Uh oh, the Toyota Tacoma just got a little embarrassed while off-roading because a Jeep Gladiator was able to outperform it. How could the Jeep truck of all off-roading options take down the current off-roading truck champion? It’s a Tacoma, for Pete’s sake! 

The Jeep Gladiator took the Toyota Tacoma down 

A Jeep Gladiator on 40-inch tires was spotted crawling over rocks. With the proper navigation from spotters, the Gladiator was able to traverse over steep angles and hard surfaces. The skid plate was only kissed once. 

Then the Gladiator went down to a sandy beach and got stuck while driving over a stump. It was in the mud and looked stuck. Then someone from the crowd yelled, “This wouldn’t happen in a Toyota Tacoma!” 

I guess this message was inspiring because by cutting the tires, the Gladiator managed the wiggle free. Then it continued to climb even steeper rocks. Maxx Powell took the time to record this for us. In the video, you can hear the skid plates touch rocks again, but only for a second before the Gladiator cleared the obstacles. 

The Tacoma tried the same challenges 

Then Maxx Powell got behind the wheel of a Toyota Tacoma with 35-inch tires to try the same obstacles. Maybe the shoutout about Tacomas jinxed him, or the different tire sizes made an incredible difference, but the Tacoma got embarrassed. 

It was slowly spotted over the rocks, and like the Gladiator, the skid plate hit the rocks a little bit. The Tacoma needed a little more direction, but started off clearing the rocks just fine. It took longer than the Gladiator, though. 

But before the Toyota Tacoma made it to the beach, it got stuck on the rocks. A comment about “If my rockers worked” was made. A buddy climbed in the passenger seat, and someone else got on the rear bumper to help wiggle it free. They didn’t try to turn around and go over the obstacle in reverse like the Gladiator did. 

Then another Toyota Tacoma was shown after it cracked a rear bumper. But some sort of quick fix helped it look better than before. It wasn’t an off-roading bumper, so it could be time to upgrade. 

Is the Gladiator better than the Tacoma? 

The trims for the Toyota Tacoma and Jeep Gladiator weren’t mentioned. Plus, we don’t know how much these trucks were modded for off-roading. However, a third stock Tacoma was seen forging water just as easily as a Jeep Wrangler. 

According to Edmunds, the 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is the best off-roading truck for 2020, while the 2020 Jeep Gladiator is the third place option. The Chevy Colorado ZR2 came in second place but wasn’t in the video. 

The Tacoma is a little better equipped to be a comfortable daily driver and a capable off-roader. It has the bells and whistles like leather upholstery, but the Gladiator can tow up to 7,400 lb. The Tacoma maxes out at 6,880 lb. 

The TRD Pro begins at around $47,000, while the Gladiator Rubicons starts at about $45,000. So, both trucks are pretty pricey, but they do come with upgraded off-roading equipment. Deciding between these two beasts may come down to a test drive.