Bronco pickup? Gladiator shows what will happen...

[Rivers90]

For over landing the gladiator would be great. Also if you want to tow a trailer , as well as off-road.


Just because you would not take a gladiator off-road does not mean that others don't
In "the story till now" they do some pretty great trails in their gladiator.

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[Sgt Beavis]

Anyone that thinks the Gladiator isn’t a very capable off roader hasn’t been paying attention. It is an excellent off roader. It’s only real weakness is that break over angle. The departure angle is a bit of a weekness but no more than any other pickup out there. You still get a truck with front and rear lockers, swaybar disconnects, Fox shocks, and a load of other off roading goodies.

The Gladiators lack of success, IMO, comes from the design proportions and that cargo bed that has resulted from those design proportions. Jeep didn’t change the cab from the Cpillar forward which resulted in a much longer wheelbase. It also designed the chassis from a RAM pickup. That and the suspension geometry resulted in a shallower bed. Of course the ultra long wheelbase forced Jeep to make the bed shorter.

Had the Gladiator been a clean sheet design, based on a midsized pickup platform (which FCA didn’t have) they could have ended up with a well proportioned pickup. The Bronco IS based on a midsized truck platform that has nearly a foot shorter wheelbase. IMO it can be made into a much better proportioned, and thus more useful, pickup.

That said, it will still be a niche/lifestyle pickup. I’m not sure if it would cannibalize Ranger sales. But I’m sure that is at least one of Ford’s concerns.

 

[BroncoBillyBoy]

The Gladiator is hideous...and it sucks off road because of the awful wheelbase / break-over. I think it will dry up and stop selling, and I agree that Ford shouldn't go down that trail. Gladiator has no redeeming qualities compared to a regular Rubi, or to a pickup.

It’s surprising that a Gamecock Fan would subscribe to such nonsense. Have any of you people even seriously looked at one? Even driven one? The bed is plenty big enough to haul whatever most people would want to. No it’s not a pickup for a framer or roofer, but it’s not designed to be. It’s something for those of us that like to get out in the woods to hunt and fish and camp. I’m 6’2, 215, and fit in the back just fine in my bed tent. Me, the little lady and my dingo. The damn thing has gone anywhere I’ve asked it to, without skipping a beat. Also, the creature comforts are as good as any modern vehicle, and the top and doors come off. I realize I’m fortunate enough to have written a check for my loaded Mojave, and that I’m also fortunate enough to have a loaded Bronco on order, with every option I could equip, which I’ll also write a damn check for, so I’m not bitter that I can only afford one thing and have to criticize every damn thing that ain’t it. The Gladiator is a damn good truck. I hope the Bronco will be just as good. Go Cocks, class of 92.

 

[Springbok]

A guy that works for me bought one of these a few weeks ago. It's... interesting? I'm not particularly fond of the way it looks (his is a Rubicon in Royal Blue with Red Lettering.....), but it seems really solid and well built. However, for a $60k truck the inside seems really chintzy and low market. The Bronco interior is significantly better imo. For $60k, the screen is tiny, the weird colored (red) plastic looks like something in a Kia or a Hyundai hatchback.

I do like the idea of these though, and in other color combos and a small lift they look nice. Could make for a sweet overlander vehicle.

 

[dcmdon]

It’s surprising that a Gamecock Fan would subscribe to such nonsense. Have any of you people even seriously looked at one? Even driven one? The bed is plenty big enough to haul whatever most people would want to. No it’s not a pickup for a framer or roofer, but it’s not designed to be. It’s something for those of us that like to get out in the woods to hunt and fish and camp. I’m 6’2, 215, and fit in the back just fine in my bed tent. Me, the little lady and my dingo. The damn thing has gone anywhere I’ve asked it to, without skipping a beat. Also, the creature comforts are as good as any modern vehicle, and the top and doors come off. I realize I’m fortunate enough to have written a check for my loaded Mojave, and that I’m also fortunate enough to have a loaded Bronco on order, with every option I could equip, which I’ll also write a damn check for, so I’m not bitter that I can only afford one thing and have to criticize every damn thing that ain’t it. The Gladiator is a damn good truck. I hope the Bronco will be just as good. Go Cocks, class of 92.

