So, a few years in, Gladiator thoughts?

The trucks are cool in concept.

Pros:
Topless/doorless 4x4 pickup
Solid axles front and rear
Available front and rear lockers from the factory
Amazing 8spd auto
Ability to run 37s on a stock Mojave trim
Far more off road oriented than anything Tacoma
Very utilitarian (pro/con depends on the user)
Less mods are necessary to build an ultimate off-road monster

Cons
Cost, priced higher than a Tacoma
Lack of storage space, despite the vehicle being larger
The truck is a fair amount larger than a Tacoma while having little to show for it functionally
Wheel base is long, the truck is 6" longer than a DCSB Tacoma but the wheel base is 10" longer
Guts hang below the frame rails giving low ground clearance and making things like the gas tank vulnerable, with long wheel base it has reduced break-over. The Tacoma keeps it tucked above the frame rails.
The solid front axle makes the steering wander and numb, but you quickly get used to it.
Quality. FCA/Stellantis is consistently among the absolute worst rated vehicle manufactures in quality, while Toyota has a long standing reign as best.

Here is my Gladiator 3.6 engine block at 14k miles at less than a year old. It was running a Magnuson Supercharger, same as the OEM Toyota units. Threw a rod through both sides of the block. I am absolutely certain this was poor quality manufacturing on the engine internals. No additional mods were made to the engine or supercharger. I put way smaller pulleys on my Magnuson supercharged Tacoma, intake, fuel pump and abused that thing way beyond the intended design for 65k miles and it never once blinked. Highly modified pushing way beyond intended power and the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Stock supercharger on the Gladiator and it grenades. Cool trucks, but I will never again own a FCA/Stellantis product.

 

I’ll throw a vote in that’s already been cast multiple times. If they would be build a single cab, I’d be a definite buyer.

 

And the truck currently has 83,520 miles and still going strong like new.

 

Was looking for an extra cab version and found this.

https://www.whichcar.com.au/reviews/custom-4x4s/murchison-jeep-jk-wrangler-pick-up-custom-4x4

 

Looks better than Tacoma. But not as reliable (?).

 

I briefly considered a 6 speed Wrangler until I read about the manual transmission recall (affects manual Gladiators too) that was “fixed” with software to nerf engine torque down so your effing pressure plate won’t overheat and grenade, possible sending shrapnel wherever it wants to go outside of the transmission. Yeah. Great…

That’s right. A mechanically inferior part was identified and rather than replace it, neuter the engine so it can still utilize the garbage part. Customer gets it in the shorts with a timebomb of a problem that won’t be cheap. And I’ll bet their advertised torque specs won’t be changed even through the recall is mandatory and definitely changes them. Sad. Lame. No Jeeps in my future unless I find a 99-01 Cherokee. And I ain’t lookin.

 

Wheeled with a Gladiator on 42 inch tires a few weeks ago.

He was having a harder time with easier lines than I was... in my 1st Gen Double Cab with 380,000 miles on the clock on 35s.

That's all I need to know... no thanks.



And BTW. The guy driving the Gladiator isn't new to wheeling or anything.

 

I'm over driving vehicles with flat windshields, open fenders, solid axles, and aerodynamics from the 1930s. That was a time and place in automotive history that can belong in the past. I think it creates a higher level of driver fatigue on long trips highway trips. In the past couple of months, I've seen an unusually high number of them on the Honda dealership lot. It's fun to play around with a design from the 1930s for a weekend or short haul -- but gets old in a hurry.

 

I heard there were issues with the 3.0 ecodiesel when it came out for the ram initially. Now they are on the 3rd gen ecodiesel, and I haven’t been able to find any issues with them besides the egr cooler failing sometimes.

Funny enough, it was just announced that the diesel wouldn’t be offered in Wrangler after 2023, but will still be an option for the JT.