Is the New 2020 Jeep Gladiator Truck as Good Off-Road as a Wrangler? (Video)

2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon

Could the new 2020 Jeep Gladiator simply be the coolest pickup truck period? Let’s take a look at all the features, take it off-road, and find out.

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Let’s start with the foundation. The Gladiator (JT) frame is new and unique to the truck, according to Jeep. JT wheelbase is 137.3-in. The new Jeep Wrangler (JL) has a wheelbase of 118.4-in. Yep, the pickup truck rides on a 19-inch longer wheelbase. How does it compare to the competition? A Toyota Tacoma crew cab short bed has a wheelbase of 127.4 in (or Tacoma long-bed with 140.6 inches).

Naturally, the Gladiator has the solid axles with optional lockers, disconnecting front sway bar, and FOX shocks on the Rubicon version. When the front sway bar is disconnected on the Rubicon, the truck has a Ramp Travel Index (RTI) of 623. This is class-leading articulation by far.

The axles themselves are Dana 44 3rd generation with thicker axle tubes to handle higher payload and towing ratings. Wide track axles are optional on Sport and standard on Rubicon. The maximum towing package requires the wider axles and 4.10 rear axle ratio for a Gladiator Sport maximum towing rating of 7,650 lbs.

What about the crawl ratio? The Rubicon gets a Rock-trac 4-to-1 low gear transfer case. When combined with the 8-speed automatic and a 4.10 rear end, the crawl ratio is 77:1. If you have a 6-speed manual transmission, the crawl ratio goes up to a class-leading 84:1.

When the truck goes on sale in May 2019, the 3.6L gas V6 will be the only engine option. It has the same rating as in the JL Wrangler: 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Jeep says the 3.0L next-generation EcoDiesel V6 is coming in 2020.

Good ground clearance, approach, departure, and breakover angles are essential for a capable off-road rig, and the Gladiator delivers on almost every one of these specs. The breakover angle is the one that is struggling. The base Gladiator has a 10-in clearance. The Rubicon has 11.1 inches as rated by Jeep. This is 0.3 inch more than JL Wrangler Rubicon. 

The Gladiator has a 43.4 deg approach angle and a departure of 26 deg. The breakover is 20.3 degree, which is less than most of the competitors. , JT app/dep are better than Toyota, but the breakover is worse.  The Wrangler JL four-door has better approach/departure/breakover angles of: 43.9 deg / 37 deg / 22.6 deg.

The Gladiator is the only factory pickup truck with not one, but several folding and removable top options. It’s a convertible. The Sunrider soft top with a sunroof folding feature is standard. Premium sunrider soft top is optional, and a Freedom Top three-piece hardtop rounds out the selection.

Finally, the Gladiator offers more off-road technology features such as: front-facing camera with washer, Selec-speed automatic crawl control, tire pressure monitor warning system, and Off-road+ driving modes.

In 4-Hi, the Off-Road+ goes into “Sand Mode” and relaxes the traction control and stability control features. In 4-Lo, the Off-Road+ goes into “Rock Mode” and adjust transmission and traction control parameter for more control as slower speeds.