Test Drove a Gladiator today, five easy questions for you current owners.

[the hiking viking]

Greetings! Dan here in west Michigan (Grand Rapids). New to the forum.

I have a 2011 JKU that I bought new 12 years ago but she cannot tow our 5k #, 24' Camper. Had a 2018 F-150 for that job and this past December, sold it to Carvana for stoopid money, which benefited me.

So I'm looking at used Gladiators for our tow rig and daily driver. Looking Online since December and tracking prices overall, finally going down. Time to buy is soon it appears.

Went out today and test drove my first one... this one here --->
https://www.graffcdjr.com/used-inventory/index.htm?compositeType=used&make=Jeep&model=Gladiator

A 2020 Gladiator Rubicon with 68k, tow package, and cold weather package. I'm mid 50s and live in the Midwest, I like heated seats and steering wheels now. Ha. Don't judge me. I've been Jeeping since high school in the late 80s. Ran my CJs with just an umbrella top for most of the year. Not anymore. This Rubi is from California, came cross country to Michigan, odd. One owner, clean Carfax. Undercarriage looked great, no scrapes dents bends etc. This Rubi may have actually been on the Rubicon out in California. Body in fine shape. front end had zero chips anywhere. Interior is a bit dusty in the places most people don't look, or Dealer Detailers apparently. Engine compartment has been detailed but again, not where your eyes can't see, I wiped plenty of thick dust from under and behind components. Salesman got me a wet paper towel. Ha. Has a drop in bed liner which I do not like and would remove and put some spray bed liner in there. Overall it looks good for a three year old Jeep.

My Five easy questions...
1. That Pentastar 3.6 V6 has amazing power compared to my 2011 JKU's weak 3.8 V6. During the test drive, solo, I noticed when I got on the pedal to get on highway speeds it did great. But... once I hit the speed I wanted to be at (70) and let off the pedal, the RPMs stayed high for a few seconds then stepped down slowly. ?? Is that typical for this Pentastar motor? Tranny issue maybe?

2. The door hinges on the front two doors had a 'hitch' in them. Believe it came from that small metal bar. When you opened or closed the door, there was noticeable resistance at the 1/2 way closed point and a small noise was made. That common? Or likely these just needed lubricated?

3. Drop in bed liners, were those Factory in 2020? The bed below it is factory paint. If I choose to purchase this Rubicon, going to have them remove that liner so I can see the bed before giving them $$$.

4. Factory Tow Package. This Rubicon had this installed with the 240 amp alternator, the trailer plug, and the extra engine cooler. But it DID NOT have a Class IV Hitch installed. ? Factory Tow Package without a Hitch. I could see the mounting points under & behind the bumper and that area was clean, no sign of use or installation of a hitch what so ever. That should have been part of the package correct? Salesman didn't have an answer for that.

5. Passenger side dash, above the, "Oh Shoot!" bar (which showed the most wear and tear in the interior), there is a crease or dent in the panel there. Believe that is the airbag location. Look at the pic I attached, right above the yellow line I drew. Is that a 'defect' with that panel or airbag? Something happening on Gladiators there? Or likely just something was sitting on the passenger seat and fell forward and smacked it.

Appreciate any and all feedback of my five questions and any and all advice on purchasing a Gladiator. I'm looking at 2020 or newer, not looking at the 2019 initial model year.

Thanks! Off to do more research on this forum and see what you folks have posted.

Dan

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[DailyMoparGuy]

I can’t answer all of your questions but I can help you with #1 since I’ve had 3 vehicles with the 8speed transmission - Ram 1500 5.7L, Dodge Charger 5.7L, and my current JT 3.6L. They ALL experienced the high RPM characteristic you described. The Ram did it the worst and the Charger did it the least bit.

I think it’s normal for the transmission. Seems like it wants to hover in the power band a little longer in case you wanna get back on the gas hard (just a guess).

#2 doesn’t sound normal. The dealer should fix it in my opinion.

#3 - No comment

#4 is odd. Sounds like maybe the previous owner took the hitch off for more clearance. I could be wrong on this but someone else will chime in

#5 - I’ve never seen that defect/damage. I’d ask the dealer to fix it or adjust the price for wear and tear.

