Head of Jeep Brand NA is bullish on Gladiator future

[Jrgunn5150]

None of them cost over 100k, in 2025?? I am frightened to ask what kind of home you can buy in the United States in 2025 for less than 100k.

No doubt you are.

That's why I'll be retired in 18 months and my peers will be slaving away for the McMansions in constant fear of being replaced by an H1 B applicant

LOL. Congrats on your success. But you're the outlier. That does not count toward the median statistic that's being discussed here. You sound like one of those infomercial about how to get rich by taking my course. It's easy to do. I'll show you how.

I'm not showing anyone how, and don't care if you choose to work until the day you die making mortgage payments in the least

But the average home price in the entire country, has little bearing on the average home price in each county, or even state.

If you live in some skewed zip code where the average price is 500k and the average wage is 50, you should probably change some element of the equation.

Or not, just keep doomscrolling and crying about it, it's whatever to me.

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[ttn333]

You just have to "get in" on some cheaper property (when the time is right) and then ride the wave. My wife and I have lived in nice homes in Orange County CA because we bought a condo years ago and built equity from there. Historically the market has always fluctuated and market conditions / interest rates should be improving soon. The time to "get in" may be approaching.

RE: Bullish on Gladiator future:

The Gladiator has always faced significant challenges, starting with its debut during the pandemic and its inclusion in the mismanagement debacle that came to define Stellantis. The Gladiator has its warts, but is truly a great product as long as its pricing models are fixed. A Mojave X for $70K is ridiculous. Fix the pricing, keep the cool colors and features, and the people will come.

I think that right time to "get in" is long gone. Not sure when you got your house, but a quick search shows median house price (for sale) in OC is just under $1.3 mil. I'm sure you can get something for around $800k but its a fixer upper. My brother just got a condo and it was a decent deal at $800k. It's not cheap but as you say, at least he'll get some equity vs renting (especially at the astronomical renting price in the area). Interes rates may go down some, but housing price is not going down any time soon. Now we have the LA fires, and some of those people will be looking for a place in OC. Not sure of the impact on OC yet, but I'm sure it's not going to bring prices down. If you look at historic prices from 2000 to now, price has increased drastically. So the right time, in my book, is now, if you can afforded. And hold on to it. It's not going down.

 

[ttn333]

No doubt you are.

That's why I'll be retired in 18 months and my peers will be slaving away for the McMansions in constant fear of being replaced by an H1 B applicant




I'm not showing anyone how, and don't care if you choose to work until the day you die making mortgage payments in the least

But the average home price in the entire country, has little bearing on the average home price in each county, or even state.

If you live in some skewed zip code where the average price is 500k and the average wage is 50, you should probably change some element of the equation.

Or not, just keep doomscrolling and crying about it, it's whatever to me.

Im not doom scrolling. I'm doing fine, love where I live and can afford to stay. We were simply having a discussion about younger people having the ability to own home in cities and states where they grew up in and/or want to live in. No skewed zip code here. It appears where you are is more likely the "skewed zip code" area. It's well below the national average of $420k. There must be a reason for that. I mean, I can get a house in Flint MI for $60k. But do I want to live there?

 

[DanW]

It's not about what I think lol. It's also not about opinion or feelings.

Companies purely act in favor of sales and profits, nothing else.

Even if you had a PHD in marketing, it would be an opinion until the marketplace speaks.

It is about feelings and beliefs. That's where you are wrong. It is about the customers' and the market´s feelings and beliefs. That is what branding is all about. And Jeep is one of the strongest brands out there. Not because of the Renegade, Compass, or even the Grand Cherokee. Because of the Wrangler. And the Gladiator is almost a conjoined twin of the Wrangler.

I feel and believe that if they make this into an IFS truck, its epitaph will be written within 4 years. I could be wrong. But I doubt it.

 

[DanW]

The Gladiator needs to change.

There are a bazillion ideas to make it better. People in this thread acting like a 15mpg, underpowered, lumber-wagon-esk ride quality, screaming-at-4k-to-tow-anything, overpriced lump is special; give me a break. We all took a bath on the resale value because these just aren't worth that much. A V6 that was engineered when Obama was running for office. Solid Axles need R&D? Please. This thing is a stretched JL with ram suspension, let's not all sit here and pretend it's anything more than that.

