What's the competition got the Gladiator doesn't?

[Camaroboi13]

Why are we crying about beds and bed space? If that’s your concern, buy a Tundra.

Why are we crying about power sliding rear windows? For less than 50 bucks you can do it yourself.

Why are we crying about engine power? My little baby 3.0 V6 makes 442ft.lbs of torque.

Nobody here went out and bought a Gladiator because they needed a truck. Nobody here bought one because it looks good. Nobody bought one because of its fuel economy, on road handling, quietness, etc. If you think you did, then you’re only fooling yourself. We bought them because they are the Swiss Army knives of vehicles. They can go anywhere you need them to go, and as a secondary purpose, it has a truck bed.

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[metalry101]

Inferior front suspension and boosted engines that actually generate torque.

Not that I don't absolutely LOVE mine, but those are the biggest things that its direct competitors have that the Gladiator doesn't.

 

[maSS-hole]

Gladiator does not do well if one is to chart and graph it against the other vehicles in the mid size segment and your primary goal is A to B daily transportation.

Frame the question as a lifestyle vehicle and it outshines them all.

With the Gladiator, you join a community and not just be another anonymous tin can going down the road. You gain a aftermarket support that eclipses the others many a fold over. I have more confidence of there being a robust support platform of this vehicle 20+ years down the line than anything else.

Lastly, the cost and ease to mod is unmatched by anything else with most of it being driveway doable by the average home mechanical skill set.

This is what I came to realize after driving a 2023 Colorado ZR2 and 2023 JTR EcoD the other day. On paper the ZR2 blow the Jeep out of the water in most respects(not counting extreme rock crawling) but the Gladiator was just a more enjoyable truck to drive and I wrote the ZR2 off after getting back in the Gladiator.

I havent decide if I will pull the trigger on the JTR or not, but it beats the ZR2 for me.

And this is one of the better forums Ive been on. The Chevy Bolt and Lexus forums I am on suck! But I do love F150Ecoboost.net

 

[Jeepmonster]

Anyone know if competing trucks come with leaky rear windows as a standard? Mine came with that option, and I didn't even ask for it.

 

[Chunky White]

I don't think Jeeps are for everybody and most people I talk to who own a Toyota are diehard Toyota people who own multiple Toyotas. Gladiators are 10k+ more than every other brand also. More in the price range of full size trucks. Even with rebates I cannot get a stripped down Rubicon or Mojave for the price of a loaded competitor. I just shopped around on saturday. The same can be said about the other brands. NIssan is trying to give away Frontiers here it seems. I see more Gladiators now than I do any of the other brands and that includes all body styles and years of the other brands. Tacomas used to be everywhere but I see about half as many now as I did before. I can drive for weeks without seeing a new Ranger but theres 3 old ones at work with who knows how many miles. I don't think I have seen ten of the new GM twins yet.

I haven't driven a Frontier but the others ride better than the Gladiator, get better fuel mileage and are quieter. I didn't like the Ranger when I drove one because it seemed to rental car like inside. I haven't been impressed with the Tacomas for over 10 years but have bought an 07 and a 14 both TRD Sports but the 14 was a manual and I traded it within a month for a full sized truck because it was so slow and bad on gas. The current body style was even worse in my opinion. I have owned a 2018 Colorado Z71 and a 2020 GMC Canyon AT4 and liked both of them but hated the infotainment systems and the plastic interior. I haven't driven either of the new GM trucks yet but would like to try out a AT4X if I see one for sale.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

I think everyone already pointed out the pro’s of other midsizes - more torquey gas engine and better handling*.

I can’t think of any other pros and the SFA handling doesn’t bother me. With rock crawling increasingly growing on me lately, there’s almost zero shot I’d go IFS in my off-roader anyway.

The Gladiator is truly perfect for me. Good size, adequate power, keeps me interested since it’s a an adult’s LEGO, and it makes me happy when I drive it. There’s just not another midsize that even remotely moves the needle for me.

 

[Chunky White]

1) Better engine
2) Power sliding rear window
3) All windows down/up button

You can't drop the front window on the other trucks. Not that I ever will

 

[Camaroboi13]

Anyone know if competing trucks come with leaky rear windows as a standard? Mine came with that option, and I didn't even ask for it.

Mine has been leaking since I drove it home. Eventually I will pony up the 7 dollars for the clear silicone and fix it myself.

 

[ecidiego]

Inferior front suspension and boosted engines that actually generate torque.

Not that I don't absolutely LOVE mine, but those are the biggest things that its direct competitors have that the Gladiator doesn't.

it's not inferior off road tho...it's SUPERIOR.

enjoy your mall crawls.

 

[jac04]

As far as the competition goes, none of the competition (aside from the Frontier) has a V6 now. All of the new midsize trucks (GM Twins, Ranger, Taco) have boosted four cylinders.

The 2024 Ranger Raptor has a V6 with 405 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque.
That's 120hp and 170 lb-ft torque more than the JT's V6.

 

[PuddleJumper]

The 2024 Ranger Raptor has a V6 with 405 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque.
That's 120hp and 170 lb-ft torque more than the JT's V6.

reasons im getting a Hemi swap

 

[Zachanadandy]

The Gladiator is a high maintenance needy creature compared to my old 2005 Tacoma.
I put shocks, tires, and did oil changes on that one, and it was still great at 190,000 miles.
Toyota did replace the frame in 2015, but that's on them and it's a tribute to their willingness to make things right beyond warranty coverage. Yes, I know they got a settlement from the supplier, but they still passed that down to the consumer.

The IFS vehicles are of course going to ride better and handle better, but they just don't require as much servicing as a SAV. I'm talking about alignments, diff fluid changes, axles leaks, ball joints, etc.

Real world, the vast majority of us spend 99.5% of our time on paved roads.

Alignments? Unless you routinely crash in to things why would you need an alignment? Unlike an ifs nothing is adjustable aside from the toe/tie rod and anyone with a tape measure and a 15mm wrench can get it close enough. Aligning an ifs is much more difficult and requires an alignment rack.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Alignments? Unless you routinely crash in to things why would you need an alignment? Unlike an ifs nothing is adjustable aside from the toe/tie rod and anyone with a tape measure and a 15mm wrench can get it close enough. Aligning an ifs is much more difficult and requires an alignment rack.

That was my question. My Tundra required so much more maintenance for the drivetrain alone than my gladiator does. And i ran my Tundra no where near as hard as i run my Mojave. My tundra was always leaking from somewhere, the electronics in charge of shifting the vehicle in and out of 4x4 worked maybe 7 out of 10 times. The list just goes on. My Mojave? fluids and tire rotations. thats it.

 

[BourbonRunner]

And this is one of the better forums Ive been on. The Chevy Bolt and Lexus forums I am on suck! But I do love F150Ecoboost.net

Agreed. I keep coming back because this forum is so much better than most.

One of the worst is the Bronco Sport forum. Chock full of builds that aren't much more than seat covers and "carbon fiber" stickers on interior trim on base models. News flash: you bought a 3-cylinder boxy Escape.

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