2024 Colorado ZR2 Or Jeep Gladiator Rubicon - COMPARISON - What Would You Buy?

2024 Colorado ZR2 Or Jeep Gladiator Rubicon - COMPARISON - What Would You Buy?
Xbull 13500 XRS Winch: amzn.to/49JSh0Q
Xbull Winch Cradle: amzn.to/49GCJL8
30 Foot Cables I used: amzn.to/3Pfpp8g
Snatch ring & Soft Shackles: amzn.to/43al6AW
Great off road accessories:
Traction boards: amzn.to/3ObpBnY
Snatch strap: amzn.to/3rHQ0C7
Recovery Strap: amzn.to/43BlzuC
Saw: amzn.to/3Q4riWN
Soft shackles: amzn.to/3XZL5bT
Viaair compressor: amzn.to/3uS2Mgc
Tacoma Bed Panels: amzn.to/3rCFWKK
As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Patreon Member Bonuses: www.patreon.com/tradbowpodcas...
Patreon page is our space to provide exclusive member benefits.
Those benefits include the following and more!
Map My Hunt Videos that detail full break downs of my set ups and what animals do and did in that location.
Game processing, butchering, boning, packing meat videos.
Arrow lethality detailed videos.
Blood trailing videos, tips and tricks.
Harvest videos caught on camera showing the whole hunt from shot to recovery to packing out.
Members exclusive podcasts.
Member exclusive videos.
BOWHUNTING WHITETAILS ONLINE VIDEO COURSE:
Want the most comprehensive bowhunting Whitetails info ever created?
Check out the Bowhunting Whitetails Online Course: tbwpodcast.com/hunting-courses/
SAVE THOUSANDS COURSE:
Getting ready to buy a new truck, car, boat, rv, atv, tractor, trailer or other toy?
Let me show you how to save thousands of dollars if not 10 thousand dollars on that purchase! Check out my Save thousands Course! I promise it will be the smartest purchase you ever make!
tbwpodcast.com/save-thousands-...
MONETIZE YOUR PASSIONS AND HOBBIES COURSE:
This course was created to teach you how to turn your hobbies into a successful business or help you start a new business.
This course will hold your hand thru the entire process of building your business including, naming, llc, insurance, website design, marketing, social media marketing, networking, taxes, accounting, management, etc.
tbwpodcast.com/monetize-your-p...
TRADITIONAL BOWHUNTING AND WILDERNESS PODCAST EPISODES:
tbwpodcast.com

[@DefianceMoraine]

Jason, I think a recurring theme of your truck comparisons is that people have to consider how they are going to use a truck in order to select the right one. You chose a Gladiator Rubicon because to you wanted to get through the mud in the swamps. I chose a loaded Gladiator High Altitude because I wanted to get over the landscaped medians in parking lots in order to beat Prius drivers to nice parking spaces. Of course, whatever trim level you get, there is something special about a Jeep.

[@itsallminor6133]

😂

[@SamkoWorkShop]

You are spot on! It's important to find the vehicle that best suits you and your needs. If I was back in Michigan where it was just 2 tracks and fire roads I'd be in a colorado trailboss. Down here in some swamps it's very bad. But like you I 100% love driving over medians for short cuts😂 especially at strip malls that want to herd me around like cattle through the whole place. But all I have to do is hope a curb and pull right out to the main road. That ability is worth it's weight in gold!

[@is6566]

@user…. I love when people use their vehicles for the full potential of the manufacturer intended purposes. 😃

[@Coyote5555]

Bro I go over curbs and scare those Prius all the time

[@anthonybeal1265]

Amen! Only in a JEEP!!

[@Strawman333]

IMO the Colorado is the best at performance, and appearance, than any other truck in its class.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

The colorado sure is amazing!

[@svdcleveland]

Being able to go topless and doorless is a major overlooked fun factor of the Gladiator. Otherwise Id say the Bison is better everywhere.

[@Good-luck-Jonathan]

Bought my diesel gladiator Rubicon. Got a great deal on it too and no more diesel. I’ve already upgraded it 300+ horsepower 500+ foot pounds of torque 30+ MPG. Aesthetically the Jeep gladiator is on another level and timeless.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Outstanding. So jealous of the diesel. Sounds amazing

[@timricks1149]

If you want a truck that drives awesome on the road and will wheel on the weekends almost as good as a Jeep_ get the Chevy Colorado ZR2. I have a 2018 ZR2 and those trucks are very capable and drive like butter on the road. If you want a truck that is absolutely the best off roader but drives ok on the road get the JEEP.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

would 100% agree with that. Both are absolutely amazing!

