicle at all, even with 4wd. I took my 1997 Ram diesel on a lot of trails, but it weighed about 1500 lb. less even though it too was "fat." It also got a lot of trail "pinstriping" from squeezing between trees/brush on two-tracks.

Bottom line, for me: the Ram with 55k on the odometer stays in the garage until I need to tow a heavy trailer. The Glad is for everything else, and can do some towing as well. I have a light open trailer if I don't want to cram a bunch of plywood sheets into the Glad.

 

[whiteglad]

There's nothing like the Gladiator on the road in terms of being an emotional vehicle while still being a versatile daily.

The Gladiator is the ultimate emotional support vehicle, and the only one that is groundhog rated!

 

[Jt-wrx]

So i went from a 2014 Ram 1500 crew cab SLT shortbox 4x pentastar 8spd to a Gladiator. I knew i was going make some sacrifices...comfort/ride/handling, interior space, box space. It's downsides for me were using as a daily for downtown commute and family vehicle was somewhat cumbersome size wise, narrow streets, banging the mirrors of stuff, had a million door dings after 6 years. My trailer and box needs could be met by a midsize and so i knew the midsize segment was where i was headed. Loved that truck, best trucks on the market, it got wrote off in a wreck so i ended up in a JT way earlier than anticipated but there was no doubt which midsize i was going to end up with once the JT came out. Here's some give/take.

Dimensions:
Length - Ram 19.1', JT 18.1' (-1')
Width - Ram Body 79.4", JT 73.8" (-5.6")
Width - Ram Mirrors 103.5", JT 77" (-26.5"!...that's over 2' narrower wingtips!)
Ground Clearance Ram - 9.1", JT 10.1 to 11.1" (2" mopar on 35's puts that up to 12.1"...+3" for mine)

Ram SLT carries more fuel, gets better mileage with same power train, long range winner. Ram starts life about 650 lbs heavier than the JT sport S, about 150 lbs heavier than loaded rubicon. Ram box a bit wider, bit longer, and deeper also. Ram always got to my downed deer/moose but mostly farm country, the jeep will be a whole different level offroad than any half ton. Height the ram could squeak into 6'4" parkades, the stock JT sport s could squeak into a 6'2" parkade, my sport s with 2" mopar on 35's can get into 6'6" parkades. (edit...hardtop!, soft top on the JT is taller)

For midsize the JT is on the bigger end and closer to half ton than all the rest of the midsize segment, space, capability etc. But is the offroad wizard aside from the colorado zr2 (baby raptor).

 

[whiteglad]

Those door dings really bother me. Especially with aluminum doors. Soon after getting my 2017 Recon, I parked it at a mall and waited for my wife to get something. Wouldn't you know it, someone parked a car right next to me, and then heaved herself out of it, slamming her door open in the process, right into my super stout rock rail! Remembering that incident, I lost no time getting Rock Hard angled up sliders for my JT.

 

[Jt-wrx]

Those door dings really bother me. Especially with aluminum doors. Soon after getting my 2017 Recon, I parked it at a mall and waited for my wife to get something. Wouldn't you know it, someone parked a car right next to me, and then heaved herself out of it, slamming her door open in the process, right into my super stout rock rail! Remembering that incident, I lost no time getting Rock Hard angled up sliders for my JT.

Yes me too, when i saw the JT, the black plastic fenders front and rear, and the overland running boards...i saw door ding protection front to rear! and got pretty excited about it, i sat in my truck countless times to have someone or their kids get out and bang doors into me, one of my pet peeves of the half ton. But whereas the outer envelope of the half ton is call it 'full' around the wheels front to back...the Jeeps outer envelope is more wasp like and rides inside the wheels front to back. That's why i like the non-painted fenders, but most do bigger fatter tires with 4.5" bs which protect even those, then those plastic side steps could prove worth it just as protection from the a-holes of the world. I park with fearless abandon and haven't seen one yet in about 5000 miles, so fingers crossed my theory is correct, get it up in the air a bit so those side steps catch those doors, the wheels/fender flares will cover front and back from the really special parkers lol.

