Jeep Gladiator. Worth the price or overpriced?

bannerp

bannerp

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Dec 4, 2011
Location
Newland NC
I'm really digging the Gladiator, I've always liked the JK unlimited but need for a truck restricts that dream but the Gladiator bridges that gap for me.

I just cant seem to get over the price tho. I spec'd an overland thru a local dealer in Boone and it was $46k+taxes and fees. That's getting into diesel truck prices. I'm having issues justifying that kind of price for a truck. Especially a mid size.
 

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Any Jeep is over priced, but I don't think you've priced many new trucks lately if you think that's high. That's half assed decent f150 territory and about 25k short of new diesel truck prices. Apples to apples.
Obviously if you wait a year the price is gonna come down some, they pretty popular right now.
 
You can get a really nice 4x4, V8, 4dr truck with a bigger bed for that money, or you can own a Jeep “truck”. It’s all going to depend on the individual person.
 
You're pricing and comparing the wrong trucks, If you want a Gladiator to do Truck Stuff, the comparison is another Mid Size Truck, Tacoma, Colorado, Frontier... In that class, the Gladiator is top of the class for Truck Stuff in base trim; towing, hauling and off-road capability (I'm talking Base Trucks, Yes you can get Colorado Bisons, Tocoma TRDs, and Frontier Pro4xs, But Those compare to Gladiator Rubicons).

And all you want is a base Sport Gladiator with the Max Tow Package for about $38,500, still high for the class, but the best 'Truck' in the class in my opinion....

Build & Price Your New Jeep® Vehicle | Jeep®
 
GONOVRIT said:
You can get a really nice 4x4, V8, 4dr truck with a bigger bed for that money, or you can own a Jeep “truck”. It’s all going to depend on the individual person.
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Already have a 16 Ram 2500 Cummins. Its just too much truck to drive 22 miles to work each day.
 
@braxton357 I agree 100% i know trucks are outrageous these days. I just like the removable top aspect
 
tw89yj said:
Buy one. It’s the perfect dd for me. I was tired of driving a long bed crew cab truck daily, but still need a truck. This fits the bill for me.
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That thing is SICK. Did you opt for the 8 speed or stick to manual? What's the real world fuel economy?
 
I wouldn't buy a new model anything, especially if it has as much buzz around it as the gladiator. Dealers are throwing premiums on these things, and they are bound to have manufacturing / design flaws that won't be overcome after at least 2 model years.

Hang back, wait for the frenzy to die down, and the quality to go up.....let me leave you with a couple of things to think about....below are a few models off the top of my mind that came with crazy premiums, and were later upgraded, improved, or impossible to give away do to the fall out of the initial interest.....heck, even the scrambler originally came with narrow track axles.

I would hold out until they release a model with the 8HP75 ZF automatic, or get the manual....a friend worked on the 8HP50's and said they weren't up to the task of handling power adders or abuse.

The new beetle
PT Cruiser
Prowler
YJ
GTO
H3 Hummer
 
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bannerp said:
That thing is SICK. Did you opt for the 8 speed or stick to manual? What's the real world fuel economy?
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Thanks! I love it. I got the 8spd auto. So far, 2800 miles on it and it’s getting 16-17 mpg on 37s.


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1) I’m not a Jeep guy, but I dig these
2) Whether there’s any merit to it or not, I never buy the first iteration of anything, generally prefer to wait for the kinks and bugs to be worked out
3) Unless going the economy vehicle route these days, $40-50k seems to be the going rate to get in anything new.
 
shelby27604 said:
I wouldn't buy a new model anything, especially if it has as much buzz around it as the gladiator. Dealers are throwing premiums on these things, and they are bound to have manufacturing / design flaws that won't be overcome after at least 2 model years.

Hang back, wait for the frenzy to die down, and the quality to go up.....let me leave you with a couple of things to think about....below are a few models off the top of my mind that came with crazy premiums, and were later upgraded, improved, or impossible to give away do to the fall out of the initial interest.....heck, even the scrambler originally came with narrow track axles.

I would hold out until they release a model with the 8HP75 ZF automatic, or get the manual....a friend worked on the 8HP50's and said they weren't up to the task of handling power adders or abuse.

The new beetle
PT Cruiser
Prowler
YJ
GTO
H3 Hummer
Click to expand...

I get what you are saying, but this vehicle is essentially the same as the JL that has been out for almost 2 years. And you can’t really compare it to anything you listed.


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tw89yj said:
I get what you are saying, but this vehicle is essentially the same as the JL that has been out for almost 2 years. And you can’t really compare it to anything you listed.


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It's a cool looking rig, but I am just too cheap.....I have bought one new vehicle in my life, and it was purposefully bought 2 model years before the next generation came out (which made a great bargaining chip)......everything on that rig for that generation was a minimum of 5 years old to that platform. If I bought a gladiator and two years down the road they tossed a 5.7l or a 6.4l hemi....or a decent diesel engine, I would wish I had of hung out and waited for it to drop, and I would likely end up punching a dealer in the face if he told me "how hard these first generations are to sell" when I went to trade in for the newer model.

Some people see depreciation as just part of the game, or can justify the complete lack of maintenance as cost justification to buy new cars....I tried that, and discovered I am just not that type of person.

If money were no object, a new Rubicon Gladiator would definitely be in my stable though.
 
@shelby27604 I've been an auto tech for 14 years I know 1st renderings have issues. And for certain it would be Manual. I understand completely what you are saying tho about waiting. But have others have stated its basically a longer JL and been out a little bit.
 
If you gotta have it and have the cash, AND you are buying a manual transmission....I say go for it, I would bet the take rate on the manuals is pretty low (at the dealer last month I saw 1 JL of 50 on the lot with a 6 speed, and it was the price leader tagged at $215/month lease)....I would imagine a stick shift gladiator will be something of value down the road.

With all the buzz, and the fact that so many people are buying Gladiators at these premiums, I imagine Chrysler will dig into its bag of tricks and toss a hemi into this truck in the 3rd year of production (Both to lure existing owners back and because Chrysler has been making BANK off of all of its special option SRT models these days).....this will allow them to really dig into the mid-sized truck market and to start grabbing "best in class blah blah" that they likely can't grab with the pentastar.

I would also imagine that the Hemi will see some frame modifications (for torque capacity, and increased towing capacity) and it will definitely get a beefier transmission. All of that being said, if you are looking for a manual transmission, this might not matter, it is rare these days that the big engines also get a handshaker attached to them, very little development goes into the manual transmission options, who knows, a low take rate might mean 2 or 3 years in....you can't buy a 6 speed Gladiator.....the last gasser truck with a stick shift (from the big 3) was the SRT Dodge Ram if I remember correctly.
 
If I could afford it, I would get one. I need just enough truck for the occasional tow and loading up at Lowe's, and just enough Jeep to take the top off on a nice day. Aside from money my only hang up is the wheelbase and length considering I gotta squeeze my daily into a packed parking garage at work.
 
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