About Gladiator
The Jeep Gladiator answers a question Jeep fans had been asking for decades: what if the Wrangler had a bed? Revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2018 and on sale for the 2020 model year, it stretched the four-door Wrangler's frame and bolted a five-foot box behind the cab. The result is the only pickup on the market with a removable roof, removable doors and a windshield that folds flat, a truck that can haul mulch on Saturday and run topless down a beach on Sunday.
The name reaches back to the Jeep Gladiator pickup of the 1960s, a full-size work truck of the Kaiser era, and the modern version keeps the Wrangler's rugged hardware: body-on-frame construction, solid axles and serious four-wheel-drive systems. The Rubicon is a rock crawler with locking differentials, while the Mojave trim was tuned for high-speed desert running with special shocks. On the road, the long wheelbase gives it a calmer ride than the Wrangler, though its size makes tight trails and parking lots a chore, and fuel economy is nothing to boast about.
The Gladiator competes in the midsize pickup class against the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Nissan Frontier, but it is a different kind of proposition, closer to a lifestyle machine than a work tool. Its biggest weakness has been price: well-equipped Gladiators cost far more than comparable rivals, and critics regularly point out how big that gap has become. Built alongside the Wrangler in Toledo, Ohio, it shares that model's updates and recalls, and its sales have swung as Jeep has adjusted prices and trims.
Look here for reviews, comparison tests against the Tacoma and Ranger, special editions and heritage trims, recall notices, pricing moves and news of the changes Jeep makes to keep its open-air pickup relevant in a busy segment. Off-road events, Moab concepts and aftermarket builds round out the coverage for owners who treat the Gladiator as a project as much as a truck. Shoppers weighing one against a cheaper Tacoma will find the price comparisons blunt and the enthusiasm for the open-air experience undimmed.