We know how well the new 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon does off-road. We already tested it in Moab, Utah and California. Now, we must find out how it tows. In this part 1 of 2, we put the Gladiator on our 98-mile highway loop with a 4,300 lbs horse trailer to see what towing fuel economy it returns.
This towing test is brought to you by our friends at Transwest. This is where you can purchase a Cimarron trailer like the one we used here.
At this time, the Gladiator is offering just one engine. It’s a 3.6-liter gas V6 with a rating of 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. It can be mated to either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic, like in this test. The truck has an EPA rating of 22 MPG on the highway (unloaded).
We are using the same truck stop and highway route, as we have with dozens of other midsize and full-size trucks over the years. Here is TFLtruck’s Towing MPG Guide.
We run all towing and unloaded mpg tests at a steady 70 mph. When we are towing, we are using the tow/haul mode – if the truck has it available. The Gladiator does not have a driver selectable tow/haul mode. Jeep says, the truck automatically adjusts the transmission mapping when it detects additional load.
The Gladiator Rubicon is rated to tow a maximum 7,000 lbs. A Gladiator Sport with a maximum towing packages is rated up to 7,650 lbs.
When we returned back to the pump, the final result was 8.5 MPG with the trailer. The ride was smooth and easy, but the transmission remained mostly in 5th gear. It periodically went into 6th during our drive.
Watch the video for all the details, including a loaded 0-60 mph acceleration in order to merge onto the highway.
