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Bronco pickup? Gladiator shows what will happen...

skiptheroad

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For desert and dune stuff, I actually still prefer a shorter wheel base. Dunes are often quite steep at the peak and it can be easy to get hung up on them -or get caught in a dip or "witches eye". Also, a lot of the funnest hilly riverbank trails I have been on have a lot of tight and winding turns that are incredibly fun in smaller vehicles like a CJ5... I can imagine taking a 2 door Bronco through a lot of them. I know I'll try at some point when I drive down to Yuma to see family. I'd never chance a Gladiator through them. I will still be able to go fast on open desert trails, but also enjoy steep dunes, narrow canyons and windy, hilly riverbank trails more. Now that I live in the Pacific Northwest, I have to drive a ways to enjoy those kinds of things. But I have found many tight trails through trees and mountain trails that I will be using the heck out of trail turn assist on. Sometimes its about possibilities. That's why I like wheelers that are compact as possible with good geometry.
Well said. Where I live in Northern Michigan I ride the trails at least a couple of times each week. I have yet to see a Gladiator off-road except at Silver Lake Sand Dunes and on the gravel fire roads in the Upper Peninsula.
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tarantularock

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Well - all the Bronco delays finally got to me, I picked up a gladiator sport base 2 weeks ago / its already lifted new wheels 35 tires ( 37s will fit but will need regearing) rock bars on the way... I know when the first broncos finally start rolling around I'll be a bit envious; but until then... at least I have something I can drive around!

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JKinTX

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No and thats a hell no. Leave it alone, as Jeep should have done. Ford is coming out with the Maverick as well, that should fit the need. I am also sure they will make an off-road version of that thing too.

Then again, I'm new here so my opinion is pretty much worthless lol.
 

71to21-2DR

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I've been thinking about the Gladiator more and more these days, especially after seeing three different Gladiator RUBICON's at Yellowstone National Park last summer (all optioned to the max, beautiful clean paint, really cute matching luggage in each, no hint of their owners wanting to drive their $65K toys off the blacktop) and what that class of vehicle really brings to the JEEP brand.
  • Is it a truck? If it is, it's a really poor choice as a truck
  • Is it a off road beast? It has the kit, but again, it's form factor makes it a really poor choice
  • Does it still drive like a JEEP (and all the negative that implies on-road)? Yea!
  • Is the Gladiator simply another Ridgeline with a very select audience and unable to turn a profit even with $20K of options tarting it up? Probably
TTAC followed up my vehicular wanderings with this article today and it's pointed yet mostly unopinionated (until you get to the comments).

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/11/2020-jeep-gladiator-sport-s-review-poised-for-urban-life/

Does Bronco "need" to follow suit with an even smaller-market vehicle that isn't great off road, isn't great as a truck, and looks as cumbersome as the Gladiator? I would argue there is no business reason to do so. Covid has cost every manufacturer billions, dumping resources into these low-yield makes doesn't make sense. Ranger is a perfectly capable midsize truck, Maverick is rumored to be close to production for small truck, and Bronco looks to be more than capable of giving the fight to Jeep off-road (not in outright capability, but in that entry/mid-market basis) and with the pencil pushers.
If jeep made the J6 Id buy it.
And
Make a short wheel base Bronco pick up
4 doors have their place.. But not in this type of vehicle. Come on! what happened to fun! All by your self, or a Buddy?
The Family doesn’t have to be involved in everything!!!!
0604A46F-A028-44F2-BE78-C2FAB84327B2.jpeg
 

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BroncoBilly17

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Didn't read everything, but when Ford and GM both got back into the "small" truck market, Dodge didn't. IMO, the Gladiator is their attempt, as we won't see the return of the Dakota. No need for Ford to make a truck version of the Bronco, with the Ranger on the market, as well as the Maverik coming soon
 

Montana Bronco

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If jeep made the J6 Id buy it.
And
Make a short wheel base Bronco pick up
4 doors have their place.. But not in this type of vehicle. Come on! what happened to fun! All by your self, or a Buddy?
The Family doesn’t have to be involved in everything!!!!
0604A46F-A028-44F2-BE78-C2FAB84327B2.jpeg
^^^ This. ^^^ Regular cab is awesome on thes small vehicles. I have zero need for crew cab.
 
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Personally I see a great need and a market for a Bronco Truck. I would love to have one. I remember back in the early eighties my buddy had a half cab bronco. Man that short truck bed it had was some kind of nice to have at times.

Seems most on this thread are thinking in the direction that these vehicles are built for the hard core off road guy or rock crawling enthusiasts only. The Gladiator is a great vehicle for certain purposes. Nope it cannot compete with a real truck for what a truck is built for. No it cannot compete with a shorter wheel base off road vehicle.

But dang it is really nice to have all that room in the back when hunting season comes in. Sure is nice to have a place to throw firewood and tools, etc... Sure is nice the dog has a place to ride when he comes out of the swamp wet and muddy other than on the front seat. Man I could go on and on with what the Gladiator or a potential Bronco truck could offer the average outdoorsman. Have a great weekend...!

Donnie
 

Montana Bronco

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Gladiators are useless.

The two things that are near and dear to me are my fishing rod and my skis. Gladiator is worse than useless for both.
 

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BroncoBilly17

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Personally I see a great need and a market for a Bronco Truck.
You are aware that the Bronco and Ranger are on the same platform and share many of the same parts? There literally is a Bronco pick-up; it's the Ranger. If you want a factory option pick-up that is more geared towards off roading, then do a Ranger Raptor. Ford does not need to invest in more R&D and equipment to bring their 4th truck to market. I'm not even sure there was a need for the Maverick
 

Lakelife36

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You are aware that the Bronco and Ranger are on the same platform and share many of the same parts? There literally is a Bronco pick-up; it's the Ranger. If you want a factory option pick-up that is more geared towards off roading, then do a Ranger Raptor. Ford does not need to invest in more R&D and equipment to bring their 4th truck to market. I'm not even sure there was a need for the Maverick
So a Ranger Raptor is not a new truck but a Bronco pickup is? When they're both off-road variants of the same base platform?
 

BroncoBilly17

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So a Ranger Raptor is not a new truck but a Bronco pickup is? When they're both off-road variants of the same base platform?
Yes. The cab on the Bronco would need to be redesigned, possibly a new / altered frame, plus a new box, plus who knows what other components would need to be added / altered to suit those changes. All for what, to give Ford another Truck that doesn't do much different for the vast majority of truck buyers the Ranger doesn't already do? Meanwhile, a specialty Ranger like a Raptor trim line would be far cheaper to produce, and would confuse the public less. Like what Dodge / Chrysler / Ram / Jeep did, if there was no Ranger, I could see a Bronco pick-up, as the Gladiator exists only because the Dakota won't.

If the Ranger sales drop off, it the Maverick doesn't do well, all while the Bronco starts to outsell the Wrangler, I could see changes being made. But the entire auto industry got into trouble when companies started making products that directly competed against themselves. I'm already concerned with the Bronco Sport & Escape being pretty much the same vehicle.
 

BHShaman

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Subaru has tried twice. Jeep needs it to compete with the Ranger and Tacoma.
Ford has the Ranger.
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