Gladiator Sales Slump

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

don't post links behind a paywall unless you're willing to copy and paste the content here for all to see with the link only serving as a citation

Lol.

I was able to read the article from the link on the Facebook post.

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[ShadowsPapa]

Every midsize except the Tacoma and Ridgeline are down. The ranger is actually the worst performer right now so it's not just a gladiator thing.

Just read where certain other Fords are sitting around, too. Depending on their slant or agenda or goal, you will find articles all over the interweb about something not selling. Almost like they are trying to shame or cut something down - see, here's proof, it's not selling!

but I think you’re absolutely wrong although there are plenty of vocal reactionary, right wing uneducated jeepers, there are plenty of hippies and yuppies in them too

How about leaving that shit out of it.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

Just read where certain other Fords are sitting around, too. Depending on their slant or agenda or goal, you will find articles all over the interweb about something not selling. Almost like they are trying to shame or cut something down - see, here's proof, it's not selling!

Jeep, a mid-size brand with an already premium sticker, raised prices quite a bit over the last two years. I don't follow the other brands, (I've heard of some sticker shock with full size trucks and the bronco) Combining that with rising interest rates, it wouldn't surprise me if they're pricing themselves out of their niche market.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Part of the issue was a missed forecast of the demand. It was ramping up, then things again corrected. A lot of factors, drop in used car prices, increase in interest rates (not foreseen by the automakers)
It's a stack-up of things.
We're out here playing "guess why" and "place the blame" from chairs, couches, whatever, and have none of the information needed to make a smart guess, let alone an educated response based on facts and research.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

I think a portion of it was not new car market trends and projections, but a reaction to the inflated used car market and Jeep and other brands perhaps) couldn't cotton used vehicles being sold for more than their new ones.
My speculation is combined with a little gloating. I never wish to see anyone or anything not do well but in circumstances where it would seem they are just blatantly taking advantage of consumers, it's nice to see it begin to bite them in the ass.

 

[Lunentucker]

Someone didn't get the memo.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/b0686bd5-fa8d-470f-82fb-82c761a07aad/

 

[HopSlammer]

Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated
— JT

 

[Blade1668]

Well s### I've been called a lot of things uneducated is funny to think of.
Now on with the thread. Price gouging is a major problem with it let alone everything else going on. I'm not of the "I changed my socks and underwear" so now I need another new vehicle. I'm of the Well my Jeep has a few hundred thousand miles on it I might think about getting a newer Jeep, then after a few weeks- months or so deciding I buy one. Thankfully I'm that way I almost had a Jeep Renegade. ? Luckily I waited and Jeep announced and launched the Gladiator.

Between all of my Jeeps I have bought to drive have around 3/4 million miles or so. (combined odometer miles) So I don't help manufacturers on high numbers of sales. I kinda average 14 years between new vehicles.. and or deployments to SWA. I might have bought a Jeep after each one. Hmmm seven Jeeps seven operations in SWA. Well two was for parts, that I didn't put on road in original condition.

 

[Varooom]

I am surprised Gladiators sell at all.
They do not handle well, get poor gas milage, are very expensive, hard to get in and out of, and really not very good as a truck. Much better options out there.
With that said, I must be uneducated because I love my Gladiator. It brings me joy every time I drive it. I enjoy spending money on it and making it my own. I love to get it covered in mud then taking it home and detailing it out as if going to a show.
I guess I am a Jeeper!
Varooom

 

[Hootbro]

Someone didn't get the memo.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/b0686bd5-fa8d-470f-82fb-82c761a07aad/

That is probably an error with the cars.com third party hosting of the listing. The dealer website lists it at normal price and actually discounted off of MSRP.

https://www.wcjeep.com/inventory/new-2023-jeep-gladiator-mojave-4x4-crew-cab-1c6jjtegxpl548161/

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Well s### I've been called a lot of things uneducated is funny to think of.

Sad that certain people or groups believe lack of advanced "formal education" equates to lack of intelligence, lack of ability, lesser worth or value and so on. but that's no surprise when I see certain people and groups thinking that way. it's a made-up media thing that certain people latched onto because it confirmed or validated their already incorrect opinion of other people.

They do not handle well, get poor gas milage, are very expensive, hard to get in and out of, and really not very good as a truck.

Not sure where that comes from, unless it's being sad as sarcasm. Mine beats any truck and many SUVs I've owned for mpg.
Mine handles very well - mine has been my daily driver since 2019 because it does ride and handle so very well. Not really more expensive when compared apples to apples.

