Gladiator sales down 22% in 4Q, 29% overall in 2023

[MPMB]

On vacation in Jackson, WY this past week and there are a lot of Gladiators in the area. Most are rentals. People need something bigger than a Wrangler for all the snow gear, and there are only so many Expeditions/Suburbans to go around.

There are areas where Gladiators make sense. Convertibles don't sell well in Minnesota. But they do in Arizona. Things like that.

Overall, how are midsize truck sales doing? Is everyone down? I see an occasional new Colorado/Canyon.

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[JTsGarage]

In life nothing is certain except death, taxes, and this forum have a meltdown on a quarterly basis over Gladiator sales figures.

 

[legacy_etu]

My wife's last four vehicles (FJ Cruiser, Fiat 500, Colorado & Bronco Sport) all had one primary factor in her buying decision, the color yellow or some shade close to it. Had Hellayella came out as a JT color instead of that weird High Velocity, I could have convinced her to get a JT.

Her other fascination that I have had to talk her out of is convertibles and sun roofs.

Ok, I gotta admit it's a bit strange (a guy who drives a vehicle with removable doors and roof) you're trying to convince your wife to stay away from convertibles , HA.

 

[jwolfejt]

All car sales figures were down.... I think the advent of them still delivering new 2023's to lots says alot about the UAW strike, and not being able to put together remaining 2023's until recently. Couple that with Inflation and high interest rates and people just are not buying like they used to.

 

[Hootbro]

Ok, I gotta admit it's a bit strange (a guy who drives a vehicle with removable doors and roof) you're trying to convince your wife to stay away from convertibles , HA.

Yeah, I can see the ironic optics of that, but the truth is I have a hardtop and 99.5% of the time, that is for practical and security reasons of driving it as my daily in urban areas of Philly and Baltimore. If I could not get a JT with one, would not have bought it

I had a two door JK with a soft top for two years and went through 3 soft tops due to thieves just cutting it to gain access. That gets expensive.

A few years back, me and the wife went to Vegas and I rented a convertible Mustang we used between runs from Vegas to Phoenix and back. I put the top down for her and let her drive it and she got somewhat of a idea that daily top down life was a bit of a pain and not glamorous like she sees women in the movies driving them. A year later she seems to forget all that and pines for one again.

 

[gladtohave]

Gladiator sales went south literally the day after I purchased mine . That happens every time I purchase a big ticket item . Your welcome : )

 

[RobbertCole]

In life nothing is certain except death, taxes, and this forum have a meltdown on a quarterly basis over Gladiator sales figures.

i dont get why they care.

Are they mad the mass market isnt buying the thing they bought? Why?

worried they're gonna stop making them? Presumably you already have one, so who cares?

people are weird, man.

 

[MoparDave]

The most interesting thing in this chart to me is 2 new Dodge Vipers sold in the 4th quarter of 2023.

As far as sales go, this is all a "snap shot in time" at this point.
Stay tuned.

 

[MPMB]

Yeah, I can see the ironic optics of that, but the truth is I have a hardtop and 99.5% of the time, that is for practical and security reasons of driving it as my daily in urban areas of Philly and Baltimore. If I could not get a JT with one, would not have bought it

I had a two door JK with a soft top for two years and went through 3 soft tops due to thieves just cutting it to gain access. That gets expensive.

A few years back, me and the wife went to Vegas and I rented a convertible Mustang we used between runs from Vegas to Phoenix and back. I put the top down for her and let her drive it and she got somewhat of a idea that daily top down life was a bit of a pain and not glamorous like she sees women in the movies driving them. A year later she seems to forget all that and pines for one again.

psst... they make retractable hard top convertibles.

I wouldn't have a daily or semi-daily ragtop. Hence the BMW 435i convertible. Wife wants a sunroof as a minimum. This car popped up for sale, had sat on the lot for about a month, able to take it home for a reasonable price. Her sister has a year older 428 (2.0L vs. the 3.0L) and loves hers.

 

[DirkG]

I'm a tight-ass with money and was an Economics undergrad. I'm also a car nerd who watches the industry and the financial sector like a hawk.

Unfortunately these high interest rates are by design. "The world’s central banks have unleashed the steepest series of interest-rate increases in decades during their two-year drive to tame inflation."

Inflation and interest rates go hand in hand. As prices rise, so will interest rates. The goal is to get consumers to stop short-term spending.

Basically the Fed uses interest rates as a toggle to curb inflation. As inflation grows, interest rates are increased accordingly to slow price increases by bogging down the economy and choking off demand.

If a consumer desperately needs a new car, then by all means get a car. But if you can, wait until the market conditions actually FAVOR your purchase decision and value for your dollar.

We see a lot of red in these charts for a reason - there is global inflation, the central banks are tightening up to combat it, and all markets are trying to adapt accordingly (auto, homes, retail, etc.).

 

[Deleted member 57233]

All car sales figures were down.... I think the advent of them still delivering new 2023's to lots says alot about the UAW strike, and not being able to put together remaining 2023's until recently. Couple that with Inflation and high interest rates and people just are not buying like they used to.

Where are you seeing that all sales are down? The reports that just came out says car sales are up across the board and back to pre-pandemic levels.

 

[JamesWyatt]

It still blows my mind that Jeep made the JT Gladiator without also making an extended JL riding on the JT chassis sized or even styled like an Ineos Grenadier (pre-suck Defender). All that cash is still just sitting there on the table for Jeep to grab whenever they want.

 

[Hootbro]

It still blows my mind that Jeep made the JT Gladiator without also making an extended JL riding on the JT chassis sized or even styled like an Ineos Grenadier (pre-suck Defender). All that cash is still just sitting there on the table for Jeep to grab whenever they want.

What would that be? Third row seating or an extended cargo area on the JL?

I think the market for something like that would be the same if they made a 2 door JT. Beyond the first year sales rush for the few niche buyers wanting that, would be a stale model in later years.

 

[JamesWyatt]

What would that be? Third row seating or an extended cargo area on the JL?

Simply an enclosed-body JT in addition to the JT truck. 3rd row could be an option I guess. Would the chassis have to be redesigned to accommodate a full body versus the truck bed? They did some chassis work for the Mojave, so that shouldn't be a big issue.

I think the market for something like that would be the same if they made a 2 door JT. Beyond the first year sales rush for the few niche buyers wanting that. would be a stale model in later years.

It think the JT with full enclosed body would sell. It might cut into JT camper top sales, however

 

[Hootbro]

Simply an enclosed-body JT in addition to the JT truck. 3rd row could be an option I guess. Would the chassis have to be redesigned to accommodate a full body versus the truck bed? They did some chassis work for the Mojave, so that shouldn't be a big issue.

It think the JT with full enclosed body would sell. It might cut into JT camper top sales, however

Well, if they added third row seating, it would have to go through crash testing considerations and engineering plus a plethora of other things. Would not be as easy as they had when making the JT based off the JL as most of the primary engineering was already absorbed by the JL development.

I think in Jeep's mind, they are already chasing that third row seating market with their Grand Wagoneer.

People already niggle the Gladiator on the trail for being a long break over angle pig. A Wrangler JL of the same dimensions I do not see being a strong business case to make.

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