Jeep Gladiator has a manual. Same Aisin unit as is in my JL. It matches up well to the Pentastar V6, although I think 6th gear is a little too tall for my liking. But as the engine has broken-in, it has pulled it better and better. I'm running 35" tires, too, so that makes it more noticeable. I just shift into 6th at 65mph and up.
Save the manuals?
- Thread starter CharBaby
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The Gladiator isn’t a truck.
I considered buying one and test drove a used 2018 model last week. They are no longer available for 2021 and the 2020s have been picked over (for colour at least) locally. You can still get a new 2020 black or a white one though.
It's a great car but not very different from my 2007 Accord V6 6MT sedan. And I'm keeping my Accord, so why would I want 2 similar vehicles. There's not a single thing wrong with them, though I'd prefer 17" wheels. I noticed almost all the flashy recent 19" Honda wheels on the used car lot had curb rash as those wheels are almost flush with the tires.
By the way there's a substantial deduction for the manual transmission in a used car. So keep that in mind when buying.
The problem is that the epa has partially ruined them in N.A with rev hang and high revving top gears, drive by wire throttle too... I was tempted to hunt down a manual 2017 Outback when we got ours but the prospect of a noisier car(2018's are quieter) running nearly 1000rpm higher on the hwy didn't really appeal to me. For my Focus, the manual makes the car better as the auto and manual have similar top gear rpms and its a fun car to drive hard while going slow, also it still has a throttle cable and a good hydraulic steering rack so its a good analog experience. For long trips though usually I'll take the Outback as it can get nearly the mileage of the Focus while being more comfortable.
There have been several cars over the years I've test drove that the manual had such a high ratio top gear it was ridiculous... The early 2000's pathfinder with the monster 3.5 VQ had it spinning near 3k! at 60mph with the 5spd... Why? I don't think you'd need to downshift towing 7k lbs up a 10% slope while passing with tractor gears like that....
Ok. Full frame. Check. Solid axles, front and rear. Check. Nearly 1 ton payload. Check. 7500lb towing. Available diesel engine. Check. 4wd with up to 4:1 crawl ratio, check. But it is not a truck. Right.
Really too bad Hyundai decided not to offer the 6-speed manual with the 3.3T V6 in either the G70 or the Stinger.
Ok. Full frame. Check. Solid axles, front and rear. Check. Nearly 1 ton payload. Check. 7500lb towing. Available diesel engine. Check. 4wd with up to 4:1 crawl ratio, check. But it is not a truck. Right.
You forgot the most important feature of all.
They’re butt ugly and more disproportioned than a beagle bulldog mix.
What is it then?
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Rev hang hurts the VW 6-spds as I understand it (VW offers more different vehicles with manuals than about anyone it seems). My Focus has that issue as well. Answer is software tuning. My Focus is a 5-spd and I hate 3K RPM at 65. It's old tech and will become harder and harder to fit with all the driver's aid bits as time progresses. Glad I have one in the driveway but I wouldn't buy another unless it was a small sporty roadster type car at this point. Really had a think when I bought my Sportwagen as there was a 6-spd I could have grabbed but glad I went DSG hands down. I am part of the problem I suppose
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So ugly vehicles that have beds still aren't trucks? Guess that eliminates all the trucks made by Ford, Chevy and Toyota for the last 10 years.
Probably is from the camp that believes the Ridgeline isn't a truck either.
"It's not a real truck brooooo".
A good friend just picked up a new Gladiator Rubicon. It's a v. nice vehicle...not my cup o' tea but cool none-the-less. Very useful as an offroader/truck. I must admit it's not a traditional truck vs. say a Tacoma, F-150, etc. but I can't see which other category it fits into. I get the concern with categorization in certain segments and for me w/r to station wagons. Lots of folks categorize things I would consider a CUV/SUV or hatchback as wagons when they are not...Forester for example or the Impreza. wagony/hatch thing.Probably is from the camp that believes the Ridgeline isn't a truck either.
"It's not a real truck brooooo".
I mean the Cherokee XJ was called a "sport wagon" when it first came out.
Probably is from the camp that believes the Ridgeline isn't a truck either.
"It's not a real truck brooooo".
I don’t like the ridgeline either.
You’re good, “bro”.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Strange category … don’t care for them and I own a JLU Rubicon … if I wanted a truck that size that goes off-road it would be a ZR2 Bison …
You can dislike something, doesn't mean it isn't considered a truck. I believe that is what Honda considers the Ridgeline, and Jeep considers the Gladiator, along with almost every automotive search engine on the planet.
I had an '00 XJ - I miss it but sadly not a station wagon
Again, what is the Gladiator if it isn't a pickup truck? It seems to fit the same model that Toyota used with the truck/4-runner, Ford used with the F-150/Bronco, etc. You make an SUV with a covered rear end or have a truck with a bed. I suppose if I was being pedantic you could say these other brands all had trucks first then the SUV (read - covered rear end) came later and hear, you got the 4-door Wrangler then the truck variant. What is the Wrangler categorized as? Important note - none are station wagons..hahahahah
Or the Chevy Avalanche...what is that? I can see where that one is a bit strange b/c it's not really the same as the 4-door Silverado of that era but had to have been based on the same chassis like the Tahoe. So is there another category - bedded SUVs for these vehicles?
What about the Subaru Baja - an Outback with a bed....another one that is hard to categorize. Not a truck would be my take b/c based on a car platform. Honda Ridgeline is not based on a true body-on-frame so struggling there too calling it a pickup vs. a SUV with a bed.
