The Ford Raptor is supposed to be the biggest, baddest, off-roading truck. Only now, the Jeep Gladiator is here to try and intimidate it. Is the Jeep Gladiator or the Ford Raptor the better choice for your full-sized truck off-roading dreams?

Ford Raptor VS Jeep Gladiator 

The Jeep Gladiator strolls in with a base model starting price of $33k. However, to get the Rubicon, you will have to spend $43k. The Ford Raptor starts at $53k, and higher trim options raise the bar to $56k. 

So the Jeep Gladiator already provides significant savings as the Rubicon is $10k cheaper than the base model Raptor. Plus, it’s slight butter on fuel. The Gladiator gets 17 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. The Ford Raptor gets up to 15 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway. 

Jeep Gladiator And Ford Raptor Power 

Currently, the Jeep Gladiator has one engine option. It comes with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine with an output of 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. However, it will get a diesel engine and have a V8 option soon. 

The Jeep Gladiator can tow up to 7,650 lb and earned the best in class gas towing. However, we expected it to be faster. It takes the Gladiator 8.1 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. 

RELATED READ: Why The Jeep Gladiator Is Worth Every Penny

The Ford Raptor also only has one engine option, which is a 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6. It pumps out 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. The Ford Raptor can tow between 6,000 to 8,000 lb. Thanks to the twin-turbo, the Ford Raptor can go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, which is insanely fast for a big truck. 

Jeep Gladiator And Ford Raptor Off-Roading Specs 

For off-roading, the Jeep Gladiator earned a Desert Rated badge, meaning it was tested and able to perform in intense heat, intrusive sand, and unpredictable conditions. It’s also the only trail rated truck. Thanks to its high air intake, the Gladiator can forage through water up to 30″ deep as well. 

The Ford Raptor has trail modes to adjust the braking power as you go over obstacles for you and can handle water up to 32″ deep. The Jeep Gladiator has Off-Road+ to adjust the throttle and transmission for low-speed rock crawling or high-speed sand dune jumping with the push of a button. 

Both of these trucks have fox shocks for a comfortable ride on pavement and to absorb impacts in unpredictable conditions. However, the Jeep Gladiator also has legendary Dana 44 axles for off-roading strength and durability. 

With precision steering and optimized wheelbases, the Jeep Gladiator can maneuver around tight obstacles. It also has higher levels of articulation to keep all four tires on the ground. 

The Ford Raptor doesn’t seem to have the ability to keep up. The Jeep Gladiator dominates the competition as the best off-roading truck unless you want to pay more for a more comfortable experience on the pavement.