Gladiator/Wrangler Theory

[NateKY]

We were sitting in the drop off/pick up line at school when my youngest looked at me and said "Dad, I have a theory". Well, his theories can some times be doosies. Lol He proceeded to tell me that Gladiators are for boys and Wranglers are for girls. He listed all the points while I just nodded. When he was finished, I notice a Wrangler in line and guy was driving it. So I asked him about that one. Turns out , it is a classmate's dad. He said with a straight face, "Well that just proves my point. He is girly." LOL. Kids

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[Hipbilly]

Within the last year or two I really started noticing how many 4door Saharas moms are driving around (JK or JL) . The same moms that used to drive the snot out of 4runners.... 1-2 kids, soccer and coffee and stuff, clean rigs, light lift, 33-35" tires.... at least 10 in my area.

 

[ElDirector]

The 4-door Wrangler REALLY opened the Jeep market to families. I've had some sort of Jeep for years, but my wife would never have entertained one of her own. Until the JKU. It is her favorite vehicle by far. Room for the whole family, the dog, and groceries (literally). AND it is a real 4x4. Not that she would ever really use it, but she COULD, and that is important to her.

She also loves my Gladiator, but hates to drive it. Too long, and the truck bed doesn't help her (per her: "I'm not putting groceries back there"). Great on trips, though. Heck, this is the nicest vehicle I've ever owned.

I think it is fantastic to have more and more different people in the "Jeep" community. Used to be a bunch of guys covered in mud and grease. Now I see as many women and families on the trail. I know several families where the husband and wife each have their OWN Jeep on the trail together, and each with kids in the back.

 

[Robert May]

Out of the mouths of kids that's hilarious. ? I remember when my youngest daughter was 4 and learning to ride a bike. Her explanation of balance was If I'm gonna fall this way I need to try to fall that way and vice vs. ?.

So I have an ex-girlfriend that I have remained friends with for 8 years. She is a 2 Door Jeep wrangler owner. I bought my Hummer H3 when we were together. She always said this ain't a Jeep and I would say darn right it ain't. It's a lot more quite and comfortable .
I sent her a picture of the Gladiator and text saying look what I bought the day after I got it. She called me immediately said oh look you almost got a real Jeep this time. ? I just said you know I knew better than to show you. We laughed ?
She is one of those purist types. If it ain't a 2 door wrangler it's not a Jeep.
Any thing with Jeep name on it otherwise is a Weep. Wannabe Jeep.

 

[ElDirector]

She is one of those purist types. If it ain't a 2 door wrangler it's not a Jeep.
Any thing with Jeep name on it otherwise is a Weep. Wannabe Jeep.

Goes to the point: what makes a Jeep a jeep?

A lot of folks cringed at the 4-door. Same with square headlights, back in the day.

For me, it is the body-on-frame, solid axles, t-case with a lever (not AWD), removable top and doors, and ROUND headlights (gotta draw the line somewhere).

I don't mind the truck bed. Consider the Scrambler with a 1/2 cab still a "Jeep".

Not that other models (XJ, Renegades, and my personal favorite, the FC) made by Jeep aren't also worthy of the name, but they just aren't the same.

 

[f33d]

They make a pink Tuscado wrangler but not a gladiator.

case solved, theory checks out

pack it up boys nothing left to research here.

 

[Kindafearless]

The what's a Jeep convo is a fast way to go in circles :P We had a Grand Cherokee out with us this weekend (doing blues, blacks, and reds) that was doing the hard lines with the Wranglers and Gladiators. Didn't have lockers, so it struggled in places and had to use its winch a few times, but it was still doing pretty darn good IMO.

A Jeep is any Jeep with a driver who has the guts to use the full capabilities of their vehicle IMO.

 

[f33d]

The what's a Jeep convo is a fast way to go in circles :P We had a Grand Cherokee out with us this weekend (doing blues, blacks, and reds) that was doing the hard lines with the Wranglers and Gladiators. Didn't have lockers, so it struggled in places and had to use its winch a few times, but it was still doing pretty darn good IMO.

A Jeep is any Jeep with a driver who has the guts to use the full capabilities of their vehicle IMO.

we ain’t waiving back to a stinking renegade!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Around here it's a pretty even split. My brother has always bought Wranglers and similar Jeeps - I believe his first was decades ago, a CJ7.
Calling him "girly" would be like calling the pope atheist or capitalist.
He's won his share of body-building contests and run some pretty high-dollar businesses in his life. He loves Jeeps and muscle cars.
I, being who I am, tend to notice who's driving what and how they drive. It really is a pretty even mix. I've also seen women, some young like late teens/early 20s, driving lifted Wranglers with bigger tires and I've seen sporty-looking guys driving mostly stock Wranglers.
The biggest difference I see is that women never do the Jeep wave no matter what they are driving while men in Wranglers do, men in Gladiators do not - the latter ignores you most of the time. Except once when a couple in a Gladiator pulled up next to us in line at the state fair entrance - he and his wife both said "nice truck" about the same time I was starting to say it. We all laughed.
As far as OTHER vehicles, I can pretty much predict what or who I'll see in the driver seat based on the vehicle and how it's being driven.
But for Jeeps - it's a mix, a real hodge-podge of people totally unpredictable what or who you'll see in that driver seat. And it's nothing to do with it being stock or not, Wrangler or not.
This is Iowa - and in Polk County and surrounding areas, for many years my wife and I have said Jeep is the official vehicle of the central Iowa area. Dealers get 'em in and they sell 'em.

