JT v. Taco: Which is objectively built better? 2021 Gladiator vs 2021 Tacoma comparison review by owner

[Chunky White]

I hate Toyota so there is no comparison. I have family members that only drive Toyota's and will argue for days that they have the better vehicles. I test drove a new TRD Pro and wasn't impressed. My brothers Tundra Platinum is really nice but he gets 11 mpg in stock form and thats worse than anything I have ever owned.

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[Closet Jeep guy]

I hate Toyota so there is no comparison. I have family members that only drive Toyota's and will argue for days that they have the better vehicles. I test drove a new TRD Pro and wasn't impressed. My brothers Tundra Platinum is really nice but he gets 11 mpg in stock form and thats worse than anything I have ever owned.

To be fair I can't find a tacoma problems fb page, but the Gladiator one exists

 

[Chunky White]

To be fair I can't find a tacoma problems fb page, but the Gladiator one exists

I am not on facebook, twitter, instagram, tiktok or whatever else exist so I have no idea. All i know is that I dislike every Toyota other than the Tundra, Land Cruiser and the Supra. None of the others interest me and the one Tacoma I had was the worst truck I have had to date because of crappy interior, no power and fuel mileage. It was a 2014 TRD Sport manual transmission that I bought new when they were only $28K and I wanted a truck I could pay cash for. I kept it a month before trading it for a GMC Sierra for another $6k and was much happier. Its crazy how much the cost of vehicles has went up in 9 years

I am a tough critic of vehicles and find that there isn't many that I like enough to buy. I never thought I would buy a Gladiator but they grew on me after seeing a few lifted ones. I have had my own issues with a few different brands over the past few years including a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Challenger Hellcat and TA/392. Not engine troubles but electrical ones on two and driveline and suspension in the Hellcat.

The only reliable vehicle I have owned recently is the most boring and was a 2021 GMC Canyon AT4

 

[Concentric_Killa]

I have been following dirtliftstyle on YouTube for a while and I couldn't agree more with his opinion.

I just sold my 2011 Tacoma. I had put in $12k worth of long travel suspension (both front and rear) along with a regear and other misc mods. Simply put jeep is a better offroader out of the box. Want to put 33's on your Tacoma or 4runner? You need a cab mount chop to clear the tires if you actually take it offroad.

My Tacoma interior plastic creaked driving on the highway after all the years of wheeling. The Tacoma frame is pretty thin.

I bought a 23' Rubicon since the goal is to mainly leave it stock and go adventure with it. I also don't live where there is open desert so having a full on 4wd prerunner didn't make sense. It's a bit overkill for going slower.

I had my fun modding the crap out of my Tacoma, but once you start modding past stock, reliability goes out the window regardless of brand (jeep or Toyota).

 

[Timoleon]

Well, I kinda fell into owning a Jeep Gladiator myself. I have owned pretty much nothing but Toyota since way back in 1981 when I had the opportunity to buy a CJ5. I remembered back in high school that one of my friends had an FJ40. It was a 1968 version that his family had since it was new. We went everywhere with that. Well, in 1981, I was faced with buying a new vehicle (ruff divorce where the wife got the only vehicle). I went to the local "auto row" to look for a Jeep. I wasn't impressed. I rolled down to the Toyota dealer and found a used 79 FJ40. Test drove it and never looked back. Since 2021, I have owned nothing but Toyota's. My next one was a 1986 Toyota SR5 4 wheel drive pickup. Kept that till I moved to Italy in 1990. I was "Toyotaless" till 1997 when I returned from Italy and bought a 1995 SR5 Toyota Pick up. I took it off road only a few times. I sold it in 2001 and moved to Guam for 6 years. There, I got a used 4Runner. It was an early one that had a V-8. Nice but lots of rust. When I moved back to the states in 2007, I looked at the new 4Runners and almost got one, then the wife talked me into a Sienna van. Balls removed and safely on the pavement, I longed for one of those new Toyota Tundra's. It wasn't until 2011 when my divorce was final that I looked to trade the Sienna for anything 4 wheel drive. I found a used 2008 FJCruiser. It was a Trail Teams version that had everything. Loved it! In 2018, I traded it (wished I still had it) for a 2018 Tundra TRD Sport. I kept that until 2021 when I went in for an oil change (the last one under Toyota Care) and spotted a 2021 Taco TRD Pro. I immediately traded the Tundra (they were still servicing the Tundra) for that Taco. I liked the Taco, but it had it's limits. And, I did not like the electronic selection for 4 wheel drive. It got stuck in 4 wheel low while nearly 1000 miles from home. I finally got it to shift back to 2 wheel high. It was also a bit uncomfortable on long drives for me.

