Gladiator vs. Colorado ZR2 Bison

[DanW]

My brother just ordered a ZR2 Bison and it enters production this week. It sounds like a badass truck right out of the box, with nothing needed to hit the trail. I had to put tons of elbow grease and thought into my JT to get it to similar stats, meaning adding an AEV 2.5 lift and 35¨ tires.

He ordered it in blue, which looks very similar to my Hydro Blue JT. I can´t wait to hit some trails with him and see how it does compared to the Gladiator. I think it will be a great truck. Can´t wait to drive it!

Some observations and thoughts about the ZR2 Bison vs the Gladiator.

• Love that the Bison comes with the lift and 35´s straight from the factory. The factory manumatic shocks on it are supposed to be just incredible in all kinds of driving, on and off road.
• Love the instrument displays. Very versatile and HUGE.
• Something like 10 cameras, including two underneath that wash themselves! I tried a Garmin Overlander camera setup under my JLUR and it was amazing. I thought it was well tucked and protected until just the right rock crushed the shit out of it. Experiment over.
• The spare tire mount is a complete joke on the Bison. No tonneau, takes up cargo room, and ruin s rear visibility. Love that the JT can hold up to a 37 in the spare slot underneath.
• Gas mileage is horrible. I can easily get 21mpg on the highway. The Bison is rated at 16. It has more power, sure, but I have no complaints about the power in my 3.6. I will take the gas mileage and track record of the 3.6 any day.
• Bison comes with a rear diff skid (AEV). NICE.
• I would never trade the solid front axle with sway bar disco for the IFS of the Bison, nice as it is on-road.
• Rear lower shock mounts have been re-designed. The previous gen ZR2 had those things hanging down and waiting to hook every obstacle. These are tucked up nicely and fix a major issue, in my opinion.

We will probably hit Turkey Bay in Western KY or the Daniel Boone National Forest pretty quickly after he gets it to break it in.

Overall, from what I read and have seen on Youtube, Chevy did a helluva job on this truck, with AEV´s help, of course, to take it to a new level.

I will post some pics and hopefully video, eventually, when he gets it and when we get it on a trail. My brother´s analysis will be interesting. He had a 2020 JT Rubi with a Mopar lift and 35´s and ran it to Moab and all over the place, off-road. He adored that truck and kicked himself ever since for selling it. It never gave him a lick of trouble, and he ran it HARD.

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[PBCounty]

All I can say is that they are damn good looking trucks, especially in that blue. But, four banger turbo and a top that doesn't come off means I didn't look too long at them.

 

[AmosMoses]

I could never purchase a vehicle that big with a turbo 4 cylinder motor. I remember test driving a wrangler unlimited with a 4 cylinder turbo motor and cringing when I started it up from when it had been sitting on the lot. Now that motor would be cool in my 96 geo tracker that I lifted in my 20's but not in a vehicle that is almost 5000 pounds.

 

[MoparToYou]

I wonder if AEV did a better job with the Bison this time. I remember an online review of their first rendition that TFL did a few years back. They did side by side testing with a Bison ZR2 vs a regular ZR2, and the regular ZR2 did better at just about everything. It had better suspension, better articulation, better power, and a much better price. They didn't come right out and say it, but you could tell they thought AEV screwed it up.

I hope they did better this time. I like the Colorado platform. I've owned three of them over the years

 

[agoldxj]

They have a lot of electronic issues, radio bugs etc. it’s the same 2.7 that they put in the Silverado and we haven’t seen to many failures yet. They did have some paint issues earlier on, I work for a gm dealer and don’t own a gm product. The Zr2 looks like a nice rig though but I wouldn’t trust it.

 

[Janster]

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…….

 

[SaiintNick]

My brother just ordered a ZR2 Bison and it enters production this week. It sounds like a badass truck right out of the box, with nothing needed to hit the trail. I had to put tons of elbow grease and thought into my JT to get it to similar stats, meaning adding an AEV 2.5 lift and 35¨ tires.

He ordered it in blue, which looks very similar to my Hydro Blue JT. I can´t wait to hit some trails with him and see how it does compared to the Gladiator. I think it will be a great truck. Can´t wait to drive it!

Some observations and thoughts about the ZR2 Bison vs the Gladiator.

