Unique Post // I've decided my Gladiator Rubicon is not the vehicle for me : /

[5JeepsAz]

Hey is this the thread for "Who the hell is getting a bronco? Why? What for?" ???

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[ACLdestroyer]

The Horror ?

Best car I ever owned in the snow was a 1986 Subaru Loyale. 47hp and had 4H or 4L. That thing with snow tires was an absolute tank. (Far slower than a tank I imagine.)

 

[aldo98229]

Well enjoy the new ride whatever you settle on, things might change a bit on Gladiators as they get older, I have the Selectrac AWD transfer case and it is great in the snow on highway,maybe a small V-8 in a year or so and who knows. Take care.....Jack

I too have the Selec-Trac on my JL: it is a phenomenal system and it works great in snow.

Just don’t call it an “AWD”...please. It is a LOT more than that.

 

[aldo98229]

Not the thread I pictured myself posting when I picked up the car from the dealer in August 2020, but here I am.

I bought the wrong rig, thats it. My sting gray Rubi is an excellent vehicle. Decent driving on city streets, easy to commute in, handled road trips well. Reliable, fun, simple etc.

The catch, I travel up and down mountain passes 30 times a year. Shifting this thing in and out of 4H when the roads go from snow covered to clear and wet is silly. The truck handles poorly at highway speeds in 4H. The heater is atrocious to deal with. Fuel mileage is unbelievably bad for a V6, though I don't drive enough to really care about mpg.

Will be looking at selling this thing and grabbing a RAM 2500. Maybe test drive a TRX just for S&Gs.

Have only respect for this forum and Jeep folks altogether. Wish I could find a way to appreciate the Gladiator as much as it deserves.

I definitely wont miss waving at people 20-30 on my trip to the grocery store here in Issaquah. Too many jeep owners here. Yeesh!

All 1st-World problems.

Jeep has the perfect vehicle for you: 392 cubic inches of HEMI goodness, full-time 4WD, a gorgeous interior, seating for 7, 10,000 lbs of towing, $85,000.

 

[TgreeneJT]

I usually hold my opinions, to each their own. This subject hits a nerve with me. A JT is not a full size truck. It should not ever be compared to a full size, 2500 truck. It is a Mid Size with a V6. I traded in my 2016 Ram 1500 Laramie for my JT. Ive never once thought they were comparable, or should be. Ive owned an 83 CJ7, 85 CJ7, 98 TJ, and my current 20 JT. Jeeps specialize in a specific area, none of which are in the same zip code as a full size truck. Wave on.

 

[OVERLORD]

Funny, my loaner vehicle for my Gladiator TSB is a 2021 RAM Bighorn. It's awful! a 2021 with 2500 miles!! Cheap plastic throughout, poorly fitting plastics, rattles and squeaks, and drinks gas. I'll be glad to get my Gladiator back tomorrow. Those who said, "Don't get that weird Jeep Truck, get a Ram pick up, you'll be much happier!" Wrong!

 

[5JeepsAz]

Best car I ever owned in the snow was a 1986 Subaru Loyale. 47hp and had 4H or 4L. That thing with snow tires was an absolute tank. (Far slower than a tank I imagine.)

I told you!!! You were describing the exact subaru I posted ... Gonna buy another one?

 

[Kevin_D]

I think I'll keep the JTR for another summer to see if it grows on me. If not, I'll wait for year two of the TRX and hope they iron out some of the bugs. Surely nobody can fault me for loving the idea of a 700+hp production pickup.

I wonder if you could refit the Rubicon with a Selec-Trac transfer case? You might have to give up the 4:1 4L, but you'd gain full time 4WD.

Just a thought

Kevin

 

[DBravo]

Not the thread I pictured myself posting when I picked up the car from the dealer in August 2020, but here I am.

I bought the wrong rig, thats it. My sting gray Rubi is an excellent vehicle. Decent driving on city streets, easy to commute in, handled road trips well. Reliable, fun, simple etc.

The catch, I travel up and down mountain passes 30 times a year. Shifting this thing in and out of 4H when the roads go from snow covered to clear and wet is silly. The truck handles poorly at highway speeds in 4H. The heater is atrocious to deal with. Fuel mileage is unbelievably bad for a V6, though I don't drive enough to really care about mpg.