I couldn't agree more. Was going to buy a Gladiator Mojave when I saw the Bronco. I am not sure the bronco will really meet my needs. I think I need more cargo space. But if I could get better on road ability with not much hit off road, the Bronco my be great. Plus, I like power. There is no reasonably powerful version of the Gladiator. The 2.7 bronco with a tune should push 400 hp and 500 ft-lb of torque. Waiting to drive one.

Either way, I think the Gladiator is a uniquely excellent vehicle. Whether it can or should be my daily driver is another question. Though I can say that of all the Gladiators I've driven, the Mojave with AT (not MT) tires is the best on road.

 

[dcmdon]

A guy that works for me bought one of these a few weeks ago. It's... interesting? I'm not particularly fond of the way it looks (his is a Rubicon in Royal Blue with Red Lettering.....), but it seems really solid and well built. However, for a $60k truck the inside seems really chintzy and low market. The Bronco interior is significantly better imo. For $60k, the screen is tiny, the weird colored (red) plastic looks like something in a Kia or a Hyundai hatchback.

I do like the idea of these though, and in other color combos and a small lift they look nice. Could make for a sweet overlander vehicle.

Its interesting that you say this. The Jeep's interior seems much nicer than the Bronco's to me other than the display size. Though I haven't seen a bronco in person yet. That huge swath of hard plastic on the bronco passenger side dash looks cheap.

 

[UncleBuck]

I've been thinking about the Gladiator more and more these days, especially after seeing three different Gladiator RUBICON's at Yellowstone National Park last summer (all optioned to the max, beautiful clean paint, really cute matching luggage in each, no hint of their owners wanting to drive their $65K toys off the blacktop) and what that class of vehicle really brings to the JEEP brand.

• Is it a truck? If it is, it's a really poor choice as a truck
• Is it a off road beast? It has the kit, but again, it's form factor makes it a really poor choice
• Does it still drive like a JEEP (and all the negative that implies on-road)? Yea!
• Is the Gladiator simply another Ridgeline with a very select audience and unable to turn a profit even with $20K of options tarting it up? Probably

TTAC followed up my vehicular wanderings with this article today and it's pointed yet mostly unopinionated (until you get to the comments).

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/11/2020-jeep-gladiator-sport-s-review-poised-for-urban-life/

Does Bronco "need" to follow suit with an even smaller-market vehicle that isn't great off road, isn't great as a truck, and looks as cumbersome as the Gladiator? I would argue there is no business reason to do so. Covid has cost every manufacturer billions, dumping resources into these low-yield makes doesn't make sense. Ranger is a perfectly capable midsize truck, Maverick is rumored to be close to production for small truck, and Bronco looks to be more than capable of giving the fight to Jeep off-road (not in outright capability, but in that entry/mid-market basis) and with the pencil pushers.

Bronco should stay far away from a truck design. Let the Ranger Tremor be that segment for people who need a small(er) off road truck than an F150.

 

[Ronaldo]

I want a bronco truck, it has many advantages over the gladiator.
IFS. It will ride like a Ranger or F150
horse power. 2.7 eco boost has tons of tq Up to 500 with a tune
bigger deeper bed. Gladiators is so shallow
towing. I’m sure it will out tow a gladiator
So if you want one vehicle that can do it all. Bronco truck is it
Tow. Removable top. Removable doors.
4X4. Power. Ride quality. Looks. Useable bed

10 speed auto. 7 speed stick with crawl
Oh and Jeep is now owned by the French.

 

[Lakelife36]

Bronco should stay far away from a truck design. Let the Ranger Tremor be that segment for people who need a small(er) off road truck than an F150.

