I Rented a Gladiator...My thoughts vs Bronco

[CaptMorgan]

You don't drive a Gladiator at 80 mph. You herd it like cattle or even cats at times.

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[Dannebrog53]

I don’t have any experience with Jeeps of the last 40 years but I have owned a 79 full size Bronco, a 53 Willys CJ3A with Chevy 283 4spd granny Warn OD, heavily modified 68 Bronco and now a 2022 Wildtrak and they all drive differently for a variety of reasons. All these were bought to take off road but as most 4X4’s they were primarily driven on road as my daily driver. None were/are trailer queens. That being said straight/solid front axle rigs with recirculating ball steering will never drive/steer as well as independent suspension with rack and pinion on the road. Add larger tires with more aggressive tread patterns and they’ll be even more fidgety. We never drove our CJ3A over 65mph, at that speed in OD we were turning 3300 rpm and with an 83” wheelbase it was very squirrelly but it was great on the trails. All these vehicles except the Wildtrak (got it end of October) have been over the Rubicon and the CJ3A has been over Fordyce as well. So get out and enjoy these vehicles for their intended purpose and have fun!

 

[TxCatalystMan]

I rented a Gladiator this week for work. Figured it would be fun to drive and an opportunity to compare it to my Bronco after 3 months of ownership and 4,500 miles.

This isn't meant to trigger the Jeep folks, because the Jeep brand deserves a ton of credit for continuously offering the Wrangler and its variants as an interesting alternative to boring vehicles for decades.

With that said, I'm not joking when I say I would have returned this thing and grabbed a different vehicle if I had the time. The driving characteristics of a Gladiator vs. a Bronco are literally night and day, and being in the Gladiator gave me a whole new level of appreciation for the Bronco's road manners.

Gladiator steering at 75MPH is like giving vague suggestions as to what direction the truck should go. As a driver who represents the majority of buyers (someone who uses the vehicle as a daily driver and goes off road occasionally), I can confidently say I would have sold a Gladiator almost immediately. I'm glad they exist and think they look great, just surprised at the wildly unrefined on-road characteristics!

I recently rented a Gladiator in Philly and came away with the same observation. I'm just glad my travels only took me to Delaware City!

 

[mikeeshim]

I know I am not the only one(even if its a small group) that would love to see a bronco with a bed seeing how many gladiators I see out. I am still hoping for bronco with a bed one day

I feel like Ford has enough trucks in their fleet to ever consider another one, especially so soon after the Maverick. But I hope to eat my words one day because a King Ranch crew cab Bronco truck? That would be pretty sick.

 

[MNBigfoot]

I feel like Ford has enough trucks in their fleet to ever consider another one, especially so soon after the Maverick. But I hope to eat my words one day because a King Ranch crew cab Bronco truck? That would be pretty sick.

They have a full size truck based on a 20 year old design, the homelist looking compact since the Chevy Luv, and the tree hugger edition. A halfcab, would be a much appreciated addition.

 

[WheelMe]

Out wheeling, I just notice that Gladiators get stuck a lot - snow, mud, rock-crawling.

I don't get the Gladiator, for any "practical purpose" whatsoever - it does everything badly, and it's ugly to boot.

There.

 

[mikeeshim]

They have a full size truck based on a 20 year old design, the homelist looking compact since the Chevy Luv, and the tree hugger edition. A halfcab, would be a much appreciated addition.

Honestly, I have no idea what any of that means, and I really did try.
What I do know is that Ford has the 5 different F series, the Ranger and the Maverick, all in dozens of configs.

 

[AKDreadnought]

I have both a Wildtrak Bronco and a Gladiator Mojave. Love them both. The criticisms of the Gladiator seen here are greatly exaggerated.

 

[Jpa]

I rented and drove a convertible sport Gladiator just prior to my reservation in 2020 just to be sure I was correct in my gut for wanting the Bronco. As a 6'2, slightly meat/potato/Cheeto/Girl Scout cookie enhanced individual, it was average for my comfort level...and the 4x shifter was in a poor spot for me. My knee would lean against that creating a tight feeling in the truck. Agree with OP, road manners are definitely better for the Bronco (even with 35's versus stock Jeep tires on the Sport), just minor wind noise from the roof bars. TX has some beefy wind at times and my old TJ would like to wander on the highway in high winds. The 2 door Bronco seems to hold its own somewhat better in windy conditions due to added weight I am assuming.

