The 2020 Jeep Gladiator JT Pickup is runaway hit. Here's how we'd spec ours.
One of the most highly anticipated vehicles in recent memory, the Jeep Gladiator JT pickup, is finally ready for prime time. After years of rumors, months of buildup, and a starring role at the 2018 Los Angeles auto show last fall, pricing is set in stone and the online configurator is live.
Jeep offers the Gladiator in four levels of trim-Sport, Sport S, Overland, and Rubicon. After weighing all the available options on the Jeep configurator and poring over the towing and payload rating charts, we arrived at a model that could serve the needs of nearly every staffer in the office.
MODEL WE'D PICK:
Jeep Gladiator Sport S (base price: $38,240)
Before you take aim on the messenger with Rubicon-embossed bullets, hear us out. There’s no question that going Rubicon is the quickest way to maximum Gladiator off-road capability, but we're in search of a utility player here; something that can deliver the kids to school during the week, tote sheet goods and lawn equipment on the weekends, tug a ski boat to the lake in the summer, and transport snowmobiles north when the snow flies. The Overland and Rubicon trims are both special in their own way, but the Gladiator Sport S with the automatic transmission and max towing package is the towing and payload champ. With a 7650-pound max tow rating and 1535-pound payload rating, the Sport S offers 1535 more pounds of tow capacity and 415 more pounds of payload capacity than the Overland, and 650 more pounds of tug and 375 more pounds of payload capacity than the Rubicon, all factored with the automatic and max tow package. Additionally, the Sport S’s lower base price also let us splurge a bit on extras without cracking the $50k mark.
OPTIONS WE’D CHOOSE:
7.0-Inch Radio Group ($995)
Convenience Group ($295)
Smokers Group ($30)
Roll-up tonneau cover ($495)
Spray-In bedliner ($495)
Punk'N Metallic Orange exterior paint ($0)
Eight-speed automatic transmission ($2000)
Trac-Lok anti-spin rear differential ($595)
Max Tow package with 4.10 axle ratio ($995)
Cold Weather Group ($995)
Most of our options are functionality based, but we did slip in a few fun amenities along the way. First among them is the 7.0-inch radio option, which includes a Uconnect infotainment interface with a 7.0-inch screen (the standard 5.0-inch screen pales by comparison), a one-year SiriusXM satellite radio subscription, CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, and, sliding in on the tail end, air conditioning. A steal at $995, the 7.0-inch radio package does, however, necessitate ordering of the charitably named Convenience Group, which is essentially a built-in garage-door transponder, but we'll take the hit to get access to FCA's intuitive and proven Uconnect system.
While it would have been ludicrous 20 years ago to charge $30 for a what essentially amounts to a cigarette lighter, we sprung for the Smokers Group for the simple fact that our Gladiator would see lots of back-woods adventures, and those blue-tip matches in your pocket aren't going to start any fires when they are soaking wet because you just tipped over your kayak; redundant flame sources are always a good idea in the boonies. The Cold Weather Group brings heated seats and steering wheel, plus remote start for those mornings when it's too cold to pull yourself from the sleeping bag to warm the car.
Exterior items include the Punk'N Metallic Orange clear-coat exterior paint, in part because we like elaborate half-baked puns but also because its deep-orange hue reminds us of fall, arguably the best season to engage in outdoor activities here in Michigan. The spray-in bedliner speaks for itself, and the roll-up tonneau cover offers enough security to keep things dry and out of sight for short periods while remaining flexible enough not to get in the way when the bed is needed to transport large items or large wet dogs. While the three-piece hard top was tempting, we figured we'd roll out the first few years with the factory cloth top; then, if we decided to keep our Gladiator for the long run, we could explore factory and aftermarket hard top-as well as bikini top-options in the future.
We were split on the decision to ditch the manual and go with the automatic transmission, but ultimately it was the towing capacity that forced our hand: even with the Max Tow package, the manual is only rated for 4000 pounds. Speaking of which, the Max Tow package is a virtual wish list of worthy upgrades for any Jeep. In addition to the Class IV receiver hitch and 4.10 axle ratio, it includes Dana 44 axles front and rear, a 240-amp alternator, an upgraded cooling system, and, for reasons not exactly clear, molded-in body-color fender flares.
Finally, we dropped $595 on the Trac-Lok anti-spin rear differential, which brings 245/75 all-terrain tires along for the ride, replacing the standard all-season treads.
As spec’d, our 2020 Jeep Gladiator Sport S JT pickup comes to $45,235. That's a very reasonable amount for a moderately well-equipped mid-size pickup in today's market. While it may not be fiercest off-road beast in the Gladiator lineup, it represents a near-ideal price/performance blend for our tastes. And should we ever get an inclination to do some hard-core off-roading down the road, Mopar, Jeep Performance Parts, and aftermarket vendors will be more than happy to bring us up to speed.
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