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Tacoma vs. Gladiator

Outside Reality Check

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I am a recovering Tacoma owner, 2 trucks over 18 years, cannot say a bad thing about them. Always loved Jeeps, always needed a truck, but I could never justify having both. The Gladiator came along and it was a no brainer. Each truck is a different animal in just about every respect, but I don't ever remember turning around to look at the Tacoma after parking it. The Gladiator is a very capable truck off the lot, but now it's a unique vehicle that I have tailored to my wants and needs. I could never even fathom spending $12K in mods on a Tacoma. With the Gladiator, it begs for mods, and I can't say no, and now she drives better than stock, capability beyond exception, and looks great doing it. No regrets, no buyers remorse, best truck I ever had.
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Chocolyle

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I have had 4 Tacomas, 3 M/T 1 Auto. Last vehicle before the JTR was my 87 Land Cruiser I had for 6 years. I have had the JTR for over a year now, just over 10K at this point and zero issues. A Sunrider is a must if you get the hard top.

What @OutsideRealityCheck said nails it! "but I don't ever remember turning around to look at the Tacoma after parking it." I still do, heck, making dinner last night I looked out the kitchen door to look at it.

I do have the manual, it is a great feeling shifter. Ride is fantadtic for a solid axle vehicle. Power is good. Fit and finish of material is above and beyond the Taco. Off road, it is a freaking goat. Doors off or on, roof open, look at it this way: its a truck that is also a convertible!

As for pickup duty, I have always had a 5' bed, no issues you make it work. Just picked up 12' P/T lumber a few weekends ago, no issues. Had the bed loaded up with stone, no issues, towed my 12x6 dump trailer, no issue.

The bad but workable:

-M/T gearing but manageable.
-Clutch but will be replaced sooner then later it is too light.
-7" radio drives me bonkers. Steering wheel track change every now and then doesn't work and playback once in a while sounds like a scratched CD. Rare but it is always during a great song. I have tried everything to replicate it and there is no reason I can come up with. This will be fixed soon too.
 

Hootbro

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Traded my 2019 Tacoma on my then purchased 2020 Gladiator and have regrets. The Tacoma was a typical Tacoma, boringly reliable. I would never recommend the Gladiator to any buyer who just sees it as basic transportation utility.
 
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TimC

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My first Taco was in 2019. New off the lot. Liked the truck mostly except for the engine/tranny combo. They were never in sync.. constantly shifting. It also had all the nanny shit that did nothing but annoy me and generated recalls. Put up with it for 2 years.
 
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James H

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Prior to my Glad, I put over 100k miles each on 3 Toyota trucks (2 tacos and 1 Tundra). They were very good, reliable trucks. After driving my Glad for a year now, no chance I will ever go back to Toyota. I have had zero issues with mine so far, and have done many trails that I wouldn't have been able to in the tacos/Tundra. Definitely agree with " I don't ever remember turning around to look at the Tacoma after parking it".
 

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ezekio3160

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I owned a Tacoma and now a JTR. No regrets. The way I view is the JTR is a high performance off road truck so more maintenance and taco is a low performance consumer car with low maintenance. Both are great. But I like high performance better.
 

DocMike

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Same. I looked at buying one. If you do not off road much get another Taco.

You can't run 35s on a Tacoma with out a serious lift and cutting. 37s even more so. Wanna mod it for real off road....put in a straight front axle.
The JT destroys the Tacoma and 4 Runner off road. It's to the point where my kids comment on how long it takes them to do things when we encounter them.

Convertible Truck. I should not have to explain. You are in Florida.

I felt the JT had a nicer interior and more room.

Sorry for your loss. I hope no one was hurt.

I tried to objectively drive both both. The JT has more power in the 3.6 and not even close compared to the diesel, better tech and kills the Tacoma off road in every way you can throw at it. The aftermarket seems to also be more economical. Oh and you get four disk brakes. Have you ever been topless or doorless in a taco?

The Tacoma is nice truck and it is known to be reliable so really not crapping on it. It’s just not a JT.
 

Volksparts

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I have both. I have been all over the place for the last 5 years in my 2017 Tacoma and it's my daily driver still to this day. I do have it built up though with a bunch of accessories and BP51 suspension and I like the ride a lot better both on and off road. These days the JT has become my off-road vehicle mainly because of it's capabilities. I just feel I can do and go so many more places with the JT. I also have a JK that many times I've offroaded btw that my girlfriend drives when we go out to the desert together. Originally the main reason I got a Tacoma was because the prices of the tacos were 10-15k cheaper and they are super reliable (other than peeling paint that had to be repaired on my white Tacoma. A known issue). However, with the current Toyota markup and supply here in socal the taco prices are creeping up to almost the same prices as a jeep so for anyone in the market to me a JT is the better deal. Let alone JT deals can be found if you look for them. Either way though Taco or JT you're winning. Aftermarket support is strong for both trucks though with a great forums for both. Parts are everywhere. But, here's a few big pros for the Gladiator.
- bunch of great jeep shows, clubs, shops. Way more than for Tacos
- can more easily put 35+ sized tires
- it's American made and you will get more respect (reminds me of the same with Harleys)
- around socal I see so many more Tacos than JTs. So I wanted something that stood out more.
- the Gladiator is a lot more roomier inside for both you and the the front passenger and rear passengers


Good luck deciding.
Dave
 
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Bantam

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I’ve never had a Tacoma, but if Jeep didn’t make the JT there’s a good possibility I’d have wound up in one. Love my Wranglers but needed a bed and a full-size truck would be overkill. I think the JT interior is nicer and there’s more room for passengers than the Taco. This is still my favorite vehicle I’ve owned and so far can only see replacing it with another Gladiator.

