Jeep Wrangler Versus Jeep Gladiator (Which Is The Better Buy?) | Inside Line

Shortly after trading my 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon JL in on a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, I was routinely asked to compare the two. I am still genuinely surprised at how many Wrangler owners are considering making the leap from the classic SUV to the new midsized truck. After all, the Wrangler is proven a proven dual-purpose vehicle, and for many asking, is often the one already parked in the driveway. Having made the leap myself, and logged thousands of miles on both platforms, I feel I am finally at a place where I can truly give you my sincere take on the major differences between the two.
00:00 Intro
00:19 Major similarities & differences
03:27 Powertrains
05:47 Truck vs SUV
07:23 Off-road
10:37 2024 differences
10:58 Which is the better value?
11:19 Is the Rubicon package worth it?
11:45 outro
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[@offgridrecon]

+1 for the Gladiator button->

[@bobbean5968]

EVERYONE needs a truck at some point. Just sold my 2020 2.0 liter Wrangler and got a 3.6liter Gladiator. I loved my Wrangler, but love the Gladiator even more.

[@xanderjackson8518]

Personally I'm Team Gladiator. The only reason I bought it was because of the bed, but if Jeep ever produced something like the Overlook concept I would have just gone for that. Scrambler style.

[@tysonvance]

Bought a 23 ecodiesel rubicon gladiator then added a 3.5in metalcloak gamechanger with 37s.... 100% perfect everywhere from Moab to the beaches on NC

[@devnull128]

We have both, love both, but I’d take the Gladiator if I could only have one. Awesome video as usual.

[@LOLewie]

The gladiator is really under appreciated. Especially from buyers shopping mid sized trucks. like the colorado or ranger. I parked next to a friends Colorado. Same exact size bed..... Yet people are always so quick to point out the Gladiators less than 8 foot bed lol. The Gladiator has a WAY larger back seat area than the ranger or colorado. While having basically the same bed. Plus the ability to remove the doors and roof. Plus lets face it. The aftermarket support for jeeps is unlimited.

[@ljciaram]

Better tow rating too with the max tow, by 50 pounds but still counts 😄

[@danoesq2]

Got a '23 Gladiator Rubicon after heavy consideration and love it.

[@vertstang123]

I've got both, the Gladiator is a 23, the Wrangler an 18, the truck is quieter and rides better, but I love both.

[@ljciaram]

Gladiator bed with the trail rail system, you can make anything work. Bed size not an issue. I didnt think i would need it but its been a life saver

[@DUNEATV]

I absolutely love my 2024 Wrangler Rubicon XR! There is a noticeable difference in interior quietness even using the Bluetooth for phone calls is better. The extreme recon package is worth its weight in gold! Also love the full floating rear axle with 5000 pound towing rating. With that being said, I wish I had extra money to also purchase a Gladiator for truck use around the house. There is just something so cool about the look of a lifted Gladiator. I am also shocked that the Gladiator doesn’t sell like crazy. Such a cool platform for people who like to go outdoors and go off road… by far the most capable midsize truck ever made. I could go on and on! Love your Jeep videos!!! 🍻

[@PuffyDucks]

Had a 23 wrangler rubicon with 2.0L. Traded after about 6 months. Didn’t like engine or cargo capacity. Now have 23 gladiator rubicon with 3.6L. Love it. Also rides a bit smoother in my opinion. Great video!

[@camaroboi13]

I have a 22 Gladiator Overland diesel, and a 24 Wrangler Willys. Love em both, but the JTOD logs way more miles than the JLU. Both have big lifts and 37s with the same shocks.

[@sarge502jeep]

Gladiator all day

[@rubicon4wheeler]

I appreciate that with so many different trim levels and engine options, Jeep has something for almost everyone. I'm head-over-heels in love with my Gladiator Rubicon Diesel.

[@SteveH98264]

Ali, I really appreciate you content concerning both the Wranglers and Gladiators. It's nice having someone who isn't trying to please advertisers to tell us what works.

