My Gladiator is the most polarizing vehicle I’ve ever owned.

[dr29]

I have one. But.. To me, they’re horrendous out of the box. Jeep should have them all leveled with 35s stock. The tires are undersized, so they don’t look right. Sorry. However I traded in my 2017 Ram 1500 hemi for this gladiator and couldn’t be happier. Sure I would like a V8, but that’s not why you buy a Jeep. Guys comparing to other trucks, what do you do? If you’re hauling you aren’t getting a Jeep. This is a utility vehicle. Fun to drive and pick up shit at Home Depot. Thats it. Enjoy your gladiator. Drive it off-road. Put 35s on it and.. no one will say shit other than that is sick and I want one….

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[Mosin62]

Hi guys remember the concept gladiator was extended cab motertrend 2005 thought that was cool looking lot of changes in 15 yrs lol

 

[dcmdon]

I have one. But.. To me, they’re horrendous out of the box. Jeep should have them all leveled with 35s stock. The tires are undersized, so they don’t look right. Sorry. However I traded in my 2017 Ram 1500 hemi for this gladiator and couldn’t be happier. Sure I would like a V8, but that’s not why you buy a Jeep. Guys comparing to other trucks, what do you do? If you’re hauling you aren’t getting a Jeep. This is a utility vehicle. Fun to drive and pick up shit at Home Depot. Thats it. Enjoy your gladiator. Drive it off-road. Put 35s on it and.. no one will say shit other than that is sick and I want one….

Well said.

The hauling part is interesting. Sure you can put a plow on it or haul stuff. But if that is your primary need, there are far better choices. (You can buy a 8' bed modestly optioned F250 for the price of a Mojave or Rubicon). The beauty is the it isn't too big to go off road and its a convertible with removable doors. Its all about wants while also satisfying needs.

And its a great family fun vehicle.

 

[NC_Overland]

When I first purchased my 2021 Gladiator JTR I received a few compliments while filling up, entering the state park etc. I really haven’t received many recently. I think they are getting more common & less of a novelty. One of the inquiries was from a person who was thinking of purchasing one, how do you like it? Gas mileage Etc, another liked my customizations. A lot of people like the looks of the vehicle but have mixed feelings since it’s a Chrysler product, so it’s polarizing in that regard.

I agree with that. I started this a long time ago and now I get a lot less attention and when I do, it’s always a compliment. I get the most compliments on the color sting gray.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

Let's face it. Gladiators ARE ugly.

No graceful flowing lines. Just a box with taillights what look like a frog's eyes that got stomped.

Pure utility. Their beauty is in the function-over-form. Not eryone can appreciate that.

It's the A-10 Warthog of the automobile industry, and what a machine the A-10 is!

 

[Eaglebob]

I also did not like it at first, but in search of my retirement ride that included a truck, but also relocating to Mesquite Nevada, I saw a used one and wanted to drive one. After test driving the used one, I bought a new High Altitude, the wife liked the leather seats. Since then, I mostly get stares, I like to think of them as, "Dang! I could have got one of those!" I did have one retired deputy tell me it looked bullet proof. What ever any one else thinks, I LIKE IT!

 

[River2016]

I get compliments on the regular myself. I also get a freaking ton of guys asking me on construction sites for work “how I like it?” And when I tell them I like it better than the Tacoma I had for three years you have to pick their jaws up off the floor. It’s pretty funny.

 

[NC_Overland]

I get compliments on the regular myself. I also get a freaking ton of guys asking me on construction sites for work “how I like it?” And when I tell them I like it better than the Tacoma I had for three years you have to pick their jaws up off the floor. It’s pretty funny.

There is an X factor for sure. By every measurable aspect, my 2017 Canyon was a better truck. It towed and hauled better, it was considerably faster and also got better mpg, more comfortable, considerably cheaper even fully loaded, etc but I like my Gladiator better.

 

[marcycharles3]

I stripped mine and towed a float in a local parade this weekend and was amazed at how many times I heard people say “wow that’s one of those Jeep trucks” or “sweet check out that blue Jeep”! And that was even with me between a gorgeous GTO and a very nicely kept old Allis-Chalmers.

 

[Tackett1980]

I've always thought the JT looks awkward with anything smaller than meaty 33"; 35"-37" look the best, proportionally.

I understand the "Wrangler with a bed" mindset of the company, but I've thought the JT would look better if the body was moved forward just a bit. Yes, that impacts approach angles, etc. But it's a visual balance thing.

I did a quick pshop a couple years ago to see how it'd look:

I can tell literally no difference between these two photos.

 

[MPMB]

I can tell literally no difference between these two photos.

It's not my pshop skills, cause this was quick and dirty.

 

[h0ckeyman]

I totally agree about the gladiator being polarizing. I remember the first time I saw one on a commercial, I absolutely loved it. I never in my life even entertained owning a truck so that thought just kind of passed.

This summer I rented a Wrangler in Nantucket and did some beach driving and absolutely fell in love with it. Hard to even explain, I just love how it feels and drives. I knew that day that I would be getting a Jeep and remembered how much I loved the Gladiator. Just pulled the trigger this last weekend.

On the other hand, I have had conversations with many people, some cannot fathom how hideous it looks. I don't personally understand but for sure some people hate it. I think it's because its just very unique and if you can't relate to it or what it represents, you just tend to hate on it.

 

[Tackett1980]

It's not my pshop skills, cause this was quick and dirty.

It wasn’t meant to be a slam of your skills. It’s more I’m too stupid to understand what I’m looking at.

 

[MyRight]

First real Jeep I've owned...still have a 2003 Grand Cherokee Laredo, but nothing compares to these...

My wife noticed right off just how many other Jeeps there are on the road.
She asked me..."Why are all of the other Jeeps waving at us?"

 

[Richard Pierotti]

My JT is the 5th Jeep I have owned and with the others I would get positive comments from time to time but nothing like the reactions the Gladiator gets. I live in San Francisco which as you can probably imagine is not a truck town. However, the first day I bought the truck I was showing it to a neighbor and two different people came up and asked me if they could take pictures of it, I was more than a little surprised. Later that same day, I went to get gas and a guy next to me told me it was one of the ugliest things he had seen, which shocked me even more. He was driving a Prius and my 15 year old son asked him how much fun he had in a Prius. He did not say anything back and left.

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