Considering a Gladiator

[Murgatroid]

My 2 cents worth, with the new automatics I see no advantage of a stick, unless you just love pushing in a clutch at every light. The shifting is smooth thanks to having 8 "gears" to choose from, it is cheaper in the long run, less maintenance and if you are off roading and want to pick your gear, you can do it, it has a manual setting, it is like having the best of both worlds. Don't get me wrong, I love shifting gears on a sports car going around a track, but in everyday drive, it gives me no thrill.

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[spazzyfry123]

The truck isn’t a freakin video game. At that point you’re literally taking away all the good things about a modern automatic without gaining any of the awesomeness that comes with a manual. Manually shifting an automatic is absolutely worthless. It’s the equivalent of a CVT with programmed lurches to make the passengers feel like the tranny is shifting. It’s an audio track making engine noises for an electric car.

When people talk about having “control” in a manual, it’s not just about shifting when you feel like it and holding revs when you want...it’s about being able to feather the clutch and throttle during a shift, having the finesse to do so smoothly. Learning to properly heel-toe, skip-shift, rev-match. A manual enables a relationship with your vehicle that you just don’t get with an automatic.

Push button shifting an automatic Is for people that trust politicians and believe that either political party in America actually has all the answers.

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

I'm still very back and forth. Luckily I still have alot lf time before I'm even ready to buy.
The manual just seems iconic to me. It is such a rare thing nowadays. Can you even get a chevy or a ford with a manual? I think Tacoma dropped it for 2020.
To me it is just supposed to be a manual, I know that sounds odd.

But then... I read the reviews about the manual and how most people kinda dislike the gearing, it is slow and clutch doesn't have any character. Those things turn me off. I want that feeling I had in my 2003 Rubicon 5 speed. It was a ton of fun.

What appeals to me most about the auto is that I dont hear any complaints, everyone loves it, it keeps you in the right rpm range and just works. For the first time ever people are talking like the auto has the advantage when adding bigger tires.

The manual folks nearly all say "gotta relearn to drive this thing and ive been doing it for decades..."

Sadly I don't think I'll be able to test drive a manual at any point.

What would help is for someone to make a youtube video showing 2 things while just driving around town and some highway, the engine rpm/Speedo and out the windshield (split scree) or both the auto and manual.

 

[giskard]

Like most modern vehicles, the auto in the Gladiator is objectively better than the manual option in every way. The number of models available with a row-your-own manual has been falling steadily for years, but has really picked up steam the last couple of years. The autos are just getting too good and manufacturers want to reduce the number of drivetrains they need to engineer and certify. Particularly with all of the money being spent on electrification. Manuals are quickly dying, even for old stalwarts like MINI (the new JCW will not be offered with a manual) and BMW (the new 3 series will not be offered with a manual here in the USA).

That being said, my Gladiator will have a manual transmission. The fact that it is available with a manual in all trims is one of the reasons I started looking at them. I haven't had a manual in over a year as my daily driver is electric and I miss the interaction. I lucked out, too, as I wasn't completely sure if I wanted to go this route (mainly due to the reduced tow capacity) but I was able to get a short test drive in a manual Gladiator. They aren't hard to find here in Minnesota - I see 7 currently on dealer lots in the Twin Cities area.

 

[Ichthus]

I think I was too tired to be diplomatic

 

[JP1]

I was a huge manual fan also. ESPECIALLY in a vehicle like a JEEP
THEN these ZF 8-speeds started coming out.
This is now my 5th vehicle with it, (2x Chargers 1x BMW Z4 and 1x BMW 435i M-Sport Convertible. ya, I know I have issues...) it really changed the game...

 

[Rocksalt]

The truck isn’t a freakin video game. At that point you’re literally taking away all the good things about a modern automatic without gaining any of the awesomeness that comes with a manual. Manually shifting an automatic is absolutely worthless. It’s the equivalent of a CVT with programmed lurches to make the passengers feel like the tranny is shifting. It’s an audio track making engine noises for an electric car.

When people talk about having “control” in a manual, it’s not just about shifting when you feel like it and holding revs when you want...it’s about being able to feather the clutch and throttle during a shift, having the finesse to do so smoothly. Learning to properly heel-toe, skip-shift, rev-match. A manual enables a relationship with your vehicle that you just don’t get with an automatic.

Push button shifting an automatic Is for people that trust politicians and believe that either political party in America actually has all the answers.

You are entitled to your opinion, but your opinions are not necessarily the only answer, chief.

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

As much as I would really like a manual i think I'll just go with the auto. Too many downsides to the JT manual. Even die hard manual trans folk are saying it isn't great.