[@user-fk2dm5oy9f]

I ordered my '21 Willy's gladiator with the manual transmission and I haven't had any problems with it and I have almost 64,000 miles on it. I even tow my 4 place snowmobile trailer with my gladiator and it works just fine. 🙂

[@AKBRONCOSFAN007]

What’s the issue with the diesel? I love my ‘22 Gladiator Willys Ecodiesel. I just had the fuel pump replaced as part of the recall and because I had to wait so long before the dealer gave me back my JT I got a Maxcare extended warranty for 8 yrs/125K miles. The FSA advisor hooked me up big time. I sold my Tacoma during the pandemic and made $13K on it. I looked at the Gladiator in 2020/2021 but they were outrageously priced especially here in Alaska. So, I test drove two JTs, one with the 3.8L and one with the 3.0L diesel. I fell in love with that little diesel and haven’t looked back. I do agree with your take on the practicality of the JT.

[@RanchoTexano]

looks like the 392 will be here for 2025 as well in the JL. The JT is the ultimate for overlanding and camping in very remote places, just the spots I like to go.

[@TheBeagleBrigade]

Excellent review. I love my Gladiator Mojave. 37s are going on tomorrow and losing the tonneau cover for a smartcap which is on the way to take complete advantage of the bed space. I traded in my F150 for this sexy beast.

[@ss84human14]

Good video mate, thank you from a JTR owner down under 👍

[@abbasforamerica7508]

GREAT VIDEO ALI! SO INFORMATIVE ! I LOVE THE 392 I ENJOY EVERY MOMENT DRIVING IT! WELL DONE BROTHER!

[@WolfOverland]

Respectfully disagree with the diesel motor. Absolutely love my diesel. No issues. 20+ mpg on 37s and tractor like crawl power 💪 You make a lot of valid points on the gladiator vs wrangler. I went back and fourth myself and obviously because I was using as an overland rig and needed the space the gladiator for better for me. I just love how jeep makes so many different variation so you can buy one that fits what you plan on doing with it.

[@scorpio13617]

If the Gladiator had been available with the 392 I would have gone that route without a doubt. Instead I ordered a ‘22 392 and had it sent directly to AEV for their JL370 package. It was very expensive at $114,000 out the door, but it’s an extremely special and unique rig that I will take to the grave.

[@chrislarsen1033]

Diesel is a no go. Had to trade mine in on the way to work the diesel left me stranded 5 times. Once on my way back from Arizona and once in Northern Alberta for two weeks. It was the DEF system every time.

[@LongRangeDesertGroupX]

I opted for the Gladiator over the Wrangler although sometimes I do think what it would be like to have a Wrangler. I camp/overland so I felt the Gladiator's 5 foot bed was a better set up for adding a Bed Rack to mount a Roof Top Tent or adding a Soft Topper and just putting the rear gate down and throwing a bed in the back and sleeping that way.

[@miketrent7976]

Have a ‘22 Gladdy with the six speed manual and love it. I’d prefer more power under the hood, but I get by just fine! Thx for this video

[@brsnow225]

'22 diesel Rubicon gladiator, stock, love it, have the Mopar lift kit sitting in the crate waiting for a day that's not crazy hot and a spare set of hands. A Rubicon will clear 35s without a lift but you can stuff a wheel up there too far. We can disagree, early when you were talking about ride quality and liked the Wrangler over the Gladiator, I get what you're saying, I drove several of each before I put my order in. I didn't get to drive a 392, but I can imagine that probably weighs in comparable to the diesel, ~extra 1k over the gas 3.6. for my feel, even the diesel wrangler feels like it is ready to get squirrelly at a moments notice, the gladiator feels smoother to me, especially with more weighr in the front, the back end will be bouncy if you don't have stuff back there, its a truck thing...hahaaa. I regularly haul 1500-2000# in the bed, and it does drive a lot smoother, yes i know its over sticker but those numbers are all fluffed up

[@brsnow225]

I'll have to circle back around when I get the Mopar lift in, it's got the bigger Fox shocks, saw they started mixing Falcon ones too at some point. Don't have anything to make an opinion either way, keeps it off the ground and doesn't really matter up till then

[@Jackal_Blitz]

For me, JLUs are for people who want the sweet spot between offroading and daily practicality. Two-doors are the ultimate offroaders right out of the parking lot.

