smoverland
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- First Name
- Riley
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- Jun 14, 2019
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- 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave
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Hey y'all! Feel free to check out the review with photos here.
Three Thousand Miles with My Jeep Gladiator
Coming around a bend, the off-road pages on the dash display approaches 20° of incline. To the left is a tree and a large boulder; to the right is the clay face of a North Carolina mountain. Beneath, the stock Bridgestone Dueler All-Terrains spin in the loose gravel and wet earth. Finally—a chance to test the 4WD.
The truck has just over 300 miles on the odometer, and my brother-in-law and I are on a trail searching for the spot he and his 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road got stuck a few months ago. Just over two miles into the densely-forested trail, we’ve encountered our first challenge—a steep, curving section with limited room to maneuver, especially in a long vehicle.
The initial pull of the 4WD shifter feels stiff and hesitant. It feels like the first time I dropped into 4WD in my JKU. It feels new. With a little convincing, though, the 4WD system engages with a slight clunk, and we ease up the hill. Well, that was uneventful.
Coming from a JKU with AEV suspension and 35” Mickey Thompsons, driving a stock Jeep feels almost foreign both on and off the road. Obstacles seem more intimidating, and the limbs that reach out into the trail seem more like daggers than minor inconveniences, but hey, it’s a Jeep—right?
Three-quarters of a mile later, we approach a split in the trail. In front of us is a good-sized creek and to our left is a slightly overgrown path. We stop and walk up the latter. There, my brother-in-law shows me tire tracks sunken up to two feet in the clay, and on a tree, I find evidence of the body damage his Tacoma now sports on the driver side of the bed. Yikes.
It’s no longer the wet season but given that the offshoot goes nowhere—a fact he regrettably learned the hard way—we walk back to the truck and head toward the water crossing.
The Rig
The truck is a 2020 Jeep Gladiator with the Max Tow package and automatic transmission. A few more additions grace our particular model. The Auxiliary Switch Group promises to be useful, the Alpine sound system is surprisingly crisp for a factory option, and the Cold Weather Group will be a welcome comfort should I ever move back to Montana. The truck also have some less-notable options, such as the 7” screen upgrade and hardtop.
At the time of this writeup, the truck is entirely stock. No upgraded tires, no lift of any kind—not even grab handles wrapped around the roll bars. In other words, everything you read here will be completely untainted by the numerous upgrades that are looming on the horizon. So, let’s get to it!
Driving Impressions
Look, I’m not here to settle the Jeep/truck debate, but I can tell you one thing with certainty: The Gladiator ain’t no Wrangler. Turns out, this is both a good thing and a not-so-good thing.
On the Road
Maybe coming from the JKU to the Gladiator without using the JL as a steppingstone skews this particular section, but WOW. The eight-speed transmission is smooth as silk on the pavement, giving the Gladiator a zip that my JKU never had. The downshifts, too, are intuitive and aid in braking applications without being heavy-handed or intrusive. Overall, this automatic has won me over. It feels modern without detracting from the driving experience.
Speaking of the driving experience, the steering on the Gladiator seems to be searching for the sweet spot between mechanical confidence and electronic ease. I prefer the rock-solid feel of the JKU—who doesn’t like to put a little effort into steering—but I do appreciate the effortlessness with which the Gladiator takes and translates driver input. Again, the modernization is evident compared to the JK.
Before I get carried away talking about ride quality (spoiler alert: it’s great), let me reiterate that the Gladiator is not a Wrangler. It is long, and even with the easy, responsive steering, that length is noticeable. While I haven’t clipped any curbs yet, tight parking lots are… well, a lot tighter. The lack of weight over the rear tires, even with the hidden spare, is also something to consider. If the driving surface is slick in any way, flooring it can cause the rear to break loose a bit. That being said, I’ve only experienced this once, and it may or may not have been intentional (it was).
Now back to the praise I was about to shower on the ride quality. While the long wheelbase may be a hindrance at times (more on that later), it is a boon when cruising around town, or better yet, down the highway. Bumps and imperfections in the pavement are absorbed with hardly a thought. While I have never owned a luxury vehicle—so, take my analysis with a grain of salt—the Gladiator comes as close to gliding as anything I’ve driven or rode in as a passenger.
It seems unlikely that many Gladiators, especially those in lower trims, will stay on the stock tires long, so these impressions may be outdated before they even reach your eyeballs, but the Gladiator exceeded all of my expectations on the road. There is very little to complain about and a lot to be excited by. It’ll be interesting to see how the dynamics change with a lift and larger, off-road-oriented tires!
In the Dirt (and Rocks and Stuff)
The breakover angle! The departure angle! ANGLES!
Yeah, we get it. This truck is dang long. Or, as I’ve been saying, It ain’t no Wrangler. That’s kind of the point. Sure, hopefully, a two-door or access-cab version (fingers crossed for both) will come along soon for all the purists, but for now, let’s enjoy the Gladiator for what it is and what it can do.
With my little rant out of the way, I’ll be upfront with you: I haven’t had many opportunities to take the truck off the beaten path. No excuses here, just a reality of life at the moment.
The off-roading that I have been able to subject the Gladiator to consists of a moderate trail in the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina, a few forest roads in North Georgia, and a brief foray into the Ocala National Forest in Florida. Nothing quite like the trails in Arizona and Utah that I was conquering in the JKU just a few short months ago, but still enough to get a feel for the capability of the truck.
This is where the Jeep heritage of the Gladiator really shines through. The 4WD system is fantastic, the suspension is surprisingly forgiving at higher speeds on forest roads, and the Gladiator articulates better from the factory than any other truck I can name. These three factors alone make it a fantastic and fun vehicle to take off-road.
That being said, you may not have to rock crawl to drag the belly. Even on mild trails, the breakover angle is something you have to constantly think about. A lift and larger tires would reduce this stress to an extent, but it’s always going to be a truck and it’s always going to be long. I haven’t scraped yet, but it’s come close a handful of times.
The real challenge with the length while off-road has actually come from the turning radius. Avoiding the more immovable obstacles—you know, trees—can be difficult on tighter trails. Get used to backing up a bit and taking super-wide lines.
Negatives aside, the Gladiator is a capable off-road vehicle even when crippled by the undeniably terrible tires that come on any trim other than the Rubicon. Check back in a few weeks when there’s some real rubber on this bad boy.
Loaded Down
So far, the most weight I’ve toted around in the bed is about 600 pounds in the form of five 38” Milestar Patagonia M/Ts mounted on 17” Black Rhino York wheels. Over about twenty miles, a stop at the local tire shop, and a lot of odd glances—we’ll call them admiration—I can say that the Gladiator didn’t even notice the weight was back there. Honestly, the driving dynamics didn’t change at all, though my level of caution probably did increase slightly around corners.
Other than the wheels and tires, the bed has seen some jack stands and other odds and ends. No plywood, though. That’s some real poser stuff right there.
Check back in a week for a little more feedback on this particular topic—I’m moving and will have the truck loaded down!
Hooked Up
Sorry, but I haven’t used to Gladiator for towing yet. Didn’t you read the last section? I’m a poser!
By the Numbers
After 3,000 miles of driving, half of which were on the highway, the majority of the remainder were around town, and the leftovers were on trails and spent hauling, the Gladiator is averaging just over 18 miles per gallon. On the highway, 23 miles per gallon is pretty common. These numbers are with about 35psi in the stock tires.
Quality
While I do not consider the Gladiator to be a first model-year vehicle—the JL and Ram 1500 provide the majority of the parts and are well-tested—I was still determined to be hyper-aware of quality over the first few thousand miles. Overall, I’m impressed, but the truck is not without flaw.
The Cockpit
It feels almost unfair comparing the Gladiator to the JKU, but alas, that is my reference point. The soft-touch materials are softer. The latches are smoother (I never thought I’d talk about latches). Everything is laid out well, and a nice collection of physical buttons and knobs to complement the Uconnect system (more on this in a moment).
The center display in the instrument cluster is vibrant and customizable, providing you with the live-time feedback you deem most valuable. From what’s playing on the radio to fuel economy, you can view more vehicle-related information than you’ll probably ever need or want. I especially appreciate that the screen is sandwiched between actual physical gauges. It’s an excellent blend of modernity and good old familiarity.
Throughout the cabin, the metal trim adds just the right amount of brightness to break up the large swaths of black. Here is where my first complaint arises. All of the accents are dull silver—not shiny at all—except for a chrome ring around the back of the steering wheel. Not only does this one-off look like an out-of-place afterthought, but it also reflects off the windshield, leaving a painfully obtrusive glare directly in the driver’s line of vision.
My complaints with the steering wheel do not end there, unfortunately. While my base model JKU had some sort of rubbery plastic steering wheel that felt rugged and durable, the Gladiator is equipped with a softer, tackier material. It feels as though my fingers are going to leave permanent marks in the surface on hot days, and the thought of whatever is coating the wheel peeling off in just a few short years is ever-present as I try not to rub my hands too roughly over it.
The last area of concern—at least of the first 3,000 miles—comes at the expense of the Uconnect system. While it has been great overall in terms of functionality, responsiveness, and sound (the Alpine upgrade is worth it, y’all), there have been a few occasions where it starts slowly. To be more specific, three times I have started the truck and driven for several minutes before the system boots up and allows me to access the phone and radio controls.
To me, these are minor issues that do not diminish the value of the truck, the quality of the rest of the features, or the joy I experience when driving it. In fact, I notice them so infrequently that I actually had to brainstorm to pinpoint any problems at all.
Oh, I also have difficulty finding somewhere to put my phone. See? Minor inconveniences.
The Exterior
Design aside—I think it’s gorgeous, for the record—I’m happy with the quality of the exterior. The doors are light and close with a satisfying and confidence-inducing thud. The tailgate, which features assisted lowering, is concerningly easy to both open and close. All the latches feel solid and durable, the materials feel high-quality, and everything lines up as it should.
There are two drawbacks, though. The first is the piece of plastic trim that extends from the rear bumper to the fender flare. It looks cheap, and not in the traditional it’s a Jeep functionality way. Rather, it looks like an afterthought—a way to cover the seam without spending time and money on developing a more intuitive solution. It’s disappointing.
The second issue actually affects my satisfaction as a consumer (you here that, FCA?!)—the passenger door whistles. I have yet to pinpoint the exact cause and have not taken it to a dealership, so I guess my complaint isn’t as serious as the first sentence of the paragraph implies, but I do have a suspicion. There is a little triangular piece of plastic trim on the door directly behind the mirror. It, too, seems like an afterthought—almost as if it was pulled out of a random box and taped on as the Gladiator rolled off the assembly line. I plan to poke around and see if this piece is, indeed, the issue, so stay posted for those results!
Two water crossings later, we turn down a narrow path that is quintessential Western North Carolina. There’s no gravel or maintenance here, just a steep descent of clay and boulders winding through what might as well be a rainforest. It takes a moment before I realize—this used to be a campground. A few level spots, the remnants of a fire ring, and even a disintegrating stone picnic table still haunt the area, but we’re more interested in the ledges and off-camber sections that wait just around the bend.
In 4WD—no need for low-range—we crawl and slide our way down the descent until we hit an impasse in the form of a fallen tree. Once again, Appalachia has given us a challenge, as we are quite literally between a rock (an actual rock) and a hard place (the aforementioned tree).
My brother-in-law gets out to spot, and I find myself more thankful for a backup camera than I ever have been before. This truck is long.
Once we’ve navigated the tight 87-point turn, we head back the way we came, this time climbing up and over the small shelves and boulders. The stock tires are a joke, but we manage to get back to the main forest road with some decent placement and gentle massaging of the skinny pedal.
The forest road is recently graded and lacking gravel, so I open up the throttle a little bit and let the truck slide around a few corners. It responds with a planted confidence. It feels just at home racing through the dirt as it does easing over rocks. One thing is for sure—it’s a Jeep, but it’s also so much more.
Three Thousand Miles with My Jeep Gladiator
Coming around a bend, the off-road pages on the dash display approaches 20° of incline. To the left is a tree and a large boulder; to the right is the clay face of a North Carolina mountain. Beneath, the stock Bridgestone Dueler All-Terrains spin in the loose gravel and wet earth. Finally—a chance to test the 4WD.
The truck has just over 300 miles on the odometer, and my brother-in-law and I are on a trail searching for the spot he and his 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road got stuck a few months ago. Just over two miles into the densely-forested trail, we’ve encountered our first challenge—a steep, curving section with limited room to maneuver, especially in a long vehicle.
The initial pull of the 4WD shifter feels stiff and hesitant. It feels like the first time I dropped into 4WD in my JKU. It feels new. With a little convincing, though, the 4WD system engages with a slight clunk, and we ease up the hill. Well, that was uneventful.
Coming from a JKU with AEV suspension and 35” Mickey Thompsons, driving a stock Jeep feels almost foreign both on and off the road. Obstacles seem more intimidating, and the limbs that reach out into the trail seem more like daggers than minor inconveniences, but hey, it’s a Jeep—right?
Three-quarters of a mile later, we approach a split in the trail. In front of us is a good-sized creek and to our left is a slightly overgrown path. We stop and walk up the latter. There, my brother-in-law shows me tire tracks sunken up to two feet in the clay, and on a tree, I find evidence of the body damage his Tacoma now sports on the driver side of the bed. Yikes.
It’s no longer the wet season but given that the offshoot goes nowhere—a fact he regrettably learned the hard way—we walk back to the truck and head toward the water crossing.
The Rig
The truck is a 2020 Jeep Gladiator with the Max Tow package and automatic transmission. A few more additions grace our particular model. The Auxiliary Switch Group promises to be useful, the Alpine sound system is surprisingly crisp for a factory option, and the Cold Weather Group will be a welcome comfort should I ever move back to Montana. The truck also have some less-notable options, such as the 7” screen upgrade and hardtop.
At the time of this writeup, the truck is entirely stock. No upgraded tires, no lift of any kind—not even grab handles wrapped around the roll bars. In other words, everything you read here will be completely untainted by the numerous upgrades that are looming on the horizon. So, let’s get to it!
Driving Impressions
Look, I’m not here to settle the Jeep/truck debate, but I can tell you one thing with certainty: The Gladiator ain’t no Wrangler. Turns out, this is both a good thing and a not-so-good thing.
On the Road
Maybe coming from the JKU to the Gladiator without using the JL as a steppingstone skews this particular section, but WOW. The eight-speed transmission is smooth as silk on the pavement, giving the Gladiator a zip that my JKU never had. The downshifts, too, are intuitive and aid in braking applications without being heavy-handed or intrusive. Overall, this automatic has won me over. It feels modern without detracting from the driving experience.
Speaking of the driving experience, the steering on the Gladiator seems to be searching for the sweet spot between mechanical confidence and electronic ease. I prefer the rock-solid feel of the JKU—who doesn’t like to put a little effort into steering—but I do appreciate the effortlessness with which the Gladiator takes and translates driver input. Again, the modernization is evident compared to the JK.
Before I get carried away talking about ride quality (spoiler alert: it’s great), let me reiterate that the Gladiator is not a Wrangler. It is long, and even with the easy, responsive steering, that length is noticeable. While I haven’t clipped any curbs yet, tight parking lots are… well, a lot tighter. The lack of weight over the rear tires, even with the hidden spare, is also something to consider. If the driving surface is slick in any way, flooring it can cause the rear to break loose a bit. That being said, I’ve only experienced this once, and it may or may not have been intentional (it was).
Now back to the praise I was about to shower on the ride quality. While the long wheelbase may be a hindrance at times (more on that later), it is a boon when cruising around town, or better yet, down the highway. Bumps and imperfections in the pavement are absorbed with hardly a thought. While I have never owned a luxury vehicle—so, take my analysis with a grain of salt—the Gladiator comes as close to gliding as anything I’ve driven or rode in as a passenger.
