Finally got the 2022 diesel rubicon.. review after 2300 miles

[NachoRuby]

I don't quite agree here, I feel stock the Gladiator has a lot of steering play and wander that can actually be easily improved as you upgrade. MY JKUR on coilovers with high steer handles like a modern SUV, not a Jeep or a Gladiator. Its all in how you build it. Most people throw on a small lift and say "rides better than stock" which is usually BS, but if done right, even with bigger tires and lift it really can handle and steer like a "car". Which isn't a bad thing....

A 5 series is like the pinnacle of taut firm control. It's on another level, no Jeep can or will come close to. High center of gravity, giant mushy tires. No Jeep will ever handle like a 5 series car. No SUV will either. But definitely no Jeep. I agree you can fix the play, and improve the handling, but it'll never be a luxury sports sedan, or even close.

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[TT32VGT]

I dropped the psi to 33 cold and have been getting over 25mpg overall. loving the jeep so far.

I know im doing front bumper, winch, wheels, and tires.. but i wonder if I should just do a level and 35s or do a 2.5-3.5 and 37s. being in the mountains im thinking the 35s might perform better on a daily

 

[Trailman]

I dropped the psi to 33 cold and have been getting over 25mpg overall. loving the jeep so far.

I know im doing front bumper, winch, wheels, and tires.. but i wonder if I should just do a level and 35s or do a 2.5-3.5 and 37s. being in the mountains im thinking the 35s might perform better on a daily

I'm going with 2" lift and 35s eventually (going to wear out the Falkens first). But, plenty of people out here with 37. From what I gather though, moving to 37s comes with a lot more work and expense if you want to do it right. You can take a JTR to 35 and not do much.

 

[TT32VGT]

I'm going with 2" lift and 35s eventually (going to wear out the Falkens first). But, plenty of people out here with 37. From what I gather though, moving to 37s comes with a lot more work and expense if you want to do it right. You can take a JTR to 35 and not do much.

What loft and tires do you plan on going with?

 

[Kintama40]

I traded my 2020 in for a 2022 diesel, and I have 4100 miles on it. So far, I don’t regret it at all. Im running 35’s, and averaging 23mpg. The steering is better than the 2020, and the 7 inch uconnect is so much better than the 8.4. My 8.4 would freeze all of the time, or do weird shit.

 

[Trailman]

What loft and tires do you plan on going with?

I'm thinking of going tall and skinny, along the lines of older classic Jeep looks. Baja Boss A/T comes in a 35x10 which will fit on stock rims.

https://www.mickeythompsontires.com/light-truck-tires/baja-boss-a-t

Right now thinking I'll go with a Mopar 2" lift just to keep things simple, but I will likely do more research on lifts when I get closer to pulling the trigger.

 

[trailless]

I dropped the psi to 33 cold and have been getting over 25mpg overall. loving the jeep so far.

I know im doing front bumper, winch, wheels, and tires.. but i wonder if I should just do a level and 35s or do a 2.5-3.5 and 37s. being in the mountains im thinking the 35s might perform better on a daily

I put on a 4.5" lift, 37s, beadlocks and a winch and I'm averaging around 15-16mpg. But I do accelerate a bit faster than everyone else and usually cruise at 80-90mph on the interstate. For reference, I was getting 18-19mpg stock. If I drive at a leisurely pace and stick to the speed limit, I can average right around 20mpg.

The torque is there and I'm not even considering regearing.

 

[MaxStrategery]

I picked up my loaded white rubicon diesel gladiator from gupton last Thursday.. ordered 12/18. I drove from springfield, tn to new orleans, la.. hung out with family and friends for a week, and then drove it to colorado. all in all a little over 2300 miles.

Going in..
Ive had tons of sports cars, trucks, and regular cars.. I know theres pros and cons, and compromises that come with cool looks or capabilities. I went in knowing this..

the bad..
on the interstate it feels like im driving a van.. at 75+mph if theres any wind it blows me all over the place.. dealer put tires at 40psi, are yall running that high? seemed high but I havent checked yet. under 70mph its great for everything I do so far.
stereo sounds pretty weak. i think it might be weather proof, but you would think it would sound better in a 68k truck.
weird that driver window isnt auto up.
mopar heated stitched leather seats look great but bottoms are pretty uncomfortable during long trips. grand cherokee much more comfortable for ex.

the good..
looks better than I thought it would.
i like the diesel sound and decent pickup power.
drives and feels better than i thought it would.. feels like a 2022 should.
gets looks even stock.
interior feels nice.
gets the gas mileage I was hoping for, but not good enough with current insane price. avg 23mpg.
again... looks, drives, and feels good..

all in all I think its what I had hoped for.. its not the best at any one thing, but does everything good enough for what I need to do. plan is to do 2.5" aev, bfg k02 37s and method wheels, smitty gen 2 stubby front bumper/warn syn winch, rock slider power steps, and a few other things. sounds like 12k in mods with install, at least I saved a good chunk with gupton. they were great, esp renee. I plan to make this gladiator my snow/bad weather mobile and get an electric luxury car for the secondary. Just moved to colorado and my house is in evergreen. It has a tripple switchback long driveway that has some steep sections. sometimes with snow and ice.. the other day my grand cherokee 4x4 couldnt get up the driveway, probably bc of the somewhat warndown summer tires. the gladiator made it up today no problem in 2wd.

Links for the seat covers? Very nice.

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