MotorTrend 2021 Gladiator Review - Terrifying Towing?

[Hootbro]

Sounds like normal internet automotive journalism. Gotta be some drama click-bait BS tag line to draw in the eyeballs for views.

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[DreamedofaJeepSomeday]

IMHO, this says it best!!

Motor Trends writers are a bunch of millenials fueled by Mountain Dew and Dorritos who spend their time driving paddle-shifting sports cars. They can't drive manual transmissions anymore, so they stalled the manual JL repeatedly and blamed the clutch. Now they don't know how to drive a Jeep pickup truck. The trucks they like are more like cars than trucks, too.

I did a video when I first got my JL and joked about this (sort of joked, but there was truth in it) because I never had an issue stalling it and found it to be a very good clutch that felt very good to me. Anyway, David Vinjamuri, a writer for Forbes online, wrote an article about the new JL and interviewed me because he saw that video and thought it was pretty funny. (He knows the writers at Motor Trend.) He showed it to them and said one of them laughed and said, "Yeah, he's right." So even they realize that their perspective is different just by the nature of their job.

Take what they say as entertainment. Sometimes you'll agree with them and sometimes you won't. In this case, as with the Jeep's manual transmission, I think they are smoking weed. The Gladiator tows just fine. But that's not its primary purpose. It is a Jeep first, and towing is a secondary mission that I think it does quite well.

In the meantime, while not taking them too seriously, I'll still be envious of their jobs! I did make a YouTube video mocking them when they were stalling a pre-production JL over and over while off-roading in New Zealand. Part of the problem was they were on terrain that required low range but were running in high. Why? Because they are not experts at off-roading. They are also not experts on towing. They are writers. Only expert at writing. But I still enjoy their work.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I tow a 5200 lb travel trailer using a brake controller and sway bar/weight distribution hitch with zero issues. And I am lifted 4” on 37” tires (running 4.88 gears). This article is ridiculous. I have towed 2-3k miles with this setup and never once had the trailer jump out of the lane or swing in any way. It tows great. Now I have never owned or towed with a half ton or larger truck but i have never found the need.

Yeah, but you are geared well for the tires and the weight you tow - you planned. Some of these writers like said before aren't tech people, they are writers, not even journalists, but opinion writers. That means they have preconceived notions and haven't worked as a mechanic or tech and don't understand the science of towing - and that's what it is. Science and math and geometry.

 

[MojaveAZ2020]

Regarding the article itself...it was in the series for Truck of the Year. I believe they already had a winner (RAM TRX) and used this "towing issue" as a way of weeding the Gladiator out of contention. They have to stack the deck to have a victor in the end, otherwise it would be boring journalism. We live in the age of journalism entertainment vs. rational thinking and truth.

MT is usually kind in it's other reviews of the Gladiator, from what I have read in the past. It's like the like it, but don't want to like it.

 

[steffen707]

Just read this article before checking the forum, it is foolish. The quote about the gladiator not being able to do "truck" things? SMH. Last I checked, it has a BED!

Guy at the DMV in Wisconsin told me, "In Wisconsin, if it has a bed, its a truck!". lol, good enough for me, always wanted one of those El Camino Trucks. =)

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Guy at the DMV in Wisconsin told me, "In Wisconsin, if it has a bed, its a truck!". lol, good enough for me, always wanted one of those El Camino Trucks. =)

Guess what SUVs are in Iowa - I mean Cherokee, Traverse, you name it...... they are station wagons. Yup. We have a 2021 Jeep station wagon (Grand Cherokee)

 

[jurfie]

People like to hate on the SSR, but I think they could have pulled off a cool little panel truck/wagon shaped thing. You have to give manufacturers credit for even attempting wild styling like the SSR, T-bird, and Crossfire and Prowler. Hell, before the runaway success of the JKU, the Wrangler was a lot of engineering resources laid out for a completely unique platform with very modest projected production volume.