Overall, $38k seems a bit high for a 2020 Rubi with 67k miles and noticiable wear. However, you will know the going prices in your area better than me haha.

 

[bleda2002]

1. Sounds normal, if you are heavy on the gas the tranny likes to predict you may need to get on the gas again.

2. Sounds mildly normal, could possibly use some lube but unlike the jk these have the bars that hold the door open, should feel like a regular cars doors.

4. Check the build sheet, if it really came with the tow package it should have the hitch.

5. That's definitely wear the air bag comes out, no idea what happened there but it's possible it just got hit in the weak spot since it's indented.

Check the build date, there were no 2019s, only 2020s. My 2021 is an august 2020 date so the line switched over fairly early in 2020.

 

[GladLad]

I thought I remembered drop in bed liners in builds I did on the Jeep site years ago, but can't find any truth to that.

However, if $38k is high for the mileage as DailyMoparGuy suggests (I really don't know), there is a 2020 for $46k with 16.5k miles at Rochester Hills Chrysler Jeep Dodge. I only know as I was trying to find a local dealer with some stock the other day.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

1. Sounds normal, if you are heavy on the gas the tranny likes to predict you may need to get on the gas again.

2. Sounds mildly normal, could possibly use some lube but unlike the jk these have the bars that hold the door open, should feel like a regular cars doors.

4. Check the build sheet, if it really came with the tow package it should have the hitch.

5. That's definitely wear the air bag comes out, no idea what happened there but it's possible it just got hit in the weak spot since it's indented.

Check the build date, there were no 2019s, only 2020s. My 2021 is an august 2020 date so the line switched over fairly early in 2020.

What he said - plus -
All gladiators, even with NO tow package, have the wiring back there. So you can't just by that.
Only the VIN will tell you for sure because some of the other stuff may come with other packages.

I know of no factory drop-in bed liner but that doesn't mean "impossible".

These tow nicely.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Overall, $38k seems a bit high for a 2020 Rubi with 67k miles and noticiable wear. However, you will know the going prices in your area better than me haha.

You may be amazed. We got top dollar for our 2021 Grand Cherokee, I got way over 38 for my 2020 Overland last July, my son got great money on his Compass in a trade.
The prices of new Jeeps is crazy and likely holding used prices up on Jeeps.
A new well-equipped Overland JT is way over 60, imagine what a Rubicon would sticker for.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

You may be amazed. We got top dollar for our 2021 Grand Cherokee, I got way over 38 for my 2020 Overland last July, my son got great money on his Compass in a trade.
The prices of new Jeeps is crazy and likely holding used prices up on Jeeps.
A new well-equipped Overland JT is way over 60, imagine what a Rubicon would sticker for.

That’s a good point. I forgot that you can option these things to price out well above $70k.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

That’s a good point. I forgot that you can option these things to price out well above $70k.

It's crazy - when looking for a "purple Jeep" for my wife - found a JLU Rubicon stickered at 80K
Holy #@%$@$!!!
It wasn't even a V8.

 

[Wageslave]

I would point out that this Jeep probably has a California emissions package instead of the Federal emissions package that every other state has.

Might not be an issue but something to keep in mind if you ever have to go the parts store, as it can matter on getting the right parts.

 

[SteveInOrlando]

3. Drop in bed liners are aftermarket. I takes me 5 minutes at most to remove and install mine, the dealer should have no problem pulling the 2 tie down points and lifting it up so you can see under it.

The slow idle drop is a thing with this engine. It is much more prevalent when you supercharge it.

 

[Jteakus]

Truth about the hitch. Ordered mine without the package but got the plug(s). I may be wrong but I think it has to do with the rear rock skids for the bed.

 

[RJinPV]

Here is a link to see the Window Sticker of your prospective Gladiator.

https://researchmaniacs.com/VIN-Number-Lookup/WindowSticker/Jeep.html

If it is missing a trailer hitch then I doubt is has the Tow Package. Checking the window sticker can tell you what it was really delivered with.

1. I concur this is normal.
2. The doors should swing freely. I would look for damage, or maybe it really does need lube
3. It's a good idea to have them remove the bed liner. I doubt there were factory installed drop in liners and it might be hiding damage.
4. See link above.
5. You can order new dash panels if you want to replace the damaged one. Look up on a Mopar website to find the price (~$500 if I remember correctly?). This could give you an idea on what kind of price reduction might be warranted.

