Good Bye Gladiator - Hello Grand Cherokee and Challenger

[TwelveGaugeSage]

For me the Gladiator fills a lot of compromise roles. It's my convertible sports car, my minivan for kid transport, my haul motorcycles around or take trash to the dump vehicle, and it can go almost anywhere a Wrangler can. No, its not fast and the gas mileage is dismal, but I have motorcycles for those things. Top down, flooring it, and shifting through the gears at redline is a blast and so is sliding around corners when its wet or the road is a bit loose.

Sponsored

 

[ShadowsPapa]

AMC eventually became Chrysler, so I say it counts. What AMC did you trade?

1970 Javelin, 390 automatic, Comp cam, PS, PB, AC, 30,000 miles.
The transport driver is taking photos to document the condition before he loads it and takes it away to Texas.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Enjoy the Grand Cherokee and the challenger, I'll probably have another Grand Cherokee sooner than later. I'll be keeping the Gladiator though. We got the BMW X5 50i for long trips, We will probably hold onto it as well. I sold my 2017 Mustang 5.0 last year for a profit because of the crazy market, using that money to fund a Porsche 911 buy hopefully in the next year or so.

This is my wife's 2018 WK2 - she traded it for the 2021 she has now, slate blue.
The Compass belongs to my son who lives in FL. He really likes it and it's been real reliable for him. I know because who does he always call if there's any problem with a vehicle? Yeah, like my little brother, that's when I hear from them LOL

 

[foxman350]

Had a 2015 Challenger SRT, moved to Alaska and realized my priorities needed to change. Traded in for a F150 then last year traded the F150 for my Gladiator.

 

[Shifu]

I have a gladiator Mojave and looking to add a challenger! I just can’t decide on either an RT or scat pack in manual transmission. Scat packs are closing in on $50k so that’ll be a stretch on the budget. I’m wondering if an RT will be enough power and fun to drive with a stick.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

This is my wife's 2018 WK2 - she traded it for the 2021 she has now, slate blue.
The Compass belongs to my son who lives in FL. He really likes it and it's been real reliable for him. I know because who does he always call if there's any problem with a vehicle? Yeah, like my little brother, that's when I hear from them LOL

My parents have a compass, has been trouble free since they bought it, 141,000 miles on it now. We have owned 3 Grand Cherokee over the years, only one had a issue that ended up being a by back but it happens and they did right by us. I really miss my 2006 Jeep Commander limited, 5.7 liter hemi and that thing would tow 8,000lbs behind it and you could barely tell you was pulling anything. Wish I would of held onto it. I may be tempted to by another one if the mood struck me right

 

[Koozee]

Funny that there are quite a few switching between Challenger and JT..... that's what I did as well. After my 3rd challenger (1st 2 were in a wreck... their fault) I was ready for something different. Mission accomplished.

I have a gladiator Mojave and looking to add a challenger! I just can’t decide on either an RT or scat pack in manual transmission. Scat packs are closing in on $50k so that’ll be a stretch on the budget. I’m wondering if an RT will be enough power and fun to drive with a stick.

Had nothing but R/Ts with a stick, they were plenty fast enough for me. Fun to drive as well....

 

[Shifu]

Funny that there are quite a few switching between Challenger and JT..... that's what I did as well. After my 3rd challenger (1st 2 were in a wreck... their fault) I was ready for something different. Mission accomplished.



Had nothing but R/Ts with a stick, they were plenty fast enough for me. Fun to drive as well....

Did you ever feel like you wanted a 6.4 scat?

 

[Koozee]

Nah, can only go so fast (legally) on the freeways

Added a oil catch can and adjusted the active exhaust to be open all the time... worked for me

 

[NC_Overland]

Granted, I haven’t read all of this, but I was just thinking about it so here goes. Here’s what’s flawed in this logic of two vehicles two replace one. Yes, two vehicles that are designed for more specific roles are going to perform better in those roles. However, my gladiator had a $55k msrp. Granted, that’s a lot. However, what two new vehicles am I going to buy for that price point that can do their jobs better? I don’t care how you split it. Let’s not forget insurance and registration. It costs me another $60/mo to have another car on my policy and my gladiator registration alone cost me almost $700 last year.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Granted, I haven’t read all of this, but I was just thinking about it so here goes. Here’s what’s flawed in this logic of two vehicles two replace one. Yes, two vehicles that are designed for more specific roles are going to perform better in those roles. However, my gladiator had a $55k msrp. Granted, that’s a lot. However, what two new vehicles am I going to buy for that price point that can do their jobs better? I don’t care how you split it. Let’s not forget insurance and registration. It costs me another $60/mo to have another car on my policy and my gladiator registration alone cost me almost $700 last year.

