Jeep Gladiator vs Jeep Wrangler

What's the difference?

The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is a very capable off-roader and it's not as terrible on-road as some people might assume.

But while it's a whole lot of fun to steer around on the dirt, it lacks the versatility, safety tech, and refinement that would shift it from simply being a decent hard-core 4WD ute to a good general-purpose vehicle.

However, by focussing on those factors, you're in danger of missing the Gladiator's point entirely. This is a purpose-built 4WD fun machine, which is perfect for its intended use. But, the problem is, it's not perfect, or even very good, at anything else.

The changes to this updated Jeep Wrangler are small but meaningful. The inclusion of airbags, the updated media screen, and a feisty engine which suits the plucky nature of this off-roader make it a better Wrangler than ever.  

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The Jeep Gladiator appears built for purpose if your purpose is to head bush and have fun. And in Rubicon form it sure looks like it's capable of tackling hard-core 4WDing.

The Gladiator looks very much like its stablemate, the iconic Wrangler, with its chunky front end and blocky body.

It has more than the inkling of a US-style pick-up's presence at 5591mm long (with a 3488mm-long wheelbase), 1894mm wide, 1909mm high, and with a kerb weight of 2242kg.

The Jeep Wrangler looks like a cartoon of a four-wheel drive, that’s how familiar and well-known the design is. It’s almost generic, like the word Jeep.

You could say the design is iconic, given that the roots of this SUV stretch back to the little Willys off-roader built for the US army in World War II. And to this day the slotted grille, pronounced wheel guards, short and upright windscreen, even the removable doors are still with us in this latest incarnation.

That’s why each generation of the Wrangler only sees very subtle tweaks to famous shape and look, in much the same way a Porsche 911’s design changes at the rate of dripping water reshaping a rock.

Changing the styling completely would destroy the look which connects the Wrangler to its past and the nostalgic appeal would be over. 

So, this update sees more than subtle styling changes in the form of a tweak to the grille with the addition of a metallic-look trim around each of the slots while the mesh insert now has larger openings.   

Along with this there’s a new front bumper. The Wranglers we tested had the optional heavy duty steel front bumpers.

There’s also some interior changes in the form of a new dashboard trim, horizontal air vents and then there’s the 12.3-inch media display which goes a long way to making the cabin look more modern.

Still, the interior is busy with buttons and switches in a design that seems to mix the look of heavy machinery controls with a prestige car. The Nappa leather of the Rubicon grade lifts the quality feel higher.

All Wrangler interiors also have an internal roll-over cage which covers the entire cabin, for the fixed metal roof and removable roof body style which are standard on the Overland and Rubicon.

Only the Rubicon is offered in a two-door and a four-door, while the Overland and Sport S are four-door only.

The Rubicon two-door looks cute and fun to my eyes, while the four-door versions look a bit more serious and beefy, but both definitely still give off tough and adventurous vibes.

The wheelbase difference between the two is as giant as it looks. The Rubicon two-door’s wheelbase is 2459mm while the four-door Rubicon’s, along with the Sport S and Overland, is 3008mm.

The Wrangler ranges in length from 4334mm for the Rubicon two-door to 4882mm for the four-door Wranglers. Width is the same for all Wranglers at 1894mm and the height ranges from 1879mm in the Rubicon two-door to 1901mm in the four-door versions.

You have to give Jeep's designers credit because they know their outdoorsy stuff. The Gladiator's interior is nothing if not practical.

The ute has a squared-off and action-ready interior that seems up to the task of copping the dirt of an outdoors life.

The cabin feels like it's water- and weather-proof, even if that may not literally be the case. 

It's a snug interior and build quality generally feels solid.

The 8.4-inch multimedia touch screen is clear and easy enough to read while on the go, but it's too small. The Jeep's 'Uconnect' system is simple enough to get your head around and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are easy to get working.

There's also a 7.0-inch LED driver-information display, which shows tyre pressure, tyre-fill alert, digital speed readout and more.

All controls, dials and switchgear are chunky, making for easy operation, no matter how bumpy the terrain you're traversing is.

The reach-and-rake-adjustable steering wheel incorporates audio, voice and cruise control controls.

Storage spaces are few, but at least they're well suited to adventure, such as tensioned mesh pockets on the doors and seat backs and small spaces with textured bases for your bits and pieces.

There are two USB-A ports and a USB-C port up front and two for back-seat passengers. There's also a 230V outlet up front on the centre console.

Seating is decent all-around but anyone taller than Tom Cruise's stunt double has to mind their head so they don't thump it on the unforgivingly hard ceiling of the detachable top.

There's a shallow storage space under the rear seat and, when that 60/40 split rear seat is folded flat, there are LED lights behind to illuminate the narrow storage space in the rear of the cabin, where there are also storage nets.

