New to Jeep - ready to buy - have questions

[JustJimmy]

Apologies for the long post up front.

I've never owned a Jeep but I understand the enormous following. These are great, fun off-roaders. How are they as a daily driver, city and 2/3 hour highway trips from 65-75 mph? I read something on this forum about typical Jeep wandering. What's that?

I currently own. 2014 F150 FX4 with a 4" lift and 33's. It has all the bells and whistles I could possibly get and I absolutely love this truck. It has 82,000 miles and runs better every day. I use it as I describe above and off roading to our camp almost every weekend. I put around 20,000/year and that will continue.

My issue is not with the quality of my F150, it's more of need. I don't need a large truck anymore. I'm 62 and I find myself parking next to curbs for the extra step to get in it.

My friend just got a Gladiator Overlander and it's absolutely beautiful. I was able to take a real good look and it got me thinking about getting one. I always look at other trucks but once I saw the Gladiator up close, I'm seriously considering a change. Until now, I've been looking closly at the new Ranger but they dropped the ball on a few things that keeps me away. I wouldn't consider myself brand loyal - more like I get what I need. It just happens to have been Ford for my last 4 vehicles. Change is good...right?

I'll admit that I'm spoiled with my F150 with all the options but the Gladiator seems to be pretty close with most of the options.

Gas mileage:
From what I've seen, the mpgs aren't that much better than my Ford but the Gladiators size is better for my current needs. I know it's not an apples to apples comparison but... Ford (after lift and heavy tires) hwy 16, cty 12, comb15ish. From what I've read, Gladiator (stock) hwy 22, cty 16, comb 19. Gladiators are better mpg stock BUT, what if I put a small lift and bigger, heavier tires as well. How bad does it affect mpgs? Again, no experience with Jeep's so I'm looking for advice form some experienced Jeep owners.

Bottom line is...I will most likely be getting a Gladiator in the near future. I always lift my vehicles because of my offroading to our camp but never too extreme. But I also like the looks of a lifted truck. I still have some testosterone left.

A few concerns:
Interior back seat space for coolers for camp - do the seats fold flat?

I drive a lot. Like I mentioned earlier, almost every weekend, 400 mile round trip with 90% 65-75 mph speeds then deep water/mud. Will I like the ride coming from a bigger truck ?

Space requirements - I have a 6 1/2' bed now - not sure of the width but I know the Gladiator is smaller in width. The Gladiator is 5'. I planned on down sizing anyway. Any suggestions as far as bed accessories that can help?

I know I'll have more questions as I look deeper into this amazing truck.

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[JeepDreams]

Interior back seats fold flat. Look awesome removed. There are photos on the forum with the seats removed and a fabulous cooler parked there.

I think you'll like the ride - but that's also a subjective thing. The ride is smooth - and don't forget about taking the Freedom panels (or the whole top) off! That'll make for one hell of a ride!

Lots of racks, drawers, and shells in the works for the Gladiator. Numerous threads on the forum for all of the options.

Seriously - you dream it, you can have it Gladiator Style!

 

[JustJimmy]

Interior back seats fold flat. Look awesome removed. There are photos on the forum with the seats removed and a fabulous cooler parked there.

I think you'll like the ride - but that's also a subjective thing. The ride is smooth - and don't forget about taking the Freedom panels (or the whole top) off! That'll make for one hell of a ride!

Lots of racks, drawers, and shells in the works for the Gladiator. Numerous threads on the forum for all of the options.

Seriously - you dream it, you can have it Gladiator Style!

Are you a salesman? Kidding! You sold me!

Your response was very helpful. I didn't know the seats folded flat or are even removable. I very rarely have passengers so I would probably remove them and look into your suggestions.

I live in South Florida and camp in central Florida. From October to April is usually spectacularly beautiful weather with very little rain so the removable tops is an exciting option. Speaking of the tops, the rest of the year here is brutally hot and rainy. Do you have any experience with the insulation piece for the tops? I will most definitely be looking into that.

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

[sass JT]

My .02¢ ... go drive one, borrow your buddies or go to the dealer and drive one.

-sass

 

[canyonrat]

I went from an F-150 to a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, now preoccupied with a possible Gladiator. I don’t miss parking the F-150, and it didn’t fit in my garage. Gladiator is like a halfway point between my last two vehicles.

My lifted Wrangler is much higher to step into than my old(stock) F-150. I rented a Gladiator for a couple days and found I was re-adopting my old parking tactics, pull past the spot and three-point park, or back in. But the Jeep is shorter, narrower, and just a little bit more manageable in every direction than the F-150.

So my guess is is won’t be lower if you lift it, it will be a little easier to navigate, and will be WAY more fun. Just do it, only live once...

 

[JeepDreams]

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...th-rear-seats-out-ty.20640/page-2#post-316927

 

[TheSolarWizard]

Are you a salesman? Kidding! You sold me!

Your response was very helpful. I didn't know the seats folded flat or are even removable. I very rarely have passengers so I would probably remove them and look into your suggestions.

I live in South Florida and camp in central Florida. From October to April is usually spectacularly beautiful weather with very little rain so the removable tops is an exciting option. Speaking of the tops, the rest of the year here is brutally hot and rainy. Do you have any experience with the insulation piece for the tops? I will most definitely be looking into that.

Thanks for the quick reply.