Good luck!

 

[rockymountainhigh]

#2: one of my fave features, out of the many, that my JK didn't have. Yes, ask dealer or use some silicone grease and see if that clears it up. You could prob even do this on your next lot visit or another test drive, before purchase

 

[Gatorized]

Looks like no tow package and from a rental fleet.
https://www.jeep.com/webselfservice/BuildSheetServlet?vin=1C6JJTBG3LL184602

 

[CJ5w4wdSmokyOnMyTail]

Greetings! Dan here in west Michigan (Grand Rapids). New to the forum.

I have a 2011 JKU that I bought new 12 years ago but she cannot tow our 5k #, 24' Camper. Had a 2018 F-150 for that job and this past December, sold it to Carvana for stoopid money, which benefited me.

So I'm looking at used Gladiators for our tow rig and daily driver. Looking Online since December and tracking prices overall, finally going down. Time to buy is soon it appears.

Went out today and test drove my first one... this one here --->
https://www.graffcdjr.com/used-inventory/index.htm?compositeType=used&make=Jeep&model=Gladiator

A 2020 Gladiator Rubicon with 68k, tow package, and cold weather package. I'm mid 50s and live in the Midwest, I like heated seats and steering wheels now. Ha. Don't judge me. I've been Jeeping since high school in the late 80s. Ran my CJs with just an umbrella top for most of the year. Not anymore. This Rubi is from California, came cross country to Michigan, odd. One owner, clean Carfax. Undercarriage looked great, no scrapes dents bends etc. This Rubi may have actually been on the Rubicon out in California. Body in fine shape. front end had zero chips anywhere. Interior is a bit dusty in the places most people don't look, or Dealer Detailers apparently. Engine compartment has been detailed but again, not where your eyes can't see, I wiped plenty of thick dust from under and behind components. Salesman got me a wet paper towel. Ha. Has a drop in bed liner which I do not like and would remove and put some spray bed liner in there. Overall it looks good for a three year old Jeep.

My Five easy questions...
1. That Pentastar 3.6 V6 has amazing power compared to my 2011 JKU's weak 3.8 V6. During the test drive, solo, I noticed when I got on the pedal to get on highway speeds it did great. But... once I hit the speed I wanted to be at (70) and let off the pedal, the RPMs stayed high for a few seconds then stepped down slowly. ?? Is that typical for this Pentastar motor? Tranny issue maybe?

2. The door hinges on the front two doors had a 'hitch' in them. Believe it came from that small metal bar. When you opened or closed the door, there was noticeable resistance at the 1/2 way closed point and a small noise was made. That common? Or likely these just needed lubricated?

3. Drop in bed liners, were those Factory in 2020? The bed below it is factory paint. If I choose to purchase this Rubicon, going to have them remove that liner so I can see the bed before giving them $$$.

4. Factory Tow Package. This Rubicon had this installed with the 240 amp alternator, the trailer plug, and the extra engine cooler. But it DID NOT have a Class IV Hitch installed. ? Factory Tow Package without a Hitch. I could see the mounting points under & behind the bumper and that area was clean, no sign of use or installation of a hitch what so ever. That should have been part of the package correct? Salesman didn't have an answer for that.

5. Passenger side dash, above the, "Oh Shoot!" bar (which showed the most wear and tear in the interior), there is a crease or dent in the panel there. Believe that is the airbag location. Look at the pic I attached, right above the yellow line I drew. Is that a 'defect' with that panel or airbag? Something happening on Gladiators there? Or likely just something was sitting on the passenger seat and fell forward and smacked it.

Appreciate any and all feedback of my five questions and any and all advice on purchasing a Gladiator. I'm looking at 2020 or newer, not looking at the 2019 initial model year.

Thanks! Off to do more research on this forum and see what you folks have posted.

Dan

#3: No, not factory.
Hello, fellow Michigander! I have a 2021 Mojave. Have had no problems. Took it on a 14-state road trip towing a small, overland trailer last summer. 75% of that huge trip was on dirt roads (the Trans America Trail). The Jeep held up beautifully. Better than I or the trailer did!

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