Why the High Altitude?

[Wheelin98TJ]

Solid axle jeeps don't handle on the road particularly well.

There is nothing you can to to fix that. So for me a High Altitude combines the worst of all worlds. Low profile tires so you can't go off road without worrying about pinching a sidewall, but yet it still doesn't handle worth a crap on road.

I do get that if you needed a modestly capable pickup and wanted a convertible with no interest in going off road, then the HA may be the one. But even if you want to do fire roads the low profile tires on the HA are a liability.

Swap tires and lift it like any other Jeep. That’s what I did.

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[HouseOfWolves]

It's your rig, who gives a flying fuck what anyone else has to say?

 

[Aonarch]

Painted bumpers and 20s are an immediate no for me.

To each their own.

 

[dcmdon]

Swap tires and lift it like any other Jeep. That’s what I did.

Interesting. Some back of the napkin math shows that a 315/70-20 will be about 37" tall with the same height sidewall as any other 315/70.

I do think the diamond stitched leather is sexy as hell.

 

[WILDHOBO]

New to forum and proud owner of 2021 JT Gladiator High Altitude.

Had it for about two months, but had been watching Gladiators since they released and fell in love with the High Altitude trim. Why the hate? It was tough to find any info about the trim and when you did, it was typically a gripe about a Jeep on 20s.

Looking for other HA owners to chime in on why it was the option for them for potential buyers.

I live in the city and plan to do little to no rock crawling whatsoever. I might hit a mild trail enroute to a camp site or outdoor activity (we do enjoy the Indiana Dunes from time to time), but 90% of my JTs use is a daily driver in the city. We get a fair amount of snow in Winter and I'm coming from a Challenger that took a BEATING on the street with potholes and lots of bottoming out on uneven pavement. I love the "rugged luxury" of the HA, and the ability to do/go wherever I need to. It's been the perfect "Dadmobile" for hauling all the stuff that also gets looks because its so polished. A few mods (MBRP exhaust, antennae, tonneau cover and a leveling kit) and I'm completely satisfied and love being in it. Can wait to peel off panels for the summer and beach days with the family. Why did you get your HA?

Sounds like you like it for all the right reasons. It sounds like it fits your desired uses quite well. It’s a very nice trim package, that works for some and not for others, just like the other trims. Congrats. Nice looking Jeep.

 

[redriderjf87]

I have always hated the excessive amount of plastic and black fiber glass my TJ had. And its even worse on the newer models. Black fenders look like large garbage lids.
I love that Jeep decided to paint the plastic on the HA. My only complaint is that the $500 Auto-4WD was included with the trim. I have also always wanted a custom ECD Defender 130. The me the HA is very close to it.

The HA trim isn't necessarily my thing, but I do like the interior color treatment.

I don't get the naming of High Altitude though, if it's on big rims you're probably not taking it up a mountain trail..

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

A lid for every pot.

 

[Wageslave]

One of the things that Jeep gets right that most others don't is that the different trims of Gladiator are not hierarchical.

The Rubicons are built for rocks, the Mojaves are built for sand and high speed wheeling, the Willys are built to be low cost-of-entry rigs that are great bases for custom builds, and the Overlands are built for on road comfort and, well, overlanding. The High Altitude is built with primary focus on looks and comfort while maintaining off-road prowess.

Some people balk at the thought of the High Altitude because they think that the compromises to on-road comfort and looks take too much away from its off-road ability for it to be a "Real Jeep™"

If you like it and it suits what you want out of a Jeep, screw 'em.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Solid axle jeeps don't handle on the road particularly well.

Oh please don't go there again!