 

[869 KPH]

My wife is convinced that any Jeep that is white is for basic white girls. In Chicago that holds up pretty well from what I've seen.






Didn't stop me from ordering a white one anyways. Just have to find a spot for a single sticker:

 

[Wrathis79]

Around here it's a pretty even split. My brother has always bought Wranglers and similar Jeeps - I believe his first was decades ago, a CJ7.
Calling him "girly" would be like calling the pope atheist or capitalist.
He's won his share of body-building contests and run some pretty high-dollar businesses in his life. He loves Jeeps and muscle cars.
I, being who I am, tend to notice who's driving what and how they drive. It really is a pretty even mix. I've also seen women, some young like late teens/early 20s, driving lifted Wranglers with bigger tires and I've seen sporty-looking guys driving mostly stock Wranglers.
The biggest difference I see is that women never do the Jeep wave no matter what they are driving while men in Wranglers do, men in Gladiators do not - the latter ignores you most of the time. Except once when a couple in a Gladiator pulled up next to us in line at the state fair entrance - he and his wife both said "nice truck" about the same time I was starting to say it. We all laughed.
As far as OTHER vehicles, I can pretty much predict what or who I'll see in the driver seat based on the vehicle and how it's being driven.
But for Jeeps - it's a mix, a real hodge-podge of people totally unpredictable what or who you'll see in that driver seat. And it's nothing to do with it being stock or not, Wrangler or not.
This is Iowa - and in Polk County and surrounding areas, for many years my wife and I have said Jeep is the official vehicle of the central Iowa area. Dealers get 'em in and they sell 'em.

I live in Texas and there are Jeeps EVERYWHERE here! I've never owned a Wrangler b/c I didn't want to have the same thing everyone else did. I started with a 99' XJ that was dressed up but not necessarily "built". I fairly consistently got waves in it. Then I made a list of what I wanted in a Jeep (V8, 4 wheel disc brakes, Sunroof, more room etc) and built a really nice WJ that I still own and love. It's constantly called a mini-van and I get very few waves in it. I now have a JTM that I love and the waves have been sporadic in it to say the least. I think as the type of people owning Jeeps expands, the waves and camaraderie seem to diminish. However, the old school jeeple still exist and I have enjoyed their company extensively

 

[Hipbilly]

My wife is convinced that any Jeep that is white is for basic white girls....

I forgot that one word in my post. WHITE 4 door wranglers. With white roof and fenders.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I live in Texas and there are Jeeps EVERYWHERE here! I've never owned a Wrangler b/c I didn't want to have the same thing everyone else did. I started with a 99' XJ that was dressed up but not necessarily "built". I fairly consistently got waves in it. Then I made a list of what I wanted in a Jeep (V8, 4 wheel disc brakes, Sunroof, more room etc) and built a really nice WJ that I still own and love. It's constantly called a mini-van and I get very few waves in it. I now have a JTM that I love and the waves have been sporadic in it to say the least. I think as the type of people owning Jeeps expands, the waves and camaraderie seem to diminish. However, the old school jeeple still exist and I have enjoyed their company extensively

There's a few slightly built WJs here - one is a real beaut - nice wheels, a bit larger tires, lifted slightly, and in excellent shape body-wise for an Iowa Jeep. And then there's one that's lifted at least a couple of inches and you can tell - he "Jeeps" with it. Still it looks to be in decent shape.
IMO, the WJ was the very best looking Grand Cherokee version ever. I've had more than one, sold my last one this past spring. It had been my father's but it was sitting here most of the time, so I sold it. I'd put new rocker panels on it and except for a shield around the fuel tank, had very little rust, again - for an Iowa Jeep.
We can drive 30 minutes and my wife can count 50-100 different Jeeps. We drove to Ames from here a few weeks ago - about 50 minutes - and she quit counting at 100 and we still had 15 minutes to go. The most popular color here - white (usually guys driving them), any model.
I guess they show up well in the snow or something???

 

[SquirrelNuts]

Haha! Kids are hilarious! Pretty observant of him though. He does have a point.

The JT seems to have become the ultimate dad vehicle and I would say that in my area of Minnesota, there are more ladies driving JKU/JLUs than men now.

Now that I think about it... I don't think I've personally seen a single woman driving a Gladiator... (and by single I mean a number... not their marital status! ?)

 

[AmishMike]

Those two little guys sitting on my shoulder are fighting again.
Mom told me 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything'
869 said white Jeeps are for girls, he ordered one any sometimes.

@NateKY kids are wonderful and see things that we ignore. Foster that and use it to your advantage. We get tunnel vision while they use a wide angle lens.
Like this time of year 'should I get mom ____ for Christmas?'
Him 'no that's dumb' or 'yes she said so and so has one' etc.. Just saying....

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