The failure of the PT Cruiser, Prowler, SSR and their ilk is, IMHO, the lack of a V8. Imagine any of those vehicles released with a fire-breathing V8 and their cool factor shoots through the roof.

Like the Wrangler.

 

[JTBurns]

Guy at the DMV in Wisconsin told me, "In Wisconsin, if it has a bed, its a truck!". lol, good enough for me, always wanted one of those El Camino Trucks. =)

Haha oh no! Don't bring up the El Camino or Subaru Baja, you'll ruin my argument!!

 

[DanW]

The failure of the PT Cruiser, Prowler, SSR and their ilk is, IMHO, the lack of a V8. Imagine any of those vehicles released with a fire-breathing V8 and their cool factor shoots through the roof.

Like the Wrangler.

SSR had a V8. In fact, that's all it had. And the PT Cruiser was a huge success.

 

[jurfie]

SSR had a V8. In fact, that's all it had. And the PT Cruiser was a huge success.

Did it? Huh. Maybe I'm just thinking of the Prowler. I remember being really excited when it came out, until I found out it only came with a V6 (whawmp-whawmp).

And the PT Cruiser was a huge success until it wasn't. It didn't have legs to stay relevant. It was essentially a cool body on a Neon, if I recall correctly. Had it come with a V8, I bet it would still be desirable and a future classic.

Maybe it was just Chrysler/Plymouth that missed the boat! Could you imagine if the PT Cruiser or Prowler were still in production and FCA stuffed a 392 or Hellcat engine in them?).

 

[ShadowsPapa]

And the PT Cruiser was a huge success until it wasn't. It didn't have legs to stay relevant. It was essentially a cool body on a Neon, if I recall correctly. Had it come with a V8, I bet it would still be desirable and a future classic.

10 years wasn't a success? Think about it - most vehicles change styling well before 10 years. Only a few stay the same that long or longer, cars, usually even less.

 

[jfreeham]

As to the setup of the rig in the article, upon taking a pre-flight walk around the rig I wouldn't have even attempted to drive it. No WDH? No anti-sway bar? Brake controller? Those are needed, not because the JT is an inadequate tow vehicle, but because it's necessary for safe driving. We're they concerned about the lives of other people on the public highway? Apparently not.

Here's our set up. Sport S Max Tow Package. Airstream Bambi 19cb. GVWR is 5,000 lbs. Unit Base Weight (with LP & Batteries) is 3,650 lbs. Hitch weight (with LP & Batteries) is 525 lbs. WDH and anti-sway setup is a Blue Ox.

Tows like a charm - 15.2 MPG average (tailwind, headwind, up-hill, down-hill) with a little over 2,000 miles of towing. I tow at 55 mph. I'm not in a hurry. I'm retired.

Jeep got the Max Tow package right. What they haven't gotten right is the Mopar trailer brake control. They should be embarrassed about that, for sure.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I didn't read the whole thing but if they were towing over a certain weight and no trailer brakes - were they towing legally?

 

[PDiddy]

We take our trailer out every month or two. Usually head up to Tahoe, which is a 6000-7000' climb, depending on where we go. I use a sway controller and WDH. Obviously a brake controller too. The truck has zero issues controlling the trailer. I am sure proper setup is half of the reason why it handles so well. My only issue is it is under powered for the heavy loads. I will be regearing it soon to increase the torque. Other than that, I am perfectly satisfied with the towing our travel trailer with. I get excited when I go pick the trailer up from its storage location.

I should mention I am a slow poke towing. I don't go over 60mph and usually am between 50-55.

 

[jurfie]

10 years wasn't a success? Think about it - most vehicles change styling well before 10 years. Only a few stay the same that long or longer, cars, usually even less.

My point is that perhaps it could have prevailed to today, much like the Mustang, Camaro, F-series, Wranglers, etc. have lasted (much) longer than 10 years. The PT Cruiser was popular for the "cool-factor" retro-styling that eventually became boring (like the new Beetle). After the novelty wore off, it was just a bland platform shared with the Neon.

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