[@user-fk2dm5oy9f]

If people are so worried about the wheelbase on a jeep gladiator, then buy the 2 door wrangler because the 4 door wrangler has a longer wheelbase.

[@Bakeneko449]

I have a 2022 Gladiator Sport Diesel. I do take it off road but I use it in sand and haven't done any trails. Mileage freeway is between 29 and 32mpg. When towing drops to 20 to 21. In town We average 23mpg. So far great vehicle. We love it. Did have a recall on fuel pump, but we knew that the fuel pump was designed for EU market. Oil changes are a little pricey and fuel filter needs to be change every other oil change. And we do own a 21 rubicon jl. I do agree that the Manual transmission is junk. So question is why not a Diesel Jeep for off road? Is it a personal preference? Other than that great video and information.

[@DrivingLine]

It’s more of a personal preference thing for sure. My experience with modern emissions equipped diesels has been terrible (reliability and recalls). The people that I know with EcoDiesel Gladiators have been split in terms of issues. I used to be very pro-diesel in general, but I’ve been burnt too many times at this point to justify the diesel option.

[@drkenshaw]

Way off base saying the Gladiator Rubicon needs an additional lift and bigger tires to drive on anything worse than a gravel road. My 2020 JTR with no lift is amazingly capable on some pretty good trails such as Windrock. Unless you're doing significant rock crawling, the Gladiator will do fine. 95% or more of the things a similarly equipped Wrangler will do. I'd have a hard time going back to a Wrangler (I've had 2) because of the bed. I do wish they'd give us a hemi. A hemi upgrade in a Ram doesn't cost an extra $25,000 like it does in a Wrangler.

[@dos0711]

I've had both and I'm a fan of the Gladiators versatility. It's a jack of all trades but a master of none. Which is better than a master of one.

[@yrrah89]

I have a gladiator sport s and i love it!!!

[@je1540]

Love my Rubicon Gladiator. I have 35’s and the upgraded Rubicon Fox 2.5” shocks. But I do want to level it out and put on 37s and maybe get it a little smoother. Advice?

[@DrivingLine]

You can do a 1 inch TeraFlex spacer up front with a 1 inch bump stop. Outback, you could do a Daystar 3/4-inch spacer. That would give you enough to run a 37 and have a fairly level appearance.

[@camaroboi13]

Fox shocks are some of the smoothest out there because they’re severely under dampened. Not gonna get much softer than that.

[@hdm-nm]

It's a shame the XR package with 35" tires and 4:56 gears (+ optional 4:88) is not offered on the Gladiator.

[@DrivingLine]

I agree. Complete missed opportunity. I’m hopeful that will come eventually given the sales are so poor currently.

[@backwoodstherapy]

Love my Wrangler. Want to keep it forever. Also want a Gladiator. Jeeps are addictive.

[@CharlieO77]

You’re making me regret my decision of getting a Wrangler instead of a Gladiator. Already compromised getting a 4 door instead of the 2 door bc I’m engaged 🙁

[@Greg-oo1zm]

My opinion is if u own a house or have a wife, and don’t already own a pickup, buy a gladiator. Doing the honey do’s and projects around house, u really need a pickup, for those trips to Lowe’s or Home Depot. Having a pickup bed makes it sooo much easier. If ur a single guy or already have a pickup buy a wrangler. Something I have been considering, buying a wrangler but towing it with my gladiator 😮 when I want to do some more technical rock crawling. My issue is I don’t know which would be the wife’s jeep 😅

[@LukeEdward]

I own both and swap them as daily’s, manual and automatic. Unfortunately, the Gladiator is more practical. But I love my Wrangler slightly better.