I am fortunate to have a PU and the Bronco but if I was in a situation where I could only have the one box checked, the Glad Rubi could be a viable solution...and is to many folks.

Renting that Gladiator was money well spent to confirm the Bronco was the correct choice for me, even before I/we could see, sit, touch or drive one.

After driving the Jeep 392 and Bronco Raptor and comparing both. The Bronco Raptor was my choice and in my view was night and day comparison. Comparing what I’d say is top of the line both have to offer. I waited awhile but now have the Bronco Raptor and have enjoyed every minute of it. The 392 was way too small area on the inside for comfort, also seemed like turning a corner at high speeds wouldn’t be smart, the wind noise ridiculous! Yeah no comparison to the Bronco. Bronco rides smooth, plenty of room, handles very smooth on the Highway, turns corner and easy doing donuts without feeling like you’ll flip it. So yeah definitely glad I drove both before making the purchase. And the 392 I believe is priced higher..

 

[bcb1]

I rented a Gladiator this week for work. Figured it would be fun to drive and an opportunity to compare it to my Bronco after 3 months of ownership and 4,500 miles.

This isn't meant to trigger the Jeep folks, because the Jeep brand deserves a ton of credit for continuously offering the Wrangler and its variants as an interesting alternative to boring vehicles for decades.

With that said, I'm not joking when I say I would have returned this thing and grabbed a different vehicle if I had the time. The driving characteristics of a Gladiator vs. a Bronco are literally night and day, and being in the Gladiator gave me a whole new level of appreciation for the Bronco's road manners.

Gladiator steering at 75MPH is like giving vague suggestions as to what direction the truck should go. As a driver who represents the majority of buyers (someone who uses the vehicle as a daily driver and goes off road occasionally), I can confidently say I would have sold a Gladiator almost immediately. I'm glad they exist and think they look great, just surprised at the wildly unrefined on-road characteristics!

We bought an ‘18 Wrangler JL new and owned it for 4 1/2 years, traded it on my new 2 door Bronco. After owning the Bronco a few weeks now, I can say the on road driving experience is far better than the Jeep. It drives far closer to my ‘11 Tahoe than the ‘18 Wrangler, which is a good thing.

As far as build quality, I’d give an edge to the Jeep. The interior fit and finish was just better, more polished. The Bronco feels more like a work in progress, that will get better in a generation or two after they figure out the wind whistling noises and various squeaks and rattles. And dang the framed doors on the Jeep are far better than the frameless on the Bronco.

The Jeep does have exceptional resale, I was very happy with the trade in number. Crazy that it held its value like that.

Once the Bronco has the fit and finish, and hopefully starts using better quality interior plastics, it will be better than Jeep in every category.

 

[Steph]

I hope it wouldn't look like that...looks like a Honda.

 

[Fivefingerheist]

I can't get over there being no dead petal. I'm the type that usually has my foot firmly placed on the dead petal when not braking or utilizing the clutch.

 

[carmigo]

I rented a Gladiator this week for work. Figured it would be fun to drive and an opportunity to compare it to my Bronco after 3 months of ownership and 4,500 miles.

This isn't meant to trigger the Jeep folks, because the Jeep brand deserves a ton of credit for continuously offering the Wrangler and its variants as an interesting alternative to boring vehicles for decades.

With that said, I'm not joking when I say I would have returned this thing and grabbed a different vehicle if I had the time. The driving characteristics of a Gladiator vs. a Bronco are literally night and day, and being in the Gladiator gave me a whole new level of appreciation for the Bronco's road manners.

Gladiator steering at 75MPH is like giving vague suggestions as to what direction the truck should go. As a driver who represents the majority of buyers (someone who uses the vehicle as a daily driver and goes off road occasionally), I can confidently say I would have sold a Gladiator almost immediately. I'm glad they exist and think they look great, just surprised at the wildly unrefined on-road characteristics!

I still own my jeep but every time i see a bronco on here it makes me want to make the switch... hmm..

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