No Ranger - Tremor or otherwise - comes with a stick.

Case closed.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Its interesting that you say this. The Jeep's interior seems much nicer than the Bronco's to me other than the display size. Though I haven't seen a bronco in person yet. That huge swath of hard plastic on the bronco passenger side dash looks cheap.

After sitting in the Bronco at one of the events I can tell you (for me anyhow) the interior feels cheaper in the Bronco compared to my Gladiator other then the display size like you mentioned.

I will probably be adding a Bronco to my garage but will always be a Jeep fan and my wife and I both just love our Gladiator so much.

To each their own though

 

[Tech Tim]

Anyone that thinks the Gladiator isn’t a very capable off roader hasn’t been paying attention. It is an excellent off roader. It’s only real weakness is that break over angle. The departure angle is a bit of a weekness but no more than any other pickup out there. You still get a truck with front and rear lockers, swaybar disconnects, Fox shocks, and a load of other off roading goodies.

Well said.

Have built a couple Gladiators and have wheeled one quite a bit. They are very capable wheelers for their size and that's just something you have to take into consideration when choosing a long wheelbase.

Is it going to a super tight trail? Probably not, but does anyone think the new Bronco could keep up with Suzuki Samurai through super tight trails? What is super tight to one vehicle will be wide open for another. It's all a matter of perspective.

 

[LostInArizona]

My brother has one, we've wheeled in it quite a bit. Seems like a pretty capable machine to me, it doesn't feel like it wanders on road quite as much as its shorter siblings. Granted we aren't doing tight mountain trails. Mostly desert trails and high speed stuff. That said, IF somebody wants "most" of the off-road capability of a Jeep Unlimited with the utility of a truck its really the ONLY real choice. He traded in a 2 door Rubicon for his when he had a kiddo and got a house, because he needed the bed, but still wanted to get off-road when he had the chance. Sure there are plenty of mid-size reasonably off-road capable trucks (e.g. ranger tremor, the Colorado ZR2, Taco TRD Pro, etc.) but none of those even come close to the capability of a Gladiator Rubicon or even a Mojave. Whether or not you like the looks is purely subjective, but its kinda dumb to go around talking crap about it like its useless and doesn't add value and options to the off-road market.

Personally, I don't like they way they look. Although they look MUCH better on big tires and with a shell like the one below.

As for people and their mall crawlers... Meh, that will always be a thing. Buying a bronco doesnt make you automatically not a poser lol. Every time I see a lifted Rubicon with 20k worth of aftermarket parts on it, with a winch, and beautifully painted custom bumpers, rails, 200 LED lights, on 40s. With absolutely not a single scratch on it! I think the same thing... but to each their own.

 

[Carolina Jim]

I want a bronco truck

I wonder if that tailgate would be adaptable to the regular Bronco?

 

[SillySpider]

For desert and dune stuff, I actually still prefer a shorter wheel base. Dunes are often quite steep at the peak and it can be easy to get hung up on them -or get caught in a dip or "witches eye". Also, a lot of the funnest hilly riverbank trails I have been on have a lot of tight and winding turns that are incredibly fun in smaller vehicles like a CJ5... I can imagine taking a 2 door Bronco through a lot of them. I know I'll try at some point when I drive down to Yuma to see family. I'd never chance a Gladiator through them. I will still be able to go fast on open desert trails, but also enjoy steep dunes, narrow canyons and windy, hilly riverbank trails more. Now that I live in the Pacific Northwest, I have to drive a ways to enjoy those kinds of things. But I have found many tight trails through trees and mountain trails that I will be using the heck out of trail turn assist on. Sometimes its about possibilities. That's why I like wheelers that are compact as possible with good geometry.

 

[Lakelife36]

I wonder if that tailgate would be adaptable to the regular Bronco?

Yessssss split tailgate!

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