The tub's load space is 1442mm wide – 1137mm between the wheel arches so not wide enough for a pallet – and it is 1531mm long. Load height is 885mm at the tailgate.

The tray has integrated tie-down points and under-rail LED lights.

Payload is now a claimed 693kg, which is better than its previous 680kg but still rather ordinary when compared to a lot of dual-cab utes available in Australia.

Gross vehicle mass and gross combined mass are listed as 2935kg and 5656kg, respectively.

The Gladiator has a maximum towing capacity of 750kg (unbraked), and its 2721kg braked towing figure is a let-down against the 3500kg capacity of most other rivals.

This is a ute better suited to weekend camping trips than load-lugging work duties.

Another bonus for tourers though: the spare wheel is a full-size steel one.

When we review most SUVs practicality is scored on things like legroom, storage space and boot size. But in the case of a vehicle with removable doors and roof, and a cabin that has one-way drainage valves so you can hose the interior out, practicality takes on a different meaning.

The Wrangler’s practicality seems focussed on serving adventurous folks in search of a muddy off-road expedition and, so, while there is storage it’s mainly nets for door pockets, moulded wells on top of the dash, and smaller hidey holes to makes sure loose items don’t get flung around the cabin.

Given the roof can be removed there’s also a lockable glove box and centre console storage box.

When it comes to cabin space the Wrangler’s interior feels a bit cramped. The footwells up front don’t offer much space and headroom throughout is restricted by the roll cage which stretches from the front to the boot.

The four-door Wrangler has five seats and good legroom in the second row, even for me at 189cm tall. As mentioned above, headroom is limited in places because of the safety structure. Boot space behind those rear seats is 898 litres.

The two-door Rubicon has four seats. The back ones aren’t the most spacious and the boot behind them is almost too small to mention at 365L, Two pieces of carry-on luggage wouldn’t fit back there and we had to put our bags on the rear seats.

The rear tailgate for all Wranglers is side-hinged (opening left to right) and splits to allow just the window section or lower part to open separately.

For charging and powering devices all Wranglers have two USB ports up front (one -A and one -C) and four USB ports in the second row (two -A and two -C). There are also two 12V outlets on board (front and rear).  

There are two cupholders, seatback map nets and directional air vents for the second row.

The Wrangler sits high and climbing into the rear seats might be a challenge for smaller kids or even fully-grown humans, but there are chunky handholds at the pillars for extra help.

So, the Wrangler has excellent practicality, but this is geared more to its intended purpose of adventuring off-road rather than the city commute and school pick-up.

The Jeep Wrangler range comes in three grades. There’s the entry-grade Sport S which can only be had with four doors, the Overland which is also a four-door and the top-of-the-range Rubicon comes as a shorter wheelbase two-door and the four-door. 

The Sport S replaces the Night Eagle as the entry-point into the Wrangler range and with a list price of $75,950 it’s $5500 cheaper, too. 

Above this is the Overland for $84,950 and at the top of the line-up is the hardcore Rubicon which is $83,950 for the two-door and $90,450 for the four-door.

This update sees all Wranglers now coming with a (damage and scratch-resistant) 'Gorilla Glass' windscreen and a 12.3-inch media screen. But each grade also comes with its own new features. 

The Sport S has been given heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and ambient cabin lighting. Meanwhile, the Overland now has power front premium 'McKinley' seats and soft spare tyre cover.

And finally the range-topping Rubicon receives Nappa leather seats and a forward-facing 'Trailcam'.

There are mechanical upgrades across the range, too, especially for the Rubicon and we’ll get to those in the engine and driving sections of this review.

As for the rest of the features, coming standard on the Sport S are LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, proximity key and push button start, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-speaker Alpine sound system and dark tint windows.

Along with its new features the Overland also comes standard with all of the Sport S’s equipment plus a three-piece removable hardtop, 18-inch wheels and a leather-wrapped shifting knob and hand brake handle.

Then there’s the Rubicon which has all the Sport S features, but 17-inch wheels instead of the 18s and an enormous amount of engineering hardware that makes this grade the off-road king of the Wranglers, which we’ll get to.

The Gladiator Rubicon has the Wrangler's 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine (209kW at 6400rpm and 347Nm at 4100rpm) and eight-speed automatic transmission.

The V6 has a lot of punch for on- and off-road driving and plenty of low-end torque for low-range 4WDing and, matched with the eight-speed auto, it's a well-proven team-up that consistently works well.

One of the biggest changes Jeep could make to the Wrangler without causing complete mayhem for fans is to the engine and even then there will be folks who don’t like what they’re about to read.