[@jasonveldhuis9471]

Excellent research man. Great comparisons and well thought out. Always been a Jeep lover especially the Rubicon because I liked all the goodies and tough parts included. I was really at the Gladiator Rubicon to fit my family needs for our property and fun. Weekend warrior. Got my 2500 for big jobs and pulling and now my kids have their own trucks. So my wife and I decided on a 24 Colorado Bison. Your video helped us with our decision. There’s no more potholes, curbs, logs. This thing is a marshmallow in the few trails that we’ve been down. Hiway manners are awesome! Set the cruise at 85 and you’re doing 85 uphill, downhill or bucking 25 mph winds. Changing the oil at 500 miles. And yes, it’s damn better looking than a Gladiator!

[@SamkoWorkShop]

That bison is the sexiest truck made. The zr2 is dang sexy too. But the bison 35s make the proportions work so good. Congratulations on such an amazing truck.

[@aaronolson6205]

Definitely want to see tow rating video on different Gladiator models ( rubicon vs Willy’s etc etc, ) thanks for all your research

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Just did a tow rating for all mid size vids. Gladiator with max tow package is 7600 pounds, Mojave is 6k and rubicon is 7000. Manuals are 4500 pounds for rubicon and mojave.

[@is6566]

Very good comparison. I would also add that if you don’t care about resale value and you want to modify the truck then you can do it more easily yourself on the Gladiator. Adding a winch and winch capable steel front bumper, steel rear bumper, skid plates, rocksliders to a Wrangler in the driveway is very easy. If you want to resell or trade in then don’t do mods because you lose all the money you added and make the truc’s resale appeal worse as you narrowed the potential buyer pool. However, if you want to keep the truck forever and don’t care resale then you can do mods and get a manual, Sport Gladiator with narrow Rubicon axles (Dana 44) without lockers for $37k. You can modify that truck for $10k over the years to have better lockers, regeared to 4.56 or better, steel winch ready front and steel rear bumpers, better rock sliders, full set of skid plates (better than Rubicon factory) small suspension lift. After the mods for $47k you will have Bison equivalent capability and armor on the Gladiator. Not Rubicon or Bison resale value but capability. The transfer case is not 4:1 though but with manual and regearing to 4.56 you eventually get better crawl ratio on the modded stick shift Sport than factory Rubicon auto. The reason for better capabilities is that other than the regearing and lockers you can do everything yourself (and do it right) so most of the $10k goes into high quality parts vs labor. You can also buy parts at discount if you do it Black Friday sales etc…. . Mechanically oriented person can do even the regearing and lockers right as DIY but I wouldn’t touch that myself. I am actually leaning that way now instead of a Bison because I want to keep the truck forever and I don’t care about resale or trade in values. Also in the Gladiator you have much better backseat room. That 5-inch length difference is in the rear seat room.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

All excellent points. And very well explained. And you hit on the key things like resale vs mods and being able to use quality after market parts. Excellent comment! Excellent options.

[@WallyHunter1875]

I’d go with the Gladiator out of the two. Give me the nat aspirated engine and solid front axle.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Definitely love both those features

[@erniegato]

One thing to remember is that a turbocharged engine will not lose anywhere near as much power in higher altitudes as will a normally aspirated engine.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

@@erniegato that is very true

[@sbcbaits994]

@@erniegatoanother thing to remember is that a gladiator will get you places that a Colorado could never. Sooooooooo…

[@carlmcdonald5864]

I have a 2024 ZR2 on order should be here within the next few weeks I would never buy a Jeep again me and my father both bought rubicon's back in 2016 we both had the same problems at roughly the same mileage the engine gave out we both had tranny problems and my father could not get his roof to not leak no matter what he or the dealer did I wish you the best of luck with yours and hopefully it gives you many years of good service

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Congratulations on your new zr2. You are gonna love it

[@TrailsNThings]

I wanted to share something interesting with you concerning the “wandering on the road” with the Gladiator. Mine did the same thing starting around 60 mph or so and just dealt with it. Well I had noticed some rust where the torsion bar connects to the links and brought it to the dealers attention. Yesterday morning they replaced the torsion bar to satisfy my rust concern since it was a brand new vehicle. Immediately after leaving the dealership I noticed an instant improvement in steering especially at speed. It was truly a night and day difference. I had also thought it was twitchy when driving around curves. That was solved as well. It handles very close to how my Ram handled now. Not quite as good, but much closer. Anyway I wanted to share that experience with you because I had accepted the handling as just being part of the solid front axel thing as well. Might be worth checking out. I can send you pics of the rusted area I brought to their attention if you would like as well. Thanks again for another informative video :)

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Very good info to know. So far mine doesn't wander at all with 20k miles on it so far. Actually have a 20k pov driving video coming out next week on it. But if it does start to wander I will keep this in mind.

