Jeep Gladiators Selling Poorly - Now with Big Dealer Incentives

[Dan_S]

I think I read they have plans to bring it back sort of, only with AWD which ain't quite the same. That's why I bought a 4R. 4WD is dying.

😳


Do tell.

[fixer]

Hating on mall crawlers is certainly an enjoyable pastime, but in its element the Jeep still shines.

Confirmed. This is from a hardcore 4runner guy.

[rob_s]

I found this quote from the linked article to be interesting...

Last year, Jeep sold just over 40,000 of the midsize pickup trucks, putting it close to the bottom in the segment ahead of only the Honda Ridgeline (33,334 units) and GMC Canyon (32,825). At the front of the pack is the Toyota Tacoma with 248,801 sales, followed by the Chevy Colorado at 122,304, the Ford Ranger with 89,571, and the Nissan Frontier at 72,369.

so in order of most sold to least...

1. Toyota Tacoma: 248,801
2. Wrangler: 228,032
3. Chevy Colorado: 122,304
4. Ford Ranger: 89,571
5. Nissan Frontier: 72,369
6. Jeep Gladiator: ~40,000
7. Honda Ridgeline: 33,334 units
8. GMC Canyon: 32,825

Right off the lot, which of these is as capable off-road as the Jeep?

I’m asking because I literally,y don’t know.

The second question, and maybe the more telling question, is “does it matter when it comes to mass market sales?”

[JRB]

...Right off the lot, which of these is as capable off-road as the Jeep?

I’m asking because I literally,y don’t know.

The second question, and maybe the more telling question, is “does it matter when it comes to mass market sales?”

None of them are as capable. The only other new vehicle that can compete with a Rubicon stock vs stock is a 70 series triple-locked Land Cruiser which is not available in North America no matter how much money you have.

Only the Rubicon comes with front, rear, and center diff locks and only the Rubicon comes with a live front axle. The non-Rubicon Wranglers still have a center diff lock and live front axle, though the axles are smaller and weaker and I can't in good conscience recommend anything but a Rubicon.

Colorado/Canyon have an interesting small diesel option but the jury's out on whether it'll hold up to the long haul. It also sucks because the diesel isn't available with a manual trans or in a more utilitarian trim level - to get the diesel you need to get all the farkles, bells, whistles, and gizmos which adds considerable cost.
There's also been some reports of frame durability problems with them that has me concerned, so I'd be reluctant to buy one if I wanted to do lots of off roading or tow a trailer.

Avoid the Ranger, lots of weird little issues according to people I know wrenching for the blue oval. If you're a Ford family, get an F150 preferably with the 5.0L Coyote and enjoy one of Ford's finest engines ever and significant long term reliability, or buy an Ecoboost for the ~2-3mpg improvement in trade for somewhat less reliability. Buy a 4wd even if you don't need it because the resale on 2wd F150's sucks.

The Ridgeline is a truck in name only. If you want a crossover with a pickup bed, it works, and is generally reliable but don't expect truck levels of durability or towing.

The Frontier is a sleeper in this segment but the Ghosn-era cost cuts hurt some weird things in Nissan's lineup. If you get a more spartan configuration you should be fine, as most of the issues I have heard about in Nissans have to do with CVT's in non-trucks and in electrical/infotainment related problems across the line. Manual trans 4wd with minimal options should be pretty good to go. Basically, I'd expect it to be about as reliable as the Wrangler overall but as capable as the Tacoma off-road. Depending on final out the door price that might be well worth the cost savings over the Tacoma to a given buyer.

Bottom line, the truck to have in that segment is the Tacoma, with the singular exception of the Wrangler Rubicon if you need/want that additional ~25-30% (totally spitballing) more offroad capability in bone stock form, and are willing to take a small hit in gas mileage and possibly significant hit in reliability to get it.

Personally, I'd buy a Tacoma 4x4 quad cab with a 6spd manual if I had to pick from that list.

[BehindBlueI's]

The second question, and maybe the more telling question, is “does it matter when it comes to mass market sales?”

That's kind of a two part question.

1) Does ACTUAL capability matter: No.

2) Does the MARKETING capability matter: Absolutely.

