The Jeep Wrangler is an iconic SUV that’s well-known for its off-road capabilities, and it’s earned its reputation since it routinely competes with other off-road SUVs. An example of the Wrangler’s competition comes from within the Jeep lineup as the Gladiator is another great off-road vehicle. Despite the fact that they were built by the same company and are similar in many ways, the 2024 Jeep Wrangler still has two advantages over the Jeep Gladiator.

An overview of the specs of the 2024 Jeep Wrangler and the Jeep Gladiator

Since Jeep builds both the Wrangler and the Gladiator, it shouldn’t be surprising that the two SUVs have similar starting powertrains. Both off-road specialists start with a 3.6-liter V6 that gets 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. That being said, their powertrain options are different. Currently, the Gladiator only has one engine option, and it’s a 260-hp turbodiesel. 

The Wrangler, meanwhile, has three additional powertrain options. It has a 270-hp four-cylinder, a 470-hp V8, and a 375-hp PHEV powertrain. The 2024 Gladiator will get a PHEV option as well. On top of that, both SUVs come with four-wheel drive, and both standard V6 engines are paired with a six-speed manual transmission.

On the inside, there are some small advantages that the Wrangler has. Since it’s a newer model year, the automaker gave the Wrangler a 12.3-inch touchscreen, while the Gladiator still starts with a 7.0-inch display. However, both off-road SUVs come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Both also start with 17-inch wheels. In terms of comfort, both have cloth upholstery on their seats. 

These are the two main advantages that the 2024 Jeep Wrangler has over the Jeep Gladiator

Despite being almost identical, the 2024 Jeep Wrangler has two big advantages over its cousin. Both have to do with economics. Since the Wrangler is a smaller vehicle, it’s also going to be a cheaper one. The two-door version of the standard 2024 Wrangler starts at under $32,000. The cheapest Jeep Gladiator, meanwhile, only comes as a four-door model. As such, the base trim on the 2023 model year Gladiator starts at $39,000. That’s a $7,000 price difference. 

Another economic advantage that the Wrangler has is its fuel economy. Since it’s a smaller vehicle, even though the two SUVs start with the same V6 engine, the Wrangler ultimately gets better fuel economy. The standard Wrangler gets 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on highways, for 20 mpg combined. Meanwhile, the Gladiator gets 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on highways, for 19 mpg combined.

The Jeep Gladiator has some advantages of its own, though

The 2024 Jeep Wrangler being the smaller vehicle gives it some advantages, but it also gives the Jeep Gladiator some advantages of its own. The Gladiator seats five as standard, while the two-door Wrangler only seats four. Owners will have to upgrade to the four-door version in order to seat five people in the small SUV. Similarly, the Gladiator’s seats are slightly larger than the Wrangler’s, so passengers should be more comfortable in them.

Naturally, this also means that the Gladiator has slightly more cargo capacity than the Wrangler does. This shouldn’t be a huge surprise since the Gladiator is a unique-looking truck, while the Wrangler is a compact SUV. The Gladiator’s pickup box has 35.5 cu. ft. of space, while the Wrangler maxes out at 31.7 cu. ft. There’s a bigger difference in their towing capacities, though. The Gladiator has a max towing capacity of about 4,000 pounds, while the Wrangler maxes out at just 2,000 pounds.

Ultimately, each driver will have to decide which advantages mean the most to them when picking between the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator.