Owners thoughts please

[drdfblackm]

Ok....I am seriously about to buy a Gladiator and I have owned diesels (not an ED) and I have owned pentastars (not with 8 speed trans). I had a 2011 Powerwagon for years, and it served me well. But a bit of overkill for what I need for a truck. Sold that. I want to get back to a Jeep but want the small bed for hauling a few things and I have a utility trailer if needed for more. The Gladiator will be for fun and winter commuting mostly. Certainly not a daily driver.

Question is....did you only want an ED or did you consider both. What made you go for the ED, and have you regretted your decision? Would you buy one right this moment or wait for the fix? There is one relatively close to me that is a '22 with 22k miles. No not at a Jeep dealer. Might be able to get a bit of a deal for it. Otherwise as everyone knows there are little to none to buy right now. Is it worth waiting for or would you just go for the gas engine. What are the true drawbacks of the ED....other than cost of fuel and the def?

I would like to run 35s and do a 2.5 Rockkrawler or MetalCloak lift which is what I have used in the past for other wranglers.

Just trying to see true pros and cons from you the owners.

Thank you.

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[Gren71]

Not an diesel owner, but I wanted one BAD.

The reason I didn't go for it are..

- the fuel pump problems (CP4 i think it is?)
- the lack of perceived support for the vehicle which makes me questions long term availability of components and knowledgeable techs
- the upfront additional cost
- the long term additional cost of def and such
- the DECREASE in towing and cargo capacity
- questionable longevity of the engine (my perception of the newer diesel engines is that they are over complicated and not as reliable as past diesels)
-im leery of ANY vehicle produced during the major supply chain issues in 21/22. I believe corners were cut with their production and its lead to an increase in problems with those years.

Having started with the JT I still own, a 3.6 max tow, I wanted more power and torque from the engine...but also wanted to still be able to tow and haul within the limits of the vehicle. Had the trucks gained more popularity and not had all of the fuel pump issues I may have really considered it more.

Not sure what you wat to do with your JT. But for me it was a daily driver and towing with the family and dogs. I tow my 6,000lbs trailer often with my wife, two kids, and two dogs. The 3.6 does fine as far as im concerned with regards to power and torque. I get the same MPG as friends with larger engines in their full size trucks and go all the same places. I am on the east coast which is largley flat, but I do travel north through PA and NY a lot and the 3.6 does fine with the highway grades through the mountains there. And im at 96,000 miles and had no engine or other drivetrain issues.

 

[Jefe1018]

Okay… so I’ll try to break this down into a few sections to make it make sense.

What made me go with the eco diesel?

Torque. In stock form, in modded form, torque. I drove all configs: manual with 3.6, auto 3.6 and eco diesel. I couldn’t stand the abismal gearing in the manual, the auto 3.6 was tolerable and actually ran quite nice stock but the diesel had power for days.

However, remember the Jeep Gladiator is not the ultimate truck. It really isn’t the ultimate Jeep either. It’s is a Swiss Army knife of off roaders and trucks, so there are compromises. Getting the ecodiesel is also a compromise. Let’s talk about things we can control first:

Heat. Diesel engines produce heat, they just do. They run hot. In order to keep the classic aesthetic, they kind of did what they could for a brick on wheels. If you plan to tow often, tow interstates, tow heavier loads for the platform or even just mod heavily, know that you shouldn’t expect to hold 90mph on steep grades on 114 degree days. It’ll still do it, but maybe 55-60mph will be more appropriate as oil temperatures will climb and the PCM will potentially throw the truck into limp mode to preserve itself.

What you can’t control:

CP4 issue is not limited to the ecodiesel platform. It is really all OEM’s that use the pump. From what I understand the failure rate is about 1%, of course when a forum member here says “welp mine went”, it tends to paint an image of doom. Will there be a fix? Apparently Jeep and Stellantis seems to think so. What that is and how effective it is seems to be left up for debate and to be seen.

Do I regret my decision?

Nope, with the details I had at the moment, it was the best choice for me. I’ve had over 22,000 trouble free miles now. I do use EDT every fill up, I am on my third fuel filter in that many miles, but I have torque for days. I did not regear for 37’s and it still goes amazing.

Would I buy a used unit with 22,000 miles on it without a warranty and/or a true recall fix being applied… probably not.

 

[Sandevino]

I’ve had three Gladiators - two gas and one diesel.

The gas engine just goes and doesn’t complain. It’s not trying to be something it’s not and gets the job done. Fuel mileage is in the mid to upper teens on average in my experience. Aftermarket support is crazy and nearly every JK / JL part fits cab forward.

