Gladiator - The Ultimate Midsize?

Gladiator Joins The Battle

- Rick Pewe

Named for its stellar predecessors from the ’60s and ’70s, the specs on paper alone make the new ’20 Jeep Gladiator appear to honor the past and blow away the current competition. It’s a dedicated, real truck with a separate bed, not just a Wrangler with a longer bed tackedon the end like the old-school Scrambler. That was one reason for the name selection; Jeep knew it had to do it right and build a fully off-road–capable Jeep as well as a fully functional truck with four doors and a usable bed—exactly what this current market needs. Of course, it looks like a Wrangler, which it is supposed to.

While the cab and forward sheetmetal is the same or similar to a Wrangler, it is decidedly different in every other respect. The frame is specific to the Gladiator, as are the bigger axles, brakes, wheels, suspension, and thankfully, the available 33-inch mud-terrain tires on the Rubicon model. The Falken M/Ts are LT285/70R17 with a C load rating, while the Sport and Sport S get 245/75R17 Bridgestone Dueler HT 685 or A/T RH-S tires and the Overland gets the 255/70R18 Bridgestone Dueler HT 685 or A/T RH-S tires—all interesting choices for an OE-style tire on a Jeep. Even the grille is modified for better airflow due to the cooling requirements of a truck that can actually tow; it’s rated at a 7,650-pound towing capacity and 1,600-pound payload, which out-specs the competition. With a wheelbase of 137 inches and a 5-foot box, the Gladiator is about 400 pounds heavier than a comparable Wrangler Unlimited.