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Gladiator VS ZR2

FormerToyotaGuy

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I think the Chevrolet Zr2 Bison is a good buy but the truck is just ugly same with the Ranger. Maybe if they made them actually look like their full size counter parts, but the rounded front ends look terrible. Its too bad the Z2 Bison package isn't available on the GMC Canyon much better looking than the Chev.
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one2doo

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Had a diesel the seats will kill your back. Mine used a quart of oil every 2500 miles . GM said that was normal. Nice to have a Gladiator that doesnā€™t use any oil. I put 80,000 miles on the Colorado.
 

wanderer

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I gotta say, they had phenomenal chassis. I took the sway bar off and put in some fox coilovers, and that thing was still a beast. It just soaked things up, even potholes mid corner on the freeway, and it never once felt squirrelly or out of line. That and the full time transfer case (which is awesome that they put it on the Jeep now), a tuned diesel, and some stellar brakes made it just a beast in any weather or roads. Carving canyons without even thinking about it loaded with a RTT and all the gear and still managing 24mpg. It was impressive.

But yeah, there was no room in there for people or gear. And you want bigger than 33's... Hah! And I can't even get a sunroof?! Everything was black Tupperware plastics. Even the "leather" was all vinyl, save for 2 squares on the front seats. It was all supposedly there on paper, but I didn't see passion or aspirations in the final sum of the parts.
 

wanderer

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Yeah I drove the diesel I t was underwhelming. I like chevy on the whole though but in my view they really missed the boat on a couple of issues. 1 tire size the zr2. Should have had the fenders redesigned to accommodate 37s right off the show room floor. After all they were marketing this as an off road capable truck. Shocks and lockers. Just need a decent size tire to complete the package. 2 up grade the interior On another phase of this rant they took the blazer made it a soccer mom mail crawler. What an insult to a historically great off road name. They could have best ford to the punch (read bronco)such a waste šŸ˜©
 

Bantam

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Yeah I drove the diesel I t was underwhelming. I like chevy on the whole though but in my view they really missed the boat on a couple of issues. 1 tire size the zr2. Should have had the fenders redesigned to accommodate 37s right off the show room floor. After all they were marketing this as an off road capable truck. Shocks and lockers. Just need a decent size tire to complete the package. 2 up grade the interior On another phase of this rant they took the blazer made it a soccer mom mail crawler. What an insult to a historically great off road name. They could have best ford to the punch (read bronco)such a waste šŸ˜©
Not to get off topic, but Chevy has to be kicking themselves. Jeep brings back a Wrangler truck, Ford brings back the Bronco (closer to its roots as an off-road marketed vehicle) and thereā€™s Chevy with its Blazer and TrailBlazer šŸ¤¦šŸ»ā€ā™‚ļø Oof.
CF0B7505-D428-4197-BAC1-1712F43CE01A.jpeg

Sorry, carry on.
 

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Morphling

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Just sold my ā€˜17 ZR2 diesel and got a Gladiator Rubicon Diesel.

ZR2 is a great car and might be on of the best performers off the lot and for the price. The suspension is 2nd to none. It literally drives like a passenger car. The dampening is unreal.

visibility over the poorly designed hood is atrocious. You canā€™t see whatā€™s In Front of you!!

the tech package is worse than atrocious.

the JT diesel is a lot more money but offers so much more. Uconnect is like being in a spaceship compared to GMs offering

The JTā€™s interior is so far superior it is t a comparison

the JT is fun with the doors off and top down

the JT diesel is just better, faster and better mileage.

The visibility on the left/right front corners is incredible when compared to the ZR2

aftermarket support isnā€™t even comparable - even the JT

fun factor is just better.

ZR2 is a car looking for an identity. Jeep has always know who they are and their cars reflect that understanding. Purpose built.

ZR2 feels like they are trying to be the baby raptor but as good as the ZR2 is, it pales when next to a raptor.

I think all the accolades come from that suspension and value per dollar you get out of the truck.
 

869 KPH

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the JT diesel is a lot more money but offers so much more. Uconnect is like being in a spaceship compared to GMs offering
Glad to hear you think that. I don't have a lot of time with uConnect but liked the radio in a long-term chevy rental a few years ago. Hatchback Cruze, still can't believe I felt this way - but that was a fun car, lol. Super functional and nice to have while I fixed the problems my daily had after sitting in storage for a year.
 

spectre6000

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Mine used a quart of oil every 2500 miles . GM said that was normal. Nice to have a Gladiator that doesnā€™t use any oil. I put 80,000 miles on the Colorado.
Me too! I had the "ADD OIL" message come on twice, and I've only got 8k miles on it. I convinced the dealer service department to open up everything they reasonably could to find the cause, and it looks like an oil control ring... New long block time... Except because of GM's famous bean counter infestation, they won't lift a finger unless you're burning more than a quart in 2k miles. Mine burns "nothing... nothing... nothing... nothing... CHUG! (2-3 qts gone)" on a more than 2k mile cycle, and by the time I know it's doing it, it's done and they magically can't see any signs of oil consumption.

If it weren't for that, I'd still be quite happy with it. The DSSV dampers and suspension are incredible, and the auto four wheel drive in the transfer case makes it fantastic on the variably icy roads up in here in the mountains above Denver. Fuel economy and drivability are excellent, and more back seat room (car seat) than my wife's JKUR.

When I was shopping around, the Gladiator was brand new, and the dealers were of the "MSRP+ or pound sand" mentality. They swore that wasn't their position when called out on it, but wouldn't budge to prove it. The Gladiator was a close second, and the interior fit and finish was clearly better. I also liked that it was much more thought out and aimed at their market. Several changes were made from the JK generation that are clearly oriented toward making it better to live with by the people who will be buying them.

What edged me toward the ZR2 was the overall size (shorter), the diesel engine (wasn't available yet), the way it handled (Gladiator can't touch that), I think it's a good looking truck, and bed toppers are necessary for how I use a truck and none were available for the Gladiator. Price was probably also a factor, but not by much (add diesel and Bison, and you're around $55K), and mostly because the dealer was willing to deal. Huge tires only go so far with me because good studded snows only come so big (I just saw 35" Hakks for the first time today on Nokian's website).
 

Firestarter

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The ZR2 is fun and offers a lot of bang for the buck. Sorry to hear he paid anywhere close to 3k below a Willy's for it, that's a shame. They go for mid-30's in our area. Their interior is archaic and visually they appear tiny when parked next to anything. Parked next to a standard full-size truck, they look like a child's toy. At least the ranger, standard colorado and canyon are toned down enough to appear right-sized.
Why did you add an apostrophe to "Willys"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willys#:~:text=Willys (/ĖˆwÉŖl,CJs) during the 20th century.

I cross-shopped a ZR2 and really wanted to like it. What killed it for me was the cheap interior, sketchy trans issues reported form people running bigger tires, and the difficulty at the time to fit anything bigger than a 32" tire on there. The price/quirks ratio just didn't do it for me.
I did as well. It was really hard to pull the trigger on the ZR2. The interior, lack of proximity key, and didn't make me feel special. Now, after the saleslady walked away I turned to my wife and said this truck is absolutely perfect. Makes you feel special inside and I think they look amazing. Everything you touch is just nice looking and feeling.
 

Glad_he_ate

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I just traded my 18 zr2 after a year of ownership. I really liked it, I had it tuned and deleted. It drove great the suspension was tits, however after 6 months it was just eh???
The fact I got 30k miles and traded it for 100 bucks less then I bought it for was awesome. Itā€™s now for sale for 3500 more then I payed a year ago haha
Iā€™m super stoked about my new diesel gladiator!!
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