How Much Did You Pay For Your Gladiator

[DanW]

We must have wildly different definitions of "spirited driving" and "off road" if you think the factory clutched and shift feel is acceptable. Glad its worked out for you though, and that you have a dealer competent enough to actually trust with replacing a clutch.....

You can scoff and throw your opinions out there. But my experience contradicts what you imply. My opinion is that maybe you may have struggled to adapt to yours. Or yours had some kind of problem. Or you just don't like it and have a different opinion. I can respect that.

I can also help you with the definition of spirited driving, too. It is not a Corvette. It's a Jeep. But it can be fun on twisty roads and the 3.6 loves to rev. When doing that kind of driving, I enjoy keeping it in it's power band. I don't baby it. Never have. And I frequently tow a boat because I like to fish. A lot.

Off roading? Well, I have over 30 years experience with 5 great Jeeps of my own. Everywhere from Moab to Jericho Mountain and many, many places in between, on all kinds of terrain.

Yes, I have a very competent dealership with a tech that knows what he's doing and of course, his own vehicles have been manual Wranglers. He did a new transmission and clutch on my JK at 96k miles and it was perfect. He did the JL clutch at close to 100k and again....perfect. Dude knows what he's doing. No squeaks, rattles, or strange noises of any kind and properly set up. From looking at the old clutch, it was in good shape. Plenty of friction material left....It looked good. Easily, according to his estimation, another 50k+ miles left in it. He said it was in better shape than any other he had replaced under the recall, including one that had less than 30k on it. Mine had the highest mileage of those he replaced, so he was impressed.

So my take on that is that in the hands of someone who knows how to properly drive a clutch, barring any defects, properly assembled at the factory, and properly installed and set up at Jeep assembly, this transmission/clutch can work very well.

And mine is one of the first batch of the production line, ordered days after the JL order Banks were open and delivered in January of 2018. It had no running updates, only three recalls and whatever they did during those. Mine was put into my Jeep when Jeep engineers were on the production line in Toledo alongside the factory workers, developing procedures, teaching, and learning. So the line had not reached full production rate yet....everything was assembled carefully, and inspected again in a holding lot by engineering and QC teams before transport to the dealership. The only problem I have had with that JL was delamination of the screen on the Infotainment system. Not bad for such an early example of a new model of ANY vehicle.

It's been an excellent clutch, transmission, and drive train. It was fine-tuned with a swap to 4.56 gears to be better matched to 35" tires and to make 6th gear functional. And it was lifted and put on 35's at 700 miles, so I can't even remember what it was like stock, because I barely drove it that way. I put the 4.56 gears at 48,250 miles, and it was a nice improvement in being able to pull 6th gear on more than flat land. It also made the crawl ratio in 1st gear/low range ridiculously good, I might add.

The only thing I would criticize about it is the ratio choices, mainly 3rd to 4th gear. That has never made sense to me, but I have adapted to it with no trouble.

Oh....I have 9 kids and have taught 8 of them plus one son-in-law to drive a manual. All of them do it more competently than most people I know who drive manuals.

Btw, the ONLY reason I bought an automatic in the Gladiator was for towing capacity. I happen to love the 8 speed auto, but would absolutely have bought a manual if the tow rating was equal to the auto.

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[Chasm]

Love these price threads, even if it's across the country it gives you an idea on what deals are possible. Then it may or may not be worth it to travel to purchase. And it just needs to be simple give the MSRP then what you paid with all the bs (dealer doc)fees added then just mention if that includes tax or not. I'm still trying to decide on which mid size truck to buy and I'm looking at all 5 just depending on the best deal. And I'll have no issue going across the country to pick it up if it's worth it.

I'd suggest driving each one. I drove them all and the Gladiator was the only option.

 

[Zachattack50]

You can scoff and throw your opinions out there. But my experience contradicts what you imply. My opinion is that maybe you may have struggled to adapt to yours. Or yours had some kind of problem. Or you just don't like it and have a different opinion. I can respect that.

