Jeep Gladiator

[Ben]

I'm not looking for one, but am just curious about them. Over the last month or two, I have seen them popping up everywhere here. I mean a lot of them. I'm wondering if it's regional popularity or if these things are popular everywhere?

They look fun, but checking current dealer stock, the cheapest ones are $45K and the average seems to be around $55K. I could get either a TRD Sport 4Runner or a pretty decked out F150 4WD for what the base (Sport?) model Gladiator is selling for, so am just curious about their popularity (at least around here) at the prices they are selling for.

[dogmush]

I see a bunch of them in central FL. I think people like the drop top/doors of the jeep with a good mallcrawler bed.

[Boomhauer]

I want one but I’m not paying the price for one.

I also think Jeep would be well served by building a Gladiator type vehicle on a full size truck frame too. I like the looks of the Wranglers and Gladiators a lot but I really favor the comfort and size of my full-size pickup truck and you are going to have to dangle a really tasty lure in front of me to get me away from a 1/2 ton crew cab. 

[Kingcreek]

Seeing more of them all the time. IMO the wheelbase is too long for the serious off road trails but then again most wranglers (and gladiators) never leave pavement.
Jeep renewed the reg trademark on the scrambler name and there is speculation that a 2 door may be forthcoming. Wheelbase closer to the unlimited 4 door wrangler. I find this much more interesting, myself.
Jeep is still crazy priced for the niche market but the new ford bronco might force some competitive pricing.
3 years ago I bought my used 2014 JKUR and I found out last week I could expect to sell it for what I paid for it. 60k miles on a rubicon “X” stock except for a mild suspension kit and a warn 10k winch up front in the steel 10a bumper.

[dogmush]

I want one but I’m not paying the price for one.

I also think Jeep would be well served by building a Gladiator type vehicle on a full size truck frame too. I like the looks of the Wranglers and Gladiators a lot but I really favor the comfort and size of my full-size pickup truck and you are going to have to dangle a really tasty lure in front of me to get me away from a 1/2 ton crew cab.

A Gladiator built on the 1/2 ton RAM platform would be neat.  Especially in T-Rex trim.

[RoadKingLarry]

I like my 2 door Sahara, it's rare that I find myself wishing it had a little more cargo space but it does happen. I like the Gladiator and wouldn't mind having one if someone was to give it to me sans taxes and payments.

Jeep renewed the reg trademark on the scrambler name and there is speculation that a 2 door may be forthcoming.

There has been speculation about a full sized truck for many years but it never quite seems to materialize.

If Jeep were to build a modernized version of the full size Gladiator truck and make it as tough as this I bet they could sell every damn one that rolled off the line.

[dogmush]

Modern, with the creature comforts people want, and as tough as that is a quarter million dollar truck.

[Bogie]

Bring back the old straight six... WIth a better transmission.

[Hawkmoon]

I want one but I’m not paying the price for one.

I also think Jeep would be well served by building a Gladiator type vehicle on a full size truck frame too. I like the looks of the Wranglers and Gladiators a lot but I really favor the comfort and size of my full-size pickup truck and you are going to have to dangle a really tasty lure in front of me to get me away from a 1/2 ton crew cab.

The new "Gladiator" isn't a truck, it's a "life style vehicle." And it's obscenely over-priced.

As a long-time Jeep guy, my view is that Jeep promised us a pickup truck, and instead they gave us an updated Scrambler with the name of a pickup truck attached to it. If I were shopping for a pickup today, I'd be looking at Ford F250s. Jeep can kiss my rump -- they don't make anything today that's worthy of the name "Jeep."

[RoadKingLarry]

Modern, with the creature comforts people want, and as tough as that is a quarter million dollar truck.

I'm guessing they could sell at a profit in the $75K - $100K range and still sell everyone they built.

[Ben]

So these are kinda pavement queens, sorta like when people were buying H3s? I'm thinking that I've never seen an H3 offroad (really offroad, vs parked at the lake).

[bedlamite]

I've got a TJ. Not a fan of anything newer. Too expensive, they have gotten too heavy, too many gadgets to fail, The new motors are meh, V6 has no low end torque and the diesel is underwhelming.

[Hawkmoon]

So these are kinda pavement queens, sorta like when people were buying H3s? I'm thinking that I've never seen an H3 offroad (really offroad, vs parked at the lake).

I'm seeing them around.

In this area, I see a metric boatload of old (original) Cherokees, YJ Wranglers (the square headlight model), and TJ Wranglers that are totally encrusted in mud and looking like they haven't been washed in fifty years. The new Wranglers, and now these so-called "Gladiators," always look like they just drove off the showroom floor.

Jeep used to test each new model by driving a test vehicle across the Rubicon Trail. The last one they did that with was either the original Liberty, or the 1999 Grand Cherokee. Whichever one it was (I think it was the Liberty), it was such a disaster that Jeep ended the tradition of proving new vehicles on the Rubicon Trail. Instead, they built a mini obstacle course at some proving ground, drive new models through that, and award them the coveted "Trail Rated" badge. As near as I can determine, "Trail Rated" means it can back out of the garage without having a flat tire or exploding the transfer case.

[Bogie]

They're like everything else these days.
 
They're wearing a costume.

[dogmush]

So these are kinda pavement queens, sorta like when people were buying H3s? I'm thinking that I've never seen an H3 offroad (really offroad, vs parked at the lake).

A lot of them are, but I've seen a couple off road too.  The overlanding crowd likes them for being a bit bigger than a Wrangler, but still compact.

I was camped out in Jennings State Forest a couple months ago and a pair of Gladiators showed up to share the spot. You had to ford a bit of a creek and a couple mud holes to get there.  I also pulled one out of a waterhole in Ocala National Forest last spring.

[Kingcreek]

Bring back the old straight six... WIth a better transmission.

Amen brother. The 4,0 was a great motor.