 

[Jeepdude413]

As much as I would really like a manual i think I'll just go with the auto. Too many downsides to the JT manual. Even die hard manual trans folk are saying it isn't great.

I have owned 5 Wranglers, all manual. Until the JT. I opted for the auto because of the performance it offers as well as driving in traffic and not having to use a clutch. My most recent Wrangler was a 13 JKR, 6 speed, 4:10 gears and 35” tires. It could in no way shape or form, even when new, out perform the auto in the JT. Not going to get rave on and on about it but if u truly have questions, test drive both and see for ur self... modern automatics, hands down, in daily drivers are the way to go.

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

I have owned 5 Wranglers, all manual. Until the JT. I opted for the auto because of the performance it offers as well as driving in traffic and not having to use a clutch. My most recent Wrangler was a 13 JKR, 6 speed, 4:10 gears and 35” tires. It could in no way shape or form, even when new, out perform the auto in the JT. Not going to get rave on and on about it but if u truly have questions, test drive both and see for ur self... modern automatics, hands down, in daily drivers are the way to go.

Using cars.com the nearest manual is a few hundred miles away. My Ford fiesta (non turbo) has a clutch less auto, although not perfect it's fun and does a great job of keeping that car in its power range. I saw a few videos of street/highway driving a JT with auto and it seemed great based on the video. I've not read one bad thing about the auto.

 

[Jeepdude413]

Using cars.com the nearest manual is a few hundred miles away. My Ford fiesta (non turbo) has a clutch less auto, although not perfect it's fun and does a great job of keeping that car in its power range. I saw a few videos of street/highway driving a JT with auto and it seemed great based on the video. I've not read one bad thing about the auto.

With the new autos being sealed it takes some maintenance burden off of my shoulders. Is it a way for the manufacturers to get more of my money because i have to take it to them to be worked on? Maybe? And not to compare apples to oranges but my F150 has 120k on it, has sealed tranny and has never had a mechanical issue. System did require a re-flash due to hard shift (recall) but problem solved. Technology has come along ways for the auto tranny in the last 20 years....there is not a manual tranny vehicle built today ( daily driven street vehicle) that can out-shift electronics available with the auto.

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

With the new autos being sealed it takes some maintenance burden off of my shoulders. Is it a way for the manufacturers to get more of my money because i have to take it to them to be worked on? Maybe? And not to compare apples to oranges but my F150 has 120k on it, has sealed tranny and has never had a mechanical issue. System did require a re-flash due to hard shift (recall) but problem solved. Technology has come along ways for the auto tranny in the last 20 years....there is not a manual tranny vehicle built today ( daily driven street vehicle) that can out-shift electronics available with the auto.

Yeah. I do apprecitiate the connection you get to the vehicle though. Ah well. =]

 

[Rocksalt]

The Stop Sale wasn’t a big deal. You had 3500 of the roughly 8000 Gladiators built before mid-June that were impacted by the recall and stop sale...all because 5% of those 3500 might have a problem. So about 175 trucks had bad driveshafts. They’ll have the whole issue sorted out LONG before people have quit sharing click-bait articles making it sound like this recall is the first sign of the Apocalypse.

I only mentioned the stop sale. I am not being alarmist.. you are the one getting yer panties in a bundle, chief.

 

[Amerikitty]

So here are my 2 cents...
I've NEVER driven a manual vehicle. I decided to buy a manual gladiator 16 hours away...
For the past 6 years I drove a Ford Fiesta, so going to a truck AND a manual was scary to me.
I sold my car and bought a $500 POS manual to learn in and drove that for one week and really did NOT like it. I killed it all the time.
Yet, we drove 16 hours to go get my Gladiator. We get there and I couldn't even get the damn thing to move. It died over and over and over. My BF who has driven manuals for 20 years even killed it a couple times leaving a red light. And after a lot of thought. I still bought it.

Now, this being said. I did end up driving 7 of the 16 hours back home. Mostly interstate, but it gave me time to relax and really fall in love with my truck.
I've been driving it exclusively for 2 weeks now. And yes, it was hard to learn at first, and I still sometimes kill it taking off from a red light. But I'm getting better at this and with that is coming confidence. Now - I don't know a whole lot about how transmissions work or vehicles in general. But This is what I have noticed about the manual:
The clutch is very soft, there isn't a whole lot of grey area.
Shifting around 3000RPM tends to make it happy.
I don't feel that this vehicle is slow, she gets up and gets moving fast enough for me.
1-2 usually around 10-15 mph
2-3 usually around 28-32
3-4 usually around 40-45, sometimes as high as 50 when on inclines
4-5 at 57+ or using cruise at 55+
5-6 at 67+ or using cruise at 65+

I've been averaging abour 22-23 MPG with my 60ish miles per day, about 10 or so miles of that town (45mph or less), 15 ish miles interstate (65mph) and the rest highway (55mph). I'm just shy of 2000 miles so far. On the 16 hour drive back, we were averaging 28 MPG.
In most cases I see it hovering above 28 up to 35 MPG on the interstate. I've never paid attention to on the highway, and around 14-20 MPG in town.

