High Altitude Gladiator for highway use?

[ShadowsPapa]

I believe that Jeep offers the overland & high altitude purely because people will buy it. Unlike purpose oriented trims, the road oriented trims aren’t great at anything other than looking like a gladiator. A leg up over competitors off-road surely, but just a leg and even that gap is starting to diminish in that price point with the defender, or heck even the JGC trail edition.

A joke, right? LOL - at least I had to laugh. I'll take my Overland up against a similar sport level.
I bet it can, and will, do anything the sport can do (except tow 3/4 ton trailers)
And if I disconnect my sway bar links I won't be too far behind many Rubicon, either. Only the tougher trails will make it falter there because the Rubicon has a lower low in the transfer case and other fun stuff that will allow it to articulate more - and the wider axles for a bit more stability on the roll side of things.
I guess you've not noticed the people doing hard core stuff with their Overland, some not far off stock.

Attitudes like that make me laugh, sorry, but I see another "my truck is better than yours" thing coming through. Scoff at other levels because they aren't as cool or capable.
OK, Overland owners - show your stuff! You've been challenged. You have been told YOUR JT isn't good at anything other than driving down the road.

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[Spur]

Overland. Retired and Live at the beach. Bought it because it rides great and has a convertible soft top. Drives great, handles great, sounds great with modified exhaust. It is perfect.

Not gonna climb anything or pull anything. Love it. And I can haul a few bags of dirt home from Lowe’s. Guess I am not “really “ a jeeper. But, I am cool around the retirement town with the top down. ????

 

[staying_tuned]

A joke, right? LOL - at least I had to laugh. I'll take my Overland up against a similar sport level.
I bet it can, and will, do anything the sport can do (except tow 3/4 ton trailers)
And if I disconnect my sway bar links I won't be too far behind many Rubicon, either. Only the tougher trails will make it falter there because the Rubicon has a lower low in the transfer case and other fun stuff that will allow it to articulate more - and the wider axles for a bit more stability on the roll side of things.
I guess you've not noticed the people doing hard core stuff with their Overland, some not far off stock.

Attitudes like that make me laugh, sorry, but I see another "my truck is better than yours" thing coming through. Scoff at other levels because they aren't as cool or capable.
OK, Overland owners - show your stuff! You've been challenged. You have been told YOUR JT isn't good at anything other than driving down the road.

I either chit the bed on communicating my point, or it was misunderstood. I'm not talking about a platform choice like the Sport (which mine is, with a few Rubi bits and a perfect platform to build on). I'm talking about seeking a gladiator that will be good in the city and highway usage. IMO there aren't any BUT Jeep will sell you one on dubs.

I mean, you can at least admit that most don't buy an overland to actually do what you do with yours right? If not, all good, agree to disagree with ya and certainly no disrespect at all. Again, I've got a sport... Zero mine is better vibe intended and I apologize if I put that out there.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I either chit the bed on communicating my point, or it was misunderstood. I'm not talking about a platform choice like the Sport (which mine is, with a few Rubi bits and a perfect platform to build on). I'm talking about seeking a gladiator that will be good in the city and highway usage. IMO there aren't any BUT Jeep will sell you one on dubs.

I mean, you can at least admit that most don't buy an overland to actually do what you do with yours right? If not, all good, agree to disagree with ya and certainly no disrespect at all. Again, I've got a sport... Zero mine is better vibe intended and I apologize if I put that out there.

How about we meet in the middle and add this -> I took it wrong, too.

In my case, my wife talked me up to the Overland because of the creature comforts, my age and we both love all the stuff her Jeeps have had - and, because she insisted, and I agree with her expertise on colors and pallets (she's a great well-known quilter) - this one had to be body color roof and fenders. Not an option at that time on Sport, Sport S, etc..
No regrets. And I'll use mine like a truck, and I'll see how it does with my trailer.

I keep questioning the gear ratio - and others push back at me with their logic "shift it manually when towing", that sort of thing. Well - I'll find out next month!
My silverado was a great truck, just too honkin' big and cumbersome for using it for anything other than towing.

I've already accidentally abused this truck with over 1700 pounds of landscape block in the back (thank goodness for the max tow springs back there.

 

[dcmdon]

Springs don’t play into it nearly as much as shocks.

Hmm. My experience racing motocross for 5 years, road racing motorcycles for another 6 years auto crossing for another 5 years and tracking every track capable car I've owned from a Saab 900 turbo circa 1990 to a Subaru STi in the mid 2000s disagrees with you.

Springs play a huge role. And even within "springs" there are 2 factors. 1) spring rate. 2) preload.

