Gladiator v Wrangler Unlimited

[Houndoc]

Starting to think about replacing the Xterra. Not sure I have the patience or budget to wait for a new Bronco (although I have come close several times to putting down my deposit) , so leaves me pretty much at Jeeps.

Now that a few people have been able to get some miles of experience with the Gladiators, wonder the overall views of the plusses and minuses of them compared to an Unlimited.

 

[Greg]

First off, I've been super impressed with how much of an improvement the JL, JLU & JT are over the JK... the Jeep engineers took the best parts of the JK, tweaked them and ended up with a much more refined vehicle. Not sure if you've spent much seat time in a JK, but the JT & JL are so much better.

Next, the JT & JLU are pretty much identical from the back seats, forward. One is a SUV, while the other is a truck. It's pretty easy to decide which one suits your needs based on that alone. IMO the JT drives better on the freeway due to the longer wheelbase than the JLU, but that same wheelbase can effect it's capability on challenging trails.

One thing worth mentioning, depending on how you want to use the Jeep.... the Gladiator with the Max Tow package is rated to tow up to 7,650#'s and the cargo capacity is pretty high too at 1,700#'s. That said, this is still a Wrangler-based truck and while it's capable of hauling that much weight, it is not a 3/4 ton truck! You're working it pretty hard to tow any more than a few thousand pounds IMO.

Obviously the Gladiator has a bed, but it's pretty short and fills up quickly. There is more cargo room with the JT versus the JLU, but it's exposed to the elements. The JL has 3 engine options, the 2.0T, the 3.6 Pentastar and the 3.0 EcoDiesel. The JT has 2 options, the 3.6 Pentastar and the 3.0 EcoDiesel. If you choose the automatic transmission, it's the ZF 8HP 8 speed, which is AMAZING, IMO.

Plenty of info in my Gladiator thread... - https://www.rme4x4.com/threads/the-rme4x4-jeep-gladiator-rubicon.116261/

What else do you want to know? IMO the best thing you can do is to go test drive both options, you'll figure out pretty quick which one suits you.

 

[Mouse]

Love the 8-speed auto in my JT. Wife's JKU with 5-speed is OK, but the new trans is the nicest auto transmission I've driven. Greg summarized the differences very well. I might add that production numbers of the JT are much lower than the wrangler, so selection may be worse as well.

 

[Houndoc]

Obviously the Gladiator has a bed, but it's pretty short and fills up quickly. There is more cargo room with the JT versus the JLU, but it's exposed to the elements. The JL has 3 engine options, the 2.0T, the 3.6 Pentastar and the 3.0 EcoDiesel. The JT has 2 options, the 3.6 Pentastar and the 3.0 EcoDiesel. If you choose the automatic transmission, it's the ZF 8HP 8 speed, which is AMAZING, IMO.

Plenty of info in my Gladiator thread... - https://www.rme4x4.com/threads/the-rme4x4-jeep-gladiator-rubicon.116261/

What else do you want to know? IMO the best thing you can do is to go test drive both options, you'll figure out pretty quick which one suits you.

Which engine does yours have? Would you do a different one if had the chance?

On the trail, how much do you think you loose with the longer wheelbase and decrease departure angle?

 

[Greg]

Which engine does yours have? Would you do a different one if had the chance?

On the trail, how much do you think you loose with the longer wheelbase and decrease departure angle?

I ordered my Gladiator when they first became available and the only engine choice at that time was the Pentastar 3.6l V6, the EcoDiesel option didn't become available until just recently. I love the idea of the EcoDiesel, the mileage and torque are unbeatable... guys are getting around 26 MPG out of them and they make 442 ft/lbs of torque! But I'm waiting until the EcoDiesel is proven by others, with many miles and a couple years. The EcoDiesel has been plagued with issues in previous versions, many related to emissions controls, etc.

If the Gen 3 EcoDiesel ends up being mostly trouble free, there is a good chance I'd sell my Pentastar-powered Gladiator and get an EcoDiesel JT in the future. But, I'm also interested in the 392 Hemi Gladiator, if/when it becomes available.

It's hard to say how much you loose on the trail, without having a baseline... stock to stock? What trail? There's plenty of information out there about breakover angles, departure angles, etc. Obviously the Gladiator has more tail hanging out back.

IMO, if you're going to wheel it on challenging trails (Moab's harder trails) then a couple inches of lift and bigger tires are almost required. I'm running 37's with a Teraflex 1.5" leveling kit up front, 3/4" spacer out back. It's a minimal amount of lift, but 37's fit great and it helps with approach/breakover/departure angles and the 37's roll over the bigger rocks & ledges easier.

 

[gijohn40]

I bought a 2020 eco diesel JLUR and love it for it does for me. I drive 75 miles one way from Layton to Evanston wyoming and back each day. I average 22-24 mpg driving 70 mph (22 mpg is at 75mph). The 8 speed shifts are not even noticeable to me and I have no problem with power!!!
I ran it on the weekend on the edge dyno and it showed 245 hp, Brett Davis's mind of calculation figured that out to 423 lb-ft of torque at the wheels with 33 inch tires.

I ran poison spider with where eagles dare on labor day with it stock and only scraped a few times but the stock skid plates took it very well. I towed a 3500LB trailer down to Moab wheeled the whole weekend and then towed the trailer back to Layton and averaged 13 mpg.

The only complaint I have so far is that at 2500 miles I had to fill the 5 gallon DEF tank and add a quart of oil. Again at 6600 miles I had to fill the DEF tank again. The manual say it should go 10k on a single tank of DEF. towing and 4wheeling definitely burn the DEF up quickly!

Everything on the JL is heavy duty! but I did have cooling concerns while towing in 105 degree weather, My coolant got up to 244 degrees which only showed 3/4 way up the gauge. The engine started to defuel to keep it at that temp.

I have added a 3.5 HD inch gas engine lift that netted me 2 inches of lift.
If you would like a test drive let me know and I will let you take it for a spin.

 

[DAA]

Wheeling Cindy's stock JLU Rubi w/315s, break over is the killer. No sweat with anything, until, it gets hung up on the belly. The stock skids are banged up pretty good after a few trips to Moab. But, they are holding up and doing their job just fine. Just look used, is all.

Have not wheeled it since putting a lift on, but I expect it to help noticeably as the break over is obviously improved. It's ready for 37s now but the budget is not. It will get them eventually.

If I were fortunate enough to get a Gladiator, I'd start with at least 37s and would be looking at the long term costs and survivability of running bigger. Which, likely, the answers to that would keep me at 37s.

- DAA

 

[Greg]

... If I were fortunate enough to get a Gladiator, I'd start with at least 37s and would be looking at the long term costs and survivability of running bigger. Which, likely, the answers to that would keep me at 37s.

- DAA

That sums up what a Gladiator needs to be usable on the trail. 37's with a little lift (1.5-2.5") looks good proportionally on a JT and help balance it all out, they fit in the wheelwells and increase capability offroad. Now, 4" of lift and 40's on a Gladiator looks really good, but you hit the nail on the head, better upgrade to Dana 60's or you're going to have problems. I wouldn't trust 40's on stock axles and hard wheelin.

I'll be sticking to 37's because I don't want to upgrade axles and I want to mine to be road-trip friendly. IMO, any bigger tire will reduce freeway manors.