Traded in 2017 DCLB OR for Gladiator Rubicon

Made the decision 2 weeks ago to trade in my 17 DCLB OR on a new Gladiator Rubicon. I also test drove a new TRD Pro to try to get as close to an apples to apples comparison as I could. I'm not trolling or using this thread to bash the Taco in any respect; as I had an overall positive experience and a lot of fun with it for ~ 3 years. Now that I've driven the Gladiator for a few weeks, I thought it might be useful/interesting to share some early impressions comparing the two vehicles.

On Road Performance:

The well documented transmission issues and higher torque curve on the Taco were one of the annoyances that led me to trade in [I've had the updates applied, but have not OV tuned). The engine on the Rubicon is only nominally more powerful, though the torque curve is much flatter. You do feel this in daily driving, but I think this is mostly down to the transmission. The 8 speed auto is a revelation. The shifts are quick and where they should be. No hunting whatsoever. Observed MPG in typical PA rolling hills is combined at ~ 20 MPG (60/40 Hwy vs City). I am quite happy with this given the Rubicon comes stock with 33's and has a drag coefficient of a barn.

On the other side, handling is much better in the Taco as you might expect with IFS vs solid axle. The Jeep wanders a bit on the highway (especially over shitty PA/NJ roads) and bumps are felt very strongly due to the stiff suspension.

Fit and Finish:

I think it's a wash on the exterior side of things. Both vehicles met my standards (obviously, since i bought them!) and no outrageous panel gaps or other issues. Looks are subjective, but I actually prefer the styling on the Taco and loved the Quicksand OR combination. 3 years in, it turned heads at the Jeep dealership and I got the sense it may not make it to the lot. The factory bed lining on the Taco, as well as some of the bed storage (though one of these was eliminated on the 2019's) are things I will miss on the Gladiator. I do think the styling on the Gladiator is an acquired taste, but I find it appealing.

The interior is a different story. This was one of the most obvious differences when I did my initial test drive and the Jeep interior has taken a massive leap since my old TJ. The seats look and feel great (though manual obviously), and the Rubicon details throughout feel more premium than they probably should. The Uconnect infotainment system is fantastic. It is responsive, full of features, Android Auto/Apple Car Play, and highly configurable. I have the painted hard top option, and road noise was still noticeably worse than the Taco. That aside, removing the top and doors was easy, with the truck bed making a convenient place to stand while pulling off the rear piece of the freedom top. May not matter to everyone, but being able to take the top and doors off while still having a bed is very cool to me. One minor annoyance on the Jeep is the limited storage behind the rear seats. I had added a molle rack behind the seats of the Taco and will miss that utility. They do some clever things with the under seat storage, but that also gets taken up with the hardware once you remove the top and doors.

Off Road:
Aside from the grass in my lawn, I haven't had an opportunity. I plan to head out to Rausch Creek soon, so will report back.

Value:
I think the Taco takes this one, but it depends on your plans for it. As every TW members knows, the mods lists are endless and expensive. The Gladiator Rubicon was expensive out of the gate, and spending $50+k on a Jeep is still something that blows my mind. Happily, it does come stock with many of the planned mods I would otherwise make, all covered under a factory warranty. I am also fortunate in that I get affiliate pricing (1% below invoice) through my employer, as the dealer was not willing to take more than $500 off before I pulled that certificate out. IMO, the Taco held its value very well, only losing $5k over 3 years and 30k miles. Aside from the annoyances on the power train, I never had to do anything other than standard maintenance.

With regards to value, I'm most concerned with FCA reliability moving forward. Fingers have been crossed and an extended warranty has been purchased. We will see!

If anyone has any questions, happy to answer.

 

i've seen one of these at a local BBQ spot and not gonna lie its looks pretty cool in person ( i have never owned a jeep ) got any pics to go along with the early impressions?

 

Enjoy

 

I thought about a Gladiator as well. Then I remembered dealing with FCA. Hope it works out well for you. They are very cool. I like that they kept the manual transmission.

 

I would have considered the Gladiator but the only one worth buying is 50k+. A lot of money for a Jeep.

 

I’d consider one if:

1) it wasn’t a Jeep
2) it wasn’t fugly
3) it was reliable
4) it didn’t cost $20,000 more than my Tacoma

 

Wife's previous car was a 2012 Grand Cherokee with the 3.6L and a 5 speed. This was the lower trimmed Laredo model, so the interior seemed dated to me. Power was equivalent to my Taco. The 5 speed had predictable habits, but the shifts felt sluggish. Overall, it was a good vehicle in the 70k miles she put on it.

We only had two complaints:
1) Push to start would intermittently not work. Never found a fix.
2) The battery compartment (under the passenger seat) would fill up with water in the rain. One of the channels that is supposed to divert water away from the vehicle, somehow drained into the battery compartment. Jeep wouldn't fix this outside of the warranty window.

FCA is known for electrical problems.

 

I’ve owned Jeeps all my life. By far, the best one is my current 2015. I drive it hard. Been through the Rubicon 3 times, Death Valley, Poison Spider, widow Maker, etc. It’s never been back to the dealer, and never had any issues. Jeep quality is up there with the best in my book. I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to buy a Gladiator.

 

Cant' blame you for moving to away. My initial gripes with the gen 3 I had during my test drive are what people are still complaining about.

 

Call me a traitor if you like but i don't hate it lol. I think if i lived somewhere where the weather is nice enough to ride with out the top and doors this would be a contender if anything should happen to the Taco...after a year or 2 of them working out the kinks of course. Only thing i hate about it is the price.

How does all the interior tech make out if you get caught out with the top down in the rain?

 

Are we really supposed to real all this nonsense?

 

I like the look and roof removal is cool when your out of the city.

Isnt the safety rating pretty bad on these Jeeps?

 

Previous jeep(s) owner. 50k+ stock is laughable. 1st year production run will more than likely be a nightmare, as is with most 1st year vehicles, whether its a redesign or entirely new model. You will be one of the guinea pigs for helping get the many kinks out of this thing. I do like the exterior styling as far as it staying "Jeep". The only thing that I really HATE about the Gladiator, and the last few year models Wranglers in general, is the interior. Every one of my Jeeps were rained in multiple times due to unexpected rain showers, or most of the time, my own laziness to rush & put the tops back on due to upcoming rain. But it's a Jeep. Let it rain. Wipe it off & go about your business. Long gone are the days of it actually being a Jeep inside. These new, padded floor, fancy, all leather(even the dash), trying to be a Range Rover interior is moronic for a Jeep. Let it rain just one time & not spend hours cleaning it thoroughly enough. Soaked floors. Ruined leather. The moldy smell after a while will make you want to sell it & buy your old Tacoma back. Like I said, I've always purchased & been a fan of Jeeps, but my two biggest gripes with this are price & interior.

 

10 pages of this to follow.

 

Congrats op on the purchase. I’m not a fan at all but it’s not my truck.

 

I think you might have accidentally posted this in the 3rd gen section. Seems more like a 2nd gen kinda thread

 

thinking if I was spending that much $....I'd get a slightly used Raptor....just my opinion

 

I’ve always viewed jeeps as a true off road vehicle. Since 99.999% of my driving is on road I chose something else. All I ever hear from people is how great they are off road and how horrendous they are on pavement.

 

I'm curious, how does the gladiator wheelbase compare to the Tacoma?

Did you have a long or shortbed?

Edit: I see you had a longbed.