Yes, they do - unless you have problems or have modified it without a clear plan.
Grand Cherokee had solid axles for years and guess who the big customers were - women and city folks. They handled great. Mine is great on the highway - you've seen how I've driven it and how fast I've driven it. If there was a problem, my wife would have definitely let me know as she's used to her more current rack and pinion Grand Cherokee.
There is absolutely no reason at all they should not handle like anything else while on streets and highways. Not at all. They have caster, camber, toe, toe out on turns, SAI, scrub radius, all very close to the same angles and settings of IFS vehicles. They would only be different on bumps, ruts, and rough roads where the axle articulates because the track bar (or panhard) will tend to move the axle laterally as it swings in an arc (made worse by high lifts)

You've bought into that old internet bit that keeps getting repeated by people who have loose or worn parts, bigger tires, wheels with the wrong backset or offset and big lifts.
A stock Gladiator will handle on the streets and highways like any other vehicle - if it doesn't there's a problem.

Solid axle vehicles not handling well is pure bunk, BS, propagated by those not understanding steering.

It’s so cool that “JEEP” has all these trim levels to fit what the customer wants. I glad you guys like your HA Gladiator. I have a Rubicon model, that was my cup of tea. Welcome the the Gladiator community.

I've said it before - Jeep must diversify to survive. They must build for and sell to the current/modern buyer.
If they do not then the hardcore macho cliff-climbing guys will loose their toys. Jeep cannot survive if they don't sell to people like my sister-in-law, brother, son, wife, etc. The haters of anything that's not Mojave or Rubicon here aren't keeping Jeep alive, younger, more diverse buyers are.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The Rubicons are built for rocks, the Mojaves are built for sand and high speed wheeling, the Willys are built to be low cost-of-entry rigs that are great bases for custom builds, and the Overlands are built for on road comfort and, well, overlanding. The High Altitude is built with primary focus on looks and comfort while maintaining off-road prowess.

It's a damn truck - it hauls, it tows, it does everything any mid-size truck can do and some things most can't.
The HA is more like Overland than anything else.

Tow, haul landscape blocks, camp, daily driver, pulling people out of ditches, and more.......... not everyone lives in the mountains or has 10,000' rocky hills to climb next door. Not everyone has or cares about logging roads. There's plenty of fun things - including off road, that can be done with the HA tires and wheels. Grand Cherokee has large wheels and yet there's a lot of videos out there about them roughing it, too. (GC beat Land Rover Defender in the snow)

 

[ArmyMP]

The HA trim isn't necessarily my thing, but I do like the interior color treatment.

I don't get the naming of High Altitude though, if it's on big rims you're probably not taking it up a mountain trail..

There are other ways of getting high without going to the mountains.

Dubs and subs are targeted at a certain market.


Lol

 

[redriderjf87]

There are other ways of getting high without going to the mountains.

Dubs and subs are targeted at a certain market.


Lol

If we're talking about other types of high, I guess lol. If we're talking about getting to actual high altitude, I'm still confused on the point of the name for that trim. Yeah I know it's marketing, doesn't have to make sense...

 

[TwelveGaugeSage]

Solid axle vehicles not handling well is pure bunk, BS, propagated by those not understanding steering.

Hear hear! I believe Nascar just finally went to independent rear suspension recently. I wonder if there have been any noticeable handling improvements leading to faster lap times.

I love my solid axles and the way they articulate. I will be sad if the Wrangler platform ever goes to independent suspension.

 

[azmojave]

That Eagle is awesome! I always wanted one of those back in the day. Looks clean.

 

[TheOpa]

I support and respect your HA choice primarily because I just bought one a few weeks ago. If your opinion and mine are the same, clearly you are correct in your choice, right?
Seriously though, my last Jeep was a while ago - a CJ7 - and I totally get the minimalist approach to a Jeep also. For me, I do like the color matched everything and even like the 20’s as the basis for my build. I’ll start a build thread if my Covid-delayed parts ever actually arrive. This time my Gladiator represents 1) a truck, 2) a return to Jeep and off roading, camping, etc, and 3) whatever the heck else I choose to do with it. I chose the HA because I do like the look and all the upgrades in the interior. I planned to put the full suspension, tires, my own choice of wheels, etc so all of those things are of no consequence because they are all going away anyway. As already said by others in this thread, I really appreciate the individual choices people make to customize their Jeeps and really like that we are all not driving exactly the same thing.

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