Jeep Gladiator: Are you not entertained?
I’m not sure what could be more fun than removing the doors and roof from Jeep’s new four-door pickup truck and cruising around town on a warm summer day.
The 2020 Gladiator with a 60-inch bed is the first pickup produced by Jeep in over 25 years. The original Gladiator pickup debuted in 1963, the tiny Scrambler was introduced in 1981 but had only a four-year production run and the Comanche came out in the mid-’80s with production ending in 1992.
Today’s Gladiator, with a wide stance, maintains an authentic Jeep design with an iconic combination of circular headlights and a seven-slot grille. The nose is bookended by oversized trapezoidal wheel flares with front turn signals and running lights integrated into the leading edge of the fenders. Running boards that span the Jeep’s wheelbase are aesthetically pleasing but too high to utilize. The four-door cab is wellproportioned against the pickup bed that extends past the rear wheels. Blocky rear taillights further distinguish the Gladiator as a Jeep.
The Gladiator is available in four different trim configurations. A base level
Sport model starts at $33,545 and my Overland test model, painted fire engine red with heated light brown leather-trimmed seats, topped out at $54,740 with adaptive cruise control and forward-collision warning. The loaded Overland also included an 8.4-inch multimedia screen neatly integrated into the dashboard with large, soft-touch control knobs. While my test model had an eight-speed automatic, I would have preferred the available sixspeed manual transmission.
Regardless of trim selection, the Gladiator comes equipped with a 3.6-liter, V-6 engine that makes 285 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. A diesel engine option will also be available with slightly less horsepower but nearly double the amount of torque. The Gladiator has over 7,000 pounds of towing capacity. I averaged 20 mpg during my weeklong evaluation.
Behind the wheel, the Jeep felt like an off-road warrior with a noticeable amount of road noise, truck-like handling and an active suspension that inspired confidence when the pavement ended. The Gladiator, with skid plates that protect the undercarriage, has a true 4×4 system that requires a concerted effort to engage.
The Gladiator’s interior is well-built and just as rugged as the exterior, with a limited amount of storage compartments. Everything about the utilitarian Jeep is well thought out, with USB and AC outlets and easy-to-move seats. I did appreciate the factory-provided tool kit for removing the roof and doors, as well as the storage compartment under the rear seats to safely secure the hardware for the doors and roof. Also under the rear seats are lockable compartments for securing valuables.
The new Jeep Gladiator was a blast to drive, and as I write this review, I’m trying to figure out how I can afford one. Perhaps if I wait a few years, I might find a used one, but the only problem is Jeeps in general tend to hold their value.