I can also help you with the definition of spirited driving, too. It is not a Corvette. It's a Jeep. But it can be fun on twisty roads and the 3.6 loves to rev. When doing that kind of driving, I enjoy keeping it in it's power band. I don't baby it. Never have. And I frequently tow a boat because I like to fish. A lot.

Off roading? Well, I have over 30 years experience with 5 great Jeeps of my own. Everywhere from Moab to Jericho Mountain and many, many places in between, on all kinds of terrain.

Yes, I have a very competent dealership with a tech that knows what he's doing and of course, his own vehicles have been manual Wranglers. He did a new transmission and clutch on my JK at 96k miles and it was perfect. He did the JL clutch at close to 100k and again....perfect. Dude knows what he's doing. No squeaks, rattles, or strange noises of any kind and properly set up. From looking at the old clutch, it was in good shape. Plenty of friction material left....It looked good. Easily, according to his estimation, another 50k+ miles left in it. He said it was in better shape than any other he had replaced under the recall, including one that had less than 30k on it. Mine had the highest mileage of those he replaced, so he was impressed.

So my take on that is that in the hands of someone who knows how to properly drive a clutch, barring any defects, properly assembled at the factory, and properly installed and set up at Jeep assembly, this transmission/clutch can work very well.

And mine is one of the first batch of the production line, ordered days after the JL order Banks were open and delivered in January of 2018. It had no running updates, only three recalls and whatever they did during those. Mine was put into my Jeep when Jeep engineers were on the production line in Toledo alongside the factory workers, developing procedures, teaching, and learning. So the line had not reached full production rate yet....everything was assembled carefully, and inspected again in a holding lot by engineering and QC teams before transport to the dealership. The only problem I have had with that JL was delamination of the screen on the Infotainment system. Not bad for such an early example of a new model of ANY vehicle.

It's been an excellent clutch, transmission, and drive train. It was fine-tuned with a swap to 4.56 gears to be better matched to 35" tires and to make 6th gear functional. And it was lifted and put on 35's at 700 miles, so I can't even remember what it was like stock, because I barely drove it that way. I put the 4.56 gears at 48,250 miles, and it was a nice improvement in being able to pull 6th gear on more than flat land. It also made the crawl ratio in 1st gear/low range ridiculously good, I might add.

The only thing I would criticize about it is the ratio choices, mainly 3rd to 4th gear. That has never made sense to me, but I have adapted to it with no trouble.

Oh....I have 9 kids and have taught 8 of them plus one son-in-law to drive a manual. All of them do it more competently than most people I know who drive manuals.

Btw, the ONLY reason I bought an automatic in the Gladiator was for towing capacity. I happen to love the 8 speed auto, but would absolutely have bought a manual if the tow rating was equal to the auto.

As I said, glad its acceptable for your taste. Its not for mine, cable shifters are notoriously vague and the modulation point of the JT/JL stock clutch and even the CF and ACT leave alot to be desired.

 

[GeekJT]

Just bought 2025 Gladiator mojave new from Cavana, $11.3k under sticker. They are brand new cars, Carvana now has Dodge / Jeep Dealerships and can now sell them new online.

Once I knew which one i wanted, the whole process to buy the car takes LITERALLY an hour, you can pick it up or have them deliver it, I had them deliver it to my driveway.

I've bought two cars off carvana now, and both have been amazing, super simple and ridiculously easy. Didn't have to talk to a single salesman trying to collect a commission playing front man for the lazy "sales manager".


We did goto a local dealership to test drive the same truck before buying just to make sure we wanted it. Carvana is opening a houston location soon, but I think they have a dallas one now.

Got ours with all the add-on options we wanted.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

And if you have issues, who will go to bat for you? the dealership with a stake in it, or Carvana who says - good luck, sorry, no service.