Mine sits in the driveway because it makes for a hideous daily driver. I felt the exact same way when I recently got a 2025 JL as a rental. Just an awful thing to drive daily. And I say that as someone who has driven 2 JKs, and this JT, as dailys since 2013.

Stellantis has a dud on its hands, make no mistake. It isn't selling because it simply isn't a competitive product. This is a gladiator board, and a few folks here are avoiding taking that look in the mirror. But let's call a spade a spade. The gladiator either needs to make a lot of improvements to keep its current price, or that price needs to drop by a signficant amount.

It took you that long to figure out you didn´t like a Jeep as a daily driver? LOL. Sounds like you don´t like the JT much at all.

I do agree that they were (and maybe still are?) overpriced. That´s why I bought a gently used one when the values started to decline.

 

[biodiesel]

They want to own a home, they just realize it's out of reach these days.

That certainly plays into it and reinforces the movement. Even before COVID, there was a movement in which the younger generation showed less desire for home ownership due to the maintenance and upkeep on a home and it was noted that they didn't see themselves being locked down into one place for too long. I looked at data that showed the average person under the age of 40 will change careers 4 - 7 times in their lifetime. Investors, Economic Developers, and Relators also saw this coming, which is why lots of infrastructure has been created so that apartments, condos, and townhouses can be built.

 

[biodiesel]

People keep saying this lol.

I'm 44, I own 5 legitimate homes, as well as a cabin that I won't count in any way.

Good for you! I was also interested in real estate when I was young. We mostly own vacant land, but we are now working on our second home.

 

[Uparms]

I had to stop after 3 pages of the 6 pages here now.

1) More power. More gearing options across all trims.

2) Ain't afraid of IFS if they do it. It will solve the ride issue and can still be a great off roader. I do prefer the solid axles though.

3) Get rid of all the dam luxury junk on the JT ( Sport on up). Power seats, Heated seats, lane changing mirrors, off road pages, crash avoidance, Dual Climate, Electric disconnects, 4K stereos, effing color matched tops and fenders. People bitch about price but need their princess shopping list of options. Bullshit, it's a dam Wrangler. Wonder why there are so many electrical issues?

4) I think the stock and lifted JT rides great, highways or some back road carving.

Currently my 23 is my 6th Wrangler/JT and is one of the top 2 Wranglers I have owned. I could keep it for long term or swap out if they come up with some power and a less optioned JT.

 

[Billkowski]

Coming from JKs, you had to know these things do not make the best daily drivers.

Just don't get the "it's a bad daily driver" take. It's the best daily driver I've ever had, enjoy driving it every single day. Owned a lot of vehicles, all the rest became boring appliances after 3 months, if not sooner.

 

[Billkowski]

There are full-sized trucks (example: Ford F150, F250, F350, F450)
There are Mid-sized trucks (example: Ranger)
There are compact trucks (example: Maverick)

The Maverick is selling like hotcakes due to its affordability, capability, and overall execution. I'm not a Ford guy, but I think Ford hit it out of the park when they released the Maverick.

Jeep, Dodge, and Ram have a lot to think about. The only mid-sized truck they have is the Gladiator and that's only going to fit a certain group of people.

Owned a Maverick Tremor, traded it for the Gladiator, it was like driving a Ford Focus with a bed, no truck manners what so ever...obviously some people like that.

 

[BourbonRunner]

I had to stop after 3 pages of the 6 pages here now.

1) More power. More gearing options across all trims.

2) Ain't afraid of IFS if they do it. It will solve the ride issue and can still be a great off roader. I do prefer the solid axles though.

3) Get rid of all the dam luxury junk on the JT ( Sport on up). Power seats, Heated seats, lane changing mirrors, off road pages, crash avoidance, Dual Climate, Electric disconnects, 4K stereos, effing color matched tops and fenders. People bitch about price but need their princess shopping list of options. Bullshit, it's a dam Wrangler. Wonder why there are so many electrical issues?

Although I agree with you, the manufacturers have conditioned the consumers to expect luxury stuff. And governmental regs have mandated a lot of complicated systems, too. I want something basic too but it just doesn't exist anymore.

On the topic of IFS: Look, I am with everyone on SFAs being superior in every aspect off road. They're reliable, stronger, and so on. But on road they suck. And then there's Death Wobble...