The diesel has gobs of torque but has the limitations of diesel. Low horsepower (260) means it doesn’t accelerate fast and gets where it’s going in time. The diesel produces heat, runs hot (relatively) and is more expensive up front and over time. Aftermarket support is relatively non-existent. The fuel pump is a wild card and FCA has stopped selling the engine. Unless you intend to run 40’s and want dude-truck-bro cred, it may not be right for you.

Let’s talk weight. The diesel is 400 pounds heavier than the 3.6 so it’s amazingly nose heavy. This is fine on flat ground but can be a liability when off-road as your weight shifts quick.

Diesel costs about the same as gasoline near me but I’ll buy approximately 2,000 gallons of gasoline with the $6,000 I’m saving up front with the gas engine.

Long story short, I’m loving the gas engine but appreciate the niche the diesel fills.

 

[Oilburner]

I have had both engines, found the 3.6l underwhelming.
The diesel gives me many smiles per mile.

 

[Motopilot0311]

My 2 cents...

Ive driven all the available Jeep powerplants and the ED is the best power for the Gladiator. On demand torque that seemingly goes on for days. Diesel rattle and all the fun.

Does it have quirks? Of course, all vehicles have their idiosyncrasies but I don't think the ED ones outweigh the pros of the platform. The CP4.2 problems are a very small cross section of the ED fleet and they are highlighted by enthusiasts like us who crave data. Its just the nature of the beast to hear all the bad and ugly while the completely satisfied ED pilots remain quiet. There will be a fix, be it from FCA or aftermarket, either way the very small likelihood of my HPFP grenading doesn't concern me all that much.

DEF is gonna be a part of every diesel since about 2012 (sans deleted ones of course) and its not any more hassle that filling up at the pump.

Maintenance is a touch more expensive but I chalk that up to the price I pay for a unique power plant and gobs of Tq. Parts availability will be fine. OEMs are required by law to maintain parts availability for the fleet for years to come, and FCA cant and wouldn't hang thousands of ED drivers out to dry, it would be a PR apocalypse crossing multiple brands.

I bought mine used, with a few yrs left on warranty, and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Its certainly not my deleted 6.7 Cummins with aftermarket BW turbo, ex manifold, intake horn, etc that would pull a house off the foundation, but if it meets your mission, it will be more than adequate and youll have more smiles per mile than a gasser for sure.

 

[drdfblackm]

This is why I like jeep people....granted differing opinions...but this is what I need...knowledge from poeple that know.

Please....keep the comments coming....more knowledge will not hurt me.

I have had 7 wranglers in the past...but have not had modern JL or JT with 8 speed transmissions.

Yes I live at 7000' and travel up and down the hill. No I do not trailer anything heavy.....I have a 5x10 utility trailer that I might haul motorcycles with or stuff to the dump.

The biggest draw of the ED is the relative preceived loss of power by going with lift and bigger tires. But I am only planning on doing 2.5" lift with 35s which the JK did fine with 3.73 gearing.

Thank you for all the input and appreciate any additional comments.

 

[NCJL]

We currently have a 3.6 JLUR and 3.0 JTRD, both daily drivers. Traded a 3.0 wrangler for the 3.0 Gladiator. No mechanical issues with any. About 50k miles between the 3.0’s and 33k on the 3.6.
Have had heat/derate related issues with 3.0 JTRD. Cured with adding an oil cooler.
Pending recall on the 3.0.

If I was in the market to buy another it would be a 3.0. Would not even consider the 3.6.

 

[BigG]

I’ve got 26,000 miles on mine. Regeared to 4.56 for towing but it didn’t really care about the 38’s otherwise. I have been using EDT for almost a year. It will be deleted as soon as the warranty is up and the pump is fixed, maybe sooner. If I were to buy a used one with no warranty I would install the cpx pump and delete it.

 

[Rusty PW]

I've got 27,700 miles on my '22 JTRD. Done 3 cross country trips with it. Been over Wolf Creek Pass, Vail Pass, and Eisenhower Pass on 100+ degree days with no issues. It gets fuel additive on every fill up. Have a Frankenstein 4" lift with 37" tires with no regearing. The 3.0 doesn't care. I've done a couple of black trails with it. Fuel mileage took a hit with the 37's. Around town went from 22~23 to 18~19. Highway from 28~29 to 22~23 mpg. You have to use something like a Tazer to reset your tire size. Had one recall for the tailgate latch. Plus the one for the fuel pump hanging. What wasn't mentioned yet is that it bottoms out in the front pretty easy. Put a 2" lift on it and then you don't have to worry about that. Knocking on wood. Mine has been issue free. The only real problem was the oem soft tonneau cover was replaced under warranty. The reason why I got the diesel. I test drove a Mojave. The engine felt ok. The ride was great tho. Then I drove a JLUD with the diesel and went WOW. So I ordered mine. I'm loving it so far.

