You know, you’ve probably seen a boxy truck like the Jeep Gladiator before. For example, the Hummer H3 was offered in the form of a midsize truck. But the Hummer truck didn’t do so well. We hope the Jeep Gladiator avoided making some of the same mistakes. 

Is the Jeep Gladiator like the Hummer truck? 

Whoa, now, put the pitchforks down. We aren’t saying the Jeep Gladiator is a bad truck. The Hummer H3T can be the butt of a few jokes, but the Gladiator is hopefully a little more reliable. We hope the Gladiator learned from the H3T to avoid some of the same frustrating problems. 

For example, the HT3 was too big, which can cause problems for off-roading. It is larger than the average midsize truck like the Chevy Colorado, yet smaller than full-size options like the Ford F-150. 

The Hummer H3T has a 134-inches long wheelbase, but the H3’s wheelbase was about 112-inches long. It also has a curb weight of 4,911 to 5,069 lb. A longer wheelbase can make it more difficult to crawl over rocks. Plus, being too heavy can make you sink in the mud. 

The Jeep Gladiator has a wheelbase that’s 137.3-inches long and weighs about 4,650 to 5,050 lb. This may only be a problem on narrower trails. The smaller Toyota Tacoma might have an easier time crawling over inclines. Also, The difference in the suspensions may give the Gladiator a leg up over the Hummer truck. 

How do the Gladiator and H3T drive? 

According to Car and Driver, the longer wheelbase of the 2009 Hummer H3T gave it a smoother ride than the SUV. It also has a quieter cab. Similar praise has been given to the Gladiator. 

However, the H3T was found to be slow and lumbering. It went off-roading at a snail’s pace. The Gladiator can get through challenging terrain a little faster. However, the H3T can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 7.6 seconds when equipped with the V8 engine. 

The Jeep Gladiator doesn’t have a V8 engine yet. But it still accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in about 7.6 seconds, according to Motor Trend. These trucks have a little more in common than we thought! 

Part of wanting an off-roading truck involves the need to do truck stuff. The Hummer HT3 can tow up to 5,900 lb and carry a payload of up to 1,090. The Jeep Gladiator is a little stronger and can tow up to 7,650 lb and carry a payload of up to 1,200 lb. 

Are the H3T and Gladiator safe? 

How convenient, the safety test results for the Hummer H3T are difficult to find. Even upon searching the NHTSA site. But the Jeep Gladiator scored pretty good safety ratings. It earned four out of five stars in most crash tests. However, it only scored a three out of five for its rollover risk. 

We have heard of the Jeep Gladiators’ frame folding. But that was a user error. The owner had shocks that were too tall for the frame installed. As a result, their frame folded once they started towing a teardrop trailer. 

One of the most significant HT3 issues was the price. It started at about $34,000 back in 2009, and the highest off-roading trim raised the price to over $50,000. The Jeep Gladiator also has a high starting price of about $33,565, but it comes with tons of standard goodies, including 4×4. Also, the Rubicon trim starts at around $43,895.