{"id":23620,"date":"2019-04-02T11:25:13","date_gmt":"2019-04-02T15:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=23620"},"modified":"2019-04-02T11:25:13","modified_gmt":"2019-04-02T15:25:13","slug":"payne-jeep-gladiator-pickup-lives-up-to-its-hype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2019\/04\/payne-jeep-gladiator-pickup-lives-up-to-its-hype","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Jeep Gladiator pickup lives up to its hype"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/03\/29\/PDTN\/83daffed-b865-4d41-86b5-5276a24c7251-jeep_hill.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"King of the Hill. The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is the most capable off-road pickup. Starting at about $35k, it has best-in-class 4x4 towing and payload.\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><p><em>King of the Hill. The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is the most capable off-road pickup. Starting at about $35k, it has best-in-class 4&#215;4 towing and payload.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: FCA US LLC)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">One of the year\u2019s most anticipated vehicles, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator, opened to media reviews this week, and the midsize pickup lives up to its hype.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">The Detroit News spent a day at the helm of the mighty pickup and will have a full review in Thursday\u2019s Drive section. But with the embargo for drive impressions and pricing lifted this weekend, we couldn\u2019t help but spill some of our initial thoughts on the vehicle, which arrives on dealer lots in May or June.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In our 100-mile-plus adventure from the chilly streets of Sacramento to the rocky, rain-soaked foothills of California\u2019s Sierra Nevadas this week, the Gladiator made a strong case for the best all-around vehicle in its segment. Combining Jeep\u2019s unique off-road capabilities with a longer wheelbase than brother Wrangler, the Gladiator proved nimble when rock-crawling, and comfortable when asphalt-cruising.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Those with $60,815 to invest in a fully-tricked-out Rubicon Launch Edition are rare, to be sure, but the base,\u00a0$35,000\u00a0Gladiator comes loaded for bear with standard four-wheel drive, 285-horsepower V-6, and 6,000-pound-plus\u00a0towing capability\u00a0at a price a bit north of segment competitors like the Toyota Tacoma and Chevy Colorado.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">More on that pricing. Jeep\u2019s unique off-road tools and stylish interior \u2013 not to mention that World War II-forged seven-slot grille that has made it one of the most coveted brands this side of Apple \u2013 means buyers will pay a couple-thousand-dollar premium over competitors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Gladiator is based on the Wrangler\u2019s body-on-frame platform and carries its familiar\u00a0285-horsepower V-6\u00a0 (a diesel option will arrive in 2020). The pickup benefits from its iconic SUV sibling\u2019s major update for the 2018 model year \u2013 an\u00a0update that brought the Wrangler into the 21st century with modern technology, a quiet interior and properly cooled rear seats.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-RrNGe9JX_iU\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/03\/29\/PDTN\/371350a4-c697-4cef-ae21-fbdeae2c561f-jeep_open.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon can be stripped of its doors and roof for open air driving.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/03\/29\/PDTN\/371350a4-c697-4cef-ae21-fbdeae2c561f-jeep_open.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/03\/29\/PDTN\/371350a4-c697-4cef-ae21-fbdeae2c561f-jeep_open.JPG?width=500&amp;height=333\" \/><em>The 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon can be stripped of its doors and roof for open air driving.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: FCA US LLC)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">Cruising the byways of Sacramento in a hard-top Gladiator, it was easy to forget we were driving a pickup. A modern cabin and rear\u00a0multi-link suspension inspired by the smooth-riding Ram 1500 pickup made for easy conversation and comfort. The same could be said for rear passengers.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Gladiator offers the best rear legroom in class (this 6-foot-5\u00a0reviewer lounged comfortably). That&#8217;s\u00a0part of a thorough remake aft of the B-pillar that converts the Wrangler platform into a long-wheelbase, midsize pickup with a 60-inch steel box and 1,600-pound payload capability. Like class competitors, the Gladiator gets sub-rear seat storage capability \u2013 then adds locking storage for when owners strip\u00a0the doors and roof for off-roading.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">That open-air vibe has been a signature Wrangler attribute, and the Gladiator exports it to pickups. It\u2019s a reminder of the huge off-road bandwidth this pickup possesses,\u00a0especially when dressed in Rubicon trim with full swaybar-disconnecting suspension and bash-plated armor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Gladiator Rubicon owners will generally use their new tool for daily commutes \u2013 or\u00a0leverage its best-in-class towing and payload capacity to haul mulch or motorbikes to weekend escapes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But to explore the Rubicon\u2019s sizable envelope, it needs to be taken to the far corners of the United States \u2013 Nevada\u2019s Rubicon Trail in Nevada, the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, and the twisted trails of Moab, Utah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Before the first $35,040 entry-level Sport model is sold, Jeep is offering the exclusive Launch Edition model to order for 24 hours on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-RrNGe9IAeqc\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/03\/30\/PDTN\/503f7b0c-fa1a-4a9a-b937-2b83bfc7a785-jeep_launch.jpg?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"A special 2020 Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition gets a speical stamped tailgate signifying that the truck is one of 4190. The number honors the Toledo area code (419) where the Gladiator is built.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/03\/30\/PDTN\/503f7b0c-fa1a-4a9a-b937-2b83bfc7a785-jeep_launch.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/03\/30\/PDTN\/503f7b0c-fa1a-4a9a-b937-2b83bfc7a785-jeep_launch.jpg?width=500&amp;height=367\" \/><em>A special 2020 Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition gets a speical stamped tailgate signifying that the truck is one of 4190. The number honors the Toledo area code (419) where the Gladiator is built.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: FCA US LLC, \u00a9 2018 FCA US LLC)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">Buyers can then enter a contest to win a full year\u2019s salary of $100,000.\u00a0Entrants will be culled from the 4,190 buyers of the Launch Edition, which is\u00a0a fully loaded Rubicon trim.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Why\u00a04,190? To honor the (419)\u00a0Toledo area-code where the rugged rig is manufactured. The special truck will only be available to order on the fourth day of this year\u2019s fourth month (April 4) \u2013 a play on Jeep\u2019s 4&#215;4 capabilities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Entrants for the $100,000 prize will be judged on their submission of a video featuring their Gladiator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Gladiator Launch Edition comes with an exclusive stamped tailgate, 17-inch wheels and red-stitched black-leather seats. Buyers get a choice of five colors, including Firecracker Red. Standard features include an 8.4-inch touchscreen, a nine-speaker Alpine sound system and a blizzard of safety systems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Buyers can go online to build their Launch edition at 12:01 a.m., Jeep 4&#215;4 day at: www.jeep.com\/gladiator\/launch-edition.html. Then join us at the Drive section Thursday for more impressions.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-RrNGe9IAjw8\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>King of the Hill. The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is the most capable off-road pickup. Starting at about $35k, it has best-in-class 4&#215;4 towing and payload.\u00a0(Photo: FCA US LLC) One of the year\u2019s most anticipated vehicles, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator, opened to media reviews this week, and the midsize pickup lives up to its hype. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23620"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23620\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}