[@bruceklassen8261]

I love my Gladiator

[@ShaunsJeep]

Sad day for Jeep. No engine change anytime soon makes me sad. I been holding out on my 21 JTR for trading in. I am currently looking at the new Zr2 bisons. I wish Jeep would give us more torque and options on the gearing for the Gladiators and the free float axle. I wish Stellantis didn't purchase them.

[@mblake0420]

Max tow sport with black shocks isnt bouncy.....different springs shocks and ride hight. 7600lbs tow 1580lbs payload

[@sao007]

Mojave gladiator drive almost like a cadillac on the tarmac major advantage over the wrangler😊

[@fitzgeraldstoner2200]

Lies or you have never been in a Cadillac lol

[@Shakshuka69]

Doesn't every Gladiator come with Dana 44s? And every Gladiator with max tow package comes with the full floater.

[@hdm-nm]

Yes, but no full float axle on the Gladiator in any model.

[@Shakshuka69]

@@hdm-nm dang. I thought the HD D44 on the max tow JTs had a full float rear

[@hdm-nm]

@@Shakshuka69 Yeah, if the full float had been used on the Gladiator, it would be on the Rubicon and Mojave models as well as the Max Tow.

[@jakemordue2585]

Why are you recommending to stay away from the diesel?

[@DrivingLine]

My experience with modern emissions equipped diesels has been terrible (reliability and recalls). The people that I know with EcoDiesel Gladiators have been split in terms of issues. I don’t feel as though the extra torque and fuel economy is worth what I believe could be expensive equipment issues and potential reliability problems. The added cost and the fact that they are now being discontinued in the JT, tends to make me a bit cautious to recommend them.

[@jakemordue2585]

Thanks so much I really appreciate it!

[@dodger0101]

The sales of the hybrid models are very low. They can’t get rid of them.

[@jonathan.sullivan]

Just bought one, 4xe JLU Rubi. The % off MSRP plus -$15K in incentives made it a no brainer. A $71K sticker Jeep for $45K.

[@dodger0101]

@@jonathan.sullivan Uh huh…

[@drkenshaw]

The 4XE is the best selling hybrid in America. Hybrids in general just aren't selling.

[@McExplorer1]

If the 2025 gladiator doesn't come with the 3.0 hurricane engine, then I won't buy one. Ford bronco it is. Jeep just made my decision for me.

[@blakemarchand6650]

I’m so sad they aren’t making a new engine for either the JL or JT what a joke

[@DrivingLine]

I agree. I was pretty disappointed when I heard that.

[@bdd1469]

The only way a gladiator is a work truck is if your tools consist of nothing more than a lap top. I drove a 2023 3.6 for a week. I couldn't wait to get back in my 18 year old silverado.

[@DUNEATV]

Well, that Gladiator will take you to the back of the most beautiful mountain trails in Moab. It’s a special type of vehicle…

[@camaroboi13]

Traded my Silverado for my Gladiator. I knew what I was getting, and I’m very happy with mine.

[@philroberts4231]

Traded in my 2024 Silverado RST for a 2024 Gladiator Willys and could not be more pleased. The issues with the 5.3 and the 6.2 GM gas engines failing due to the AFM & DFM is unreal. Many issues with their 8 speed transmission that is mated with the 4 cylinder TurboMax as well. Maybe your ok with your older Silverado, but be very careful with the newer Silverado and GMC trucks.

[@DUNEATV]

@@philroberts4231 I have a 2024 Wrangler Rubicon XR but my buddy has the Gladdy. We both have the 3.6L 8-speed…just an amazing platform. Smooth quiet and surprisingly fuel efficient. 18-20 mpg. Most important the parts are plentiful and it’s easy to work on if we end up keeping them long term. Lots of the 2018-2024 3.6L have lots of trouble free miles! My 2021 Rubicon took a beating in Moab for years…never one issue! 💪