2025 Jeep Gladiator Reviews, Pricing & Specs

It’s easy to dismiss the Gladiator as a Jeep Wrangler with a cargo bed, but there is more to the story. When Jeep introduced this truck for the 2020 model year, it engineered a proper, 31-inch-longer truck frame to slide underneath the Wrangler-based bodywork, strengthened or lengthened the mechanical hardware, and bolted in an exclusive five-link rear suspension. After all, the new Gladiator needed to tow and haul like a true pickup.

The result is favorable towing and payload bragging rights for the Sport trim, packaged in a long-and-narrow truck with a short five-foot steel cargo bed. It can look awkwardly proportioned, for sure, but a suspension lift coupled with oversized all-terrain tires helps in this regard. Our Mojave test truck sat on 33-inch tires with a one-inch front suspension lift, but it wasn’t enough to completely normalize the Gladiator’s dimensions.

The Jeep Gladiator Mojave is the desert runner of the lineup. Other trim levels include the basic Sport, the value-rich Nighthawk, the dull Sport S, the rugged Willys, and the Rubicon off-roader. The Mojave X and Rubicon X add leather seats and plenty of standard equipment. Additionally, High Tide and Big Bear (California only) special editions are available.

Base prices range from $38,695 to $61,695 plus a $1,995 destination charge. That’s competitive with the redesigned 2025 Toyota Tacoma lineup, though it represents a slight premium compared to the Chevy Colorado and Ford Ranger. Still, those trucks don’t offer a convertible top and removable doors for open-air driving, like this Jeep.

Our Mojave X test truck arrived wearing the new-for-2025 ’41 paint color, which is a drab Army green. Paired with a Black and Green leather interior, it was a little much. Jeep also added a Cargo Group with Trail Rail System, a spray-in bedliner, heavy-duty rock sliders, a doors-off mirror kit, slush mats, and a few other odds and ends, bringing the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of our test truck to $68,425.

Compared to the base Mojave, the Mojave X features other comfort and convenience upgrades like eight-way power-adjustable heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, upgraded interior materials, expanded infotainment features, leather upholstery, and a premium sound system. Still, when you look around the truck’s cab and think about what you paid for the Gladiator, you must remind yourself that the premium pays for its engineering and capability, not plush surroundings.

Jeep offers a single powertrain for the 2025 Gladiator, so we hope you like it. The tried and true Chrysler Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 engine generates 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, and uses an eight-speed automatic transmission to power the wheels. Four-wheel drive (4WD) is standard, and depending on which system you choose, it offers part-time or full-time operation.

According to the EPA, every version of the Gladiator should get 19 mpg combined, but during our test drive, the Mojave returned 16.2 mpg over nearly 275 miles of driving. Headwinds during the first half of the day may have contributed to this result, but the Mojave’s larger tires, front suspension lift, half-inch wider track, and high-clearance fenders likely had something to do with it, too. The Mojave also weighs about 340 pounds more than a Gladiator Sport.

Given the Mojave’s “Desert Rated” status and Fox suspension upgrades, we would normally take the truck out to California’s Mojave Desert for some appropriate testing. We’ve done that in the past, though, and serious summer heat made that prospect less appealing. Instead, we decided to explore parts of the Los Padres National Forest near the quaint Scandinavian-themed town of Solvang.

Unfortunately, the trail we researched was closed to the public due to the devastating Gifford fire, which authorities were nearly finished extinguishing. So, aside from driving up and down a rocky side trail, this test truck remained on the pavement. However, it is worth noting just how effective the Mojave’s suspension was at soaking up the awful, patched blacktop at the farther extremes of Happy Canyon and Figueroa Mountain roads.

That’s one of the untold benefits of any off-road-tuned vehicle. If America’s infrastructure were an NFL player, it would be riding the bench and using crutches to get around. A truck like the Gladiator Mojave eliminates concerns about potholes, frost heaves, and crumbling railroad crossings. Furthermore, when parking nose-in or parallel to a curb, you need not worry much about scraping an air dam or a wheel.

Still, we expected the Mojave to be even more absorbent and forgiving than it was. This test truck had a stiffer ride than other examples we’ve driven, and when driving into headwinds on the freeway, directional stability was sketchy and accompanied by lateral body rocking. Despite the Mojave X model’s hardtop headliner inserts, it was extremely loud inside, too. The V6 engine, which feels stoutly powered from a stop, lacks punch at higher speeds. Passing slower traffic requires a transmission downshift, followed by a begrudging increase in velocity.

If the Mojave is unpleasant to drive on the freeway, it is fun when exploring. On the two-lane mountain roads of Santa Barbara County, the low handling limits encourage a relaxed pace, adding to a chill, laid-back vibe emphasizing the journey and adventure.

Panic braking is panic-inducing, though. In Santa Barbara, a person walking a dog stepped into a crosswalk seemingly without checking first for traffic. Hard on the brakes, the Jeep felt like it twisted on its frame, the rear end wanting to swing right. The same thing happened as we entered Ojai, and a deer appeared immediately next to the road.