[@PathsLessTraveled]

Gladiator has way more after market support and can easily be built to outperform the Chevy at almost everything.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Good points

[@mikewatson7420]

Let me cut to the chase: having owned both here's the bottom line if your major focus is off-road the Jeep has a much stronger front and rear axle and is a better choice. If you primarily are a road person the ZR2 drives betters, and is smoother. Reliability and looks the ZR2 wins hands down, Jeep has real engine reliability issues so make sure to check out forums before you buy one. Finally price, The ZR2 is less expensive and will hold its value much better. That's it! Simple, It all boils down to what your going to do with it and what you want to put up with.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

@mikewatson7420 you make good points. But I have a few videos I've done showing some differences. Gladiator us sane peice with all deals for a rubicon as a zr2 is. Resale wise the gladiator does win according to every list chart and data point. And the 3.6 pentistar engine is one of the most reliable engines made today and one of the smartest buys for long term ownership do to easy of repair and cheap part costs.

[@2316207]

Your brothers sisters uncles brothers son brings it all the way back to you , Just having fun

[@SamkoWorkShop]

😂😂😂😂

[@ammo4uragingjudge559]

Jeep should put the sky one touch in the gladiator, I love mine in my jlu.

[@jaredmeche6325]

This is my toughest battle figuring out which of these two to get later this year. I test drove a new Glad Rubicon last week because my only other experience driving solid front was diesel glad with full suspension on 37s. Needless to say, the internet made a bigger deal than it really is between solid front axle and IFS. As much as I love the turbo motor in the ZR2, I'm leaning towards Rubicon. Better underbody protection and can fit up to 37" tire under bed. ZR2 has to put 35" up top. Also, I believe ZR2 can fit 35s with simple spacer and +25offset wheel like Bison for 2023+. 2022 ZR2 did need to cut for AEV fenders, but don't think that's the case on this latest version.

[@is6566]

AFAIK you are right for 35-inch tires for 2023+ vs earlier model ZR2. As for OFS vs solid front axle on road driving experience. I found out something interesting by accident. I have a 2-door Wrangler JL and I modded it by replacing the front axle with a stronger aftermarket axle. It is a Dana Ultimate 44 axle that is one step above Rubicon front axle for strength without the heavy weight of the other aftermarket front axles. Stronger than Rubi factory but not as strong as other heavier aftermarket axles. However, it is as wide as the Rubicon factory axle. I didn’t do the axle swap myself but when the shop did it they had to get a longer sway bar and steering stabilizer installed. The Mopar Rubicon version was on back order so we went with a better aftermarket setup. After the mods the on road highway drive of the truck improved drastically. I don’t know if it’s because of the 1) wider front track, or 2) much beefier sway bar or 3) better steering stabilizer shock or 4) combination of all three, but the on road driving characteristic is day and night different. Before the truck had the wandering effect at highway that needed constant driver input. After the mods, this wandering is completely gone. It drives as almost any other SUV. One finger on the wheel at 70 mph keeps it straight. My point is that very likely by going to a beefier front sway bar and better shock for the steering stabilizer will mostly correct what you feel with the factory Rubicon. YMMV though. Going from Sport setup to much better aftermarket parts and wide stance is much bigger delta than doing the same with a Rubicon.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Yep 2 tough choices! Both are excellent. Both are very capable, reliable and built well. Both are backed by companies that care about customer support.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

@is6566 fantastic info. The 2 door wrangler always wandered more with the shorter wheel base. Atleast the 3 2 doors I owned all did. But they were all lifted and on 35s as well. But in the gladiator there really is no noticeable wander that I'm seeing.

[@DUNEATV]

If you go Off-Road (more than dirt roads) buy the Gladiator Rubicon. The difference between the two are literally night and day! So much you can do easily and relatively cheap with the Gladiator in your garage it’s crazy.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Veey solid points. A gladiator is like playing with Legos with everything you can do to it and so easy.

[@alexcarbery8189]

Ugh a tricked out Gladiator with 4 adults can be up to 8k lbs. on the dunes, 250hp to the wheels just isn’t going to cut it.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

@alexcarbery8189 hp means nothing, gearing is everything. And maybe 6k pounds max. No way it could be 8k. It only has 1200 payload and only weights 5k

[@is6566]

8k pounds would be 2k pounds overloaded. It would probably snap in half.