 

[slim chance]

this is my wife's truck, she traded a 2019 Ram Laramie for the Overland ... the 2019 Ram 2500 Big Horn is my trk for towing the toyhauler

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Hmm. My experience racing motocross for 5 years, road racing motorcycles for another 6 years auto crossing for another 5 years and tracking every track capable car I've owned from a Saab 900 turbo circa 1990 to a Subaru STi in the mid 2000s disagrees with you.

How many different springs and shocks have you had under a Jeep?

And just to reiterate, I'm not saying springs don't matter. I'm saying shocks matter more when it comes to ride characteristics.

 

[flyil]

Snazzberry High Altitude here. 2021 High Altitude Gladiator (with Adaptive Cruise Control checked) is probably the most comfortable highway driving, open-air-capable Jeep ever made from the factory. Adaptive Cruise Control will have a huge impact on your highway driving satisfaction in any trim. By far my favorite option on my Gladiator.

I split time between Illinois and Florida so I don't get a lot of serious off roading in. I wanted a convertible with the utility of a truck and Jeep style that could tow a boat. I like a cushy ride with lots of tech and all leather. High Altitude has been great for me.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Hmm. My experience racing motocross for 5 years, road racing motorcycles for another 6 years auto crossing for another 5 years and tracking every track capable car I've owned from a Saab 900 turbo circa 1990 to a Subaru STi in the mid 2000s disagrees with you.

Springs play a huge role. And even within "springs" there are 2 factors. 1) spring rate. 2) preload.

I have examples sitting right here just a few feet from me.......2 vehicles had spring only changes (no shocks). I sold one other example, what a huge difference in ride and handling those rear springs made on that car. Cornering was improved drastically. All I did was clean and repaint the shocks, but the rear got brand new leaf springs. The whole character of the car changed. (especially on cornering)

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Snazzberry High Altitude here. 2021 High Altitude Gladiator (with Adaptive Cruise Control checked) is probably the most comfortable highway driving, open-air-capable Jeep ever made from the factory. Adaptive Cruise Control will have a huge impact on your highway driving satisfaction in any trim. By far my favorite option on my Gladiator.

I split time between Illinois and Florida so I don't get a lot of serious off roading in. I wanted a convertible with the utility of a truck and Jeep style that could tow a boat. I like a cushy ride with lots of tech and all leather. High Altitude has been great for me.

LOL - showed my wife that SHE had ACC on her Grand Cherokees all this time and never knew it - she loves it, especially in our traffic with all the trucks and hills. No cruise is great for certain highways around Florida but around here, I never use the normal cruise - why? It might as well not be there.

 

[Chestnut]

Wait the Gladiator is good off road? I just bought it because, convertible pickup! Well and it's also gonna make my friends & neighbors jealous....

I've driven Tundra's for work and when i test drove an Overland I was very surprised at how nice the ride was on bumpy city streets. I purposefully went to the bumpy neglected section of town. It rode better than the '19 Canyon i sold. I was honestly expecting it to be like a 1970s reg cab short box pickup and was pleasantly surprised that it was very well behaved.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I have examples sitting right here just a few feet from me.......2 vehicles had spring only changes (no shocks). I sold one other example, what a huge difference in ride and handling those rear springs made on that car. Cornering was improved drastically. All I did was clean and repaint the shocks, but the rear got brand new leaf springs. The whole character of the car changed. (especially on cornering)

Leaf springs on a car does not translate to coils on a Jeep. Not even close.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

Just to throw some more fuel into this, you can buy the same Fox shocks that the Mojave has for something like $2700 for the set except after market ones will be adjustable. The springs are possibly a little different, but adjustable versions of the Mojave should settle any truck down.

So to the point that the Mojave is the nicest riding... you can do the same treatment to a Sport and get the same ride from the shocks, but have the ability to adjust for fine tuning.

 

[DAVECS1]

I am curious if the HA package has different shocks and springs. Did not read through the whole post, if you all covered this, already. My wife got the HA 4xe, and I am seriously impressed with it's composure on the road. Given the powertrain helps the noise factor, but if I had to guess they put some sound deadening in it because it is really quiet inside, even with the sky touch top. It soaks up pavement imperfections really well. My Gladiator kicks every now and then on big bumps, her HA just eats the bumps like a caddy.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

I am curious if the HA package has different shocks and springs. Did not read through the whole post, if you all covered this, already. My wife got the HA 4xe, and I am seriously impressed with it's composure on the road. Given the powertrain helps the noise factor, but if I had to guess they put some sound deadening in it because it is really quiet inside, even with the sky touch top. It soaks up pavement imperfections really well. My Gladiator kicks every now and then on big bumps, her HA just eats the bumps like a caddy.

The curb weight of a basic Wrangler is about 4,000 lbs. The 4xe is like 5,200. It's going to have significantly different shocks and springs, Wrangler to Wrangler. Wrangler to Gladiator, who knows.

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