 

[VictoryLights]

I think the reason want to compare it to their full size trucks so often is because they are priced the same. In my mind, that makes it a fair comparison. To buy a gladiator, you have to be willing to rationalize that you can get a larger, more luxurious, more capable vehicle for the same price. You are paying for the concept of a convertible mid size pickup that is a Jeep. Just my opinion.

 

[rr11]

As others have said two different class of trucks. A gladiator will never out tow a full size truck. They are designed for different jobs. I complained about the 5 foot bed but the 150 is a 5 1/2 foot bed. I kept my F250 as a tow truck and bought the Gladiator for a beach truck. Best surf fishing rig I have owned.

 

[Jt-wrx]

I think the reason want to compare it to their full size trucks so often is because they are priced the same. In my mind, that makes it a fair comparison. To buy a gladiator, you have to be willing to rationalize that you can get a larger, more luxurious, more capable vehicle for the same price. You are paying for the concept of a convertible mid size pickup that is a Jeep. Just my opinion.

you could also likely buy a used motorhome or travel van for less than both, bigger and more luxurious are your goals maybe neither of these options are right for you

you're comparing the most unique and versatile motor vehicle you can get for under 100k to a half ton pick up lol, it just happens to be a crew cab mid-size pick up truck

it also happens to be a convertible, that you can take the doors off and fold the windshield down, it's also a solid axle jeep, it has other sports car like features that enthusiast drivers love, like t-roofs on the hard top, like standard transmissions, being a jeep the aftermarket support to make it to your vision is better than anything else on 4-wheels, nothing can touch it for off road builds, and because of all these things it falls into legacy vehicle territory, something you keep forever and fix as needed over time

what mine does for me is it replaces my motorbike, it is my family mini-van, grocery go-getter, truck for play of all sorts such as hunting, fishing, camping, trailer towing etc. and it gives me my sports car jollies rolling the gears and hearing the aftermarket exhaust

no half ton can do this, if you need max comfort and luxury for family duty and not a lot of what i just mentioned then the next most versatile and smart vehicle you can get in north america is the half ton trucks, the half tons will lead the mid size trucks in those areas of comfort and space etc. but can't do all the stuff above and they don't really make you look back every time you walk away from it...or make you smile every time you walk back up to it

 

[Jt-wrx]

As others have said two different class of trucks. A gladiator will never out tow a full size truck. They are designed for different jobs. I complained about the 5 foot bed but the 150 is a 5 1/2 foot bed. I kept my F250 as a tow truck and bought the Gladiator for a beach truck. Best surf fishing rig I have owned.

ya my ram had the 5 1/2' box, doesn't sound like much difference than a 5' but when it's also several inches shallower, it's not near the 'bucket' the 5 1/2' box is on a half ton

having said that, i'm finding i get along with the glad box just fine

 

[jmdwifi]

Mine gets slightly better gas mileage than my Tundra, bouncy ass ride compared to the Tundra, way less power, and carries way less. My Gladiator is one of the coolest vehicles I have ever owned. I smile when I drive it and when I see it in the driveway. The Tundra never made me smile, it was just sensible.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

So I went to my local dealership to check out a Gladiator that they had on the lot, Firecracker Red Overland. The Jeep was fantastic and my wife even gave me the go-ahead if I wanted to buy it and liked the interior. However, I just didn't feel good enough to move forward.

Here are my issues:
Towing Capacity -> I currently tow my 21' boat with my 2015 F150 5.0 without issue. I estimate that boat + trailer is ~5000 lbs. I take long trips to the coast or to other lakes and pulling the trailer I get 14mpg at 70 mph. It has plenty of power, smooth, tons of cargo space, etc. I just can't bring myself to think that the V6 with at least 100 less horse power and more than 100 less torque is going to perform that well doing the same task.

Bed Volume -> We use my current truck as our family vehicle for travel quite often. It has a tonneau cover and it can haul quite a bit. The bed size of the Gladiator looks small and is small. I pulled some specs on bed volume. F150 5.5' bed = 52.8 cubic feed. Gladiator bed = 35.5 cubic feet. In fact I was curious because we used to have a JKUR and the cargo space in an Unlimited is ~ 30-31 cubic feet. This would be a hit to stuff I can carry, not to mention the decrease in payload capacity. It seems at holiday time every year that the back of the truck ends up getting filled hauling stuff to all our families in other states, I don't know how this would work in the Gladiator.

