Need Help Deciding Which Gladiator

[RaiderNation24]

Hi All,

First post here. I am looking to buy a Gladiator soon and stuck between the 3 that I like within my price range. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

2020 Sport in White
Pros:
- has max tow package
- is $23k

Cons:
- Has 70k miles (not sure if this is alot or bad for jeeps?)
- Not the color I want
- base sport trim(No tech Package and all that)

----

2020 Sport in Gator clear coat
Pros:
-The Color I like
- 50k miles (still under warranty for another 10k miles)
- Super clean carfax (1 owner)

Cons:
- $25k
- No Max tow package
- base sport trim (No tech Package and all that)

----

2020 Sport S in Black
Pros:
- Has Trailer Tow Package
- Has technology Package

Cons:
- 70k miles
- $26k
- No Max Tow Package


Not sure if I will need Max Tow Package, but is 70k miles a lot on a gladiator? Also, the tech package comes with carplay and security alarm which I know can be added after the fact, but the manual windows cant be changed from what I understand.

It really boils down to the miles and is it possible to live daily on the base trim or is the S package essentially worth it?

Trying to make this my last vehicle purchase if I can.

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[Mr._Bill]

Since this may be the last vehicle you purchase, my advice would usually be to order one and get exactly what you want. Since your budget appears to be an issue, I would suggest you determine exactly what you want and widen your search.

 

[SneakyGOAT]

Since this may be the last vehicle you purchase, my advice would usually be to order one and get exactly what you want. Since your budget appears to be an issue, I would suggest you determine exactly what you want and widen your search.

I agree with this statement here. I recently purchased a Mojave a little over a month ago and I was on the fence between 2 different manual models. One was a 23’ with 30k miles but had warm weather package, cloth seats and tow pkg. the other was at 15k miles, no warm weather group, tow pkg and leather interior for 1500 more. It ultimately came down to mileage as well as carfax reports so I could add warranty without issue. And for reference, both models were 5.5+ hours away but I was willing to drive and or ship a car cross country if the math made sense.

So long story short, if it were me personally, id be looking at lower miles and like this guy said Id broaden your search. With that, id call around extensively and negotiate dealers down as well as use their quotes (in writing) to negotiate other dealers. It took me some time but I ended up with a 22 mojave at 15k miles for $39k OTD, an extra 1k on my trade, at a 5.2% interest rate. So do your research and be proactive. If that means taking longer than expected to find a good deal or even deciding the gladi isnt the vehicle for you thats better than over paying for something or realizing you couldve got something better.

With all that said, Id also recommend looking nationwide and starting the above from there.

My 2¢

 

[SneakyGOAT]

Hi All,

First post here. I am looking to buy a Gladiator soon and stuck between the 3 that I like within my price range. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

2020 Sport in White
Pros:
- has max tow package
- is $23k

Cons:
- Has 70k miles (not sure if this is alot or bad for jeeps?)
- Not the color I want
- base sport trim(No tech Package and all that)

----

2020 Sport in Gator clear coat
Pros:
-The Color I like
- 50k miles (still under warranty for another 10k miles)
- Super clean carfax (1 owner)

Cons:
- $25k
- No Max tow package
- base sport trim (No tech Package and all that)

----

2020 Sport S in Black
Pros:
- Has Trailer Tow Package
- Has technology Package

Cons:
- 70k miles
- $26k
- No Max Tow Package


Not sure if I will need Max Tow Package, but is 70k miles a lot on a gladiator? Also, the tech package comes with carplay and security alarm which I know can be added after the fact, but the manual windows cant be changed from what I understand.

It really boils down to the miles and is it possible to live daily on the base trim or is the S package essentially worth it?

Trying to make this my last vehicle purchase if I can.

Further followup to my last comment, I searched up used gladi sports and sport s’s in the colors you were looking for with my search set to 500 miles and I already see multiple at lower miles and comparable prices that can further be negotiated down as well. For example, i see a 20’ sport s with 46k miles (still on the high side but I again didnt search hard and just pulled up true car, autotrader is better imo but use them all) going for 24k. At that price Id be looking to get down 2k on that and or 1k extra on your trade to minimize some tax burden as well. So all in all 22k minus tax title and reg. Another tip is to challenge doc fee or any other “prep” fees or dealer markups that dealers try slapping on. Its bs most of the time and while I more than understand dealers need to make money you arent a charity and this is business. If they arent willing to work with you then oh well, some one else would be more than happy to take your money and make commission/add to their stats for future allocations or positive reviews.

