2025 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon Review: A Love Letter To Off-Road Pickup Fans | Carscoops

Staying true to at least one’s self isn’t at all times simple. From a revenue standpoint, it may even be the unsuitable alternative within the enterprise world. Despite that, the Gladiator is actually a creation that happened not as a result of Jeep wanted a truck, however moderately as a result of followers wished one. Sure, it wasn’t totally selfless from Jeep’s standpoint, because it wished to increase its lineup and, in fact, make a revenue within the course of.

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Still, we’ve all seen what occurs when some manufacturers construct a automobile merely to exploit income out of shoppers with out really making that automobile worthy of its title or badge. The Gladiator isn’t any such automobile. In reality, it would really be so well-built for Jeep followers that it’s lacking out on the bigger mid-size truck market. 

To discover that out, we needed to take a look at the Gladiator in the entire locations you would possibly see one. That contains within the metropolis and on the freeway the place most are discovered. It additionally included off-road trails, over mud, by way of streams, and so deep into the wilderness that flash floods practically had us caught in the course of nowhere. After that week, it looks like the Gladiator really is a love letter to Jeep followers in every single place. 

Quick Facts

That begins out with the very clear ties to the Wrangler in the best way this Gladiator seems. From the rear doorways ahead it’s as if Jeep’s designers simply hit a ‘carbon copy’ button someplace. The angles, dimensions, and common make-up are unquestionably filled with Jeep DNA. 

The seven-slot grille sits prominently on its face with traditional spherical headlamps. The fenders are excessive and boxy and the uncovered hinges proceed to sign to all that this automobile is about utility as a lot as it’s about anything. Just just like the Wrangler, prospects can take away the roof and the doorways and even flip the windshield down ought to they want. 

Is the design lovely? Well, no. The quick entrance finish appears to be like a bit unusual in comparison with the prolonged mattress and that may not enchantment to everybody. On the opposite hand, the issues that stand out most lend actual functionality to this pickup. The 32.7-inch tires (35s will match with out a elevate) are only one piece of that together with restoration hooks and LED fog lights. 

Interior Familiarity

Similarly to the outside, these accustomed to the Wrangler will really feel proper at dwelling within the Gladiator. The sprint and door playing cards are mainly similar. The switchgear principally sits within the heart management stack and just like the Wrangler, it feels a bit low cost and underwhelming. Still, it’s made to be sturdy and to final the take a look at of time which is a tradeoff most Jeep followers are completely happy to make. 

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The seats are comfy and well-supported with ample bolstering. That’s additionally true of the rear bench which affords more room than one would possibly anticipate in a truck of this dimension. I had no drawback sitting behind the place I’d place the entrance seat for myself, which isn’t one thing I can say of vans just like the Toyota Tacoma. 

The mattress is about as common as they get. It options sliding tie-downs, energy ports, and a cool little Jeep Easter egg within the entrance of the mattress that mimics the enduring seven-slot grille. While it’s nothing uber particular to behold or use, it’s a sign of how considerate Jeep was in constructing this automotive. 

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The automaker added so many little touches to the Gladiator that it sincerely appears like a gathering of nice concepts present in Jeep boards over time. A removable speaker capabilities as a part of the sound system, at all times prepared to finish up at a campsite. The storage bins underneath the rear seats are detachable as a whole unit. Again, it’s simple to see them sitting in a tent or by a campfire as common storage. It even comes with little movable dividers so customers can separate objects. 

Next to that storage bin, homeowners will discover a useful place to retailer each bolt or nut that attaches the doorways. It’s a small contact nevertheless it little doubt helps Jeep homeowners hold the whole lot in place and simple to search out. That features a small Jeep-branded instrument equipment full with a ratchet and all of the sockets and torx bits one must take away the doorways. Finally, Jeep provides a big bag to the combo so homeowners can retailer the roof panels with out damaging them. On prime of all that, there are tiny Easter eggs littered all through the cabin for followers, younger and fewer outdated, to take pleasure in. 

Drive Impressions

Under the hood of each Gladiator is a 3.6-liter V6. The handbook gearbox on supply previously is gone and as a substitute, all consumers additionally get an eight-speed computerized gearbox.This truck drives in a really distinctive approach when in comparison with the remainder of its household. SUVs just like the Grand Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee are very clearly aimed toward on-road consolation. The Wrangler, even in its longer Unlimited four-door kind, drives very very like an off-road SUV with simply sufficient on-road manners to maintain followers coming again. 

The Gladiator although blends the 2 ends of the spectrum right into a genuinely balanced truck. The further wheelbase dramatically quiets the best way this Jeep rolls down the freeway, particularly. It feels extra secure, extra solidly planted on the bottom, and damaged roads and pavement don’t upset it simply. In addition, the steering feels much less darty and extra nuanced than within the Wrangler. 

While I beloved the sound of the Wrangler 392, I actually wouldn’t wish to have it as my solely possibility for an extended highway journey. The Gladiator, although, could be very simple to pilot for tons of of miles at a time. Small additions like the froth sound-deadening materials on the ceiling panels add simply that rather more to the driving expertise. 

