Gladiator vs Wrangler

[bigcanoe]

Hey all! I have owned several Wranglers in the past. I have never owned a 4 door or a Rubicon. My last was a 2 door Sport in 2018. I am getting the itch again but I discovered the Gladiator. I am having a heck of a time deciding which I want. I cant have both, money and wife will not allow that. I already have a truck but its a bit of a beater but it gets the job done. My wife has a small SUV but its nothing fancy. I am cross shopping Gladiators with JLU Wranglers. If you made the same comparison, what led you to choose the Gladiator?

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[jeep1]

I think it basically comes down to "do you want a truck" or not. Personally, I like the flexibility of having the truck bed although others (the JLU crowd) prefer the extra internal space of the Wrangler.

I've owned a H3, Frontier and a Taco along with a couple variations of the JKU and JLUs but turns out.. I like trucks .. Gladiator let me have both ... Jeep and Pickup.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

I love JLs but I wanted a truck so the JT made sense for me. If I didn’t want a truck bed and better towing capacity, then I would’ve gotten a Wrangler.

 

[bigcanoe]

I have an RV, it would be really cool to tow the Gladiator behind the RV with my motorcycle in the bed...just sayin! The truck aspect is nice but I do have two trucks. But neither one is half Jeep...One is a 2004 Ford 150 and the other is a 1974 Ford F100 (not running currently). I drive a Rav4 and its killing my soul...its great on gas tho.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Another point for the Gladiator. I owned a Sport Wrangler and I have to say the ride on the road with a Gladiator is oh so much smoother because of the long wheelbase. I also wanted to tow more that 4K pounds and the Max Tow gives me 7650 so I can pull a travel trailer with all the amenities. The payload is excellent and if you have…welll…stinky stuff after a off road trip it sure is noice to have the bed to chuck it in instead of inside.

If you want to be able to do tight trails (turns etc) of course the Wrangler will do better due to the shorter wheelbase. There are however times the longer wheelbase helps shen reaching between say two sides of mud or water. You can get those front wheels up sooner for grab.

 

[Barnaby’sdad]

Do you want a truck and/or do you want to be able to (safely) tow 5,000+ lbs? If so, Gladiator.

 

[bigcanoe]

I have a truck that can tow 7000 lbs but its not cool

 

[Jeeperjamie]

I needed a truck so that's why I'm in a Gladiator and sold my 2010 JKU. If I was shopping for a Wrangler, Honestly I'd probably end up in a Bronco over a Wrangler. More Bang for your buck if you build one from the factory. Also the more I talk to the boys at Vaughn Gittin's shop the more I want a Bronco.

 

[AmosMoses]

I came from a 2 door jk and still miss it sometimes. The Gladiator is really nice to haul stuff and I don't miss taking out that heavy back seat in the 2 doors. Even just doing simple stuff like like going to the kids sports games there is plenty of room for chairs, equipment, coolers etc plus full size rear passenger seating. To top it all off, my jt gets about the same gas milage as my jk even though the jt has 35's and the jk had 33's. Your milage may very but I do not regret my decision.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I picked a Gladiator because of how it looks. I can't really think of any other reason.

I didn't need a truck. I didn't buy it for the bed or towing. I didn't buy it to take it off road.

I think the Gladiator makes the Wrangler look like a Barbie Jeep. Please don't tell the JL guys, I don't want to start a civil war.

 

[John Hursh]

I traded my 17 JKUS for a 20 JTO. When we bought a travel trailer we needed the additional towing capacity. I also found it much much easier to put kayaks in a pickup bed than install and load J cradles on the roof every time I wanted to go out. The shorter JKU was more nimble, but the JT has a more comfortable ride, more versatility, and most of the capability of a JK/JL.

 

[BeepBeep]

I have both. Both are 2022’s. Both are great for the same reasons. Both suffer from the same things. Obviously they are different wheelbase lengths and towing differences, but other than that, It really is do you want a bed with two engine choices, or do you want an enclosed area with five engine choices.

 

[bigcanoe]

I think part of it comes down to looks. I just like the way the Gladiator looks. Especially with a lift and big tires. Monster truck! It would be nice for transporting kayaks and motorcycles too. I dont really need more interior space than the rear seats provide. I appreciate your insight folks!

 

[ZoMojave]

I think part of it comes down to looks. I just like the way the Gladiator looks. Especially with a lift and big tires. Monster truck! It would be nice for transporting kayaks and motorcycles too. I dont really need more interior space than the rear seats provide. I appreciate your insight folks!

Sounds like you may have just made your decision! I love my JTM!

 

[NachoRuby]

I've had both before. We have both now, atually, counting my wife's wrangler. What led me to the gladiator was, at the time, the price difference between a Gladiator and a wrangler was like $2500. For $2500 more, I didn't bave to bug my friends with trucks whenever I needed to move something large or dirty. I also cross shopped the Tacoma. It's nice having a truck, and the price was about the same as a 4 door back then. It's nice being able to get a load of rocks or carry unwieldy things in back. But if I already had a truck before, I don't know that I'd need two trucks. Are you keeping your current truck? If not, is the gladiator "truck enough" to do what it does?

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