[@DUNEATV]

@@alexcarbery8189 They do pretty good…I see them in Glamis all the time

[@egenestarr1986]

I think the chevy ZR2 should be the comparison, Rubicon is top of the line in jeep so ZR2 is the top of the line trim level in Colorado with off road package much fairer comparison both nice for this or that :)

[@SamkoWorkShop]

I have MANY videos and comparisons with the zr2. love the zr2

[@egenestarr1986]

@@SamkoWorkShop thanks ill check them out , im sending love i have a jeep gladiator Mojave ha ha

[@SamkoWorkShop]

@egenestarr1986 love the gladiators. Best truck made for my lifestyle. If I can not score a good deal on my next gladiator it will be a zr2 in the driveway

[@egenestarr1986]

@@SamkoWorkShop me too i feel the same,

[@timricks1149]

That little 2.7 liter turbo will turn 35s easily. The ZR2 Bison Edition comes with 35s and same engine and gears

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Im hoping so. But historically thats a very low gear to turn 35s. hp and torque matter, but not as much as gearing does. Im sure Chevy has it all sorted and figured out. But the motor sure will be working to turn them comparatively.

[@MenOfArms]

How about actual test the two vehicle in same trail same driver out of the box no mods!

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Maybe some day when I'm a big channel like tfl and gm and jeep will give me vehicles for a week to test. Until then no dealer is gonna let me

[@MenOfArms]

@@SamkoWorkShop we will definitely see this in the future. That’ll be fun to watch, Thanks for the video.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

@MenOfArms thanks. Hopefully some day I get that popular and manufacturers want to send me vehicles to test. But in the mean time I do what I can.

[@Holden-McGroin]

If I could only have one vehicle I’d take the Gladiator, with a stick. But because I get a company truck from work, my choice would be a 2-door Willy’s Wrangler, with a stick of course. Planning to get one after I buy the wife another house 🙄

[@SamkoWorkShop]

The 2 door wranglers sure are a level of fun nothing else can touch

[@sbcbaits994]

If you don’t off-road or add upgrades, it’s a coin flip. If you do, the Jeep shits all over the Colorado in every aspect. It’s tougher, better off-road in every terrain, and has waaaaaaaay more aftermarket support. Literally the only thing the Chevy offers is aesthetics if you don’t like the look of a Jeep.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Jeep definitely has the aftermarket support and the availability of parts.

[@itsallminor6133]

Sfa gives less articulation. That's always been the trade off. You want a front locker or articulation. Which one? I wouldn't buy either. But if i had to pick one it be zr2. I just never liked jeeps. How they ride. How they drive. And that's a lot of $ to go hard off road with. Build a old one better off. Throw 44s on it. Hell tractor tires. I also have atvs already i don t want a jeep might as well use a side by side.. It's weird. When i see a jeep all i think is "wow that's a really overpriced atv". Might as well buy a Honda atv it be more reliable. Or a Polaris. Jeeps are still to big to go offroad with anyway. You arent going to go through the woods cutting trails with a jeep. It won't fit between trees. Might roll. It's pretty useless offroad too. As in LITERAL offroad. That's why i have atvs. So yeah. I guess i dont get the point of a jeep. If I'm going three towns over through the woods down deer trails that jeep sure the hell isn't going to make it. That's why we have atvs. Jeeps good for playing in a mudhole with your buddies on a weekend. About it. It dont fit in real offroad. It's too big. The original jeeps were smaller. They were smaller for a reason. To fit between and around obstacles.

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Atvs are illegal on state lands here. And trailering atvs daily, loading and unloading, as well as driving in the rain all is a pain in the butt. I've owned it all too. Quads, side x side, dirt bike, dual sports, snowmobile etc. I'll take a jeep all day everyday personally

[@itsallminor6133]

But it don't fit. Too big. Least around me. Maybe out in the middle of the country where there is lots of open land I can see a use for a jeep. Around here, I dunno? Maybe logging roads to haul out firewood? But you really going to spend that much on a vehicle to drag out tree cuts? We used to have a old beat up (chained up) dually for that. It definitely wasn't anything nice. I guess whatever hauls out wood but I still would say neither of these. Don't haul enough and way to nice for a wood truck. I might be missing the point because of location. Open land like south Dakota or Wyoming maybe I'd be all about it. ​@@SamkoWorkShop

[@SamkoWorkShop]

@@itsallminor6133 I don't haul anything, I rarely tow anything. I bought this to get me to hunting and fishing spots I can not yet to with any other vehicle. I don't pull trees out, stumps, or anything like that. This is a transportation tool to get thru the crap so I can hunt

[@Doc1855]

I don’t want either one of them. Their reliability is in the toilet

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Compared to what today? I honestly put these 2 at the top of 2024 midsize trucks available for reliability.

[@Doc1855]

@@SamkoWorkShop Toyota

[@SamkoWorkShop]

Of course😂

[@JohnSmith-tu9kv]

Looking up the road, its a jeep Looking up the road its a toyota, no its a ford or nissan or a colorado, lets wait till we are close and read the badge

[@SamkoWorkShop]

The jeep definitely stands out