In city, the Gladiator is a deal with to drive when in comparison with bigger vans. One would possibly anticipate the big tires to make for a tough trip however in actuality, they proved quiet and clean. In reality, at medium to low speeds, they make poor highway situations really feel higher than they’d in any other case. Thanks to its comparatively small dimension in comparison with full-size vans and wonderful visibility, it’s simpler to park and to coax by way of tighter site visitors situations. 

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The drivetrain is usually optimistic too however with one large caveat. The 3.6-liter V6 doesn’t get a lot love within the shadow of V8 Jeeps or twin-turbocharged inline-sixes. Nevertheless, it’s a really agreeable engine, and matching it as much as this eight-speed gearbox makes for a swish pairing. The huge draw back although is that this Gladiator struggled to attain even reasonably good gasoline economic system. 

Jeep says it’ll stand up to 17 mpg within the metropolis, 22 mpg on the freeway, and 19 mpg mixed. Our Gladiator by no means got here near any of these figures. We solely managed to get 14.3 mpg over the primary half of our driving. That included metropolis, freeway, and a few off-road driving.

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Over the second half of our week with it gasoline economic system solely dipped additional down lastly resting at simply 12.7 mpg mixed. To be honest to the Gladiator, lots of these miles had been on the town however regardless of that, it appears as if the room to enhance on this side of design is the dimensions of a small gorge. 

Of course, there’s a payoff for individuals who extremely prioritize journey, the best way that this Jeep manages off-road adventures. Put merely, it’s much more at dwelling the place folks don’t construct their properties. On sticky mud or free gravel, the broad tires discover buy and assist it proceed making progress. Where we drove the Gladiator, it rained for days and days. That made for a number of water crossings and only a few dry surfaces on which to realize buy.

Despite that, this pickup by no means appeared something lower than utterly assured over no matter floor we threw at it. The Rubicon particularly is filled with helpful off-road gear like a disconnectable entrance sway bar and locking differentials. Jeep homeowners who add further gear after buy can use the factory-integrated auxiliary switches to regulate their aftermarket tech. 

Onboard cameras make it very simple to position the wheels and to search out the proper line up or down off-road obstacles. The Gladiator additionally has sensors to assist drivers understand how pitched or rolled the Jeep is at any given second. It received’t assist whenever you’re in your roof, however it may possibly convey a way of calm to occupants after they notice that they’re removed from the restrict of both. 

Competition

We’ve pushed plenty of mid-size vans during the last 12 months, and whereas the Gladiator stands out off-road, overwhelming majority of drivers spend their time on tarmac. It’s there too the place vans just like the GMC Canyon, Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, and Toyota Tacoma beat the Gladiator. 

Not solely do these vans usually have a much more comfy and tech-savvy cabin, however they trip higher on the highway too. On prime of that, many supply significantly higher gasoline economic system with out dropping the battle on energy or torque. On prime of all that, most can be found for lower than what Jeep asks. Notably, Toyota and GMC each have vans on supply that price much more than probably the most dear Gladiator. 

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At the higher finish of the spectrum, and for individuals who really love off-roading, this Jeep makes much more sense contemplating its extremely succesful ability set. For consumers who don’t plan to go mountaineering or creek fording although, it’s price contemplating different choices. 

Finally, let’s speak about security and guarantee protection as a result of each matter. Jeep continues to be ages behind different vans on the subject of passive and energetic security gear. Features like blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, and adaptive cruise management are pay-to-play extras moderately than customary options. That’s maybe effective on a sub-$30,000 econobox however in actuality, even these usually include such options at the moment. To omit them from a premium-esque truck looks like significantly cheaping out. 

At least there’s some excellent news on the subject of guarantee protection although. While Jeep supplies the industry-standard three-years or 36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper protection and 5 years of powertrain protection, it no less than stands out a bit for providing free upkeep. New homeowners get that for 3 years no matter mileage. 

Final Thoughts

The Gladiator isn’t a revelation. It hasn’t taken the truck phase by storm or utterly reimagined what it means to be a truck. Instead, it’s distilled down what Jeep lovers love probably the most and crammed it right into a pickup kind. In reality, it’s completed that each one with out being unruly to drive or overly giant like so many different vans on sale at the moment. 

At the identical time, the Gladiator jogs my memory a little bit of the Ford Bronco Everglades we examined in Colorado. It’s so succesful that it’s full overkill within the mild of what most homeowners really will use it for. 

Rival vans on this phase usually present extra inside consolation and higher gasoline economic system. Those points of design are extra sensible and can hold the Gladiator from (no less than for now) being the de facto truck on this area. 

The enchantment for this pickup actually comes right down to Jeep followers themselves. It’s the whole lot folks love concerning the Wrangler however with much more general utility. Does it have flaws? Plenty. Are folks nonetheless going to purchase it after which by no means use the mattress or go off-road with it? Absolutely. And that’s completely effective as vehicles just like the Gladiator are greater than how they make you are feeling and what the can do moderately than what you propose to make use of them for.

Image Credit: Stephen Rivers