Deep breaths, okay? Right, so, in this update the V6 petrol engine has been replaced by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder. 

At 200kW the new four-cylinder makes a smidge less power than the V6 but more torque at 400Nm. An eight-speed automatic transmission shifts gears and sends the drive to all four wheels.

If you’re a Wrangler fan you’ll most likely know about this engine swap, but you’re wondering how this four-cylinder feels.

The answer is, really good. Jeep has got it right. It’s a torquey, responsive engine that feels energetic and suits the Wrangler's personality well.

In the short time I’ve spent on and off the road I’m convinced this turbo-four will be a good companion wherever you decide to go.

And go pretty much anywhere you can, with all Wranglers being ridiculously capable off-road thanks to their ladder frame chassis, high- and low-range gears, outstanding ground clearance (233mm-257mm, depending on variant ), excellent approach angle (41.4 to 44 degrees, depending on variant) and a departure angle to match (37 degrees for the both Rubicons; 36.1 for the Sport S and Overland).  

The Rubicon comes standard with Jeep’s 'Rock-Trac' on-demand four-wheel drive system and this update adds a full float rear axle. Sport S and Overland grades have Jeep’s 'Selec-Trac Active' on-demand 4WD set-up.

The Gladiator Rubicon has listed fuel consumption of 12.4L/100km on a combined cycle. 

On test I recorded actual fuel consumption of 12.9L/100km, from fill to fill.

The Gladiator has an 83-litre tank, so, going by my on-test fuel-use figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of approximately 643km from a full tank.

The new turbo-petrol, four-cylinder means better fuel economy than the V6 it replaces. We have yet to test Jeep’s claims that after a combination of open and urban roads the four cylinder uses 9.2L/100km in the sport S and Overland grades and 9.9L/100km in the Rubicon.

In comparison, Jeep says the previous V6 uses 10.1L/100km in the Rubicon and 9.9L/100km in the Overland. Our own testing saw consumption closer to 13L/100km.

We’ll have the new Wrangler in our garage soon and we’ll be able to put the fuel consumption claims to a real world test.

In terms of range, the two-door Rubicon has a 61-litre fuel tank and in theory a range of up to 680km. The Sport S and Overland have an 81-litre tank and can get up to 880km, while the four-door Rubicon’s 81-litre tank should manage 830km.

Of course if you’re off-roading you’ll use more fuel and the range will drop accordingly.

It's certainly an experience, but the Gladiator is not as atrocious on-road as you may assume.

This vehicle is a lot of fun to drive because it demands a lot of attention and input to keep it on target.

The steering is floaty, with plenty of play in the wheel and understeer through corners, and there's a fair bit of tyre rumble from the BFG muddies.

The wing mirrors generate noticeable wind noise, but the Gladiator's not as awkward or unrefined as you might expect.

Because it's essentially a stretched Wrangler – with a 787mm longer body and a 480mm longer wheelbase than its stablemate – the Gladiator has a solid stance on the road and, for such an unashamedly off-road-oriented vehicle, it feels even more settled and composed than the Wrangler does on sealed surfaces.

This 2242kg ute is built for tough fun with a body-on-frame design and reinforced chassis, but the Gladiator manages to be nimble around town.

Ride quality is generally impressive with this ute cruising comfortably on live axles front and rear with coil springs and, in 2023 onward versions, Tenneco shocks all-around rather than the previous Fox Shocks set-up.

Aspects of the Gladiator experience will annoy some people. Visibility is compromised in all directions, the throttle is touchy, the 13.6m turning circle may add a degree of difficulty in attempts at fast turnarounds (on a city street or in a busy country pub car park) and all that driver attention and input the Gladiator demands of its steerer will become tiresome for a few drivers.

But, as expected, the Gladiator's true spirit is only ever fully revealed when you head off-road. It's a hell of a lot of fun in the dirt. Drop tyre pressures, do up your seat belt and let the Gladiator off the leash.

The 'Trail Rated' Gladiator is loaded with off-road mechanicals, from a 4X4 system with 4:1 low-range (contributing to a 77.2:1 crawl ratio), front and rear diff-locks, heavy-duty Dana 44 axles (front and rear), sway-bar disconnect and BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tyres, as well as a stack of driver-assist tech aimed at making you feel like Australian 4WD expedition legend Ron Moon.

Shocks engineered for off-roading add a welcome dimension of comfort and handling to the Gladiator on fast dirt and gravel tracks on the way to your chosen off-roading destination.

That 77.2:1 crawl ratio means nothing to most of us until you have the opportunity to experience the feeling of all that terrain-gripping torque for yourself.

In 4WD low-range first gear, and with both diffs locked, the Gladiator feels unstoppable. It climbed with ease a short steep rocky hill where I've seen drivers of modified vehicles opt for the ‘chicken' tracks either side.

