World of Wheels

2023 Jeep Gladiator: a Favorite for Offroad or Everyday Driving?

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator has moderate success in its group: it is not a bestseller, like the Toyota Tacoma, but the truck’s off-road ability is terrific, and the model really deserves attention.

By sales in the first half of 2022, the Gladiator pickup is on par with the Ford Ranger, slightly behind the Chevrolet Colorado and Nissan Frontier, considerably ahead of the Honda Ridgeline, and much behind the Toyota Tacoma:

  • Toyota Tacoma 132,565 sales
  • Chevrolet Colorado 44,190 sales
  • Nissan Frontier 43,168 sales
  • Jeep Gladiator 38,756 sales
  • Ford Ranger 37,813 sales
  • Honda Ridgeline 23,817 sales

The Gladiator is the only one of the mentioned to offer 4×4 specs as standard.

What speaks in the Jeep Gladiator’s favor apart from the sounding name?

A lot, in fact.

The Jeep pickup is good at almost everything, as long as you won’t pick on its subpar on-road driving dynamics, cumbersome on-road handling, rough ride, and costliness too much.

On the other hand, when it comes to off-road, towing and hauling abilities, and interior spaciousness and quality – the Gladiator is an excellent choice.

Like its Jeep Wrangler sibling, the Gladiator has a strong body-on-frame design, removable tops and doors, a solid-axle suspension, similar safety packs and tech features. The pickup’s max towing is higher, and it offers the practicality of an open bed for those who need it.

Nevertheless, the base Jeep Wrangler is cheaper, and the SUV is slightly more off-road capable. The Wrangler offers turbo-four and V8 engines the Gladiator comes without, albeit the truck’s muscular gasoline and diesel V6 engines are also nice.

The segment leader – Toyota Tacoma – is much cheaper (a base model), offers more standard safety features, a longer 6-foot bed (the Gladiator has a 5-foot one), and more composed on-road handling. On the other hand, the Jeep surpasses the Toyota in off-road capability, seating space, engine performance, interior quality, and towing.

2023 Jeep Gladiator: Changes, Price

The online configurator has been live for the refresh Jeep Gladiator for a while. The new prices are higher across the lineup, and an American flag is now present on each vehicle’s front fender.

Updates to the model are not extensive and mostly external. There is a new bright-yellow color called High Velocity (n the photo) and a new Capability Package that includes such features as steel rock rails, a winch-capable steel front bumper, and a front-mounted off-road camera.

Besides, some changes are made to the content of the Freedom Special Edition. In particular, now it has such funny detail as an Oscar Mike badge on the tailgate. For the 2023 model year, this package has become $3,705 more expensive.

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator’s pricing starts at $37,375 and climbs well beyond $60,000 for a fully-loaded vehicle.

Compared to the predecessor, the Gladiator Willys version has risen in price by $1,355. It has gained a 7.0-inch instrument cluster and a few convenience features, like a proximity keyless entry, a garage door opener, or a remote start.

For other trims, the price has slightly changed – in the range of $200-400.

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