The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Classic Jeep style
- Classic Jeep capability
- Can tow a lot
- Solid infotainment
Dislikes
- Uncomfortable cabin
- Highway instability
- Huge price spread
- Loud inside
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2025 Jeep Gladiator blends Wrangler capability with pickup truck utility for the narrow slice of buyers who truly want both.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Jeep Gladiator? What does it compare to?
The Gladiator is a pickup version of the Jeep Wrangler. Compare it to the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, and Chevy Colorado.
Is the 2025 Jeep Gladiator a good truck?
It may not be as comfortable as its competitors, but the Gladiator holds plenty of appeal for its off-road ability and its towing capability. Weigh what’s best for you. We land at a 5.2 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 Jeep Gladiator?
The 6-speed manual transmission has been dropped and power windows and locks are now standard. Additionally, the Gladiator’s price has been adjusted downward considerably, especially when you account for the additional standard features.
The Gladiator is just what it looks like: a pickup version of the evergreen Jeep Wrangler. Aside from the challenges of its length, it’s just as capable off-road and just as marginal on-road, but it looks great and offers open-top fun that no competitor can even come close to matching. It just looks great, too.
There’s only one powertrain option here: a 3.6-liter V-6 rated at 285 hp that delivers power to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission and a 2-speed transfer case. Basic Gladiators are plenty capable off-road, while higher-end ones add one or two locking differentials, meatier tires, and fancy shocks to swallow up sand dunes, rocks, or some combination of the two.
While the Gladiator isn’t quick, it is capable of towing up to 7,700 pounds in certain configurations. That’s impressive for a midsize truck, but this isn’t exactly the most comfortable tow rig around. The Gladiator’s busy ride is no match for the comparatively plush Tacoma or Colorado, and it lacks the nimble feel of the Frontier and Ranger.
It’s also not particularly comfy inside, even if the imaginatively styled dash is fun to look at. So-so seats and a narrow, compromised cabin are canceled out by the lift-off or fold-back top, if that’s your thing. The 5-foot bed is midsize truck-typical, and it can be outfitted with a spray-in bedliner and a power outlet.
The Gladiator has only been partially crash-tested, but what results it has so far are not great. All models have basic crash-avoidance technology, while nearly all are also equipped with adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitors. Outward vision is good overall.
How much does the 2025 Jeep Gladiator cost?
The base Gladiator Sport is now $39,995, including a mandatory $1,895 destination charge. That money finally buys power windows and locks, but not too many other niceties aside from a very good 13.2-inch touchscreen with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. It’s easy to get quite lost in the Gladiator’s myriad optional features, which range from a hard top to soft nappa leather seats as you work your way up the lineup.
Where is the 2025 Jeep Gladiator made?
In Toledo, Ohio.
2025 Jeep Gladiator Styling
The 2025 Jeep Gladiator is a great-looking pickup truck.
Is the Jeep Gladiator a good-looking truck?
It’s a breath of fresh air in the midsize truck market. The Gladiator is a Wrangler from its front bumper to its rear doors. After that, it’s a pickup truck with a 5-foot bed. We like its interior and exterior designs well enough to net it a 7 out of 10.
Updates last year brought a fresh grille and some new paint colors to the lineup, but they don’t change this truck’s basic profile. The pronounced front bumper, upright seven-slot grille, round headlights, and hefty fender flares are Jeep hallmarks. Credit to Jeep’s engineers for making the rear end look natural, too.
Inside, the dash has a modern, somewhat busy look with a wide 12.3-inch screen mounted just off center. Jeep doesn’t offer much interior color variety, but the overall look here is fun and fresh, if not exactly roomy or well-organized. Buttons sprout up in unexpected places, for instance, and there’s not much small-items storage.
2025 Jeep Gladiator Performance
The 2025 Jeep Gladiator is an off-roader and a tow rig, but it’s not great as a commuter.
Depending on your priorities, the 2025 Jeep Gladiator might be a great performer. It scores a 5 here. We give it points for its off-road ability and its 7,700-pound maximum tow rating, but it loses points for comfort and refinement.
Is the Jeep Gladiator 4WD?
Yes, of course. All have a 2-speed transfer case for low-range gearing, and most have a part-time system called Command-Trac that must be left in two-wheel-drive mode on dry pavement. The optional Selec-Trac system has an automatic mode suitable for use on any kind of terrain.
