Last Year of the Gladiator (2024) -- says dealer

[Dryfly24]

That’s my uncle John. He’s actually a solid guy these days. Had a real bad drinking problem. Ended up in the county clink on work release for beating his old lady. When he got out, he caught her w his brother, my other uncle, rick … blue lights and uncle J back in the clink. Skipped out on his court date and got caught passed out near the train tracks couple weeks after. Served two years. While he was in there he read some book about Johnny Cash getting sober. Got out and started selling cars at the buy here pay here place. Eventually started his own. Calls himself Lou for some reason these days and still goes to the AA meetings where you can smoke inside.

he’s not as bad as he looks.

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[Angler3]

I’m holding out for the JT 392!
I’ll be 1st in line

 

[River2016]

I’m holding out for the JT 392!
I’ll be 1st in line

I’ll be standing behind you. The hot breath on your neck, that’s me. Might be some drool.

 

[Rubicon Runnin' Bob]

Honestly, anything’s possible. We’re in the middle of the biggest change to the auto industry since electronic controls were introduced, perhaps since the birth of the automobile itself. It’s a big deal for a company that makes what is essentially an evolution of a 1940s Army vehicle, with probably the worst aerodynamics and least efficient driveline of any vehicle on the road to jump fully into electrification with both feet.

Remember that Jeep is in a bind. They must meet CAFE standards under their own marque. And these standards keep getting stricter. They’ve tried this with uncompelling Jeepwashing of econoboxes with mixed results all to keep the Wrangler alive. Without the Wrangler, there’s no brand. It’s synonymous with the name Jeep. Wranglers sell Cherokees and Wagoneers. Wranglers sell Gladiators. So they must electrify. Wrangler first. Always.

I actually think it’s a distinct possibility that they will kill off the Gladiator but more than likely because they have to go back to the drawing board using next gen battery tech. Cramming a big ass battery under the current truck so that it gets 10 miles of EV range, is going to be a joke. It may not make fiscal since to engineer this less compelling stop-gap version on the current platform. But I do think it will return. The simple answer why the Gladiator wasn’t talked about in Stelantis’s electric vehicle showcase is that there’s no plans for the current truck to be electrified. Why water down the message with a non electric vehicle. It also may just plod along as the remaining ICE-only vehicle until the replacement is ready. It’s important to remember that the market for trucks isn’t the same as the market for Wranglers. The Gladiator has stiff competition and a fickle consumer base. Let’s see how this electric Ram does. That will tell you more about the future Gladiator than the Wrangler.

Imagine a Gladiator with a massive frunk, all the tech of a Rivian with the off road prowess of the current vehicle on solid state batteries, able to power your entire overland setup, with 800ft lbs of torque, and solar charging. It makes a lot of sense to stop and properly design a segment killer. I’m also starting to get Apple vibes from Jeep. They’ve doubled down on off-roading, overlanding, outdoors/nature and while simultaneously cramming tech into their vehicles. They want to stand apart and above from the rest of the crowd with form and function. They could slouch their way into electrification or they could kick the doors in. They clearly see being aggressive as the winning strategy and they’ve got a new generation of consumers with different values to appease.

Personally I’m going to enjoy the hell out of my JTRD but I’m excited for the future.

No offense,

However,

Thanks, but NO Thanks!

I have no use for an EV Jeep

The only reason I got a Gladiator (Dec 2023) was because I couldn't find a Wrangler that I wanted, as everything available in my area were all 4xe

Again Thanks, but NO Thanks!

Maybe someday they'll get the EV tech where it will be acceptable, but it most certainly is NOT there now.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Reviving a dead "the Gladiator is doomed" thread instead of the latest "the Gladiator is doomed" thread?

 

[ecidiego]

That's the last Gladiator is doomed thread I'll ever read....

I mean.. the DEALER said so. Gospel.

 

[Aj58]

I’m gonna revive this in 2025. ?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’m gonna revive this in 2025. ?

I'm adding that note into my phone's calendar - we'll be watching!

 

[Wolf Island Diver]

No offense,

However,

Thanks, but NO Thanks!

I have no use for an EV Jeep

The only reason I got a Gladiator (Dec 2023) was because I couldn't find a Wrangler that I wanted, as everything available in my area were all 4xe

Again Thanks, but NO Thanks!

Maybe someday they'll get the EV tech where it will be acceptable, but it most certainly is NOT there now.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. What’s the most successful low emission vehicle? The Prius. But everyone keeps dogging Toyota for supposedly being behind the curve. American companies went all in on EVs, and American media is EV biased. But the tech really isn’t there yet to make them a true replacement for IC. That’s not completely true. For daily use, EVs are superior to ICE. It’s the problem of driving long distances that’s the issue.

But an ICE replacement has been there for decades in the form of hybrids. For people that buy an Hybrid crossover, it’s a seamless transition, and the tech keeps getting better. There’s been a paradigm shift in what a hybrid can be. If you couple a relatively large battery (for a hybrid) with powerful electrical motors and a small ICE for range extension and to compensate for EVs short comings, like cold weather performance, you arrive at a best of all worlds option. You have a zero emissions vehicle for daily commutes, errands, etc, and you don’t have the range anxiety or off road anxiety that comes with EVs.

A Gladiator that has 50-100 miles of EV range, but still works off road, can tackle trips without needing to search for charging stations and still have the torque needed to perform off road would be better than what exist now. And it wouldn’t require any breakthrough in technology.

