Jeep Gladiator vs Lexus LM 500H

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 Lexus LM 500h is luxurious, comfortable, practical, easy to drive and expensive. While it may appear to be the ultimate family car, with only four seats it's limited in terms of how many kids and their friends you can carry. On top of that, the privacy screen introduces accessibility issues to the kids you wouldn't encounter on other vehicles. If you are thinking of a Lexus people mover as your next family car I'd suggest looking at the LM 350h which has seven seats and no privacy screen. If you’re looking at a business class executive van the LM 500h would be perfect. 

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 LM 500h doesn't look real. More like a concept vehicle with its vertical face wearing that enormous grille. Feels like if you watched it for long enough you’d catch it transforming into some kind of robot. Yet, at the same time its styling is elegant and prestigious.

I have a confession to make. I used this Lexus as my office. Its interior is that comfortable and spacious. I'm also a parent and there were times where it was the quietest place to get some work done.

It also let me observe people's reactions as they walked past with their dogs not knowing what was going on inside behind those tinted windows. The people that noticed were clearly car enthusiasts as they knew what they were looking at and couldn't pass without gaping it awe.

The LM 500h’s interior is superbly plush with thick carpets, beautiful copper metallic trim and nappa leather seats.

As I’ve said, the cockpit up front is less luxurious than the extravagant first class section in the back behind that dividing wall.

And yes, I’ve seen large screens before but nothing that stretches the width of the vehicle.

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.

You might be able to take Lexus out of Toyota but it's very hard to take Toyota out of Lexus and this particularly applies to the practicality of the LM 500h.

Every day I discovered new compartments, tray tables and storage areas. There are so many cabinets, lockers and hidey holes that we almost left my belongings (an entire family of plushie toy capybaras) behind because there are so many places to check.

Of course, I'm talking about the rear compartment here because up front there's not much storage. In fact, it proved to be quite a problem in that I had nowhere to put my bag with somebody sitting next to me and no area behind the front seats to stow it, either.

Talking of seats, the LM 500h only has four of them, with two up front and two in the rear. Up front, the seats are supportive and large, but the rear seats - those are, well... have a look at the images.

We’re talking two large captain's chairs that look as though they’ve been removed from the first class section of a plane.

And while this might be suitable for businesses shuttling a couple of executives to and from meetings, for a family, even with two children, the extra couple of seats a third row offers would come in handy.

The LM 350h has seven seats over three rows and no privacy screen. A far better choice for families.

For device charging there are USB ports up front and in the rear. There are wireless phone chargers for those in the back seats but not up front.

The LM 500h has a cargo capacity of 752 litres with all seats in place.

The Lexus LM 500h sits at the top of its range and is without a doubt one of the most expensive people movers on Earth with its list price of $220,888.

As you would imagine the standard features list is as extensive as it is extravagant.

For starters, while the regular LM 350h has two rows of seating in the rear (seven seats all up, including the front two), the 500h has the third row removed and just two super luxurious and enormous fully reclining seats fill the entire space. It’s like a theatre back there.

That theatre theme keeps going with a media screen in the back so large it stretches the width of the vehicle. Seriously, it's a 48-inch screen to watch movies or connect to your device.

The sound system is probably the best I’ve experienced - a spine tinglingly incredible 23-speaker Mark Levinson set-up.

What else can I tell you? Those rear seats are upholstered in beautifully soft semi-aniline leather. They’re heated and ventilated with a massaging function and... ridiculously comfortable.

There’s four-zone climate control, windows which have an electronic shade that turns the glass opaque, there are wireless phone chargers in the doors and carpet throughout so thick you sink down into it as you step inside.

Our LM 500h was upholstered in the 'Solis White' leather which also brings contrasting and mesmerising copper metallic trim.

Oh, and there’s a wall with an electric glass screen that can be raised or lowered to separate the rear passengers from the driver.

I should have mentioned this earlier. The kids loved it, but these parents spent a lot of time telling the 10- and three-year old not to put the screen up again.

The rear occupants, aka the kids, can also lock the screen in place. Which they did, and so sound proof is the dividing wall that we can only just hear their uproarious laughter.

Up front, the cockpit is comfortable but it’s clear all the space and luxury is for those being driven around.

Still, the front seats are leather with heating and ventilation, there’s a 14-inch media screen and 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, plus a head-up display. Sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard.

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.

The LM 500h is a petrol-electric hybrid with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which makes 202kW/460Nm and works in concert with two electric motors.

The front motor makes 64kW/292Nm and the rear makes 76kW/169Nm. The combined maximum power output of the two motors and the petrol engine is 273kW.

The LM 500h is all wheel-drive and has a six-speed automatic transmission.

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.

Lexus says after a combination of urban and open roads the LM 500h should use 6.6L/100km. In our own testing we found consumption was higher at 9.4L/100km.

Worth noting my driving environment was mainly a hilly suburban one filled with school drop offs. Achieved some personal bests this week, with one long run to Sydney’s outskirts, only to return in nightmarish peak hour traffic.

Premium (95 RON) fuel is required and the tank size is 60 litres. In theory the driving range is a smidge more than 900km, which drops to around 640km using our real-world average.

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.

Quite simply, driving the LM 500h is like piloting a limousine on stilts. Superbly comfortable, but with an elevated driving position that offers outstanding forward and side visibility, the LM 500h is an easy vehicle to drive for long periods of time.

A digital rear vision mirror means visibility behind is good and unobstructed by the privacy screen or the seats.

The drawbacks are down to the lack of space up front, with the driver’s chair limited in its ability to recline or slide back due to the bulkhead behind it.

And that's compounded by the lack of cabin storage for bags if the front passenger seat is taken.

As for the rear passengers there aren't many people movers offering this level of comfort, except perhaps the Zeekr 009.

Variable suspension that adjusts continuously keeps the vehicle composed and provides a high level of comfort for those in the rear. At the same time, the LM stays nice and flat through roundabouts while remaining civilised over speed bumps.

And then there's the acceleration, which, while not supercar-like is incredibly brisk for a van. The all-wheel drive system provides outstanding traction in wet and slippery conditions, too. 

Our family used the LM daily for everything from school runs to shopping trips and weekends away and not only was it fun to drive, our lucky rear passengers enjoyed sitting high and being able to see clearly out their windows along with the luxury of a giant movie screen.

The Lexus  LM 500h is yet to be tested by ANCAP so it doesn't have a safety assessment score. There is, however, a high level of safety tech onboard including AEB which can detect pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other vehicles, emergency steering assist, lane keeping assistance, road sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors as well as six airbags.

For child seats there are ISOFIX points and top tether anchor mounts on the two rear seats. We have a forward facing child seat and found it easy to install.

A space-saver spare wheel is located under the boot floor.

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.

Lexus covers the LM 500h with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. 

The Lexus Encore Platinum program is complimentary for LM owners for three years, providing 24-hour roadside assist, a loan vehicle or pick-up/return service at service time, 'On Demand' vehicle evaluation options, valet and airport parking benefits as well as exclusive offers and event opportunities.

Servicing is recommended annually or every 15,000 kilometres, and impressively, pricing is capped at $695 per service over five years.