If it sounds to you like driving a Gladiator is a chore, that all depends on your expectations and perspective. Jeep Gladiators and Wranglers are inherently different to drive than anything else on the road, except for maybe a Ford Bronco. We like the old-school, distinctly truck-like, open-air experience. Additionally, we’re never in a hurry when we drive one of these Jeeps, because they simply aren’t made to hustle on paved roads. So we take our time to get to a destination, observing and enjoying the surroundings, and giving our fellow motorists more grace. They’re relaxing to drive, if that makes any sense, and are enjoyable in a completely different way from almost every other vehicle on the road.

Right off the bat, the Gladiator improves on its Jeep Wrangler sibling in one area: front legroom. Compared to the Wrangler, we had plenty of it, perhaps due to the Mojave X’s power-adjustable front seats. Wrapped in leather, they proved comfortable for our all-day road trip. Also, they don’t lower themselves over time, the way the truck’s manually adjustable seats do as the driver slides in and out, bumping the height-adjustment lever on the way.

The rear seat is tight, as it is in most midsize pickup trucks. The hard plastic front seat-back panels don’t add to the comfort level, particularly the robust hooks that can catch your kneecaps if you’re not careful. Still, the rear seat cushion is dished to offer some leg support, and once you’re settled in, it seems more comfortable than what you’ll get in some rivals. Air conditioning vents, USB charging ports, and a center console with integrated cupholders also make the Gladiator’s back seat more livable.

We didn’t remove the Gladiator’s roof panels, but past experience tells us it is easy to lift off the two located above the front seats. However, unlike with a Wrangler, there isn’t a place to stow them when you have passengers along for the ride. So, we settled for dropping all four side windows and opening the rear slider to experience our oneness with nature. You can also opt for a fabric Sunrider panel over the front seats that makes an open-air driving experience easier to achieve.

The Gladiator lacks small-item interior storage. However, the test truck had an optional locking storage compartment underneath the back seat. The cargo bed featured a spray-in bedliner, rails in the bed, and a tonneau cover that’s easy enough to peel back. However, our test truck lacked a step to help get into the bed.

Every 2025 Gladiator has a Uconnect 5 infotainment system with a 12.3-inch touchscreen display. It includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and eight stereo speakers. Upgrade to the system with navigation, and it offers access to Jeep Connect services, a WiFi hotspot, and Alexa Built-in technology. An Alpine premium sound system is also available.

Our Mojave X test truck had all of these features, as well as the integrated Off-Road Trail Guides that Jeep includes with the navigation system. We had no trouble pairing an iPhone and running wireless Apple CarPlay. However, the voice recognition system doesn’t work very well. Even when asking Siri for things, the amount of noise in the Gladiator was an impediment to the tech’s ability to understand us. Using the native interface was an exercise in frustration. Unless you follow the recommended prompts on the display and speak loudly and clearly, your efforts will prove largely futile.

On a positive note, the screen remains perfectly legible in bright sunlight, which is important in a truck with a folding roof. However, the display does collect a lot of dust, which can make it harder to see, depending on the angle of the light.

The Alpine sound system is well worth the upgrade, and we love the steering wheel controls for volume and tuning. They’re mounted on the back of the spokes, so while you cannot see them, they’re nevertheless intuitive to use and utterly brilliant. Every automaker should copy this design.

The Gladiator is light on safety systems. Jeep embeds side-curtain airbags in the overhead roll cage, bringing the total number of airbags to six. Anything more costs extra, and some features aren’t even available on certain trim levels.

Starting with the Sport S, the Gladiator has forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and an adaptive cruise control system with full-stop capability. Unfortunately, the arguably critical blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert is unavailable on the Sport and Nighthawk, and is an extra-cost option on every other trim level except the Mojave X and Rubicon X.

Reserving essential safety tech for more expensive models is troubling, especially because the Gladiator doesn’t earn top safety ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2025 model a four-star frontal-impact rating and a mediocre three-star rollover resistance rating. Side-impact test results were unavailable at the time of publication, as were complete results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Gladiator’s recently-introduced side-curtain airbags appear to make a difference, though, as the side-impact test result is the only one in which the truck earned the IIHS’ top “Good” rating.

Our test truck had all of the driver assistance systems Jeep offers for the Gladiator. We used the adaptive cruise control extensively, and at lower speeds, it smoothly manages variable traffic conditions. At higher speeds, when someone cuts into the lane ahead of the truck, it can react with too much braking and unnecessary drama because it appears to prioritize distance management instead of smooth driving.

In one situation, the adaptive cruise control failed to react when a driver in front slammed on the brakes. Instead, the forward collision warning blared and, as we were about to hit the brake pedal ourselves, the automatic emergency braking system kicked in—so suddenly that the car behind nearly hit us.

There are more affordable midsize pickup trucks available, but it’s hard to put a value on the unique driving experience offered by the Gladiator’s convertible top and removable doors. Other trucks can equal the Gladiator’s off-roading capabilities and surpass its payload and towing capacity, though.

The Gladiator’s prices overlap with the GMC Canyon and Toyota Tacoma. Jeep includes complimentary scheduled maintenance during the first two years of ownership, but so does Toyota. You do get 24-hour roadside assistance for the duration of the Jeep’s powertrain warranty, whereas that expires after two years with the Toyota.

For the same money as our Gladiator Mojave X, you could get yourself a loaded Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison or Ford Ranger Raptor and have money left over for gas, accessories, or a trip into the wild to test their mettle.