Gladiator vs Tacoma IMO

[DirkG]

the ridge was surprisingly capable though, that was quite a show, when i mean late season, winter, snow, cold af...they have a surprisingly capable awd system for that lighter duty snow/muck, and near full size cab size and comforts

I hear ya, we've been taking our MDXs up to the mountains / snow for the past 15 years and the AWD system (same as Ridgeline's) is flawless. I really wanted to like the Ridgeline.

BUT I feel like we have the best of both worlds because we found the Gladiator as our introduction to the Jeep Life and still have a reliable Acura (2018 MDX).

Here were two of my favorite MDXs (2006 and 2016, in front of our old house)...

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[Frenzyrider]

Have a 10 year old MDX. Flawless AWD. Done tons of fire trails, snow, etc but always went short of those roads I could hit with a 4x4. I should mention those roads I could hit with motorcycle BMW GS1200. The family is also all in for adventure. Hit some roads around Utah and California on rented overlanding Tacoma with 2.5" OME lift and Toyo tires. It felt really old but it was a 2018. It struggled with those 6 gears. Was slow and a bit lethargic. Test drove the Gladiator a few times and there was a clear winner. Now the painful wait.

 

[wanderer]

I had a 2007tacoma it was ok. But legs straight out. I went to the car show when the jl was released sat in one for old time sakes. In a word it sucked. I don’t know what they do or if it was jus me. But after 10 years in a jkur I couldn’t be live the difference

 

[bastage]

Before I bought my JT I checked out a Tacoma TRD... With the seat comfortable for me my daughter couldn't even get her legs in if she was in the seat behind me. Its like half the truck when you got a family..

 

[PyrPatriot]

IMO the Ridgeline is for a 60-year-old retired dude who hits Home Depot on the weekends.

Those used to be called "gentleman's trucks", the kind you'd take to the hardware store for light work around the house but still have a F150 or some sort. Nice interior, cooler in the center console, etc. not intended for plywood

 

[brianinca]

I thought that was pronounced "El Camino"?

Those used to be called "gentleman's trucks", the kind you'd take to the hardware store for light work around the house but still have a F150 or some sort. Nice interior, cooler in the center console, etc. not intended for plywood

 

[Cdemarac]

I drove a Tacoma for work for a little bit and I’m glad I did. I was looking at one before and a lot of things changed my mind.

The doors sounded so cheep when you shut them. Reminded me of an old plastic saturn.

The trans was awful it never did what I wanted It to

The interior left a whole lot to be desired the switches were cheep feeling nothing in there impressed me.

And at 6 foot I couldn’t get comfortable at all.

 

[DirkG]

Those used to be called "gentleman's trucks", the kind you'd take to the hardware store for light work around the house but still have a F150 or some sort. Nice interior, cooler in the center console, etc. not intended for plywood

I've had Ridgeline discussions over on the Acura board and I had made a render when I was shopping for trucks. Thought I's share here...

Keep in mind this was before I found the Gladiator and I was really trying to convince myself that a Ridgeline would work...obviously things worked out for the better as I love my JT...

What drew me into the Ridgeline was the 2016 SEMA Ridgeline TRX250X. But even with a FOX suspension and other "gear", it still looked too "boy racer" for me. I Photoshopped what I thought the Ridgeline should look like...

• I've always felt like the Civic Type R front end would work really well on a truck. Still keeps it Honda, but much more aggressive. It looks much less minivan or "SUV with a bed".
• I leveled it out (raised its ass) because a normal truck should have some downward rake by default so when there's significant payload (such as motorcyles), the stance levels out.
• Perhaps my biggest dislike on the factory Ridgeline and this SEMA truck are the wheels. The OEM wheels are ridiculous for a truck and this SEMA RL has "tuner" looking wheels...? I put more rugged looking Fuel Beasts on there (I love my wheels).

Still not as desirable as a Gladiator (

) but better nonetheless. Toyota sells a ton of Tacomas and while dynamically they're a different type of vehicle (RWD / 4WD body on frame), Honda could have taken a larger chunk just by "trucking" up the Ridgeline closer to the Taco. The Ridgeline is a much better vehicle overall than the Taco (look at any comparo), it just needs a better truck design.

Before

After (*my relatively quick render)

 

[Jt-wrx]

i have a lot of love for honda, weedwhippers/mowers/generators/outboards and vehicles, they make good stuff across the board, i too wanted to love the ridgeline enough to buy but i just have a bit too much demand of a truck, it could, with 2" lift and upsize the tires, 95% of what i may ask very well, but once the mid-size segment came along with a lifestyle/legacy type option with this jeep truck...rolling with a manual transmission, 4.88's and 37's is just something that's hard to justify over pretty much all vehicles but i'm in love with a 4-wheeled vehicle for the first time in a long time

 

[RedTRex]

I thought that was pronounced "El Camino"?

Ha!

 

[Empty Pockets]

I bought a ‘14 Silverado on close out in 2015. Got a great deal on it. It was my 2ed auto trans vehicle (in over 40 years of driving). My wife was really intimidated by my manual trans Super Duty and I gave in. I didn’t care for the truck AT ALL and 90% of the reason was the auto. She drove it twice in 5 years. I wanted another manual truck bad and now the choices in a new truck were Taco or JT. The Frontier was not even in the running due to size and obsolescence

I started looking at the Taco a couple of years ago. Figured I could fix the kayak like seating, but there was nothing I could do about the rear seat. On a business trip to Kalispell summer of 2019 the rental company had a Taco available with 4x4 so I took it. Drove it up to Glacier National Park for an afternoon and had a chance to run it through some mild stuff. I was very impressed with its abilities, but I knew after my 250 mile “test drive” that there was no way the Taco would work for my family.

I decided to wait until the JT was available in Gobi and get me one with the 6speed. As soon as Gobi was announced, I tried to order one but when the dealer put the order in it came back that the MT was “temporary” unavailable. I found my Sting Gray MT ( my 2ed color choice) on the Jeep website finder about 200 miles from home and made the deal that day. It was equipped exactly as I wanted. I couldn’t be happier with my choice.

Travis at Russel Barnett CJR in Winchester TN held this truck for me 3 days to give me time to get up there. THANKS TRAVIS!!

 

[Jt-wrx]

you really want to enjoy that mt, get speeddawg shift knob and magnaflow street side exit exhaust...and ensure the axle ratio's suitable for tire height, dang this thing fun to drive like a sports car...minus the sports car speeds, but the smiles are all there! this thing is next level

 

[Geoarch]

Residual values of Tacoma’s are much better. Tacoma is more spacious and comfortable and reliable. I wouldn’t get the gladiator if you plan on owing it for a long time.

Do you enjoy going to your dealership? Are you mechanically inclined? Do you know what to do when problems arise with a vehicle? Is there a cute person you want their info from at the dealer? If so, then the Jeep. Your vehicle will spend just as much time there as it does on the road.

Three recalls on my 2018 Tacoma Pro, one of them potentially dangerous. Many here have never had their Gladiator in the shop other than routine maintenance. It would be nice if the world was black and white, but it isn’t.

 

[Barnaby’sdad]

Residual values of Tacoma’s are much better. Tacoma is more spacious and comfortable and reliable. I wouldn’t get the gladiator if you plan on owing it for a long time.

Do you enjoy going to your dealership? Are you mechanically inclined? Do you know what to do when problems arise with a vehicle? Is there a cute person you want their info from at the dealer? If so, then the Jeep. Your vehicle will spend just as much time there as it does on the road.

If you were still around…I’d ask what you’re smoking.

The Tacoma is literally the least comfortable modern pickup truck that I’ve ever driven. Period. The only truck that comes to mind that’s less comfortable to drive….was a 1989 Ford Ranger.

But yeah…it’s reliable. You’ll just have to “learn” to sit in it if you’re tall. Seriously…I’ve seen that feedback posted in multiple sites. “You just need to learn how to sit in it.”

 

[Rocksalt]

test drove a 2020 Tacoma the auto transmission kept hunting for gears. then test drive a 2020 Glad sport s. no regrets owning my sport s.

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