Is the diesel gladiator worth it?

[Fastwake]

Anyone that ask if you want to race a Jeep has a screw loose. There are to many cons to own a Diesel Jeep they are slugs. All you guys that think your going to make big tow vehicles out of these gladiators better do some homework

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[2TH MVR]

I have a 2020 Gladiator rubicon that I was going to lift and regear to 4:88’s and run 37” tires. My question is do you think it’s worth it to trade in for the same truck but with the diesel power plant instead of spending the money on upgrading the gasser?

I didn't read all 4 pages, but .........
I just picked up my new Rubicon diesel.
The answer to your question is...... it depends.

If the JT is your only vehicle. A daily driver. Then probably not. Obvously there have been many reports on here re: cooling issues, derating, towing issues. There is also the issue about this being a new, 3rd gen diesel. There is no real reliability history on this new engine yet.

On the flip side. I only wanted the diesel version of the Rubicon. But I bought this vehicle as a 3rd vehicle mostly to be used for fun, outdoor stuff. It is not my daily driver. I have no intentions of towing or hauling a bunch of stuff. I bought this diesel because I've owned diesels in the past (F350) and many gasser trucks. There is no comparison for low end power between a gasser and a diesel. If there was no diesel version .... I probably would have not bought the JT. As for a possible 5.7 or the 392 .. I have absolutely NO INTEREST in these engines. I don't need a hotrod jeep. Well. Maybe a 5.7.

The JT diesel is a niche vehicle. It works well for that narrow niche of buyers, but probably is not well suited for a majority of owners who need towing, hauling, long term reliability with a tested engine, daily driving, reduced maintenance costs etc. etc.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[foo.c]

Anyone that ask if you want to race a Jeep has a screw loose. There are to many cons to own a Diesel Jeep they are slugs. All you guys that think your going to make big tow vehicles out of these gladiators better do some homework

I was just trying to prove a point.

I think it's funny that people buy the diesel because the pentastar is a dog. Hello, the diesel is slower than the pentastar.

 

[SloW8]

4.88 is pretty damn low for 37's. 4.56 would probably be the happier place on your current Rubi regarding mpg and engine rpm. But besides that..

As for the diesel, and I love diesels; Run away from those thoughts. What would be your advantage? Better mpg? You might find that your focus should be on reliability if you're going 'out there'.

I would do 5.13s - I went with 5.38s on mine but I tow a pretty heavy trailer. It turns about 2500 @72MPH in 8th now. I think that is a little high. I would do at least 4.88 though but with the weight of the Gladiator, I think the 5.13s are the sweet spot.

My combined MPG over the first 1100 miles with the new gears and tires is 16.2.

 

[RidinDirty]

4.88 is pretty damn low for 37's. 4.56 would probably be the happier place on your current Rubi regarding mpg and engine rpm. But besides that..

As for the diesel, and I love diesels; Run away from those thoughts. What would be your advantage? Better mpg? You might find that your focus should be on reliability if you're going 'out there'.

5.13 all day long. I've been running this and 37s and haven't had any issues.

 

[Oilburner]

I think it's funny that people buy the diesel because the pentastar is a dog. Hello, the diesel is slower than the pentastar.

People say this because you have to rev the 3.6L so high in order to get any useable power. I had a 2013 JK 3.6L + 6 speed, and was constantly disappointed by it's performance. Stock it ran pretty good if you 'ran the crap out of it'. Couldn't imagine a wheel/tire size increase without regearing. Since then, I have had a Grand Cherokee 3.0L (124,000 miles w/ no issues) and now a 2020 Wrangler 3.0L. Like they say, your results may vary.

 

[BlackDog]

I have the same dilemma as the OP. I planned on waiting for the diesel to come out but couldn't wait and bought the 3.6 1.5yrs ago, telling my dealer I'd see him again when the diesel came out. I still haven't called him.

For me and my usage, the diesel doesn't look like the right fit. I tow a trailer (3500ish lbs), I live and recreate at high altitude, and I drive up long and steep roads regularly (Vail pass/Eisenhower, aka Ike). Given all the overheating issues people are having in these same conditions I'm in no rush to switch. If I move to a bigger trailer, I'll look for a full size truck.

If I didn't tow a trailer, I'd probably go with the diesel (feels weird typing that!)

 

[Mastermind]

I love my diesel.

I’ve had (4) 3.6L - great engine, I just don’t like driving around at 4000 rpm.

