-miko-
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Mike
- Joined
- May 27, 2019
- Threads
- 13
- Messages
- 376
- Reaction score
- 606
- Location
- North Carolina
- Vehicle(s)
- Volvo Wagon, Tundra, Nissan NV, '21 Gladiator
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- Link
- Occupation
- Product Designer
- Thread starter
- #1
After eyeing the Gladiator since it was first released, all the parts finally fell into place and I know have mine. I had been wrestling with what my next vehicle should be and eventually settled on a Base manual transmission Gladiator because it checked off a lot of my needs and wants:
1) A vehicle to bring a little fun and joy
I've got a large family (6 kids ranging from 17 to 8) and I'm always seeking ways to bring a little joy to the day to day. I have an old Toyota Land Cruiser that I've been trying to make fit this role but it's just not working. It's too rough and trail oriented. The way it's built It's really a glorified tractor (not power steering, no power brakes, super low transmission with a top speed of 50 or so). The Gladiator with the doors and roof off is so much fun and is so livable day to day. Plus ABS and airbags are a bonus.
2) An engaging driving experience
I've always loved manual cars and wanted to have at least one vehicle in our fleet that I could row through the gears on a back country road. The Gladiator is so much lighter and more nimble than any other car we have. Again it's not perfect but it made me smile during the test drive and reminded me why it's so much fun to feather a clutch, drop a gear and pull through a corner. I also want my kids to have the option to learn if they'd like.
3) A decent commuter
It's not the perfect commute but can't be any worse then my full-size pickup with 170,000 miles. And with the work-from-home situation the weighting of this one dropped pretty low. If i can get 18-20 on my occasional highway commute, I'll be happy.
4) Has the potential to haul the family around town.
Ok, so this is one that will take some work, but with the bed it's feasible. I'm considering how to get at least 3 additional seats in the bed so that I can take the family to dinner on a summer night (well, once all this craziness is through). Maybe some Land Rover 110 bench seats in the bed? Or find a second row from a JKU? This is going to be fun to figure out.
5) Unique, even quirky yet functional
I have a thing for oddball vehicles that work well and this one fits right in. I'm not a fan of having what everyone else has so a JLU wasn't quite right. The 'so ugly it's cute' looks and the Swiss army utility of the Gladiator make it just right in my book.
6) Able to get into (and out of) the woods
I don't get to do it often but there's not much that restores me as much as a few nights in the woods. I really wanted a vehicle that could get me to more isolated places - and was still comfortable to drive 3 or 4 hours on the highway to get there.
So given all that, the Gladiator was really the only current vehicle on the market that checked all the boxes. Yes I could spend a bit more on a custom Land Cruiser Troopie or Land Rover but there is something nice about having a warranty and I have a feeling if I want that route the cost would get out of hand pretty quickly. The Gladiator just made sense.
Now onto the bits and bobs I've been collecting to slowly make it my own. More on that later...
1) A vehicle to bring a little fun and joy
I've got a large family (6 kids ranging from 17 to 8) and I'm always seeking ways to bring a little joy to the day to day. I have an old Toyota Land Cruiser that I've been trying to make fit this role but it's just not working. It's too rough and trail oriented. The way it's built It's really a glorified tractor (not power steering, no power brakes, super low transmission with a top speed of 50 or so). The Gladiator with the doors and roof off is so much fun and is so livable day to day. Plus ABS and airbags are a bonus.
2) An engaging driving experience
I've always loved manual cars and wanted to have at least one vehicle in our fleet that I could row through the gears on a back country road. The Gladiator is so much lighter and more nimble than any other car we have. Again it's not perfect but it made me smile during the test drive and reminded me why it's so much fun to feather a clutch, drop a gear and pull through a corner. I also want my kids to have the option to learn if they'd like.
3) A decent commuter
It's not the perfect commute but can't be any worse then my full-size pickup with 170,000 miles. And with the work-from-home situation the weighting of this one dropped pretty low. If i can get 18-20 on my occasional highway commute, I'll be happy.
4) Has the potential to haul the family around town.
Ok, so this is one that will take some work, but with the bed it's feasible. I'm considering how to get at least 3 additional seats in the bed so that I can take the family to dinner on a summer night (well, once all this craziness is through). Maybe some Land Rover 110 bench seats in the bed? Or find a second row from a JKU? This is going to be fun to figure out.
5) Unique, even quirky yet functional
I have a thing for oddball vehicles that work well and this one fits right in. I'm not a fan of having what everyone else has so a JLU wasn't quite right. The 'so ugly it's cute' looks and the Swiss army utility of the Gladiator make it just right in my book.
6) Able to get into (and out of) the woods
I don't get to do it often but there's not much that restores me as much as a few nights in the woods. I really wanted a vehicle that could get me to more isolated places - and was still comfortable to drive 3 or 4 hours on the highway to get there.
So given all that, the Gladiator was really the only current vehicle on the market that checked all the boxes. Yes I could spend a bit more on a custom Land Cruiser Troopie or Land Rover but there is something nice about having a warranty and I have a feeling if I want that route the cost would get out of hand pretty quickly. The Gladiator just made sense.
Now onto the bits and bobs I've been collecting to slowly make it my own. More on that later...
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