It seems unlikely that many Gladiators, especially those in lower trims, will stay on the stock tires long, so these impressions may be outdated before they even reach your eyeballs, but the Gladiator exceeded all of my expectations on the road. There is very little to complain about and a lot to be excited by. It’ll be interesting to see how the dynamics change with a lift and larger, off-road-oriented tires!
In the Dirt (and Rocks and Stuff)
The breakover angle! The departure angle! ANGLES!
Yeah, we get it. This truck is dang long. Or, as I’ve been saying, It ain’t no Wrangler. That’s kind of the point. Sure, hopefully, a two-door or access-cab version (fingers crossed for both) will come along soon for all the purists, but for now, let’s enjoy the Gladiator for what it is and what it can do.
With my little rant out of the way, I’ll be upfront with you: I haven’t had many opportunities to take the truck off the beaten path. No excuses here, just a reality of life at the moment.
The off-roading that I have been able to subject the Gladiator to consists of a moderate trail in the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina, a few forest roads in North Georgia, and a brief foray into the Ocala National Forest in Florida. Nothing quite like the trails in Arizona and Utah that I was conquering in the JKU just a few short months ago, but still enough to get a feel for the capability of the truck.
This is where the Jeep heritage of the Gladiator really shines through. The 4WD system is fantastic, the suspension is surprisingly forgiving at higher speeds on forest roads, and the Gladiator articulates better from the factory than any other truck I can name. These three factors alone make it a fantastic and fun vehicle to take off-road.
That being said, you may not have to rock crawl to drag the belly. Even on mild trails, the breakover angle is something you have to constantly think about. A lift and larger tires would reduce this stress to an extent, but it’s always going to be a truck and it’s always going to be long. I haven’t scraped yet, but it’s come close a handful of times.
The real challenge with the length while off-road has actually come from the turning radius. Avoiding the more immovable obstacles—you know, trees—can be difficult on tighter trails. Get used to backing up a bit and taking super-wide lines.
Negatives aside, the Gladiator is a capable off-road vehicle even when crippled by the undeniably terrible tires that come on any trim other than the Rubicon. Check back in a few weeks when there’s some real rubber on this bad boy.
Loaded Down
So far, the most weight I’ve toted around in the bed is about 600 pounds in the form of five 38” Milestar Patagonia M/Ts mounted on 17” Black Rhino York wheels. Over about twenty miles, a stop at the local tire shop, and a lot of odd glances—we’ll call them admiration—I can say that the Gladiator didn’t even notice the weight was back there. Honestly, the driving dynamics didn’t change at all, though my level of caution probably did increase slightly around corners.
Other than the wheels and tires, the bed has seen some jack stands and other odds and ends. No plywood, though. That’s some real poser stuff right there.
Check back in a week for a little more feedback on this particular topic—I’m moving and will have the truck loaded down!
Hooked Up
Sorry, but I haven’t used to Gladiator for towing yet. Didn’t you read the last section? I’m a poser!
By the Numbers
After 3,000 miles of driving, half of which were on the highway, the majority of the remainder were around town, and the leftovers were on trails and spent hauling, the Gladiator is averaging just over 18 miles per gallon. On the highway, 23 miles per gallon is pretty common. These numbers are with about 35psi in the stock tires.
Quality
While I do not consider the Gladiator to be a first model-year vehicle—the JL and Ram 1500 provide the majority of the parts and are well-tested—I was still determined to be hyper-aware of quality over the first few thousand miles. Overall, I’m impressed, but the truck is not without flaw.
The Cockpit
It feels almost unfair comparing the Gladiator to the JKU, but alas, that is my reference point. The soft-touch materials are softer. The latches are smoother (I never thought I’d talk about latches). Everything is laid out well, and a nice collection of physical buttons and knobs to complement the Uconnect system (more on this in a moment).