• Love that the Bison comes with the lift and 35´s straight from the factory. The factory manumatic shocks on it are supposed to be just incredible in all kinds of driving, on and off road.
• Love the instrument displays. Very versatile and HUGE.
• Something like 10 cameras, including two underneath that wash themselves! I tried a Garmin Overlander camera setup under my JLUR and it was amazing. I thought it was well tucked and protected until just the right rock crushed the shit out of it. Experiment over.
• The spare tire mount is a complete joke on the Bison. No tonneau, takes up cargo room, and ruin s rear visibility. Love that the JT can hold up to a 37 in the spare slot underneath.
• Gas mileage is horrible. I can easily get 21mpg on the highway. The Bison is rated at 16. It has more power, sure, but I have no complaints about the power in my 3.6. I will take the gas mileage and track record of the 3.6 any day.
• Bison comes with a rear diff skid (AEV). NICE.
• I would never trade the solid front axle with sway bar disco for the IFS of the Bison, nice as it is on-road.
• Rear lower shock mounts have been re-designed. The previous gen ZR2 had those things hanging down and waiting to hook every obstacle. These are tucked up nicely and fix a major issue, in my opinion.

We will probably hit Turkey Bay in Western KY or the Daniel Boone National Forest pretty quickly after he gets it to break it in.

Overall, from what I read and have seen on Youtube, Chevy did a helluva job on this truck, with AEV´s help, of course, to take it to a new level.

I will post some pics and hopefully video, eventually, when he gets it and when we get it on a trail. My brother´s analysis will be interesting. He had a 2020 JT Rubi with a Mopar lift and 35´s and ran it to Moab and all over the place, off-road. He adored that truck and kicked himself ever since for selling it. It never gave him a lick of trouble, and he ran it HARD.

Last time I saw a Bison it was $63K. Not a chance I'm paying that much. I will take my 3.6 Mojave for $45K over the Bison, especially since I can mount a 37" KO2 underneath while the 35" tire is mounted in the bed on the Bison. All your other points are valid. I like my Gladiator better.

 

[SnazzGlad]

It’s a nice truck from the rear. The lack of defined headlights on these new GM trucks kills it for me. Throw in a small 4 banger turbo and it’s a no. Would be a sweet truck to lease but I wouldn’t buy one IMO. Let us know how it performs on the trail.

 

[Minty JL]

Last time I saw a Bison it was $63K. Not a chance I'm paying that much. I will take my 3.6 Mojave for $45K over the Bison, especially since I can mount a 37" KO2 underneath while the 35" tire is mounted in the bed on the Bison. All your other points are valid. I like my Gladiator better.

To bad KO2 37s are really 35s lol; I know, I have a set on my JLUR

 

[SaiintNick]

To bad KO2 37s are really 35s lol; I know, I have a set on my JLUR

HEY! They are 35.75!!

 

[Gvsukids]

Some observations and thoughts about the ZR2 Bison vs the Gladiator.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/forums/gladiator-versus.38/

 

[DanW]

They have a lot of electronic issues, radio bugs etc. it’s the same 2.7 that they put in the Silverado and we haven’t seen to many failures yet. They did have some paint issues earlier on, I work for a gm dealer and don’t own a gm product. The Zr2 looks like a nice rig though but I wouldn’t trust it.

That´ll be a big test. My brother´s Gladiator was bulletproof. Never had an issue. And he beat hell out of it. He towed a 6,000lb boat to Florida and back with it on top of all the off-roading.

I would have bought his from him but he traded it in before I had a chance. I also would have bought it from the dealer but they wouldn´t be realistic on the price.

 

[Zachanadandy]

My brother just ordered a ZR2 Bison and it enters production this week. It sounds like a badass truck right out of the box, with nothing needed to hit the trail. I had to put tons of elbow grease and thought into my JT to get it to similar stats, meaning adding an AEV 2.5 lift and 35¨ tires.

He ordered it in blue, which looks very similar to my Hydro Blue JT. I can´t wait to hit some trails with him and see how it does compared to the Gladiator. I think it will be a great truck. Can´t wait to drive it!

Some observations and thoughts about the ZR2 Bison vs the Gladiator.

• Love that the Bison comes with the lift and 35´s straight from the factory. The factory manumatic shocks on it are supposed to be just incredible in all kinds of driving, on and off road.
• Love the instrument displays. Very versatile and HUGE.
• Something like 10 cameras, including two underneath that wash themselves! I tried a Garmin Overlander camera setup under my JLUR and it was amazing. I thought it was well tucked and protected until just the right rock crushed the shit out of it. Experiment over.
• The spare tire mount is a complete joke on the Bison. No tonneau, takes up cargo room, and ruin s rear visibility. Love that the JT can hold up to a 37 in the spare slot underneath.
• Gas mileage is horrible. I can easily get 21mpg on the highway. The Bison is rated at 16. It has more power, sure, but I have no complaints about the power in my 3.6. I will take the gas mileage and track record of the 3.6 any day.
• Bison comes with a rear diff skid (AEV). NICE.
• I would never trade the solid front axle with sway bar disco for the IFS of the Bison, nice as it is on-road.
• Rear lower shock mounts have been re-designed. The previous gen ZR2 had those things hanging down and waiting to hook every obstacle. These are tucked up nicely and fix a major issue, in my opinion.