Easy to get into and out of with the power steps - not much more difficult than my Chevy was, But it was a muck bigger more bulky truck and had a lot bigger doors and lower seats. So maybe some more difficult, but I had steps on my Chevy, too. Door opening and seat placement is a negative for the JT as far as entry. Exit, IMO, just as good as the Chevy. Entry - just a bit worse than my Chevy.
Suits me fine as a truck. The only thing it can't do that my Chevy did - a whole pallet of landscape wall block, pallet and all. Gotta take 'em off the pallet and stack them manually and carefully starting at the front. But then - gee, it's not a full size 1/2 ton truck in the same line as the Silverado. It's more comparable to a compact, light truck. If you want a full-sized truck, buy one. If you want a compact truck, it's the answer.
I'd have never taken my Chevy or Ford overlanding, or into places my JT goes - and my JT can park almost anywhere. I avoided shopping centers with my other trucks.

MPG - 19-20
Chevy - MAYBE upper teens if you limited it to 55 mph.
JT towing - 13-13.9 mpg
Chevy towing - 12-13 mpg.

Iowa is truck country. Farms, cattle, hogs, construction, recreation as in camping and boating and hunting. It's a place where you expect and see ths typical vehicle on the road is a big Ford or Chevy 1/2 ton or larger - even the women going for groceries.
But my wife and I commented yesterday - for JT sales supposedly being down, why are we seeing more of them out and about, or parked in driveways. Contradicts what I've been expecting or seeing in the past.
I thought of this thread every time my wife said "look, there's another one". Huh? Someone is buying them. Doesn't look like a sales slump here. Weird.
But then, it's Jeep territory. Every intersection has at least 2 or 3 Jeeps sitting waiting for the light to turn. Sometimes the Jeeps outnumber other makes.

 

[ttn333]

How about leaving that shit out of it.

Weird how you call out this poster but completely missed all the very apparent dog whistling of the poster he was responding to.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

U don't see the difference, no use trying to explain - but I will anyway since you didn't get it -

One was bad enough, the other very directed and blunt, aimed more directly and harshly.

It was escalating. One if left alone is bad, but when it gets continued, it needs shut down.
Many here would have ignored the original - move along, let it go, keep the thread real.

(there's also more history there that you aren't aware of or missed or ignored and didn't put the puzzle pieces together. I was not surprised with some of what I saw. )

As a forum administrator in another place, and a moderator of a past and present forum - been down that road, knew it might not die since more gas was tossed onto the original embers.


As far as rounded corners, etc. - as a student of psychology and study of such things, yeah, the vehicles in some classes have been modified aesthetically to appeal to a different group. Pretty clear for those observant, with pattern recognition. When you see certain styling features, it's not a mistake or a spit ball tossed at the wall - it has a purpose that isn't always wind tunnel test passage.

 

[ttn333]

U don't see the difference, no use trying to explain - but I will anyway since you didn't get it -

One was bad enough, the other very directed and blunt, aimed more directly and harshly.

It was escalating. One if left alone is bad, but when it gets continued, it needs shut down.
Many here would have ignored the original - move along, let it go, keep the thread real.

(there's also more history there that you aren't aware of or missed or ignored and didn't put the puzzle pieces together. I was not surprised with some of what I saw. )

As a forum administrator in another place, and a moderator of a past and present forum - been down that road, knew it might not die since more gas was tossed onto the original embers.


As far as rounded corners, etc. - as a student of psychology and study of such things, yeah, the vehicles in some classes have been modified aesthetically to appeal to a different group. Pretty clear for those observant, with pattern recognition. When you see certain styling features, it's not a mistake or a spit ball tossed at the wall - it has a purpose that isn't always wind tunnel test passage.

Well one can easily argue that the instigator would be just as culpable and it would have been better to call out both to show a level of impartiality. I'll just leave it at that.

 

[BourbonRunner]

My most recent foray into buying a new vehicle was a bit eye opening. The upper price point vehicles are in fact sitting on the lots, irrespective of brand because the rates are currently eye-watering compared to where they are. We got super lucky and hit a 2.9% APR from Ford on the Bronco Sport, else we'd have gone 5.9% from our credit union.

The finance and sales dept at the Ford and Jeep dealers we went to flat out said that sales were slow across the board.

Fact is, new car prices like everything else shot through the roof in the past 3 years due to a number of issues, chief among them was scarcity of parts/vehicles but the real culprit was the massive price increases owed to and because of inflation. And they're not likely to come down for a while. Dealers are throwing some incentives but that's not offsetting the 7% rates enough.

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