Gladiator as “Only” Vehicle?

[spazzyfry123]

Currently we have a 2015 Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4, a 2015 Mini Cooper S, a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Limited, and a 2019 Chevy Equinox (my company car). We both work from home and we find ourselves putting effectively no miles on the vehicles aside from the company car and the occasional dinner trip in the WK2. The Mini has gotten maybe 50 miles in the past months and the XJ is just a completely stock cream puff that I think we’ll give to my dad so he has something to tinker on.

What am I getting at?

I’d like to consolidate and I keep circling back to the JT. We’ll eventually need a truck and I’ve owned probably a dozen Jeeps over the years with great success. Does anyone use theirs for all necessary duties? Miles will be low, but it will effectively be my wife’s vehicle. Can we comfortably have a car seat or two in the back (my biggest concern)? How is it for long trips? Bitch to park? Will probably go with an auto Rubicon with minimal options.

We’re either going to go this route or trade the cars in on a SRT Jeep and buy a beater truck for the house duties.

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[Jeepdude413]

Currently we have a 2015 Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4, a 2015 Mini Cooper S, a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Limited, and a 2019 Chevy Equinox (my company car). We both work from home and we find ourselves putting effectively no miles on the vehicles aside from the company car and the occasional dinner trip in the WK2. The Mini has gotten maybe 50 miles in the past months and the XJ is just a completely stock cream puff that I think we’ll give to my dad so he has something to tinker on.

What am I getting at?

I’d like to consolidate and I keep circling back to the JT. We’ll eventually need a truck and I’ve owned probably a dozen Jeeps over the years with great success. Does anyone use theirs for all necessary duties? Miles will be low, but it will effectively be my wife’s vehicle. Can we comfortably have a car seat or two in the back (my biggest concern)? How is it for long trips? Bitch to park? Will probably go with an auto Rubicon with minimal options.

We’re either going to go this route or trade the cars in on a SRT Jeep and buy a beater truck for the house duties.

I have had mine for 2 months, 2600 miles and have no regrets about it. I have 2 grand babies, both still in car seats and have hauled them around comfortably. No long trips, just to movies and back to their momma’s ( great part about being grandparents) It is my daily driver, my toy and my home task truck. Trust it and enjoy it so much we are going to sell the F-150 and buy my wife a JLU. Will never need to town anything more than 5k on my end so no need for 2 trucks. IMHO, if u are looking for a fun vehicle, that has much practically, tehn pull the trigger on the JTR!

 

[DHP]

i'm hopeful it works for me as my vehicle to make sales calls for work, weekend projects with trips to Lowe's, backpacking trips, playing golf, driving my 6 year old to school, beach trips with the doors and/or tops off, random off road adventures, etc. I live in town so I couldn’t get a full-size truck and it fit in the garage. The versatility of the JT is what made purchase. I think it’s going to work out well

 

[Phljeeper]

I sure hope so. I sold my Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and my TJ Wrangler for my Gladiator Rubicon. It will take me to work everyday, take kids to soccer, drive to customers all over the northeast and mid Atlantic, tow my camper and run trails at Rausch Creek. The most versatile vehicle on the planet!

 

[MotoBrad]

My daily was a Subaru Impreza STi, and I'm confident that the JTR I have on order will be just as competent for everything I need. Except track days... but I can trailer a small race car for those!

 

[WakesurfVT]

Daily driving my JT Rubicon, traded in a GC SRT and I can’t believe I daily drove an SRT in Vermont for 5 years (roads and potholes suck with a 65 mph max)...went through 5 sets of Pirelli P Zero’s along with 3 sets of Pirelli winters all under 75000 miles. So much happier with how the JT drives on these roads, barely have to jump on a highway and most days I drive under 20 miles so there’s not much commuting or driving over 35 mph. I’d love a longer commute just to enjoy a few more miles of cruising this beast!

 

[Bobzdar]

My JTR is my DD, replaced my jlur and Silverado. It's been great so far, about .5mpg less than the jl but able to pull truck duty, which for me involves hardware store runs, dump runs and towing my airstream. My commute is around 35 miles each way, 3/4 highway.