IFS has its cons off road but is a far smoother ride on road... where 90% of the trucks will always reside. Consumers want trucks with car-like rides. That's really not possible on SFAs. And it underpins why the full-size trucks sell so well to people who don't do truck things with their trucks.

I'm also not saying abandon SFA. No way. It's what makes a Jeep a Jeep. A couple trims with IFs and a couple with SFA could be an interesting way to both keep and capture new market share.

 

[biodiesel]

That's why I'll be retired in 18 months and my peers will be slaving away for the McMansions in constant fear of being replaced by an H1 B applicant

My employer has been offering $20,000 sign-on bonuses for the last 3 years and many of those go to J-1 Visas.

But the average home price in the entire country, has little bearing on the average home price in each county, or even state.

If you live in some skewed zip code where the average price is 500k and the average wage is 50, you should probably change some element of the equation.

I've seen some nice homes in the Midwest for $80,000 - $120,000 dollars. The average home price where I live is $200,000.

 

[biodiesel]

Owned a Maverick Tremor, traded it for the Gladiator, it was like driving a Ford Focus with a bed, no truck manners what so ever...obviously some people like that.

I think the Maverick Tremor is nice for the price tag and intended purpose. The starting price of a Maverick is $26,395. The starting price of a Gladiator is $38,100. That's a difference of $11,705 dollars. That's the point I'm trying to make. Ram, Jeep, and Dodge don't make a compact truck, meanwhile Ford is banking on the Maverick and outperforming the Gladiator by HUGE numbers.

2022 Maverick (74,370 units sold)
2023 Maverick (94,598 units sold)
2024 Maverick (157,345 units sold)

2022 Gladiator (77,855 units sold)
2023 Gladiator (55,187 units sold)
2024 Gladiator (42,125 units sold)

 

[biodiesel]

I'm also not saying abandon SFA. No way. It's what makes a Jeep a Jeep. A couple trims with IFs and a couple with SFA could be an interesting way to both keep and capture new market share.

That's already happening. The Wrangler and Gladiator are the two SFA vehicles, everything else has an IFS. I think that's a good balance. Jeep doesn't need to sell a ton of Gladiators to be profitable since they share so much the same platform with the Wrangler.

I'm just waiting for Jeep to come out with a van.

 

[BourbonRunner]

That's already happening. The Wrangler and Gladiator are the two SFA vehicles, everything else has an IFS. I think that's a good balance. Jeep doesn't need to sell a ton of Gladiators to be profitable since they share so much the same platform with the Wrangler.

I'm just waiting for Jeep to come out with a van.

Sign my overweight ass up for that thing! It just better have a Hemi in a doghouse. Not because I'm fat but a Pentastar pulling a heavy van up Old Dale Road wouldn't be my first choice.

Far as IFS and SFA in the JT, it's just a pipe dream. Or maybe it's a fever dream. I'm not really sure anymore. I could see a space where the JT could get into new markets while reinforcing its existing with a blend of the two setups if managed properly.

But since we're all friends here:

--An Overland that was more in line with the Grand Cherokee Overland trim. Luxurious but incredibly capable and quite nice to drive with a Hurricane and IFS.

--An IFS Mojave SRT... with a badass long travel setup and the RHO's tuned Hurricane. It could be a Raptor killer if done right. With it Jeep could make an entry into Baja racing and really prove its desert rated. (definitely fever dream there)

--Otherwise SFA across the board. Sport, Willys, Rubicon, Mojave.

-- A stripped down basic model with a hard top for fleet use- with the IFS. A parts delivery or trades special.

--Diesel, 5.7 Hemi and Hurricane options, too. Throw a 4xe on the Overland and Rubicon.

--More colors. And not just shades of gray/black/white. There used to be some fun colors that would only work on a Jeep. Joose and Mojito were announced last year and haven't made the website or order guides yet. They could do a non-olive drab green in addition to '41, Gator, etc.

--Bring back more la carte options. Packages are fine and a value but if it's something big it should be available a la carte. IE: I would like a Mojave with cloth seats, black hard top, SelecTrac. But the only way I can get SelecTrac is to get the X that gives me stuff I don't want.

--Sky One Touch option like the Wrangler.

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