Any Gladiator is reasonably capable thanks to a pair of flexy solid axles and plenty of ground clearance. The Willys trim adds a rear locker that helps split power between the rear wheels in especially rough terrain. If you’re a proper off-roader, you’ll want to pick between the Rubicon and Mojave trims. Both have big tires and special shocks, but the Mojave is meant for washboard roads and fast driving across the desert, while the Rubicon has disconnecting sway bars perfect for slow rock crawling.
How fast is the Jeep Gladiator?
Speed is not its priority. The Gladiator has a 3.6-liter V-6 rated at 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, which must move upward of 5,000 pounds of metal. The 8-speed automatic transmission is a winner, though. It does a good job of keeping the engine in its power band and fires off smooth, quick shifts. Still, there’s a distinct lack of power at lower engine speeds.
On smooth pavement, the Gladiator has an acceptably comfortable ride thanks in part to its long 137.3-inch wheelbase and big tires with tall sidewalls. Bumpy roads induce lots of head toss in the cabin, though, and the Gladiator never settles in particularly well for long-distance highway treks. Its light steering and its solid front axle contribute to plenty of wander at highway speeds.
The Gladiator lineup offers a wide range between standard and maximum towing and payload capacities. You’ll want to look through specs wisely to opt for one capable of towing 7,700 pounds if you plan to lug a heavy trailer at any point.
2025 Jeep Gladiator Comfort & Quality
The 2025 Jeep Gladiator trades comfort for open-air fun.
The 2025 Jeep Gladiator is not a particularly comfortable choice. It rates just 5 out of 10 here, with the point we dial back for its subpar seats replaced by a point for its 5-foot cargo bed.
The Gladiator’s front seats offer marginal comfort, though a power-adjustable driver seat is available. Front-seat hiproom is cramped due to the big center console and relatively narrow body. The rear seat’s no better, though the 38.3 inches of legroom back there is good. Small door openings and a flat, narrow bench are demerits.
Gladiators are loud, especially with the standard soft top. The hardtop is quieter, but still hardly silent. The interior trim has a bucks-up look on models with synthetic leather draped across the dash and door panels.
The bed can be accessorized with a spray-in bedliner, a power outlet, lighting, and a roll-top cover, and the light aluminum tailgate makes cargo loading a cinch.
2025 Jeep Gladiator Safety
The 2025 Jeep Gladiator lacks extensive crash-test ratings.
How safe is the Jeep Gladiator?
What few results are in from the IIHS and the NHTSA are not promising, but we’ll hold off assigning a score here until those two agencies have properly crashed the 2025 Jeep Gladiator. The NHTSA gives it 3 out of 5 stars in the rollover rating, while the IIHS sprinkles in “Marginal” and “Poor” ratings for its crash-avoidance tech and its headlights. A rating here would likely lower the Gladiator's overall score.
All models have six airbags and automatic emergency braking, while adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitors are standard on most trim levels.
2025 Jeep Gladiator Features
The 2025 Jeep Gladiator is a decent value now that prices have been lowered.
While not the cheapest midsize pickup truck, the 2025 Gladiator is finally a reasonable buy after years of price hikes. It now starts at $39,995 for the base Sport trim, which has power windows and locks, a 13.2-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and 17-inch steel wheels.
Gladiators include three years of basic maintenance in addition to their 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. We land at an 8 here thanks to the decent standard equipment, terrific infotainment, and all that included maintenance.
Which Jeep Gladiator should I buy?
The step-up Sport S trim works well enough, though we’d add packages with adaptive cruise control, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a hardtop. And if we were going to tow, we wouldn’t consider a Gladiator without the Max Tow group.
The Willys trim’s locking rear differential makes it appealing for around $47,000 to start, though again you’ll want to budget at least a few grand for myriad options.
How much is a fully loaded Jeep Gladiator?
Hardcore off-roaders have two Gladiator choices both starting at $52,995: the sand-oriented Mojave or the rock-crawling Rubicon. (Top tip: The Mojave’s Fox shocks ride great on pavement, too.) You can add leather seats, steel bumpers, better audio, and a bunch of other features that can push their price tags to around $70,000, though.
2025 Jeep Gladiator Fuel Economy
The 2025 Jeep Gladiator is rather inefficient.
Is the Jeep Gladiator good on gas?
Not really. We rate it at just 1 out of 10 based on 2024 model-year estimates from the EPA that pegged the Jeep Gladiator at just 17 mpg city, 22 highway, 19 combined. Some competitors check in at 21 mpg combined or higher.