Both good vehicles I think, one is just a bit more of an appliance.
 

Ward

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I made the switch from a 2018 TRD OR manual transmission to a 21 Mojave AT this last February. To explain my reasoning I need to furnish a bit of background.
I'll be 80 years old in a couple of months & my wife isn't too far behind. We were both reared in Southern Nevada & were neighbors as school kids. We both grew up around off road activities, me more so with dirt bikes & my Father's Jeeps. I raced motorcycles in AMA Dist 37 & after a tour in the USMC from 61 to 65 entered the US Border Patrol in Yuma, AZ.
My first assigned vehicle was a 64 Scout & I served my career in the desert SW in Texas, AZ, & NM both as Border Patrol & a US Customs Agent working drug smuggling interdiction. I had countless miles in 4x4's of every make & many pursuits on dirt roads & two tracks.
I've always owned a personal vehicle in 4WD including several Jeeps, Cherokees, Grand Cherokees, & a 97 TJ I sold to a neighbor to purchase the 18 TRD OR Manual transmission.
My wife suffered a fractured left tibia this January & could no longer manage a clutch.
In the four plus years I had the Tacoma I developed a strong dislike concerning several issues/features I noticed. The low seating position was comfortable for distance driving but did not lend itself to adequate over the hood visibility off road. The leaf spring rear suspension was terrible on the many washboard roads around SW Colorado where we reside. (my previous TJ was superior). The on/off power delivery & high gearing, especially in reverse made technical driving a challenge. And finally, a 800 mile round trip pulling a two ATV trailer through central NM left me very disappointed as the Taco was almost powerless & required constant downshifting & high RPM to maintain any speed.
One short drive in the 2021Mojave ( Sept. 21 manufacture with new PCU) with AT and all the above issues were solved. The best being great power by comparison making an altogether pleasurable driving experience. Like many other posters here, the good looks & 3K trouble free & pleasurable miles have made this JT our best 4x4 ever.
I just hope to be able to wear this JT out & need another.
 

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chadinsc

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Same. I looked at buying one. If you do not off road much get another Taco.

You can't run 35s on a Tacoma with out a serious lift and cutting. 37s even more so. Wanna mod it for real off road....put in a straight front axle.
The JT destroys the Tacoma and 4 Runner off road. It's to the point where my kids comment on how long it takes them to do things when we encounter them.

Convertible Truck. I should not have to explain. You are in Florida.

I felt the JT had a nicer interior and more room.
i agree with your kids. when i end up behind a toyota on the trail i call them the rolling road block. a solid walker could cover ground faster when it gets rough.
 

336mike

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I’ve had two Tacomas - sold my ‘21 for close to what I paid for it to buy my used Gladiator. Nothing wrong with the Tacoma at all. Great trucks but I just liked the versatility and mod options of the Jeep. To me, the Gladiator is just more fun for my lifestyle.
 

DocMike

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I'll say this: If I was just driving on the road with the occasional light off roading and I could get a convertible Tacoma, I would probably look at it real hard. I wanted that early 2000's Tacoma...badly. It was about as Colorado as a Subaru. But I feel those were better trucks.

I would also be real curious how one sets up for desert bombing like a TRX, Mojave, or a Raptor. It might shine like that. TRD Supercharged with the right mods...

I like that the cab of the JT allows me to fit 4 kids and a 65 pound dog. It's not ideal, but we make it work.

I have wheeled with enough of them to know I don't want one.
Yes...with enough money you can mod anything to kick ass. It's also your right to spend the money.
For serious off road stuff, you are wanting SFA.

Frankly the JT has more soul and personality when driving it.



i agree with your kids. when i end up behind a toyota on the trail i call them the rolling road block. a solid walker could cover ground faster when it gets rough.
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M21TJG

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Fun Factor needs to be considered. I've had 3 tacomas 4 4runners and an Fj cruiser. All great reliable trucks. So freekin boring to drive! My deciding factor on my JT was how much fun I had just getting behind the wheel.

I work from home and park my Jeep right out my office window so I can look at it all day!
 

MPMB

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We were originally looking at a Tacoma before we bought the Gladiator.

We test drove a used '18 TRD Pro. The tires were atrocious (I think M/Ts), as it wouldn't keep the rear end under it going up hills on a wet road.

I wasn't a fan of the driving position. But we were this || close to getting one. The final deal breaker was the additional dealer mark-up. In Bellingham, it was $2500 over MSRP, for a vehicle that "might" be here in two weeks. In the Seattle area, the mark-up was $7500-$10k.

The only downside to the Jeep (other than price) was the seats. They're not that comfortable on long drives. We've mitigated that with seat cushions that don't hamper the heated seats.

Our vehicle requirements were: mid-size truck, 4x4/AWD, heated seats, sunroof, blind spot, backup cam. Gladiator and Tacoma were/are the only ones that fit that.
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