We will probably hit Turkey Bay in Western KY or the Daniel Boone National Forest pretty quickly after he gets it to break it in.

Overall, from what I read and have seen on Youtube, Chevy did a helluva job on this truck, with AEV´s help, of course, to take it to a new level.

I will post some pics and hopefully video, eventually, when he gets it and when we get it on a trail. My brother´s analysis will be interesting. He had a 2020 JT Rubi with a Mopar lift and 35´s and ran it to Moab and all over the place, off-road. He adored that truck and kicked himself ever since for selling it. It never gave him a lick of trouble, and he ran it HARD.

You both ran enough lift on your JTs to easily clear 37s which would have meant even the Bison would have no chance of keeping up. On 35s it will be close enough to clear mostly the same obstacles. I'll take my Mojave on 37s vs anything Chevy will ever put out at any speed off road.

 

[Bjeepz]

I wonder if AEV did a better job with the Bison this time. I remember an online review of their first rendition that TFL did a few years back. They did side by side testing with a Bison ZR2 vs a regular ZR2, and the regular ZR2 did better at just about everything. It had better suspension, better articulation, better power, and a much better price. They didn't come right out and say it, but you could tell they thought AEV screwed it up.

I hope they did better this time. I like the Colorado platform. I've owned three of them over the years

This is not accurate. The suspension between the two was Identical. The power was identical, tire size was identical The negative was the AEV bumper reduced approach angle and reviewers claimed to feel the weight of the skids. No different than putting a fat friend in the front seat and camping gear in the bed. In fact the TFL video stated they liked the extra protection from the skids.

 

[Bjeepz]

My brother just ordered a ZR2 Bison and it enters production this week. It sounds like a badass truck right out of the box, with nothing needed to hit the trail. I had to put tons of elbow grease and thought into my JT to get it to similar stats, meaning adding an AEV 2.5 lift and 35¨ tires.

He ordered it in blue, which looks very similar to my Hydro Blue JT. I can´t wait to hit some trails with him and see how it does compared to the Gladiator. I think it will be a great truck. Can´t wait to drive it!

Some observations and thoughts about the ZR2 Bison vs the Gladiator.

• Love that the Bison comes with the lift and 35´s straight from the factory. The factory manumatic shocks on it are supposed to be just incredible in all kinds of driving, on and off road.
• Love the instrument displays. Very versatile and HUGE.
• Something like 10 cameras, including two underneath that wash themselves! I tried a Garmin Overlander camera setup under my JLUR and it was amazing. I thought it was well tucked and protected until just the right rock crushed the shit out of it. Experiment over.
• The spare tire mount is a complete joke on the Bison. No tonneau, takes up cargo room, and ruin s rear visibility. Love that the JT can hold up to a 37 in the spare slot underneath.
• Gas mileage is horrible. I can easily get 21mpg on the highway. The Bison is rated at 16. It has more power, sure, but I have no complaints about the power in my 3.6. I will take the gas mileage and track record of the 3.6 any day.
• Bison comes with a rear diff skid (AEV). NICE.
• I would never trade the solid front axle with sway bar disco for the IFS of the Bison, nice as it is on-road.
• Rear lower shock mounts have been re-designed. The previous gen ZR2 had those things hanging down and waiting to hook every obstacle. These are tucked up nicely and fix a major issue, in my opinion.

We will probably hit Turkey Bay in Western KY or the Daniel Boone National Forest pretty quickly after he gets it to break it in.

Overall, from what I read and have seen on Youtube, Chevy did a helluva job on this truck, with AEV´s help, of course, to take it to a new level.

I will post some pics and hopefully video, eventually, when he gets it and when we get it on a trail. My brother´s analysis will be interesting. He had a 2020 JT Rubi with a Mopar lift and 35´s and ran it to Moab and all over the place, off-road. He adored that truck and kicked himself ever since for selling it. It never gave him a lick of trouble, and he ran it HARD.

I owned a 2020 ZR2 Diesel with the tiny back seat and the 6ft bed. Put a Leer 180 cap and some Falken AT3W 33x10.5's on it. Absolutely loved the truck until I kept having diesel emission system issues which got me back to Jeep in the Mojave. Hard to turn back from 'high speed' style suspension after having it.

The new ones are pretty nice but quite a bit larger in dimensions, no bigger than a Gladiator though. One complaint is the new Bison wasn't re-geared for the 35's and there is nothing available aftermarket for gearing. I'd imagine a new Bison would still leave my Mojave on 37's far behind in a race!

The Multimatic shocks are incredibly nice, my Mojave ride isn't comparable!

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