 

[spazzyfry123]

Thanks for your replies! I’ll be honest and say that the only thing holding this deal up is me. My wife likes the idea and has given the green light, but my pragmatism has me searching for the fault in going forward. Why should I NOT do this?? On the surface, the only thing I don’t like is the wheelbase. And that’s just from an aesthetic point of view!

 

[Jeepdude413]

Thanks for your replies! I’ll be honest and say that the only thing holding this deal up is me. My wife likes the idea and has given the green light, but my pragmatism has me searching for the fault in going forward. Why should I NOT do this?? On the surface, the only thing I don’t like is the wheelbase. And that’s just from an aesthetic point of view!

YOLO,,, but ur the only one that knows what is right for you and yours. Rule

 

[WXman]

We've had coupes, sedans, SUVs, and pickups. There is simply no replacement for a pickup. They are the Swiss Army knives of the automotive world. Everytime we go back to owning a pickup we wonder 1) how we lived without it and 2) why we got rid of the last one.

 

[Hemi]

Thanks for your replies! I’ll be honest and say that the only thing holding this deal up is me. My wife likes the idea and has given the green light, but my pragmatism has me searching for the fault in going forward. Why should I NOT do this?? On the surface, the only thing I don’t like is the wheelbase. And that’s just from an aesthetic point of view!

It's going to be my only vehicle. Pickups are just very practical. Need to take those leaves to the dump? Check. Get a can of gas for the mower (and not share the cab with it)? Check. New bush for the yard?

You get the gist. With a full cab they are also an SUV. If you have a sole car, pickup is a good choice

 

[noside85]

I will be going from a 2017 Ridgeline RTL-T to a moderately loaded Rubicon.

The Ridgeline was/is my first truck and I love it. It is SUCH a pleasure to drive, there are a few features that I appreciated (dual-action tailgate and trunk (!) are two examples) but I know I will get over.

Having gotten a truck there is no way in hell I will ever NOT drive a truck. Its usefulness and other qualities are too much to let go. One time I went to Lowe's for mulch 6 times in my prior Sonata, two trips with the Ridgeline. It was a damn mess in the Sonata too. Having a truck makes me want to do more truck things, such as camping or light off-roading. I have done it with the Ridgeline, but either the trails were mild and we made it through fine or we would just barely make it. Definitely not intended to be an off-road vehicle. I test drove a Sport S and was so surprised at how smooth it drove, it was a 20-30 minute drive and I got it close to 60 for a bit. It drives smooth enough for me to not worry about comfort compared to the current truck, it's worth getting the Jeep for almost every other reason. We have a friend with family land in western VA, it's a crap shoot whether or not I can make it up a side of a mountain on a gravel road. Usually I do, but getting the last 30 feet up the steep driveway is a coin toss. Of course, my dumbass got the FWD version of the truck so...probably would've been more capable in its AWD variant. Either way, the Gladiator is much more versatile.

I have ALWAYS wanted a Jeep, my dad wouldn't let me get one because they were small and not great on gas. I always loved their look, their capability, and how customizable they are. After I got the Ridgeline I was going to stay with trucks, it was my choice out of the ones available and I intended to keep it for 10 years. My other choice was a Tacoma but then I sat in one. Luckily, just as I was about to settle for the Taco despite its weird and cheap feeling interior, I heard of the Ridgeline and got that instead. Last fall or so I saw actual videos of the freakin Gladiator from the LA Auto Show and it was then I realized that the Ridgeline had been a placeholder.

Get the Jeep and have fun with it, I intend to with mine.

 

[JT614]

I'm in your boat. Work from home and have daily commutes with the kiddos in car seats. Home Depot trips and landscape work for the hauling. Never been so happy with a vehicle to date. The features of a truck plus the ability to do doors off and top down in minutes makes this thing a wonder to own and drive.

 

[bgenlvtex]

I have had some pretty rudimentary forms of transportation in my life and have miraculously survived. Chief among those a 1966 Dodge D100 short bed 318A (poly spherical head), with a 4 speed.

Only a Gladiator to get by on? LOL, you'll be just fine.

 

[5JeepsAz]

Rent one for the weekend

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