Furthermore. If your budget allows it (please dont overspend on cars and be car poor), id recommend looking to the 28k range and negotiating from there if you can. Around that price there are great vehicles at low mileage to be had.

LASTLY. I promise Ill stop yapping. But lastly, negotiate all this over the phone and ONLY discuss OTD pricing before you talk financing then get it in writing. This not only saves you time but it also provides you leverage to negotiate other dealers as well as preventing unnecessary surprises/fees. If a dealer is unwilling to give you OTD pricing and put it in writing move on and dont waste your time. Anyways. In my case, after OTD was settled and I had financing quotes from my banks (do this before negotiating ideally), I used those to negotiate with dealers and then they competed to beat out eachothers rates bringing me from 6.5-5.2%. They still tried to sell me and guilt me into their warranty packages but i went in with a plan, the papers and rates in writing knowing id look to purchase warranty elsewhere so none of it phased me. Afterall, I agreed to the OTD price, put a deposit down and drove all 5.5 hrs there to finalize the negotiated price not add to it. But if they remotely attempted to pull and sort of BS on me I wouldnt have had any problem with leaving and driving all the way back empty handed.

FINALLY. Dont ever pay asking price. EVERY used car has 15-25% wiggle room on price depending on a variety of factors and how much a dealer values your business.

Best of luck!

 

[SneakyGOAT]

Hi All,

First post here. I am looking to buy a Gladiator soon and stuck between the 3 that I like within my price range. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

2020 Sport in White
Pros:
- has max tow package
- is $23k

Cons:
- Has 70k miles (not sure if this is alot or bad for jeeps?)
- Not the color I want
- base sport trim(No tech Package and all that)

----

2020 Sport in Gator clear coat
Pros:
-The Color I like
- 50k miles (still under warranty for another 10k miles)
- Super clean carfax (1 owner)

Cons:
- $25k
- No Max tow package
- base sport trim (No tech Package and all that)

----

2020 Sport S in Black
Pros:
- Has Trailer Tow Package
- Has technology Package

Cons:
- 70k miles
- $26k
- No Max Tow Package


Not sure if I will need Max Tow Package, but is 70k miles a lot on a gladiator? Also, the tech package comes with carplay and security alarm which I know can be added after the fact, but the manual windows cant be changed from what I understand.

It really boils down to the miles and is it possible to live daily on the base trim or is the S package essentially worth it?

Trying to make this my last vehicle purchase if I can.

Im clearly bored tonight so final thoughts and I hope it helps. But again. If the premise is for this to be your final vehicle purchase then I personally would look to make sure it checks all my boxes for things I need and would spend a little extra for low miles if necessary. As far as power windows thats up to you, i personally wouldnt go without them unless its a classic which these are certainly not. As for carplay, ask yourself if you really care about that enough to spend more on it if you can get an aftermarket head unit for 800-1k that does everything if not more let alone relying on your phone and untilizing a phone mount for the dash. I say this as some one who has carplay but tbh, i dont really give a damn about it personally as my phone does all that on its own and has bluetooth so whats the point? A fancy map in the dash that my phone can also display? Ooooo. Something to consider. Overall though, id pay most attention to the kind of trips, uses and payloads you could anticipate with your vehicle and go from there. The fancy tech can be added later if you desire and thats coming from someone in their 20’s. After that consider your typical mileage per year and how long this vehicle will last in relation to that estimate.

If you couldnt tell I love negotiating car sales. Nonetheless. Thank you for attending my ted talk and I hope this helps.

 

[Camaroboi13]

I chose gator because it’s not black.

 

[Dp7]

Gator is the color you like, it's got the lowest miles... I drove a '19 base sport Wrangler 2dr for the last five years and I got "re-accustomed" to not having all the electronics (or a/c) pretty quickly and never really gave it a second thought... I loved that Wrangler, but I don't drive much since post COVID working from home happened, and it was our 2nd 2dr, so we traded it for a Gladdy for the extra utility.

