Second opinion: Best Jeep pickup ever

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/01/2020 (2343 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Whoa. Maybe pump the brakes a bit there, Mr. Louka. The Gladiator is the new baby in the Jeep lineup, and you don’t just go running around all willy-nilly calling a baby goofy-looking.

Those of us in the Jeep family are quite sensitive about our chosen brand, and the last thing you want to do is get on the bad side of a group so devoted to one another and our vehicles that we actually wave when we spot each other in traffic.

Do you really want to go there?

OK, truth is you’re probably safe. I’m not currently a Jeep owner — at least not yet, anyway — but this extended test drive has me absolutely loving the new Gladiator.

When I read your words of disdain it was as though we drove entirely different vehicles.

The reality is you’re not the only Gladi-hater I’ve encountered in my three weeks behind the wheel of Jeep’s all-new pickup truck.

The most common complaint seems to be its length. OH MY GOD, it is 30 inches longer than the Wrangler Unlimited it shares a load of parts and a fairly obvious resemblance with. Yet all these Gladi-haters far and wide are carrying on as if this thing is as long as a limousine.

Take it easy, people — Lanky’s near Grand Beach sells a hotdog that’s almost as long as the difference between the Gladiator and the Wrangler Unlimited.

And you know why the Gladiator is a tad longer than the Wrangler Unlimited? Because it’s a truck… not an SUV.

Don’t let the similar profile fool you, the engineers at Jeep actually designed a totally different chassis for the Gladiator. It’s not only longer, it’s beefier, to help it do stuff that trucks do. Because it’s a truck.

A handsome and rugged looking truck.

Now, about this niche word. I also disagree with your use of that. The mid-size truck market is hotter than you may think right now. The Ford Ranger, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins, the insanely popular Toyota Tundra, heck, even the ancient Nissan Frontier are definitely relevant in the truck market and continue to steal sales away from the full-size pickup market.

There was a void for a few years, but lately more and more folks are opting for smaller trucks in hopes of saving a bit of money at the pumps or simply wanting to drive a truck that is more compact and arguably sportier.

Before the Gladiator hit the market, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the parent company of Jeep, was without a mid-size truck in its lineup, so it’s a no-brainer they’d want a piece of the action.

What this means is the Gladiator is not a niche vehicle. It may be quirky and polarizing in appearance, but above everything else, it is a truck, and many of us absolutely require a truck, not just for play, but also for work.

Granted, it’s got some wind noise, and sure it requires a bit of effort to steer on the highway, because in addition to being a truck, it is also a Jeep truck, and there are indeed a couple of inherent penalties that come with this Wrangler-inspired pickup.

There’s no denying it can be a bit tough to climb into, but we took my wife’s mother along with us to visit family on Christmas Eve and Baba, who is 83, had no problem climbing into the back seat for a trip to the big city. She commented on how fancy the Gladiator was and how it looked like a tank and how warm it was inside. Now I’m not implying Baba is tougher than Haney and knows what to expect from a Jeep — but if I did, it would be hilarious.

All kidding aside, I do immensely respect his opinion on the new Jeep Gladiator. All Haney’s “quibbles” are surely relevant and anyone who has never owned a Jeep should pay close attention to his review.

If someone is expecting the same level of car-like refinement found in so many other posh pickups on the market, they will likely be disappointed.

If what they are after is a rig aimed at an outdoor lifestyle with the capability to tow toys and haul a load, then they should read my full review on the Jeep Gladiator, which will run in a couple of weeks when my 30 days with this beauty are finally up.

So far, I’ve been towing with it, hauling stuff in the bed — heck, I even took the roof off and went for an off-road adventure.

I can’t wait to tell everyone all about it.

Until then I’m going to keep waving at my Jeep buddies and enjoying the heck out of the best Jeep truck EVER!

Willy@freepress.mb.ca