As far as shifting goes, it can be very smooth when you hit it right. The shifter moves very lightly and glides easily. It has a safety feature that blocks out certain gears at certain speeds, and it's not totally spot on, but the only one I even notice is that you can't shift into 1st gear when you're going over 20. (I'm still getting used to down shifting, so I usually shift down to 3rd, and then break and hold the clutch in and hop over to 1st when I'm slow enough to do so and engage the clutch after I've stopped. It's a WIP)

My least favorite shift is 1-2. It's hard to get it right and not lurch a little, it's happiest if you don't get the RPMS super high (I tend to led foot it). If I shift around 2kRPM or 8-10 mph with little acceleration I can get a smooth shift.

If there is anything else you wanna know, feel free to ask! Hopefully this helps a little.

 

[jthadius]

So here are my 2 cents...
I've NEVER driven a manual vehicle. I decided to buy a manual gladiator 16 hours away...
For the past 6 years I drove a Ford Fiesta, so going to a truck AND a manual was scary to me.
I sold my car and bought a $500 POS manual to learn in and drove that for one week and really did NOT like it. I killed it all the time.
Yet, we drove 16 hours to go get my Gladiator. We get there and I couldn't even get the damn thing to move. It died over and over and over. My BF who has driven manuals for 20 years even killed it a couple times leaving a red light. And after a lot of thought. I still bought it.

Now, this being said. I did end up driving 7 of the 16 hours back home. Mostly interstate, but it gave me time to relax and really fall in love with my truck.
I've been driving it exclusively for 2 weeks now. And yes, it was hard to learn at first, and I still sometimes kill it taking off from a red light. But I'm getting better at this and with that is coming confidence. Now - I don't know a whole lot about how transmissions work or vehicles in general. But This is what I have noticed about the manual:
The clutch is very soft, there isn't a whole lot of grey area.
Shifting around 3000RPM tends to make it happy.
I don't feel that this vehicle is slow, she gets up and gets moving fast enough for me.
1-2 usually around 10-15 mph
2-3 usually around 28-32
3-4 usually around 40-45, sometimes as high as 50 when on inclines
4-5 at 57+ or using cruise at 55+
5-6 at 67+ or using cruise at 65+

I've been averaging abour 22-23 MPG with my 60ish miles per day, about 10 or so miles of that town (45mph or less), 15 ish miles interstate (65mph) and the rest highway (55mph). I'm just shy of 2000 miles so far. On the 16 hour drive back, we were averaging 28 MPG.
In most cases I see it hovering above 28 up to 35 MPG on the interstate. I've never paid attention to on the highway, and around 14-20 MPG in town.

As far as shifting goes, it can be very smooth when you hit it right. The shifter moves very lightly and glides easily. It has a safety feature that blocks out certain gears at certain speeds, and it's not totally spot on, but the only one I even notice is that you can't shift into 1st gear when you're going over 20. (I'm still getting used to down shifting, so I usually shift down to 3rd, and then break and hold the clutch in and hop over to 1st when I'm slow enough to do so and engage the clutch after I've stopped. It's a WIP)

My least favorite shift is 1-2. It's hard to get it right and not lurch a little, it's happiest if you don't get the RPMS super high (I tend to led foot it). If I shift around 2kRPM or 8-10 mph with little acceleration I can get a smooth shift.

If there is anything else you wanna know, feel free to ask! Hopefully this helps a little.

I think this and other posts show that the gnashing of teeth and wailing about the manual is overdone. Yes you need to rev it more than you would with different gear ratios and a torquier engine. But that should be no surprise if you’ve read the manual and seen the suggested shift points. Do I think the manual is fine. And a better option for drivers who want to be engaged with their vehicle or who do a fair amount of off roading.

That said, the 8 speed autos are awesome and probably the best choice for most drivers. But I wouldn’t be scared away from a manual. It’s just a matter of learning the tranny and adapting to it. Unlike the auto, it’s not going to adapt to you!

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