I tow 4,000lb all the time with no issues. I love the 3.0.

Be SURE you drive both the gas & the diesel.

 

[Snowcavemike]

I have a 2020 Gladiator rubicon that I was going to lift and regear to 4:88’s and run 37” tires. My question is do you think it’s worth it to trade in for the same truck but with the diesel power plant instead of spending the money on upgrading the gasser?

I've go the Diesel Ruby with 37's and love it. I have not regeared it and works just fine. The fuel milage with 37's is about 10mpg better and wheels soo much nicer than the gasser. I am running a Rock Krawler 3 in lift. No more bottoming out. I did not buy the Diesel to save money, I wanted the range. Another benefit, it is really quite. I think it was worth the wait and the extra money. I'll never go back to gas

 

[sharpsicle]

It's just because you can't afford it.

No, it's not, as you can see from actually investigating the pros and cons of both setups.

I simply didn't want to spend the extra money on something that tows less, overheats easier and derates, has significantly higher maintenance costs, more frequent general issues, too heavy for the suspension, requires exhaust fluid, and has a mess of a mandated EGR system.

My opinion is that this platform was made for the 3.6 and FCA found a way to cram in the 3.0 eco to sell to the diesel die-hards. That's not me, so gasser it is. There are plenty of other diesel vehicles I would actually buy, the Glad right now just isn't one of them. YMMV.

Thanks for playing though.

 

[WXman]

I think it is worth it. I love mine so far. Tows like a champ, and is surprisingly fast.

 

[FutureOdin]

I think the overheating is being blown out of proportion, honestly. I haven't seen one situation where it overheated and derated without towing in extreme (90F+) temperatures, and/or at a high altitude, and/or up a steep grade.

I towed a 3800# travel trailer from MA across the country over 9000 miles over the past month. It first derated once I got to Carson City going to Lake Tahoe up Rt. 50. I believe the outside temperature was around 90-95F at that time.

It derated a few more times, especially going into Death Valley (when it was 122F). At those temperatures, I don't think it altitude matters nearly as much, since it's the lowest place in the U.S. and the hottest place on Earth. Go figure.

Would the gasser have derated? Probably not. But, I can tell you, as someone who owned a gasser previously, towing with the diesel is night and day, even if it derates at extreme temperatures/grades/altitudes. Take it easy on the throttle, use the manual shifting mode, and stay in the torque band, you'll be fine. There's a reason why many major highways with steep grades have a truck lane. Use it. I think folks will live if they can't scream 70+MPH up a grade with the trailer. Probably shouldn't even be going that fast anyways...

If you're towing a few times a year, I still think the diesel is the way to go. It's the perfect powerplant for this chassis. If you're planning on towing constantly/consistently, then you probably want a different vehicle all together.

I would go test drive the diesel, maybe they'll let you keep it for a day or two. Go hook it up to a trailer and give it a whirl.

 

[Oilburner]

My opinion is that this platform was made for the 3.6 and FCA found a way to cram in the 3.0 eco to sell to the diesel die-hards.

I think they put it in there because of EPA requirements, the 3.0L gets the best EPA mileage of any engine offered.

 

[WXman]

I think the overheating is being blown out of proportion, honestly. I haven't seen one situation where it overheated and derated without towing in extreme (90F+) temperatures, and/or at a high altitude, and/or up a steep grade.

Correct. Last month, I towed a huge 8.5x24' enclosed trailer with a 7' interior roof line fully loaded with an ATV, UTV, and camping gear on a 250 mile trip one-way in temperatures around 90F with a high dewpoint (making for a miserable heat index). Granted this was coming out of the hills of Kentucky and into the corn land of Indiana. But nevertheless it was really hot outside and I was literally maxed out on payload and towing capacity. My truck showed coolant temps of <230F for 99% of the trip, with trans. temps <220F. It never over heated and never derated power. Cruised in 7th gear most of the way which is amazing.

I think the thing that gets these trucks hot is high altitude. TFL has had a brand new F-150 and a brand new Silverado overheat while towing well under max specs lately. In both cases, the trucks had the most powerful engine/transmission combos available and were equipped with towing packages. Still, they overheated and derated.

So to say that there is an inherent problem with the Gladiator EcoDiesel is just not accurate.

 

[NateKY]

Jesus. Anyone entering this thread needs to have some hip waders on. It's gotten deep in here. I think it's best that I just stay out of this one before I get banned. A lot of new people have joined since I took a hiatus.

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