Tacoma vs. Gladiator

TFL took a stock Trd pro, a raptor and a dodge power wagon to Moab. The Pro scraped more than the others.

 

Probably because the Pro is just a Terminix work truck under it all with some fancy suspension.



I would still rather take a short wrangler or an unlimited off-road over the Gladi.

And there are MANY trails where the raptor is just too damn wide.

 

I totally agree the Jeep is much better Off Roader. Twice the price better? Maybe, maybe not.

Love my Taco for the reliability alone. Only wish it came with a stock front locker. Even GM trucks offer front locker, but that's a other comparison story....

 

Hawaiians/Kamaaina don't buy or use many Jeeps. They leave them for the tourists/visitors to rent. Most especially on Maui buy Tacoma shorts beds then liftem.

 

I had a 2nd Gen Tacoma in Hawaii, but I kind of wished to have an open top vehicle to drive around. Especially in the evenings.

Things are a bit different there because at least on Kauai you rarely go over 40 miles an hour.

 

Yeah this was one of the things that bothered me about that review. That and his lift comparison. He basically has the most expensive bolt on Tacoma kit where the jeep has some super basic cheap kit. Sure they achieved the same goal of 39’s.

 

The price difference is pretty big right now, however right before the pandemic, you could get $10k off the Gladiator. That's when the prices were closer. Tacoma doesn't get those type of discounts. I am sure you will see those type of discounts on the Jeep by this summer.

 

Jeeps seem to have little interior space compared to their outside dimensions. Feels like the dash is in my shins. Not comfortable for extended periods of time. But I am 6'3

 

At the end if the day, do you want to drive a Toyota or a Fiat?

 

...or, do you want to drive something made in USA or Mexico?

 

If we’re are still discussing Toyota or Fiat, Mexican every day of the week.

Couldn’t pay me to drive a Dodge/Jeep/Ram/Fiat

 

You're missing out. Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat all have 1 or 2 products in their portfolio that are excellent/fun vehicles to own. Personally, I've tried the Wrangler JL with the turbo for a few years and it was a ton of fun. Not ashamed to admit its engine and transmission are far superior in drivability to that of Tacoma. I don't keep things longer than warranty so don't care if a car can last 20 years.

 

I’m not sure why people are so surprised by this, especially coming from the perspective of a guy who primarily does a lot of hard wheeling. I’ve watched plenty of Nate’s videos and found him to be very honest, knowledgeable, and down to earth. I do think the price difference is a bit of an oversight, and partially why I chose a Tacoma over a Gladiator (close to a 20k difference when built to my requested specifications!)

At their foundation Jeeps are built for off road with enough creature comforts to make them passable as commuters. Tacomas are made to be reliable ‘do-anything’ mid sized trucks that have been factory modified to increase their off road capabilities. Tacomas are a jack of all trades master of none, which is why they often fall flat when in a head-to-head comparison.

I will add this though; when speaking with my buddy who drives a 2021 JK Wrangler Rubicon about making a trip to Moab next year, he said that there was no way he was driving the 1,600+ mile trip and back in his Jeep and has been shopping for trailers since the initial conversation. That spoke volumes to me about the level of trust/comfort he had in his Jeep.

 

Was it trust or comfort?

 

Some of what he says makes sense however he is incorrect on quite a few things.

One example, Our frames are fully boxed until the bed where it switches to the C channel. Toyota specifically stated that they did this to give the truck more flex off-road.

 

I asked him the same question, lol. To be honest I think he was more worried about comfort but he brought up wanting to have a back up plan if something happened. My point was that I would expect most Tacoma owners not to bat an eyelash at driving that distance, wheeling, and coming back home. In other words, good enough in both categories to accomplish that trip.

 

I’ve done six hours in mine in a single shot and it’s 0/100 recommended. Just not meant for it.

 

Ok……my opinion differs from yours. I’ve had Jeeps when they were Jeeps. I’ve had a few Dodge pickups. The overall quality, reliability and engineering of Toyota far exceeds Fiat

 

Commercial trucks use C-Channels for similar reasons.

 

Great news, Stellantis owns them now.

Toyota frame / steel engineering department would like a word with you, btw.

What makes a modern Jeep less of a Jeep? Last I checked they still have solid axles, manual transfer cases, short wheel bases, soft tops, and removable doors. New electrical goodies don’t make them less a jeep.