Between all of this, my current wife went through a 2016 4Runner and she was currently driving a 2019 4Runner Limited. She is the one who wanted to trade her 4Runner for the Gladiator. I found her a 2021 Overland and she went for it. 3 weeks later, we were down at the dealer bringing them some of the 4Runner accessories and I saw a 21 JTR. Since we had the Overland Gladiator, I decided to learn a bit about these Jeeps. When I saw the Rubicon, I noticed it had pretty much everything (no tie down rails, or Gorilla Glass). I traded the TRD Pro for it.

Since then, I have not looked back. Comparing the TRD Pro to the Gladiator Rubicon, I'll stick with the Rubicon. I can't even get one new now with all the stuff I got on it from the factory in 21.

The only way I would go back to Toyota is if 2 things happen; I get some large inheritance, or the bring back the FJ40 series vehicles....

 

[JeepCode4]

Have had both. Now I only have the gladiator. That says it all.

That being said, the Tacoma like the 4Runner is dated, and you can tell. The engine is slow, and still has rear drums, which in icy conditions are very unsafe imo. Once the front lock up your Fucked on stock tires. but it’s a simple, good reliable rig. My wife’s sister wanted a small pickup. Recommended a Tacoma. She’s not gonna Jack it up and make it more than it was out of the factory, she wants to turn it on and go for 10 years.

That said, there’s nothing like the jeeps. You can really make it yours, how you like it, and it’ll still last a long time. Take the doors off, roof, put 37’s, tow, fill the bed, whatever and it’ll continue. My only complaint is I wish the gladiator had a hemi, the 5.7 would have been perfect with the right tune.

Love my gladiator.

 

[Closet Jeep guy]

I am not on facebook, twitter, instagram, tiktok or whatever else exist so I have no idea. All i know is that I dislike every Toyota other than the Tundra, Land Cruiser and the Supra. None of the others interest me and the one Tacoma I had was the worst truck I have had to date because of crappy interior, no power and fuel mileage. It was a 2014 TRD Sport manual transmission that I bought new when they were only $28K and I wanted a truck I could pay cash for. I kept it a month before trading it for a GMC Sierra for another $6k and was much happier. Its crazy how much the cost of vehicles has went up in 9 years

I am a tough critic of vehicles and find that there isn't many that I like enough to buy. I never thought I would buy a Gladiator but they grew on me after seeing a few lifted ones. I have had my own issues with a few different brands over the past few years including a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Challenger Hellcat and TA/392. Not engine troubles but electrical ones on two and driveline and suspension in the Hellcat.

The only reliable vehicle I have owned recently is the most boring and was a 2021 GMC Canyon AT4

Currently a Tacoma guy but I want a Gladiator, the only thing scaring me are all the posts I see with people having issues . Regardless I'm waiting on 2024 to see what way I go . Either new Tacoma or Gladiator

I have been following dirtliftstyle on YouTube for a while and I couldn't agree more with his opinion.

I just sold my 2011 Tacoma. I had put in $12k worth of long travel suspension (both front and rear) along with a regear and other misc mods. Simply put jeep is a better offroader out of the box. Want to put 33's on your Tacoma or 4runner? You need a cab mount chop to clear the tires if you actually take it offroad.

My Tacoma interior plastic creaked driving on the highway after all the years of wheeling. The Tacoma frame is pretty thin.

I bought a 23' Rubicon since the goal is to mainly leave it stock and go adventure with it. I also don't live where there is open desert so having a full on 4wd prerunner didn't make sense. It's a bit overkill for going slower.