The center display in the instrument cluster is vibrant and customizable, providing you with the live-time feedback you deem most valuable. From what’s playing on the radio to fuel economy, you can view more vehicle-related information than you’ll probably ever need or want. I especially appreciate that the screen is sandwiched between actual physical gauges. It’s an excellent blend of modernity and good old familiarity.
Throughout the cabin, the metal trim adds just the right amount of brightness to break up the large swaths of black. Here is where my first complaint arises. All of the accents are dull silver—not shiny at all—except for a chrome ring around the back of the steering wheel. Not only does this one-off look like an out-of-place afterthought, but it also reflects off the windshield, leaving a painfully obtrusive glare directly in the driver’s line of vision.
My complaints with the steering wheel do not end there, unfortunately. While my base model JKU had some sort of rubbery plastic steering wheel that felt rugged and durable, the Gladiator is equipped with a softer, tackier material. It feels as though my fingers are going to leave permanent marks in the surface on hot days, and the thought of whatever is coating the wheel peeling off in just a few short years is ever-present as I try not to rub my hands too roughly over it.
The last area of concern—at least of the first 3,000 miles—comes at the expense of the Uconnect system. While it has been great overall in terms of functionality, responsiveness, and sound (the Alpine upgrade is worth it, y’all), there have been a few occasions where it starts slowly. To be more specific, three times I have started the truck and driven for several minutes before the system boots up and allows me to access the phone and radio controls.
To me, these are minor issues that do not diminish the value of the truck, the quality of the rest of the features, or the joy I experience when driving it. In fact, I notice them so infrequently that I actually had to brainstorm to pinpoint any problems at all.
Oh, I also have difficulty finding somewhere to put my phone. See? Minor inconveniences.
The Exterior
Design aside—I think it’s gorgeous, for the record—I’m happy with the quality of the exterior. The doors are light and close with a satisfying and confidence-inducing thud. The tailgate, which features assisted lowering, is concerningly easy to both open and close. All the latches feel solid and durable, the materials feel high-quality, and everything lines up as it should.
There are two drawbacks, though. The first is the piece of plastic trim that extends from the rear bumper to the fender flare. It looks cheap, and not in the traditional it’s a Jeep functionality way. Rather, it looks like an afterthought—a way to cover the seam without spending time and money on developing a more intuitive solution. It’s disappointing.
The second issue actually affects my satisfaction as a consumer (you here that, FCA?!)—the passenger door whistles. I have yet to pinpoint the exact cause and have not taken it to a dealership, so I guess my complaint isn’t as serious as the first sentence of the paragraph implies, but I do have a suspicion. There is a little triangular piece of plastic trim on the door directly behind the mirror. It, too, seems like an afterthought—almost as if it was pulled out of a random box and taped on as the Gladiator rolled off the assembly line. I plan to poke around and see if this piece is, indeed, the issue, so stay posted for those results!
Two water crossings later, we turn down a narrow path that is quintessential Western North Carolina. There’s no gravel or maintenance here, just a steep descent of clay and boulders winding through what might as well be a rainforest. It takes a moment before I realize—this used to be a campground. A few level spots, the remnants of a fire ring, and even a disintegrating stone picnic table still haunt the area, but we’re more interested in the ledges and off-camber sections that wait just around the bend.
In 4WD—no need for low-range—we crawl and slide our way down the descent until we hit an impasse in the form of a fallen tree. Once again, Appalachia has given us a challenge, as we are quite literally between a rock (an actual rock) and a hard place (the aforementioned tree).
My brother-in-law gets out to spot, and I find myself more thankful for a backup camera than I ever have been before. This truck is long.
Once we’ve navigated the tight 87-point turn, we head back the way we came, this time climbing up and over the small shelves and boulders. The stock tires are a joke, but we manage to get back to the main forest road with some decent placement and gentle massaging of the skinny pedal.
The forest road is recently graded and lacking gravel, so I open up the throttle a little bit and let the truck slide around a few corners. It responds with a planted confidence. It feels just at home racing through the dirt as it does easing over rocks. One thing is for sure—it’s a Jeep, but it’s also so much more.
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