So, a few years in, Gladiator thoughts?

Gladiator sales:

2019 -- 40,037
2020 -- 77,542
2021 -- 89,712

Tacoma sales:
2019 -- 248,801
2020 -- 238,805
2021 -- 252,490

I don't think Toyota is really concerned about the Gladiator too much, they aren't marketing to that crowd.

Edit: Corrected numbers because I can't actually read without my glasses it seems. Thanks @3JOH22A

 

Honestly I liked the idea, but they dipped a little too much into the spare parts bin when building it, and it killed the execution.

I still think to this day that the "butt ugly" comments would go away if the front clip wasn't a direct borrow from the wrangler, but a true throwback to the original glads.

Also for the spec that I want/need, I'm not willing to pay what they are asking.

 

Gladiator is an interesting concept, but that’s about as far as I’d take it. The overall quality (or serious lack thereof) of any Stall-antis product coupled with high prices, ensures I’ll never own another Jeep product.

I think they kind of look cool, especially when modded a bit. However, it’s lipstick on a pig. Basically guaranteed to have major issues before 50k miles.

 

The "real" Jeep Gladiator:

 

They should of either named it Scrambler or modeled it after the J Series trucks. (Which is one of my all time favorite body styles)

 

Yeah kinda lame. Especially when Toyota said manuals are for the off-road enthusiasts. Then don’t offer an OR ACLB with it. Which I dunno, the extra cabs are the perfect back country explorer configuration.

 

Ha typical mopar, they were associated with AMC, king of parts bin part. You could buy a wagoneer with multiple motors and trannys same with their axles

 

Big tire, proven off road, and top off for the summer?

If the price wasn't astronomical I would be looking at the 4xe version when it's available in 23. Quiet wheeling (not that I ever go) and cheap as chips to run to work. Add to that an open top on nice days. It's seriously tempting.

They do drive like turds though, although the Tacoma isn't exactly a sports car either, my old S-10s handled better.

 

Frankly I'm a huge fan. I own 2 of them personally, both 2020's with the 3.6L and 8 speed autos.
One's a Rubicon thats armored and lifted 3" on coilovers and 37s. The other, purchased more recently with a hefty mod list, is a nicely loaded Overland with Dynatrac 60s, 40s on beadlocks, hydro assist, King coilovers, GFC camper etc.
Both of them are used as daily drivers and while they don't drive as 'tight' as a Tacoma I don't care. Both have been flawless in reliability, my original rubicon now around 34k miles and the other on 1 tons is around 18-19k miles. I've towed 7k lbs 1500 miles round trip to AZ and back with the Rubicon and done many road trips, and at least one of them is offroad every weekend. For me, they're the perfect rig for my use case with a few mods and a very big aftermarket support. I can understand them not being for everyone, I'm just glad Jeep actually came out with it. Don't plan on selling them for a very long time.

 

Kinda like it when it is done up in Scrambler dress.

 

The Wagoneer was produced for 29 years, 1962-1991 and by three different parent companies, Kaiser Jeep (-1970), American Motors (-1987) and Chrysler, naturally there was evolution over such a long production span perhaps only rivaled by the Checker Marathon taxi cab (1960-82)

Although the vehicle sheet metal remained the same through the different parents, the running gear was both updated and more standardized especially after the Kaiser to AMC transition.

To use automatic transmissions as an example: Jeep offered the fantastically designed and built GM Turbo 400 in 1965 and all the way until 1979. General Motors themselves didn't offer the TH 400 in light duty 4wd trucks until the 1970's. Even when offered by GM it was an extra cost option, with the Wagoneer it was standard even with a six cylinder engine.

In 1980 AMC switched to the Chrysler TorqueFlight 727 transmission which was used all the way until 1991. The change was made because the 727 was more fuel efficient.

The TH 400 & 727 were the best available transmissions of the day, the 400 is a legend of durability and was the choice of Rolls Royce.
The 727 served under about 90% of the lumbering Winnebago motorhomes that filled the roads all through the 70's if you are old enough to remember them.