The only thing is, because of the Gladiator's 3488mm-long wheelbase and 18.4-degree ramp-over angle, there's a real risk of bellying out or at least grinding the undercarriage on earth when you crest these steep hills, which is why you must drive with concentrated focus.

But that's part of the fun. It really is a driver-direct experience. You need to be aware of everything that's going on, you never feel like you're one step removed from the situation, or the terrain or the consequences of your driving… you feel dialled into the terrain and that's guaranteed to put a smile on any 4WD enthusiast's face.

Besides, the Gladiator does have substantial underbody skid-plates, protecting the fuel tank, transmission and transfer case, as well as heavy-gauge tubular steel rock rails to soak up off-road hits.

With an approach angle of 40.7 degrees, a departure angle of 25.1 degrees and a listed ground clearance of 249mm and a wading depth of 760mm, the Gladiator has decent off-road measures.

Suspension travel is okay, but to get even more stretch, you can hit the sway-bar disconnect button to drop a wheel to the dirt – or as close as possible depending on how deep the ruts are.
 
The Gladiator has 'Selec-Speed Control' (effectively an adjustable low-speed cruise control for 4WDing that can be set between 1.0-8.0km/h), and 'Off-Road+', which tweaks throttle and traction control, among other systems, to best suit the terrain.

It also has a forward-facing off-road camera so the driver has a chance to see any obstacles that might otherwise go unnoticed until it's too late, such as branches, rocks, tree stumps and hard rubbish.

Every one of the Jeep launches I’ve attended over the past 15 years has involved a pretty decent off-road component and it’s clear the company has a lot of faith in its product.

This Wrangler launch’s off-road test had been scaled back due to days of flooding rain beforehand, but the section that was passable was enough to remind us of what we already know and that is the Wrangler is formidable.

A Queensland bush off-road course full of steep, muddy hills, ruts, rocks, dirt and slippery descents was still all there for us to test the Wrangler Rubicon four-door.

Fun and comfortable are the first words that pop into my head when recalling how the Rubicon fares. This is a super-capable beastie that feels planted, secure and adept at all times.

We tested low- and high-range four-wheel drive, locked the rear differential and let the hill descent mode do its thing and get us down the sides of hills that felt so close to vertical all we could see through the windscreen was the ground.

What's also clear is the new turbo-petrol, four-cylinder feels well suited to the job, with plenty of torque along with a feisty and responsive nature that fits the Wrangler better than the old V6.

There was also plenty of time spent on the road in the four-door Rubicon and its smaller two-door sibling. And was here it was also super clear the Wrangler felt like we’d taken it out of its natural habitat.

At 110km/h on the motorway the two door Rubicon feels light and floaty in its suspension, with steering adjustments having to be made constantly, like actors pretending to drive cars in movies, as the Wrangler wanders around in its lane. The Wrangler wander is a known trait and isn’t specific to this updated car. 

And even though our launch drive took us on some great winding country roads which would have been perfect for a Mazda MX-5, the Wranglers found the fast tight turns difficult to handle.

I’m sure I heard a sigh of relief from our Rubicon as we pulled off the road and selected low-range four-wheel drive before bouncing up what looked to be a sheer cliff, with ease.  

Of course, our Adventure Expert Marcus 'Crafty' Craft will put the Wrangler though its paces once we have one in the CarsGuide garage.

The Jeep Wrangler has a three-out-of-five star ANCAP rating from testing in 2019. This isn’t an adequate safety score for a modern vehicle and the relatively modest advanced safety tech compared to other new SUVs and its structural integrity in crash tests caused ANCAP enough concern to award it lower scores.

Surprisingly the ANCAP report scored its child occupant protection at 80 per cent which is excellent.

This update to the Wrangler now adds curtain airbags which cover the front and second rows. Along with these there are dual front airbags plus safety tech which includes AEB (city and inter-urban) and blind spot warning. There’s also adaptive cruise control and front and rear parking sensors.

For child seats you’ll find two ISOFIX and three top tether mounts across the second row of the four-door variants.

The standard full-sized spare wheel is mounted on the tailgate. 

The Gladiator has Jeep's five-year/100,000km factory warranty, five-year capped price scheduled servicing, and lifetime roadside assistance.

The first five services are capped at $399 each and scheduled servicing is due every 12 months or 12,000 km, whichever comes first.

The Wrangler is covered by Jeep's five-year/100,000km warranty, which is off the mainstream market standard of five years/unlimited km.

Service intervals are recommended every 12 months and 12,000km and service prices are capped at $399. Jeep also offers lifetime roadside assistance if you service your Wrangler though Jeep.