I had my fun modding the crap out of my Tacoma, but once you start modding past stock, reliability goes out the window regardless of brand (jeep or Toyota).

Have had both. Now I only have the gladiator. That says it all.

That being said, the Tacoma like the 4Runner is dated, and you can tell. The engine is slow, and still has rear drums, which in icy conditions are very unsafe imo. Once the front lock up your Fucked on stock tires. but it’s a simple, good reliable rig. My wife’s sister wanted a small pickup. Recommended a Tacoma. She’s not gonna Jack it up and make it more than it was out of the factory, she wants to turn it on and go for 10 years.

That said, there’s nothing like the jeeps. You can really make it yours, how you like it, and it’ll still last a long time. Take the doors off, roof, put 37’s, tow, fill the bed, whatever and it’ll continue. My only complaint is I wish the gladiator had a hemi, the 5.7 would have been perfect with the right tune.

Love my gladiator.

The gladiator engine is from 2011...its also dated

 

[JeepCode4]

Currently a Tacoma guy but I want a Gladiator, the only thing scaring me are all the posts I see with people having issues . Regardless I'm waiting on 2024 to see what way I go . Either new Tacoma or Gladiator


The gladiator engine is from 2011...its also dated

The basis of it yes, the block, but it’s had numerous refinements over the generation, same with the Tacoma but I was talking about the platform and the frame less about the engine.

 

[Closet Jeep guy]

The basis of it yes, the block, but it’s had numerous refinements over the generation, same with the Tacoma but I was talking about the platform and the frame less about the engine.

Isnt the frame just a Ram frame? How old is that platform. I still stand by the fact they are both dated . Toyota is atleast joining the non 6 spd transmission finally also with a new frame . I hear jeep has a newer info tanment center but the gladiator has yet to adopt it

 

[JeepCode4]

Isnt the frame just a Ram frame? How old is that platform. I still stand by the fact they are both dated . Toyota is atleast joining the non 6 spd transmission finally also with a new frame . I hear jeep has a newer info tanment center but the gladiator has yet to adopt it

The gladiator and the JL wrangler have the same interior, all newly updated. You may mean the new grand Cherokee Uconnect 5, yea the wrangler/gladiator doesn’t have that but not an issue, only difference really is wireless CarPlay. The gladiator frame is new for the chassis. Originally it was tested with a part ram body, but it’s it’s own thing with suspension design from dodge.

 

[Closet Jeep guy]

The gladiator and the JL wrangler have the same interior, all newly updated. You may mean the new grand Cherokee Uconnect 5, yea the wrangler/gladiator doesn’t have that but not an issue, only difference really is wireless CarPlay. The gladiator frame is new for the chassis. Originally it was tested with a part ram body, but it’s it’s own thing with suspension design from dodge.

Thank you ,even after months of research I still have a few things to learn lol

 

[JeepCode4]

Thank you ,even after months of research I still have a few things to learn lol

Cheers man

 

[Louie4]

I traded my 2017 Taco for my 2020 Gladiator and I’ve been happy ever since. The Taco was kind of a dog on the road and constantly wanted to be in higher gears to the point that if I wanted to have it get up and go it would shoot to 3500 rpm. I just never felt there was anything between 1500-3500 rpm. This was after doing Ovetune to make it more peppy.

 

[IPRoutes]

Gladiators require gas.
Tacos give you gas.

 

[Geoarch]

That is a interesting data dump and comparison but what does it really mean? That is like comparing a German Shepard to a Dachshund and asking which is the better dog? Both are dogs but they were bred for different intended end uses. Same with the Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Tacoma.

I would agree that you're mostly right. I've owned five Tacomas, the last a 2018 TRDPro. The TRDPro is a capable off-road vehicle (I'm a geologist and use them in the field), but my JTR is by far a more capable off-road vehicle bar none. I have an MT (all my Tacomas were MTs), and the gearing is so much better, and with dual lockers and the ability to disconnect the stabilizer bar, there is no comparison off-road. The seating on the JTR is way better, the sound system excellent, and being able to take off the doors a great option. I wouldn't go back to a Tacoma. Little things like more read seat room, higher clearance etc. make it for me.

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