Engines also changed along with the progression of time, from 1972 forward every Wagoneer had an AMC built engine: 258 six cylinder, 360 & 401 V8s with the 360 being the most common and used until 1991 even thought the Wagoneer had been under Chrysler parentage for the last four years.

I can continue if you have a genuine interest.

 

You are comparing Gladiator sales for three months (Oct-Dec) vs. Tacoma sales for the whole year

Real Gladiator sales as per https://carsalesbase.com/us-jeep-gladiator/
2019 -- 40,037
2020 -- 77,542
2021 -- 89,712

Jeep is gaining marketshare at the expense of the other models (Colorado, Ranger, Frontier). Comparatively, a Dakota would've been a mistake.

Wanna bet the Gladiator retains its value as well as the Tacoma (like the Wrangler does)?

 

You are right, I misread the December line as the total... Corrected.

And I agree, a new Dakota would have been another "me too" product where the Jeep has its own personal segment of the market that Toyota chooses not to play in for the most part.

Maybe someday they will shake that reputation for falling apart, deserved or not.

 

Yeah I know, it sucks that Toyota USA sold us out for soccer moms and statistics. Gotta make sure its nice enough to drive with your heels on right? They ruined the tacoma and ended the land cruiser.

 

@crashnburn80 might have some input for you.

 

I don't know if sold out is being quite fair to Toyota. They are the largest automaker in the world, they got that way by making sound financial decisions and building vehicles that the mass market wants to buy.

Making the edge specialty vehicles sure is cool for the enthusiasts but it doesn't make for solid financials and happy stockholders. Modern regulations from fuel economy to safety & insurance have made it harder and harder for manufacturers to build low volume vehicles.

Realistically we are probably in the twilight years of owning widely individual vehicles.
In the not to far off future transportation will probably be stylish brightly colored plastic wrappers covering mostly similar underpinnings. I'm glad to have grown up in an era when you could identify vehicles by the sound of their V8 exhaust.

 

Dunno, Toyota is mainly a car company that builds a handful of trucks. And these days, probably better off buying a SXS for off-roading, they are pretty damn good right off the show room floor.

We had Wagoneer when I was young that my parents bought new. What I remember is, it liked to overheat, rust out quick…and there was a massive dent I put down the by running a wee bit too close to a fence post.

Looked like this but in red.

 

Yep had 1976 J10 with the Turbo400 trans ...... and a transplanted chebbie 454 (fit perfect). Weighed several tons, had big Cooper mud tires and nil for creature comforts. Rode like a buckboard. That blue outfit earlier brought instant memories of the devil. Un-stopable money pit.

Periodically the Taco makes me wish I had the dinosaur back. Bulletproof chassis - used to pull a stock trailer.

 

I had a pile of Wagoneers, all of them old and cheap -- that is how I learned to weld.

Being such an old design some quirks stuck with the Wagoneer, they never engineered out the mud traps underneath for example. You can drive on dirt roads all day and the outer body still looks clean -- with mud packed all underneath causing rust.

If you live where it snows you need to keep a long handled scraper in the front seat too, you will use it to scrape the frost off the inside of the passenger window no matter how hot the inside of the wagon is.


The Wagoneer looks much bigger than it actually is and will surprise you being quite nimble for something perceived as being large.

They will turn surprisingly tightly and are easy to maneuver in tight quarters -- you can see all round too due to the 1960's thin pillars, there are no blind spots in a Wagoneer.

Quirks aside the design was revolutionary in 1962, it put people first - utility second, it stayed in production so long because there was nothing else quite like it, much later competitors like the Blazer, Suburban & Ramcharger although they offered advantages were still just pickup trucks with a primitive wagon style body.


We have come full circle with vehicles like the Sequoia, Denali & Expedition engineered with the idea of people first -- although nobody will call any of them nimble.

 

This is how jeep should "try" to compete with the other mid-size truck lines. I still wouldn't buy one.