I dunno - the Grand Cherokee is a very inexpensive vehicle. It's comfortable to drive and ride in, the MPG is great for a large "SUV", it beats Land Rover in the snow, it holds people very comfortably and holds a lot of stuff behind the rear seats, more if you fold those seats down. And - the tow rating is higher than the Gladiator Overland, and the payload rating is right up there as well. It's not a truck, but if it wasn't for my wife being picky about "HER Jeep" and wanting to keep the miles low on it, it would get used a lot more. But it's not a truck, sometimes only a truck will do, or will do it better.
Frankly, we could get by with only one of our Jeeps, but we have what we do because each one is better for certain things.

If you apply your logic to other things, such as tools - it just doesn't work. I have 5, maybe it's 6, I can't recall, impact tools. I could have cut my costs and space to store them all, but then I'd be using a second best tool for many things. I have at least 7 torque wrenches. I could "get by" with maybe 2. I did get rid of one of my welders, I don't weld as much as I used to.
I have a desktop computer (6 core, RAID and more - it's more of an old server), a laptop, 2 tablets. Each is better at something than the other.

Sometimes it's not about the money, but it's the convenience factors, having the best tool for each purpose which in the end can save you time and money and other resources.

I've gotten tired of trying to "get by". It cost me too much frustration over the years. Money won't get that energy and time back.

 

[ZoMojave]

I have a gladiator Mojave and looking to add a challenger! I just can’t decide on either an RT or scat pack in manual transmission. Scat packs are closing in on $50k so that’ll be a stretch on the budget. I’m wondering if an RT will be enough power and fun to drive with a stick.

I have had many high performing cars new and old, and I am very happy with the juice my 5.7 R/T automatic has. The "baby hemi" is how it is considered these days compared to the higher models.

All I have to say is when provoked, the active exhaust opens up and lets you know that this 375 horsepower is no pooch. You will have TONS of fun with a manual and save plenty of $$ compared to a Scat!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

All I have to say is when provoked, the active exhaust opens up and lets you know that this 375 horsepower is no pooch. You will have TONS of fun with a manual and save plenty of $$ compared to a Scat!

Meh, that's a toy........ OK, just kidding.

My 360 - first column RMP, second column torque, third column, HP
(I have another sheet I can't find that hit 377HP)
I want to remove the hearing aids when I get into it. Before I redid the exhaust and took off the racing mufflers it would trigger car alarms in the parking lot when I fired it up after work.

 

[JRobes]

Congrats on the Challenger GT... I've had my eye on those for a while, mainly for the all wheel drive (South Dakota winters here). If they had an available V8 with the all wheel drive, I'd be on board immediately. Maybe with the new turbo V6 offering they'll throw it in the GT and that'll appease me as well.

 

[NC_Overland]

I dunno - the Grand Cherokee is a very inexpensive vehicle. It's comfortable to drive and ride in, the MPG is great for a large "SUV", it beats Land Rover in the snow, it holds people very comfortably and holds a lot of stuff behind the rear seats, more if you fold those seats down. And - the tow rating is higher than the Gladiator Overland, and the payload rating is right up there as well. It's not a truck, but if it wasn't for my wife being picky about "HER Jeep" and wanting to keep the miles low on it, it would get used a lot more. But it's not a truck, sometimes only a truck will do, or will do it better.
Frankly, we could get by with only one of our Jeeps, but we have what we do because each one is better for certain things.

If you apply your logic to other things, such as tools - it just doesn't work. I have 5, maybe it's 6, I can't recall, impact tools. I could have cut my costs and space to store them all, but then I'd be using a second best tool for many things. I have at least 7 torque wrenches. I could "get by" with maybe 2. I did get rid of one of my welders, I don't weld as much as I used to.
I have a desktop computer (6 core, RAID and more - it's more of an old server), a laptop, 2 tablets. Each is better at something than the other.

Sometimes it's not about the money, but it's the convenience factors, having the best tool for each purpose which in the end can save you time and money and other resources.

I've gotten tired of trying to "get by". It cost me too much frustration over the years. Money won't get that energy and time back.

Ok. New grand Cherokee and what else new for under $50k msrp? You kinda skipped that part.

Sponsored