Concerns over hybrid reliability basically haven’t been borne out accros the industry over the years. Problems with cars still tend to be related to ICE, emissions controls for ICE and electronics, not the EV systems and motors. In fact there’s a new problem EVs and Hybrids with smaller simpler engines are creating. They’re reducing the need for service techs and simplifying construction.

The current 4xe was an experiment but it was a wild success. It was the best selling hybrid in 2022 and one of the best selling Jeeps. If a 2.0 version increases the EV range it will be an even bigger success. I think there’s some threshold of range, I think it’s around 50-100miles whereby the calculus shifts for most holdouts.

For me personally a gladiator like that would negate all the house battery work I’ve done since it has its own internal large lithium battery. Jeep already realized the overlanding potential of that on the current 4xe. It would be significantly cheaper for me to drive. I would never have to fill up outside of a trip. It would have meant none of the problems I’ve so far had to deal with on my truck. It would mean silent 4 wheeling which would be dope. I can’t really see the benefit in keeping what I have. For someone that tows a travel trailer, the calculus would probably be different unless the hybrid was really torquey.

 

[Rubicon Runnin' Bob]

Reviving a dead "the Gladiator is doomed" thread instead of the latest "the Gladiator is doomed" thread?

Sorry, I'm new here and reading that bunch of EV BS "required" me to respond

Sorry, I just can't help myself when it comes to EV BS

If someone wants an EV, I'm ALL for THEM buying one

What I have a problem with is having them shoved down MY throat

So again, I'm sorry, my apologies

 

[Rubicon Runnin' Bob]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. What’s the most successful low emission vehicle? The Prius. But everyone keeps dogging Toyota for supposedly being behind the curve. American companies went all in on EVs, and American media is EV biased. But the tech really isn’t there yet to make them a true replacement for IC. That’s not completely true. For daily use, EVs are superior to ICE. It’s the problem of driving long distances that’s the issue.

But an ICE replacement has been there for decades in the form of hybrids. For people that buy an Hybrid crossover, it’s a seamless transition, and the tech keeps getting better. There’s been a paradigm shift in what a hybrid can be. If you couple a relatively large battery (for a hybrid) with powerful electrical motors and a small ICE for range extension and to compensate for EVs short comings, like cold weather performance, you arrive at a best of all worlds option. You have a zero emissions vehicle for daily commutes, errands, etc, and you don’t have the range anxiety or off road anxiety that comes with EVs.

A Gladiator that has 50-100 miles of EV range, but still works off road, can tackle trips without needing to search for charging stations and still have the torque needed to perform off road would be better than what exist now. And it wouldn’t require any breakthrough in technology.

Concerns over hybrid reliability basically haven’t been borne out accros the industry over the years. Problems with cars still tend to be related to ICE, emissions controls for ICE and electronics, not the EV systems and motors. In fact there’s a new problem EVs and Hybrids with smaller simpler engines are creating. They’re reducing the need for service techs and simplifying construction.

The current 4xe was an experiment but it was a wild success. It was the best selling hybrid in 2022 and one of the best selling Jeeps. If a 2.0 version increases the EV range it will be an even bigger success. I think there’s some threshold of range, I think it’s around 50-100miles whereby the calculus shifts for most holdouts.

For me personally a gladiator like that would negate all the house battery work I’ve done since it has its own internal large lithium battery. Jeep already realized the overlanding potential of that on the current 4xe. It would be significantly cheaper for me to drive. I would never have to fill up outside of a trip. It would have meant none of the problems I’ve so far had to deal with on my truck. It would mean silent 4 wheeling which would be dope. I can’t really see the benefit in keeping what I have. For someone that tows a travel trailer, the calculus would probably be different unless the hybrid was really torquey.

I'm happy that a 4xe will work for you

20 miles EV (or whatever it is) is a complete joke IMHO

Again, if it works for you, I'm happy for you

But I'm pretty sure I'm in the vast majority of Americans that don't want an EV and am tired of having them shoved down our throats

 

[Hootbro]

Oh boy, going down the EV thread path. I need to buckle in before this goes off the rails.

 

[DirtyHarry]

I'm happy that a 4xe will work for you

20 miles EV (or whatever it is) is a complete joke IMHO

Again, if it works for you, I'm happy for you

But I'm pretty sure I'm in the vast majority of Americans that don't want an EV and am tired of having them shoved down our throats

I couldn't give 2 $hits about the EV range, I want the extra 100hp and 150ftlbs of torque the battery adds on. Vast majority of wrangler owners wanted it too the past few years... The new 2025 iteration will likely improve on the 4xe in every aspect.

 

[Rubicon Runnin' Bob]

I couldn't give 2 $hits about the EV range, I want the extra 100hp and 150ftlbs of torque the battery adds on. Vast majority of wrangler owners wanted it too the past few years... The new 2025 iteration will likely improve on the 4xe in every aspect.

I'm glad for you

Many of the people I know that got the 4xe's did it for a single reason, the rebates

But again, I'm glad you're happy with your 4xe

But as for me, NO Thank You

 

[Rubicon Runnin' Bob]

Oh boy, going down the EV thread path. I need to buckle in before this goes off the rails.

Yeah, sorry

I'll end my participation in this thread here and now, as it's a no win situation

My apologies

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