July Jeep Gladiator Sales
- Thread starter AndyG
- Start date
Between the two I’d get a JT.
But while they were looking for the keys, I’d probably find myself wandering across the street and buying a Taco instead.
OP
Here's what's killing it -
1. The Look. It's love /hate, as has always been with Jeep Trucks. To really love it , you have to be able to envision it lifted . It is being viewed very polar.
2. The Price -its up there with 3/4 ton diesels . Off the scale for the mid size market .
3. The Engine. Sorry , but it's not "bigger enough" as my son said when he was little. Not a bad engine, just not ideal for that platform.
4. The Concept - convertible trucks have always been considered a novelty. I'm not saying the Gladiator is a novelty ,but it bewilders truck buyers to cover the bed and remove the top.
****DISCLAIMER****
I'm not saying it isn't cool.
I'm not saying it's poorly made
I'm not saying it's ugly
I'm not saying it isn't successful
I'm only defining what I think is hurting it's market acceptance.
***************************
My beef with FCA was they claimed it would basically solve all potential needs, they "took away all the reasons not to buy one" is what one executive said.
Well apparently there have been about 16,000 more reasons per month to buy a Toyota Tacoma than one of those.
The overselling is what got me...and to reach its claimed towing capacity it pushes the vehicle close to the edge of catastrophic mechanical failure.
1. The Look. It's love /hate, as has always been with Jeep Trucks. To really love it , you have to be able to envision it lifted . It is being viewed very polar.
2. The Price -its up there with 3/4 ton diesels . Off the scale for the mid size market .
3. The Engine. Sorry , but it's not "bigger enough" as my son said when he was little. Not a bad engine, just not ideal for that platform.
4. The Concept - convertible trucks have always been considered a novelty. I'm not saying the Gladiator is a novelty ,but it bewilders truck buyers to cover the bed and remove the top.
****DISCLAIMER****
I'm not saying it isn't cool.
I'm not saying it's poorly made
I'm not saying it's ugly
I'm not saying it isn't successful
I'm only defining what I think is hurting it's market acceptance.
***************************
My beef with FCA was they claimed it would basically solve all potential needs, they "took away all the reasons not to buy one" is what one executive said.
Well apparently there have been about 16,000 more reasons per month to buy a Toyota Tacoma than one of those.
The overselling is what got me...and to reach its claimed towing capacity it pushes the vehicle close to the edge of catastrophic mechanical failure.
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OP
Even the diesel is small, and deleting them is about getting impossible.
What's hurting FCA is the European mindset of horsepower /weight , and has been for a long ,long time .
The 4.0 ,even though it was American, fit the bill, at 190h.p. , and consumers loved it , was fine in the TJ and XJ and worked with their "barely enough" philosophy.
The newer engines got more powerful, no bigger (3.8, 3.6) but the chassis got a lot bigger also.
America is back to performance in engines , 450-500hp+ now is not uncommon , and FCA is shooting itself in the foot by not finding something between 4.3- 5.2 liters and 350+ hp to stick under the hood.
FCA is seriously missing the boat.
Read any Jeep forum...people are screaming or fantasizing about how to get more power out of what they have or stuff a bigger engine into them.
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6.4L HEMI
People want to TOW
With a 3.6L V6 ????, not rocket science, I would not buy it either.
They needed to put out a two door option or at least an extra cab two door rather than a full blown four door. Yes, I know it is the only truck going with a solid front axle but still, for the money, I would get a Ram 1500 with a 5.7 hemi and a lift then bank the rest of the wad I saved. Sorry, it's just not enough truck for the money.
On point #2, And that price is too high even for a Diesel 3/4 ton!!!!
On point #4, 100% agreement. Dodge put out the Dakota rag top years ago and it did pretty well for a short amount of time '89 to '91 with only about 3500 units made!!
I live in a somewhat uppity part of Tennessee. And I've seen 4. And one was "built to the teeth" angry grill and all. Quite a few sitting in dealership lots though.
That looks amazing. All retro and tactical wrapped up in nearly seamless transition. Looks 1000x better than what they actually made. Im not a fan of the way the gladiators look, nor a big fan of the name. To each their own though
That “concept,” if it actually was built by Jeep as a concept, would never pass regulations for consumer purchase.Looks 1000x better than what they actually made. Im not a fan of the way the gladiators look, nor a big fan of the name. To each their own though
Not going to get into the plethora of small detailed regulations, but just one example is the lack of side markers/reflectors. That would make it a no go. Adding those and then all the other little details add up, in turn, making the concept more, “softcore” by the time it hits the dealers for consumer purchase.
Beside the fact that only a handful would sell, why do you think “hardcore,” big badass cconcepts never turn into massed produced consumer level vehicles?
I dont think the tall hoodline would fly. Just my .02. It requires reading and memorizing a lot of regulations that seem silly but all play a role in safety for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
I live smack dab in the middle of an area where people buy and drive vehicles to portray a certain level of affluence. Whenever a new niche vehicle comes out, everyone rushes to the dealers to be the first one on the block to get one. Like when the JKU came out, everyone had to have one. And then once everyone woke up the next day and realized all their neighbors also had one, it was a race to see who could make theirs the most “badass” with the gaudiest modifications you could think of.
Anyway, I digress. I have seen a fair amount of JT’s running around. More then I thought I would. The demographic is the same as the JKU serge of ‘07-‘10. Middle aged self-described “trendsetters” with big incomes. Surprisingly, 50/50 male to female ratio. Most definitely not the only $50k-$60k (or more) sitting in their driveways.
On the flip side, I was out on the trail at an Offroad park this weekend, I saw 3. Which surprised me. 2 looked like stock non-Rubis and the last looked like a slightly modded Rubi. I didn’t get a chance to talk to their drivers or see them in action. All 3 were in beginner groups or running some type of 101 class. I really wanted to chat with drivers and get some feedback.
Anyway, I digress. I have seen a fair amount of JT’s running around. More then I thought I would. The demographic is the same as the JKU serge of ‘07-‘10. Middle aged self-described “trendsetters” with big incomes. Surprisingly, 50/50 male to female ratio. Most definitely not the only $50k-$60k (or more) sitting in their driveways.
On the flip side, I was out on the trail at an Offroad park this weekend, I saw 3. Which surprised me. 2 looked like stock non-Rubis and the last looked like a slightly modded Rubi. I didn’t get a chance to talk to their drivers or see them in action. All 3 were in beginner groups or running some type of 101 class. I really wanted to chat with drivers and get some feedback.
I still think it's hideous.
I've seen one here in SE Ohio. It was white. Looked stock or base.
Tons of JKs and TJs.
Sorry FCA, this Gladiator is a Turdinator. I'm vastly more interested in that concept J6 than the disgusting abomination you've produced.
I've seen one here in SE Ohio. It was white. Looked stock or base.
Tons of JKs and TJs.
Sorry FCA, this Gladiator is a Turdinator. I'm vastly more interested in that concept J6 than the disgusting abomination you've produced.