Yes, it was pretty heavily modified and yes, it was expensive. Terrific result, though. One thing 4Runners really have going for them, as overlanding rigs, is a MUCH larger and more usable cargo area. It's almost laughable how compromised my JK looked next to his 4Runner.
Full review @ http://www.fourwheeler.com/news/features/1907-nena-knows-jeeps-gladiator-comparison/
As for my expectations of the Gladiator overall, I must say it surpassed them. I was concerned that driving the Gladiator would feel like settling for mediocre capabilities in between the Wrangler...
What you want are stronger springs. The spacers will cure the droopy look, but won't address any underlying issue with the springs being too soft for the load.
Good riddance to the OEM padded wraps. They were fussy, prone to fading to purple, and completely ineffective at protecting anyone. I have them on my JK. I certainly won't miss them on my JT.
I hope we all get ours as soon as is reasonable. I was disappointed by the lack of a steel bumper, but it's not that big a deal to pull the plastic-fantastic unit and install one later. I actually went back and forth a bit on matching fenders. The look terrific, but I overland quite a bit and...
Getting a manual is totally worth it. But in the meantime, my recently arrived Gladiator-specific
license plate is going to look funny on my JK. Oh well. I wanted to make sure I got it, once I realized it was available.
Cool! Then Punk'n JTRs with black cloth or black leather will have a red dash, while Punk'n JLs will have a silver one. That makes Punk'n JTs pretty unique!
Looks like the differences are navigation, HD Radio, drag and drop menu bar, and Sirius Travel Link and SiriusXM Traffic Plus. It's not entirely clear whether you also have to go 8.4" to get the Off Road Pages, but it appears the answer is yes.
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Uconnect® 4 with...
I see you've owned plenty of Jeeps and I respect your opinion, but your case against the manual seems a bit overstated. I've got 10 years of overlanding experience, all with a manual. A buddy of mine has taken his manual JK 260,000 miles, much of it on overlanding trips (he's retired). I'm...