 

[Jefe1018]

The biggest draw of the ED is the relative preceived loss of power by going with lift and bigger tires. But I am only planning on doing 2.5" lift with 35s which the JK did fine with 3.73 gearing.

Some people will say you should re-gear but I’ve had 37’s since I picked mine up. It doesn’t care. Matter a fact I feel that the gears are still too tall with 3.73’s, 37’s and 4Lo.

 

[RudeJeepin]

We have a 21 JLURD and 22 JTRD, both daily drivers, both have done several thousand mile trips. So I guess you could say I'm not that worried about the CP4 going out. I use EDT and almost always buy my fuel from good stations.
Some say that a good additive will help and others say it's excess water in the fuel that cause the pump to fail.
There are aftermarket pumps that are supposed to fix the issue. There are also bypass kits that won't stop the CP4 from going, but are designed to stop it from taking anything down stream out with it.

Now as to why the diesel vs the gasser...
For me it mostly comes down to tank range. Both of our EcoDiesels will do well over 400 miles between fill ups when we go on long trips. And we can easily pass other cars going over the grapevine. Last July we road tripped from Washington state to Disneyland, I filled up in Mettler and rolled into Anaheim. This was from when I pulled into the hotel.

I think the picture speaks for itself, and I wasn't slowing for the hill. We kept up with or was passing traffic the whole way there. We ran HWY 101 down to San Jose then crossed over to I-5 for awhile then cut off to Colonel Allensworth State Park, ran HWY 99 from there to Mettler and got back on I-5.
Yes the power and feel of the diesel definitely helps, but the distance between fill ups is also important to us.

That and when I hook up to our cargo trailer with the RZR in it, I almost don't even notice the extra weight, 4500 pounds or so, back there.

So far no overheating issues with either. But I've been driving diesel pickups for 20 plus years, not too mention the bigger stuff. So I think I know how to manage the heat of pulling on long hills and such.

Oh ya, it was the diesel or nothing for us. My mom has the 3.6 in her Wrangler and I'm not impressed, maybe it's that I had a 2015 Cummins or the 2020 Duramax, but her Jeep always feels anemic to me. No way I was dailying that, or taking it on long trips. We initially traded our 2020 Duramax for the 21 JLURD as my daily and our weekend go everywhere rig. Wife liked it so much she wanted it for her daily. So I traded her car for the 22JTRD for my daily. Now we take turns using the Wrangler or Gladiator on our weekend outings depending on which fits the trip better.

 

[Koolcarguy]

Ok....I am seriously about to buy a Gladiator and I have owned diesels (not an ED) and I have owned pentastars (not with 8 speed trans). I had a 2011 Powerwagon for years, and it served me well. But a bit of overkill for what I need for a truck. Sold that. I want to get back to a Jeep but want the small bed for hauling a few things and I have a utility trailer if needed for more. The Gladiator will be for fun and winter commuting mostly. Certainly not a daily driver.

Question is....did you only want an ED or did you consider both. What made you go for the ED, and have you regretted your decision? Would you buy one right this moment or wait for the fix? There is one relatively close to me that is a '22 with 22k miles. No not at a Jeep dealer. Might be able to get a bit of a deal for it. Otherwise as everyone knows there are little to none to buy right now. Is it worth waiting for or would you just go for the gas engine. What are the true drawbacks of the ED....other than cost of fuel and the def?

I would like to run 35s and do a 2.5 Rockkrawler or MetalCloak lift which is what I have used in the past for other wranglers.

Just trying to see true pros and cons from you the owners.

Thank you.

Ok so here goes my 2 cents. I have owned over 20 wranglers/Gladiators new personally and probaly 50 used (I'm a used car dealer) I own 6 right now I love Jeeps there my preffed mode of transportation with that said I have an extensive personal car collection, from big Ram Dually, Challenger's , Viper and classics. But my Ecodiesel Jt's are my favorite I have 2 and if I have my way would never buy another without the ecodiesel. By far leaps and bounds better then the gas models so let's break it down 1) gas mileage on a 3.6 and I have a 19 Jlur 15 maybe 16 on a good day with a tail wind stock eco 25 with 37's my wife gets 30+ in her 22 Jlur diesel so figure the cost you get twice as many miles for nearly the same cost? Def cost I get at a local truck stop cost my under $15 to fillup def about every 3 to 4 tanks of fuel oil change more but last longer
2) power hands down my eco will run circles around my 3.6 get in a stock 3.6 try to pass a semi on the interstate at 75 mph......now my eco on 37's will pass that same semi like it was parked no comparison
3) reliability with my 3 eco's and my sons eco Jtr over 120k miles zero issues theres some options from aftermarkets for emissions and fuel pump options coming out.
4) towing they tow well and yes they are rated for less but its because they haven't figured out how to keep them cool (theres some options coming for this issue to aftermarket) there is guys that use tuners and have gotten these to shift down in gears and they run cooler
5) longevity diesel have also ran longer and gotten more miles theres a guy in Washington state that has a 21 with 330k miles only issue he's had is a battery issue.
So with that all said things I would suggest drive both but absolutely buy the eco don't drive it like a little old lady drive it like you stole it keep clean fuel, clean air and clean oil let it warm up before you drive it and let it cool down before you shut it down. Remember theres always good and bad in engines bit I think if you look at most ecodiesel failures you'll see a reason bad fuel, no warm up time driving it 10 minutes at a time 1.6% failure rate honestly thats pretty rate go get a deal and buy that 22!! HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

