The Jeep Gladiator Is the Most Unique Pickup Truck
The Jeep Gladiator is a strange pickup truck. It’s pretty cool, but it’s strange. It stands to reason, though. The Gladiator reboot is based on the similarly unique Jeep Wrangler. Despite the Gladiator actually having a different chassis, the two vehicles might as well be the same thing, separated only by the truck bed on the Gladiator. Therein lies the proof that the Jeep Gladiator is the most unique pickup truck.
Is the Jeep Gladiator the same as the Jeep Wrangler?
Yes and no. The two Jeep models may be tough to differentiate from up front, but the Jeep Wrangler is an SUV, and the Jeep Gladiator is a midsize pickup truck.
Although they look similar and are, in many ways, there are some differences between the two Jeeps. The Gladiator uses a slightly longer frame. The only Wrangler that shares this frame is the longer Unlimited model. Thanks to this longer frame and the same 3.6-liter V6 as the Jeep Wrangler, but with a better cooling system, the Gladiator can tow up to 7,650 lbs. However, that towing capacity requires the Gladiator to have the eight-speed auto trans and an upgraded axle ratio.
The Gladiator and Wrangler are really similar in many ways, but make no mistake – they are different in enough ways to matter.
What makes the 2023 Jeep Gladiator unique?
If the closest thing to the Gladiator pickup truck is the already unique Wrangler SUV and the two are different, what does that make the Jeep Gladiator?
The Gladiator used to share its 3.0-liter turbocharged “EcoDiesel” V6 with the Ram 1500 until 2022. Now the Gladiator is the only truck with that motor. The Jeep Gladiator only comes in 4WD. This is not your average standard feature. Jeep says that its truck has the highest payload capacity of any 4WD midsize truck.
Another feature that makes the Jeep Gladiator unique is that it is a convertible pickup truck. As with the Wrangler, not only does the roof come off, but the doors do too. This is one of the more specific features of the Jeep brand, although not all Jeep models have this.
Jeep has a whole page on its site claiming the Gladitor’s uniqueness. Most people know about the Jeep’s roof and doors. These features are unique to the Gladiator. However, another feature is also special to the Gladiator that many people don’t know about. No other pickup truck on the market can fold its windshield down. The Jeep Gladiator pickup truck can.
Being unique isn’t always good
One of the Gladiator’s unique features is its price, but not in a good way. The 2023 Jeep Gladiator starts at an MSRP of $38,305 ($39,305 after the destination fee), which is higher than any other midsize pickup truck’s starting price other than the far ‘cushier’ Honda Ridgeline.
Expensive or not, the Gladiator is special. There is nothing else quite like in the truck world. No other truck is on its level, whether high or low, and that counts for something.
