Gladiator vs Wrangler

[Minty JL]

I would recommend renting a Gladiator from Budget for a weekend and see how you like it. I rented one when I was down in TN and loved it; even though it was a base sport. I always recommend renting something before you buy......its like an extended test drive w/o a sales person talking the whole time. Then you can experience the type of driving you'll do on a daily basis.

The extended wheel base definitely changes the driving dynamic.

I currently have a JLUR which is the wife's DD and I have a JTM on order right now.

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[Minty JL]

The sign says green...but my eyes say the JTM is blue

Its 2022, it identifies as Green LOL

 

[bigcanoe]

Great input! I like the idea of renting both a JLU and JT to see how they work for me. I only do light off roading (farm work), not rock crawling...well yet anyway.

 

[4-Play]

For me it was easy. Every truck I’ve owned, then sold, I wanted them back. Went from a 2-door JK to a JT. Still have my Jeep and a truck All rolled up into one.

 

[Minty JL]

If you have an Amazon Prime account, you get stupid good rental discounts for Budget.......even better rates then I get with AMEX.

The Gladiator I rented only cost me $237 for 5 days out of Nashville.

 

[Divided_Wood]

I had a 2dr JK, then a 4dr JK, and now my JT.

2dr was the most fun to wheel off-road, thing could go anywhere and you can parallel park like a Smart Car. 4dr had much better road manners, dragged more off-road but had a lot more stability on inclines due to the long wheelbase. Plus, I could put car seats in it.

I have yet to wheel the JT but I'm sure it will be like a land yacht with the additional wheelbase compared to the JKU. That said, I only wheel a few times a year. The on-road experience (especially on-highway) is much better in my JT than any of my other Jeeps. Less wandering on the highway and feels more stable. It's also my only Jeep that my wife has told me she enjoys driving.

Take all of that for what it's worth. My Glad is my favorite Jeep I've owned. You give up some off-road ability, but for the time you spend on the road, it has way better manners.

 

[Wolf Island Diver]

See what you do is get a Gladiator and then browbeat your wife/so/partner into getting rid of their vehicle and getting a Wrangler unless they make a lot of money. In that case you browbeat them into getting a Porsche or BMW M car. Then you drive that and let them use the Gladiator.

<Wolf begins to contemplate why he’s divorced…..>

 

[VT rider]

Just traded my '20 JK 2dr Sport S this past Friday for a '22 Gladiator Sport S.
Love the ride, love the room and love the manual shift. Not as zippy as the JK, but it's quieter. Already have ordered side steps and a hard tonneau cover. Lots to enjoy.

 

[Ward]

Report on wife satisfaction element. I had a TJ wrangler with a 2" Tera Flex lift & 33's. My wife did not feel up to speed with the handling on highway, quick steering & twitchy in wind gusts.
She loves driving our Mojave in all conditions including 80 mph Interstate travel.

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