Will be looking at selling this thing and grabbing a RAM 2500. Maybe test drive a TRX just for S&Gs.

Have only respect for this forum and Jeep folks altogether. Wish I could find a way to appreciate the Gladiator as much as it deserves.

I definitely wont miss waving at people 20-30 on my trip to the grocery store here in Issaquah. Too many jeep owners here. Yeesh!

You either love it or you don't. Personally, the Gladiator is the only vehicle I've owned that has sparked a number of friendly, random, interested conversations with complete strangers in parking lots and gas stations that would never have occurred otherwise. No one ever asked about my Wrangler or my Acadia Denali or my Jeep Liberty and on and on. Good luck! Feel free to wave, no matter what you drive - ya never know...

 

[Snowcavemike]

Not the thread I pictured myself posting when I picked up the car from the dealer in August 2020, but here I am.

I bought the wrong rig, thats it. My sting gray Rubi is an excellent vehicle. Decent driving on city streets, easy to commute in, handled road trips well. Reliable, fun, simple etc.

The catch, I travel up and down mountain passes 30 times a year. Shifting this thing in and out of 4H when the roads go from snow covered to clear and wet is silly. The truck handles poorly at highway speeds in 4H. The heater is atrocious to deal with. Fuel mileage is unbelievably bad for a V6, though I don't drive enough to really care about mpg.

Will be looking at selling this thing and grabbing a RAM 2500. Maybe test drive a TRX just for S&Gs.

Have only respect for this forum and Jeep folks altogether. Wish I could find a way to appreciate the Gladiator as much as it deserves.

I definitely wont miss waving at people 20-30 on my trip to the grocery store here in Issaquah. Too many jeep owners here. Yeesh!

I have a diesel gladiator Rubi and the fuel mileage is crazy good, the heater is too much and it pulls hills like crazy. Just a thought. Heated seats and steering wheel is nice too.

 

[869 KPH]

I have a diesel gladiator Rubi and the fuel mileage is crazy good, the heater is too much and it pulls hills like crazy. Just a thought. Heated seats and steering wheel is nice too.

Yeah, @ACLdestroyer, and this guy lives in a (checks notes) Snow Cave! lol. Hope you end up with a vehicle you love either way. Just enjoy the fact that you're in a position to make fun choices!

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

A few people pushing back on the heater issue. Does the temp control in your trucks actually work properly?!?
Is my shit just broken?

Man my old 2018 Charger RT had an issue too. I thought I was crazy or something. The heat would keep blowing even though I set it at 65 deg.F and vice versa if I wanted it warm. Must be a Mopar thing in general. My old Ram 1500 had the same issue as well.

 

[ATLalien]

Man, some of you guys are rough.

Have to admit that I really wish the Gladiator had more power. I'd always had a fast car and a truck before consolidating into one vehicle with the Gladiator and I miss being able to make slower traffic melt in the rear view mirror. Also miss the interior space of a full size truck.

But, I did know what I was getting into when I bought the JT, and so far it's been as advertised and has been a good little Jeep/Truck. Have considered making a move for something a bit quicker, but right now, there's really nothing out there that I'm really lusting over, so I'm leaning toward keeping the JT a bit longer and maybe doing some mods.

 

[sdk131]

Have only had my 21 Gladiator Sport for about a minth....but I too feel my HVAC system behaves rather oddly. It always seems to eventually get to where I set the dial so I am ultimately comfortable....but it does not at all seem to behave as you would expect and as all of my other 20+ cars over the years have behaved. Even my non-car enthusiiast ("just give me something with four wheels and a seat") wife noticed. In manual mode it seems to do the alternating luke warm/blast furnace thing with the heat as if it was trying to be "automatic". It seems to be slightly more "balanced out" in auto mode but the temp coming out of the vents sure seems to fluctuate a lot. No experience with the AC yet, but I hoping it is a little more consistent during our swampy hot summers.

 

[P.Lo]

I don't know what to say about the AC / Heater issues some of you all are having....... I put mine on AUTO / SYNC and set temp to 70, and that's where it lives undisturbed, pretty much year round.

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