The number of people who'll actually take a $55k+ new vehicle through anything more challenging then a mud puddle or over anything harsher than a speed bump are a tiny tiny percentage of buyers. The number of people who like to think of themselves as the adventurous sort who absolutely COULD do that sort of thing are a significant percentage. As long as you've got a flagship that's capable enough for the magazines and blogs, you're golden. Especially if you sell cheaper versions that aren't as capable but share the aura. Which is why we have 4 cylinder Camaros as well.

[rob_s]

That's kind of a two part question.

1) Does ACTUAL capability matter: No.

2) Does the MARKETING capability matter: Absolutely.

The number of people who'll actually take a $55k+ new vehicle through anything more challenging then a mud puddle or over anything harsher than a speed bump are a tiny tiny percentage of buyers. The number of people who like to think of themselves as the adventurous sort who absolutely COULD do that sort of thing are a significant percentage. As long as you've got a flagship that's capable enough for the magazines and blogs, you're golden. Especially if you sell cheaper versions that aren't as capable but share the aura. Which is why we have 4 cylinder Camaros as well.

Sounds a lot like guns.

And Raptors.

And sports cars...

So the thing is, even if someone is just a poser (or even maybe moreso if they are a poser), I’d imagine they’d still want “the best”. Like the guy that just has to have the Hodge ar with custom barrel, ya know?

[BehindBlueI's]

Sounds a lot like guns.

And Raptors.

And sports cars...

So the thing is, even if someone is just a poser (or even maybe moreso if they are a poser), I’d imagine they’d still want “the best”. Like the guy that just has to have the Hodge ar with custom barrel, ya know?

6 cylinder Mustangs and Camaros handily outsell V8s every year. This was true even with those motors were dogs, although the V6s of today are pretty capable in their own right and there's actually V6 track editions for the lighter front end, but that's ranging a bit afar.

The best is expensive and you can pose with the lesser version and still get some of that reflected coolness. Some people legitimately don't care about the performance as much as the image. The best also changes quite often. If you want the fastest sports car you're going to be buying and selling pretty often. I've got a Camaro SS/RS. The new ones are faster, but they are also ugly. From a pure performance standpoint they are better. For me, for pride of ownership, they aren't. Maybe I'm posing. I lack a mullet and gold chains, but you never know. I have a hell of a lot of fun posing, though, especially when I get to pass semis on a 2-lane.

[Nephrology]

The number of people who like to think of themselves as the adventurous sort who absolutely COULD do that sort of thing are a significant percentage. As long as you've got a flagship that's capable enough for the magazines and blogs, you're golden. Especially if you sell cheaper versions that aren't as capable but share the aura. Which is why we have 4 cylinder Camaros as well.

It's also probably fair to say that this same segment is really cross-shopping against economy commuter crossovers and sedans, as most of these buyers are just looking for a daily driver that is cool/fits their image/etc and may not even understand why you'd get a v8 over the 4cyl Camaro. A 4 cylinder Camaro still gets more horsepower (and most importantly, looks cooler) than a 2.5L Camry, and a Chevy Tahoe is beefier (and looks cooler) than a Honda Odyssey, even if the more boring cars of each pair are better suited for commuting/family hauling, respectively.

[mmc45414]

so in order of most sold to least...

1. Toyota Tacoma: 248,801
2. Wrangler: 228,032
3. Chevy Colorado: 122,304
4. Ford Ranger: 89,571
5. Nissan Frontier: 72,369
6. Jeep Gladiator: ~40,000
7. Honda Ridgeline: 33,334 units
8. GMC Canyon: 32,825

Obviously the Colorado and Canyon are the same thing and the numbers should be combined, and I look at the Gladiator as a Wrangler variant. And the Ranger is just reentering the market. Not that any of that means anything, other than IMO that ranking is a little goofy.

Am surprised the Ridgeline is that low, not so much higher than the Element when they quit them.

[mmc45414]

6 cylinder Mustangs and Camaros handily outsell V8s every year. This was true even with those motors were dogs, although the V6s of today are pretty capable in their own right and there's actually V6 track editions for the lighter front end, but that's ranging a bit afar.

I rented one of the Camaros once and couldn't believe how fast it was. After I turned it back in I went and looked it up and IIRC the V6 car might have squeaked into the 13s!

The new ones are faster, but they are also ugly. From a pure performance standpoint they are better.

I think part of the issue is that things are so fast that faster doesn't really matter. Another problem is that they keep getting more expensive. The C8 is probably the first things that probably justifies the purchase price. This, IMO, is just goofy:

Really cool, but goofy..