Meh, no, sorry. Regular dealers can really be bad, but once you find one you can trust.............. I prefer to support local businesses and local employees.

 

[rnish]

January 2025 purchased a 2023 Sport S. New old stock. Just under $37,000 out the door. About 34% under MSRP.

 

[Stan H]

You can scoff and throw your opinions out there. But my experience contradicts what you imply. My opinion is that maybe you may have struggled to adapt to yours. Or yours had some kind of problem. Or you just don't like it and have a different opinion. I can respect that.

I can also help you with the definition of spirited driving, too. It is not a Corvette. It's a Jeep. But it can be fun on twisty roads and the 3.6 loves to rev. When doing that kind of driving, I enjoy keeping it in it's power band. I don't baby it. Never have. And I frequently tow a boat because I like to fish. A lot.

Off roading? Well, I have over 30 years experience with 5 great Jeeps of my own. Everywhere from Moab to Jericho Mountain and many, many places in between, on all kinds of terrain.

Yes, I have a very competent dealership with a tech that knows what he's doing and of course, his own vehicles have been manual Wranglers. He did a new transmission and clutch on my JK at 96k miles and it was perfect. He did the JL clutch at close to 100k and again....perfect. Dude knows what he's doing. No squeaks, rattles, or strange noises of any kind and properly set up. From looking at the old clutch, it was in good shape. Plenty of friction material left....It looked good. Easily, according to his estimation, another 50k+ miles left in it. He said it was in better shape than any other he had replaced under the recall, including one that had less than 30k on it. Mine had the highest mileage of those he replaced, so he was impressed.

So my take on that is that in the hands of someone who knows how to properly drive a clutch, barring any defects, properly assembled at the factory, and properly installed and set up at Jeep assembly, this transmission/clutch can work very well.

And mine is one of the first batch of the production line, ordered days after the JL order Banks were open and delivered in January of 2018. It had no running updates, only three recalls and whatever they did during those. Mine was put into my Jeep when Jeep engineers were on the production line in Toledo alongside the factory workers, developing procedures, teaching, and learning. So the line had not reached full production rate yet....everything was assembled carefully, and inspected again in a holding lot by engineering and QC teams before transport to the dealership. The only problem I have had with that JL was delamination of the screen on the Infotainment system. Not bad for such an early example of a new model of ANY vehicle.

It's been an excellent clutch, transmission, and drive train. It was fine-tuned with a swap to 4.56 gears to be better matched to 35" tires and to make 6th gear functional. And it was lifted and put on 35's at 700 miles, so I can't even remember what it was like stock, because I barely drove it that way. I put the 4.56 gears at 48,250 miles, and it was a nice improvement in being able to pull 6th gear on more than flat land. It also made the crawl ratio in 1st gear/low range ridiculously good, I might add.

The only thing I would criticize about it is the ratio choices, mainly 3rd to 4th gear. That has never made sense to me, but I have adapted to it with no trouble.

Oh....I have 9 kids and have taught 8 of them plus one son-in-law to drive a manual. All of them do it more competently than most people I know who drive manuals.

Btw, the ONLY reason I bought an automatic in the Gladiator was for towing capacity. I happen to love the 8 speed auto, but would absolutely have bought a manual if the tow rating was equal to the auto.

I never made it past sentence 3

 

[GeekJT]

And if you have issues, who will go to bat for you? the dealership with a stake in it, or Carvana who says - good luck, sorry, no service.

Meh, no, sorry. Regular dealers can really be bad, but once you find one you can trust.............. I prefer to support local businesses and local employees.

I can use any dealership, or the carvana dealership. The warranty is still though Jeep, just as if I bought it from a Jeep dealership.

 

[jmr]

I can use any dealership, or the carvana dealership. The warranty is still though Jeep, just as if I bought it from a Jeep dealership.

Very true. I bought my Mojave from a different dealer than where I get it served.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I can use any dealership, or the carvana dealership. The warranty is still though Jeep, just as if I bought it from a Jeep dealership.