 

[Belcher24256]

Ok....I am seriously about to buy a Gladiator and I have owned diesels (not an ED) and I have owned pentastars (not with 8 speed trans). I had a 2011 Powerwagon for years, and it served me well. But a bit of overkill for what I need for a truck. Sold that. I want to get back to a Jeep but want the small bed for hauling a few things and I have a utility trailer if needed for more. The Gladiator will be for fun and winter commuting mostly. Certainly not a daily driver.

Question is....did you only want an ED or did you consider both. What made you go for the ED, and have you regretted your decision? Would you buy one right this moment or wait for the fix? There is one relatively close to me that is a '22 with 22k miles. No not at a Jeep dealer. Might be able to get a bit of a deal for it. Otherwise as everyone knows there are little to none to buy right now. Is it worth waiting for or would you just go for the gas engine. What are the true drawbacks of the ED....other than cost of fuel and the def?

I would like to run 35s and do a 2.5 Rockkrawler or MetalCloak lift which is what I have used in the past for other wranglers.

Just trying to see true pros and cons from you the owners.

Thank you.

I own a 22 ED Gladiator and I did consider the 3.6 initially. I looked at these trucks, watched videos and read all I could about them for 4-5 months before finding what I wanted and bought it. There were a few serious considerations with the area I live the Appalachian Mountains and how each would operate in this area while towing a rather heavy boat. How would each unit do on fuel mileage and what would the longevity be for each. One of the videos that turned me off towing in the mountains with a 3.6 is on YouTube. A gentleman who loves his Rubicon Gas truck has some videos done really well and lengthy, showing him towing his camper in the mountains in the Midwest. He purchased the 3.6 as it has a heavier towing capacity or let’s say rating. The thing that bothered me was how much that engine spent wound up above 4000 rpm’s. That was a convincing thing for me as no engine is going to stand that for years and I know this because I’ve lived in steep mountainous terrain my entire life. If I lived in a flat area near the coast it would not have been nearly as much of a consideration as it is here. This is an area where torque or power is a key attribute for a vehicle’s engine. It tows a 3500 lb boat up 11% grade staying under 2000 rpm and every 5.3 Chevy I owned would be at 4000 plus on the same hills at the same speed. The fuel mileage has been good from the day I purchased new and seems to get better as a few miles are added. I will average 24-25 here and that is phenomenal for something that weighs as much as the Gladiators does in this area. The diesel has worked out great for me with the utility of the vehicle versus my needs in a truck. I would likely have purchased the gas engine if it was not for where I live coupled with towing. I have several friends here and most have re-geared their gas JT’s after adding a lift and bigger tires then they get around 12mpg and definitely are not towing with them. They are happy with their version and I am happy with mine. It comes down to individual needs and what you plan to do with the truck. Consider this though, there is a 2016 Camaro SS we purchased new under our carport. It has 455 HP and 495 lbs of torque. The eco diesel is almost spot on with torque compared to the 6.2 LT1. Now obviously it doesn’t run like the car because HP is how fast we apply torque and the eco diesel only has 260 ponies but it will still let you feel the push back in the seat especially on hills if that is something you like. Overall it suits our needs and you can have a lot of fun with it as well, it’s still a Jeep. Hopefully you consider your needs versus your area and choose what is the best fit for you. I will say you are going to love the truck either platform you choose.

 

[redriderjf87]

Also depends on what weight you place on reliability and serviceability, and being reliant on a dealer.
There's a lot of complexity happening behind the scenes for all of the emissions stuff on the diesels, that you would need the dealer if there's an issue.
And then the fuel pump failures.

If you're used other modern diesels, then probably not a huge deal. The diesel power and sound would be a hoot though (especially if it could've been paired to a manual).

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