If you absolutely have to have power locks or windows, they can be added with aftermarket kits, or even buying/salvaging parts and doing some hacking.

The max tow pkg is cool and a good value, but unless you are planning on legally towing 7000lbs, you'll probably never know the difference having it or not.

 

[Gvsukids]

The max tow pkg is cool and a good value, but unless you are planning on legally towing 7000lbs, you'll probably never know the difference having it or not.

The 4.10 gearing will be better for acceleration and larger tires. The wide axles make it easier to disconnect the sway bar links.
You also get to brag the other Gladiator owners about how big your toe is.

 

[RaiderNation24]

Thank you all for your input .

I will try to extend the range on my search, but I will try to see if I Can get a sport s with gator color and will def try to negotiate. Worst case scenario, Ill have the above gator color jeep as backup because low miles. And like another user mentioned, I can add the power locks and apply car play if needed later

 

[RaiderNation24]

Im clearly bored tonight so final thoughts and I hope it helps. But again. If the premise is for this to be your final vehicle purchase then I personally would look to make sure it checks all my boxes for things I need and would spend a little extra for low miles if necessary. As far as power windows thats up to you, i personally wouldnt go without them unless its a classic which these are certainly not. As for carplay, ask yourself if you really care about that enough to spend more on it if you can get an aftermarket head unit for 800-1k that does everything if not more let alone relying on your phone and untilizing a phone mount for the dash. I say this as some one who has carplay but tbh, i dont really give a damn about it personally as my phone does all that on its own and has bluetooth so whats the point? A fancy map in the dash that my phone can also display? Ooooo. Something to consider. Overall though, id pay most attention to the kind of trips, uses and payloads you could anticipate with your vehicle and go from there. The fancy tech can be added later if you desire and thats coming from someone in their 20’s. After that consider your typical mileage per year and how long this vehicle will last in relation to that estimate.

If you couldnt tell I love negotiating car sales. Nonetheless. Thank you for attending my ted talk and I hope this helps.

Thank you for all that information, I have gotten screwed by dealerships before and Im the type of person that would pay the dealer price to just get the car home and not wait or go through that haggling BS.

I will definitely try to not rush this process this time around and take what you said into account.

 

[Gvsukids]

Thank you for all that information, I have gotten screwed by dealerships before and Im the type of person that would pay the dealer price to just get the car home and not wait or go through that haggling BS.

I will definitely try to not rush this process this time around and take what you said into account.

Take someone else with you and step out of the room before you sign on the dotted line.

 

[Falcor]

As far as manual doors and windows, A1 Electric does have a power lock kit and is working on a power window kit for the JL/JT's.

 

[RaiderNation24]

As far as manual doors and windows, A1 Electric does have a power lock kit and is working on a power window kit for the JL/JT's.

I read up on that,

Last I checked, the update for the power windows was last year. I wonder if they are still working on that?

 

[MeiMei]

I was in a similar situation when shoping for a Wrangler JKU. I ended up with a base sport. Well, I had shoulder issues and I was also in the military, so the lack of power windows at from gates (some guards were on the right side). Made it a huge pain. I ended up spending 2k and hours of work adding power locks and windows. They also cheaped out on everything possibly imaginable on the base sport like lack of ports, hood lining and other stuff you don’t think about. Apple car play is a game changer. Get the best you can afford. You won’t regret it. I have a rubicon gladiator now, but I probably would still have the Wrangler if I would have gotten a better trim.

 

[RaiderNation24]

I was in a similar situation when shoping for a Wrangler JKU. I ended up with a base sport. Well, I had shoulder issues and I was also in the military, so the lack of power windows at from gates (some guards were on the right side). Made it a huge pain. I ended up spending 2k and hours of work adding power locks and windows. They also cheaped out on everything possibly imaginable on the base sport like lack of ports, hood lining and other stuff you don’t think about. Apple car play is a game changer. Get the best you can afford. You won’t regret it. I have a rubicon gladiator now, but I probably would still have the Wrangler if I would have gotten a better trim.

Thanks,

I didnt even think about opening the window on the other side if I was by myself in the car....

that does sound like a pain. The only downside is that the sport S trim is 20k higher milage. so I dont know if 70k miles is a lot or worth to get when I can get a base sport with 50k miles and a color I like for $1k less

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