I’ve owned a couple F150s (last one a 2018) recently but I’ve always been a Jeep guy. I find it compares quite favorably to the new ranger except the turbo engine in the ford has more torque and better responsiveness. You didn’t mention what motor is in your truck but either way the gladiator has a much better transmission than the 6 speed in your current ride. It won’t match the ecoboost power wise but it’s comparable to that era 5.0 motor up until you’re trying to pass above 70. Aerodynamics and less hp both lack there.

I’ve yet to experience the wandering some people are posting about personally. between the three gladiators I’ve been in (2 lifted) they have all gone down the road as good as any solid axle vehicle I’ve ever piloted. They drive like jeeps but don’t hop or dart around like the wranglers. Compared to your truck the steering it won’t feel as responsive but in my opinion there’s less body roll and better braking.

In regards to heat, I had the glass roof in my last truck and It allowed just as much heat in the cab as a hard top Jeep. There are insulation packs available that help with heat and ac but there’s no cure for a fiberglass top. Good quality window tint will also help. The ac in the Jeep is on par with the current ram but the F-150 has always had the best climate control system.

Based on your desired uses, a rubicon without a lift on 35s should suit you well and will go places your truck can’t, both from the smaller size and the superior 4wd system with front and rear lockers. Rubicons with good tires usually only get stuck in that type of environment when the ego or your remaining testosterone start calling the shots. Egress is higher but unlifted on 35s is probably like that of your truck with a 4 inch kit. if you don’t swap in heavier aftermarket wheels or run heavier mud tires, I doubt you’ll notice much difference vs stock. It won’t dip below your trucks mileage.

Jeeps are just as much culture as they are transportation. The accessories are really only limited by imagination or budget.
Also if you don’t like it, sell it in a year. You’ll find that they depreciate slowly so there’s little risk.

 

[SandSurfer]

Apologies for the long post up front.

I've never owned a Jeep but I understand the enormous following. These are great, fun off-roaders. How are they as a daily driver, city and 2/3 hour highway trips from 65-75 mph? I read something on this forum about typical Jeep wandering. What's that?

I currently own. 2014 F150 FX4 with a 4" lift and 33's. It has all the bells and whistles I could possibly get and I absolutely love this truck. It has 82,000 miles and runs better every day. I use it as I describe above and off roading to our camp almost every weekend. I put around 20,000/year and that will continue.

My issue is not with the quality of my F150, it's more of need. I don't need a large truck anymore. I'm 62 and I find myself parking next to curbs for the extra step to get in it.

My friend just got a Gladiator Overlander and it's absolutely beautiful. I was able to take a real good look and it got me thinking about getting one. I always look at other trucks but once I saw the Gladiator up close, I'm seriously considering a change. Until now, I've been looking closly at the new Ranger but they dropped the ball on a few things that keeps me away. I wouldn't consider myself brand loyal - more like I get what I need. It just happens to have been Ford for my last 4 vehicles. Change is good...right?

I'll admit that I'm spoiled with my F150 with all the options but the Gladiator seems to be pretty close with most of the options.

Gas mileage:
From what I've seen, the mpgs aren't that much better than my Ford but the Gladiators size is better for my current needs. I know it's not an apples to apples comparison but... Ford (after lift and heavy tires) hwy 16, cty 12, comb15ish. From what I've read, Gladiator (stock) hwy 22, cty 16, comb 19. Gladiators are better mpg stock BUT, what if I put a small lift and bigger, heavier tires as well. How bad does it affect mpgs? Again, no experience with Jeep's so I'm looking for advice form some experienced Jeep owners.

Bottom line is...I will most likely be getting a Gladiator in the near future. I always lift my vehicles because of my offroading to our camp but never too extreme. But I also like the looks of a lifted truck. I still have some testosterone left.

A few concerns:
Interior back seat space for coolers for camp - do the seats fold flat?

I drive a lot. Like I mentioned earlier, almost every weekend, 400 mile round trip with 90% 65-75 mph speeds then deep water/mud. Will I like the ride coming from a bigger truck ?

Space requirements - I have a 6 1/2' bed now - not sure of the width but I know the Gladiator is smaller in width. The Gladiator is 5'. I planned on down sizing anyway. Any suggestions as far as bed accessories that can help?

I know I'll have more questions as I look deeper into this amazing truck.

As stated above, get a Rubicon for the most "bang for your buck", lift it 2 - 3.5" and throw some 37's on it and never look back! That's my plan if they will every release the Hydro Blue to order! Bring it to Jeep'in with Judd in October, I'll be there.

 

[JustJimmy]

My .02¢ ... go drive one, borrow your buddies or go to the dealer and drive one.

-sass

That's the plan. I wanted to reach out to this group to ask a few questions first and get some advice from experienced Jeep owners and possibly get some tips on what to look for and what features stand out that I don't know about.

 

[smlobx]

As another 62 year old Ford guy I can relate to your comments about the Ranger...they fell short big time.
I also have a F-350 srw with a 2” lift for my camper.

The Gladiator will be my daily driver and I drive a lot more than you (30-35K/yr) so I wanted a smaller truck that was comfortable AND capable. I think the Gladiator is the best option out there.

Get a Rubicon, put the factory 2” Mopar lift on it with 35’s and it will be way more capable than your F-150.

Welcome to the cult!

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