Gladiator vs. Colorado ZR2 Bison

[GladiatorPilot23]

I was talking about ‘51Willys saying “says 8.5-11” and the pic he posted confirms that. What I’m seeing on the BFG website is 8-11. Not that 1/2” matters much, it’s just a slight discrepancy from what I’m seeing.

Oh I see what you mean now. So I have read and seen vids that let's say the minimum in this case is 8" width so if you put that tire on a 7.5" width wheel, there will be a curve and ride on the center tread reducing traction potentially in everyday driving. To compensate, 51WillysCJ3a is saying you need to air down to reduce that effect. One thing doing that is more tread wear and parasitic drag reducing fuel economy BUT then going with a wider heavier wheel will also reduce fuel economy lol. I guess that 10" that BFG states is the optimal size for the tread pattern then?

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[aldo98229]

I have nothing negative to say….. I owned a 2016 Canyon for 8 years and never had a lick of problems with it.

The Canyon had (or still has???) the AT4X….. similar to Colorado ZR2.

I’m sure all 3 trucks are damn near closely matched…in terms of offroad capabilities.

I mean…You could have a really good driver make any vehicle drive the trails with ease. Beat the piss out of all of them and see what breaks first…..

Are you concerned about losing the Jeep community…… and the huge Jeep aftermarket support. I highly doubt the Colorado or the Canyon has the aftermarket support you’re used to with the Jeep.

OH wait… SOLID FRONT AXLE VERSUS IFS…….

I too know several people who own the prior generation Canyon - none of them have had any issues whatsoever. They are very good trucks.

But this is an entirely new truck, new engine, new electronics. I'd wait awhile before jumping in.

PS - GMC kept making the AT4 package better and better. The best AT4 version of the outgoing model was it its final model year.

 

[dajudge]

The biggest problem with any GM truck is: GM long ago forgot that tires are round! There is no room in the wheel wells for bigger tires. Unless you lift it to stupid heights or chop the fenders, you will never get a bigger tire on it.

 

[DanW]

My brother picked up his Bison Friday evening. NICE TRUCK! I drove it around a bit and crawled all over and under it. Here are my 1st impressions:

• It is gorgeous. The blue is beautiful. It is a pastel vs. the metallic Hydro Blue on my Gladiator.
• Tires on both trucks are the same size...his are a new Goodyear Wrangler and the tread looks great. They are a fairly aggressive AT and are quiet. They will be amazing in snow with LOTS of siping and biting edges. My Kenda Klever AT´s are more aggressive with bigger lugs. They are also quiet. I´m betting they will perform in a very similar manner.
• Steering felt great.
• The beds are about the same height. The big spare in the bed on the Bison doesn´t take up much room. Not nearly as much as I thought it would, so he´s got plenty of cargo room. The tailgate has a neat sealed storage box in it that is perfect for quick access to recover straps and such. This is a GREAT idea by Chevy.
• The skid plates are really nice. They are boron steel and look to be positioned very well for protection. His engine sticks down lower, so these are a very good thing. The JT´s engine is tucked up much higher in the chasis, so like my Wrangler, I am unsure that I will put a skid plate there. But he´s got really good skids over the transmission pan, T-case, and gas tank. No need for more. Oh....there´s also AEV´s new rear differential skid plate. VERY nice, hugs tightly up on the pumpkin, so almost no loss in clearance. It will slide right over stuff.
• The ride is smoother than my JT, although the AEV Dualsport lift on my JT is not known for smooth ride.
• The rear suspension on the newest Colorado generation is MUCH better than the first gen ZR2. They went from terrible to what I think is slightly superior to the JT. They are hugged right up next to the tire even tighter than the JT. VERY nice.
• Front ground clearance is outstanding. No big pumpkin protruding. I would not trade the solid axle, but this is nicely done. Too bad it won´t articulate more. Lol. But it is nice. The control arms are beefy, too.
• I can´t wait to drive on some rough stuff in it. The new hydraulic bump stops will be superior to anything you can buy from the factory, in my estimation. I have no doubt that for running down pitted and bumpy trais, this thing will glide right over it. No way I´ll keep up. But that´s not my style, or I would have bought a Mojave.
• The interior is beautiful, and feels wider. However, I have to reach too far for the steering wheel. I find the JT to be a more comfortable seating and steering wheel position. Other than the steering wheel, the seats are VERY comfortable and you can blow cold air through them right onto your balls. Nice.
• The dash is amazing. HUGE screens and camera coverage all around.
• The visibility will SUCK on the trail. The hood is high, and you are buried in the cab. Again, comfortable, but it´ll be a major liability on the trail. Good thing the camera coverage is outstanding.
• Rear visibility sucks. Mirrors are ok. JT mirrors and windows make for MUCH better rearward visibility. SPare tire blocks over 1/3 of rear view through the window. Rear camera is good.
• It has great power. I only punched it once, but it gets up and goes. Guess what? Empty, the 3.6 JT shows well and feels similar. But I´m sure that at high altitude or with a load, the turbo and torque will take over. He either has 3.21 or 3.42 gearing, so there is a little help for the 3.6 with that. At high rpm, the 3.6 makes more noise, but sounds better and feels like it pulls just as hard. AT low rpm, that turbo 4 has TONS of grunt. Not a great comparison, though, because I really didn´t push the Colorado too hard. It only has 200 miles on it. Of course, my brother runs the piss out of it right off the dealer lot. Lol. It´ll break in quickly.
• Quality and fit and finish appear excellent. Again, the paint is gorgeous. The interior is gorgeous, too. Love the styling on it.
• He still has to get his winch installed at the dealer and they are waiting for a switch or power box or something for his AEV cowl lights. They are back-ordered.
• He did not get the undercarriage cameras. Dumbass salesman forgot to order them. They are checking if they can be installed at the dealership. I had experience once with this salesman, so I am not surprised. He was full of shit a couple years ago when I tried to buy the JT my brother traded-in. (He should have sold it to me instead of trading it, but did the whole thing on a whim for a Tahoe. He regretted losing the JT almost immediately.)

Overall, I love it. I think it will be a beast off-road. We´re going to have a TON of fun with our trucks! We are planning to go to Moab around the last week of October. Can´t wait!

We´re going to try to get to Turkey Bay or the Daniel Boone Byway trails sometime in the next couple months. Can´t wait to see it in its element.

 

[biodiesel]

My brother picked up his Bison Friday evening. NICE TRUCK!

That's a good-looking truck for sure. I'm looking forward to Ram coming out with their midsize truck which isn't slated until 2027.

 

[MoparToYou]

Great review, thanks for sharing. I like ZR-2 trucks. Those side steps are horrid though. They look like they would get crushed the first trip off road. But they can be removed or changed to something that doesn't hang so low.

 

[SaiintNick]

Piano black dash and grill will always be a stupid choice.

 

[DanW]

Great review, thanks for sharing. I like ZR-2 trucks. Those side steps are horrid though. They look like they would get crushed the first trip off road. But they can be removed or changed to something that doesn't hang so low.

Yep, they are removable. 4 bolts for each step. I forgot to mention those. I hate them. If you don´t step on them, they will get crap on your pant leg. I am 6 foot 5, so I would not step up on them. Sure enough, they rubbed all over my pant leg.

My brother said he´d take them off for wheeling trips. I told him he can do that or they will come off on their own. LOL.

My fiance is 5´ 4¨ tall. She used them and liked them, but when I asked if I should get her something like that on my Jeeps she said, ¨No. They look like shit.¨

 

[DanW]

Piano black dash and grill will always be a stupid choice.

Yeah, looks good new, but it´ll show dust, fingerprints and smudges pretty quick. And water spots.

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