That's technically true - however, some dealerships won't try hard, or at all, or put you on the back burner if not a customer. It's a risk.

Some will try to get your business, but there's a whole lot of posts in these very forums about dealerships either dragging their feet, or suggesting you "take it where you bought it".
Sorry, I deal locally or with real people...........

 

[GeekJT]

And if you have issues, who will go to bat for you? the dealership with a stake in it, or Carvana who says - good luck, sorry, no service.

Meh, no, sorry. Regular dealers can really be bad, but once you find one you can trust.............. I prefer to support local businesses and local employees.

On the 2nd part, they are a regular dodge/jeep dealership, At their locations they still employ local employees. The only people they don't employ is the craptastic sales guys who are "going to bat" for you to get you to pay the highest price possible. I dunno what you are thinking about dealerships, but they are never "going to bat" for you.

Just thought that was weird LOL and as far as "going to bat" for ya, as far as used cars, you can't beat carvana.

You buy the car, you get 7 days with it and can return it in that time frame if you decide it's not for you.

Every used car gets 100 day warranty bumper to bumper. Anything goes wrong with the used car they fix it. My son in law bought a used 2016 challenger scatpack from them, it had several issues and silverrock is very easy to work with on warranty stuff. So we've even tested their used car warranty, it's solid.

And their extended warranty, is a few thousand cheaper (3k for their top package) than what most dealerships will do for you. Factory warranty gives you a windshield replacement, then they also cover dents, if you mess up a wheel or tire they will replace them, up to 6 of them. BRUH...

AND... you don't get stuck with "dealer-add-ons" that they tack on another 5, 8, 10k for. That's what it was at the jeep dealership next to me. 9k in bs dealer addons that were absolutely useless, stuff i would never need. AKA lojack, who needs lojack in 2025? Wanted 2k for lojack. give me a break. The jeep has built in gps location. so silly.

I absolutely despise the dealership experience. 5, 6, 7 hours at a dealership is a waste of time to me. Pushy sales people who give you a bunch of fake compliments, it's not 1962 anymore. I'm telling ya when people realize there is a MUCH easier way to buy cars, there are a few doing it this way now, it's gonna change thing. Ford is already making changes to their dealerships to catch up.


It's a much easier experience for me without all the BS. Love it.

Disclaimer: I don't work for, or am i in anyway affiliated with Carvana. I have not been paid by them, or in any way compensated by them. Just incase someone thinks i have a conflict of interests. LOL I"m just a regular joe who bought two cars from them and thinks it's a better way to buy a car.

 

[GeekJT]

That's technically true - however, some dealerships won't try hard, or at all, or put you on the back burner if not a customer. It's a risk.

Some will try to get your business, but there's a whole lot of posts in these very forums about dealerships either dragging their feet, or suggesting you "take it where you bought it".
Sorry, I deal locally or with real people...........

Im just wondering what exactly are you thinking I couldn't get done?
I have the option to take it to any dealership. AND i have the option to take it to any shop I want. I have a shop I've known the owner for years, I would MUCH rather take it to him, my warranty covers it. What exactly are you saying I couldn't get done just because I didn't buy it from "a dealership" nevermind the fact I did buy it from Carvana Dodge/Jeep dealership. LoL

https://www.cbtnews.com/carvana-test-franchise-operations-with-second-cdjr-dealership-in-dallas/

 

[Stan H]

I can use any dealership, or the carvana dealership. The warranty is still though Jeep, just as if I bought it from a Jeep dealership.

But the relationship starts off weak as you didn't buy it from them. Pro-Tip
Bring doughnuts

 

[GeekJT]

But the relationship starts off weak as you didn't buy it from them. Pro-Tip
Bring doughnuts

Bro I'll bring a whole brisket if I have to. lol

 

[DanW]

I never made it past sentence 3

Glad you made the effort to respond.

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