Interior Space-> This is known but it is much smaller than my F150. This is probably the least of my worries however, I love the huge flat floor space in my F150 with the seats are folded up. Often I find myself hauling stuff inside the cab with the seats folded up, you just slide the large box in across the floor.

I was hoping that getting to sit in the Gladiator and check it out would push me over the edge, but it just hasn't done it. I really love the concept and still want one but just don't think it makes sense for me.

Then don't get one. This sounds like a Camry driver complaining the Mini Cooper is just too small.

Same reason but reverse as to why I didn't get an F150. I don't need the massive bed, I don't tow, and I really don't like the Ford interiors.

:shrug:

 

[Murgatroid]

So I went to my local dealership to check out a Gladiator that they had on the lot, Firecracker Red Overland. The Jeep was fantastic and my wife even gave me the go-ahead if I wanted to buy it and liked the interior. However, I just didn't feel good enough to move forward.

Here are my issues:
Towing Capacity -> I currently tow my 21' boat with my 2015 F150 5.0 without issue. I estimate that boat + trailer is ~5000 lbs. I take long trips to the coast or to other lakes and pulling the trailer I get 14mpg at 70 mph. It has plenty of power, smooth, tons of cargo space, etc. I just can't bring myself to think that the V6 with at least 100 less horse power and more than 100 less torque is going to perform that well doing the same task.

Bed Volume -> We use my current truck as our family vehicle for travel quite often. It has a tonneau cover and it can haul quite a bit. The bed size of the Gladiator looks small and is small. I pulled some specs on bed volume. F150 5.5' bed = 52.8 cubic feed. Gladiator bed = 35.5 cubic feet. In fact I was curious because we used to have a JKUR and the cargo space in an Unlimited is ~ 30-31 cubic feet. This would be a hit to stuff I can carry, not to mention the decrease in payload capacity. It seems at holiday time every year that the back of the truck ends up getting filled hauling stuff to all our families in other states, I don't know how this would work in the Gladiator.

Interior Space-> This is known but it is much smaller than my F150. This is probably the least of my worries however, I love the huge flat floor space in my F150 with the seats are folded up. Often I find myself hauling stuff inside the cab with the seats folded up, you just slide the large box in across the floor.

I was hoping that getting to sit in the Gladiator and check it out would push me over the edge, but it just hasn't done it. I really love the concept and still want one but just don't think it makes sense for me.

That is why there are so many choices. For me, it is the only choice, I wanted a convertible and had a CLK350 Mercedes, but I also have a couple of sailboats and plan on adding at least one more, so needed a tow vehicle. I don't tow much, and I hate driving a full size truck. Even the heaviest sailboat I would get has a weight of a little over 6000 lbs. so no need for full size truck. When it came out I was one of the first in line and after over a year of ownership, I know I made the best choice. My oldest son has a Ridgeline, for most urban folks it is the perfect truck, has the cabin of a full size, a usable bed with a trunk. Great for the lumbar yard or the garden center. Able to tow, rides the smoothest of any truck. Perfect truck for him. My nephew has a stone counter top business and needs his full size 3/4 ton truck when he tows stone, perfect for him.

 

[DirkG]

OP, this is the formula you need to weigh...obviously you're still pondering (hence your post):

Convertible + door less capability + off-road prowess + fun factor (drive) + Jeep fun factor (people love to talk about it) <=> Full size interior + full size bed + V8 / Ecoboost + worriless towing

This is my first Jeep and my first truck; I've owned a lot of nice cars over the years and this one (thus far) is my favorite. I've never had attention like this in a vehicle - people love coming up and talking about it. I love driving it. There's something about having the top off (I have yet to take off the doors) and cruising down your favorite highway.

F150s are nice trucks for sure, but there's just "something" intangible about driving the Gladiator.

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