Off-Road Comparison: Can the Gladiator Rubicon Dethrone the Colorado ZR2? 

This is a terrible comparison. I own a 2018 zr2 Duramax and plan to swap it out for a gladiator diesel if they put it on the market. The reason this review is garbage is bc they were bias and they didn't know how to shut the nanny modes off in the Duramax if they couldn't keep it in the power. I have put over 50k miles on my zr2 with a LOT off-road miles. It's phenomenal. It rattles and the interior is cheap, but it does everything extremely well. Why do I wany the e Jeep? It's a Jeep, the top comes off, and I can run 37's on a 2" lift. The aftermarket for a Jeep is unreal, the platform is unbeatable if you plan to build. But, if you want the one that's most user friendly and well designed for 90% of the population, get the ZR2.

Gladiator Mohave is ideally suited for high speed desert running. But I guess it wasn't available in July 2019.

My 2018 BowTie has a Mallet Blower and 3 Inch Cat Back exhaust. 2 inch lift and a panic holy shit bar. 435Hp@5000 Rpm.

Extremely in depth. Thanks for the work.

ZR2 is clearly the better vehicle on and off road. The only advantage the Jeep has is the removable top.

They are both amazing vehicles. You can't lose going either way.

Hold down traction control button 8 seconds.... boom stay in power band without computer interference, diesel or not. The gladiator is a beast but it's a brick and underpowered to be shaped like a brick. The jeeps feel at home offroad but the zr2 feels at home everywhere.

unless you live in an insanely remote area , or go wheelin in your brand new vehicle every weekend , the ZR2 is the better buy given the price ; all day , everyday , twice on Sundays . I actually own a Jeep Wrangler FWIW

I own a 2018 ZR2 and it is a perfect combination of off and on roading.

If you want to run the Gladiator in desert, then get the Mojave edition. Much better suspension for that type terrain.

Yes, yes it can.

I have a Wrangler Rubicon. If I were to get a truck it would be the ZR2. The Gladiator is why to long.

Thank you for constantly showing the vehicle in use while narrating instead of cut too’s of you just standing there talking... far superior style of vehicle review video!!

The Bison is an overlander, not a rock-crawler. The regular ZR2 with the V6 is better for desert running, and with the diesel it’s better for crawling. You basically have 3 specializations on the same truck, it just depends on what you want to do with the truck.

ZR2 Bison (V6) is great

I own a gladiator. Never even looked at the chevy, or the ford, or any of the other mid sized pickups. I bought the gladiator because I wanted a "jeep" and a "pickup truck". And that's what I got. I look at this chevy and ask myself, if it performs better in certain circumstances would I have chosen it instead of the gladiator? The answer is, no. Additionally, the typical off road use for me on the east coast is rock crawling, dirt roads, beach driving, etc. There is no high speed desert running on the east coast. The jeep product is set up perfectly for low speed high articulation off roading. (BTW, I traded a 2016 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock for this gladiator. I wanted it that much)

ZR2 (not Bison) is so much more affordable than the Gladiator Rubicon. I think that should be emphasized a bit more.

ZR2 always

I’m a ford guy and i hate that colorado because i want one so bad. it has no business being that cool

Everyone knows the Jeep is the king of offroad, however,,,,,i like the fact that you guys were completely fair to both trucks. I would`ve rather you used the 3.6 liter in the Colorado instead of the diesel, but i understand sometimes you have to take what trucks the dealers will allow you to use to do these video`s. Nice review guys !

God Bless America 🙏

That's a small truck for such a huge guy!

Too many people complaining about the price. At the end of the day, though, you have to remember that Jeep people don't give a damn about the price. If they did, they wouldn't have bought a Jeep. Jeep isn't even trying to compete in the midsize truck market as far as price is concerned (for the Rubicon, at least, the Gladiator Sport is pretty reasonable, all things considered). The whole entire reason Jeep even made a truck is because they sat down and looked at the numbers and saw that 40% of Wrangler owners ALSO owned a pickup truck and thought to themselves "Hmm. I betcha bottom dollar most of those very same Wrangler owners would be driving a Jeep truck instead of whatever truck they have if there was a Jeep truck to buy!" THAT is the market Jeep is targeting. And it seems to be working. Already the Gladiator has proven extremely popular, so much so that most dealers are only able to get them in 3 colors (Red, White, and Black) in order to keep production up and they sell them for 10-20% above sticker price because there's so much demand for the Gladiator right now that they can charge that much and still sell them like hotcakes.

Where is the mud and tight trail test. They just as soon as be in Saudi Arabia

The gladiator is cool but coming from someone who is filming the Bison as I type this, I'd choose it all day long. The longer wheel base in the Gladiator makes it less capable than the Bison and the diesel has gotten far better fuel economy than advertised! It's incredibly impressive. Hoping to have my version of the review up Monday morning. Would love for anyone to join in to watch if you'd like!

Both of them have the ability to bend frames look it up tonnes of videos out there already..

Why a comparison against the Bison. What about the regular 4x4 ZR2? The Bison is AEV.

I own a Rubicon and a standard ZR2. The standard ZR2 has a better approach angle. Also the ZR2 has a optional front camera as well for off-roading. I'm glad you at least mentioned the ZR2 comes in a 3.6 v6. The throttle response in it is great in off-road mode. No mention of price between the gladiator Rubicon and the Zr2 though. So that was kind of disappointing. Overall the review was good.

My husband is buying a Gladiator to modify as our overland tourer.. Also the Gladiator is a rock crawler... The Colorado is meant for high speed trail and desert dune blazing.. They are set up for different roles.. This is like comparing a fridge and a oven... Sure you can put food in both of them, but it's for completely different reasons

Ford guy here, pulling for the Jeep, but gotta say the Bison is an awesome lil truck, not crazy about the Colorado’s rounded off looks and it would probably be the most dependable of the two. Still my heart loves the whole thing of a Jeep with a pickup again! As for prices, I’ll take a full size truck over these like trucks anyway, but I ain’t got the nads to go off reading.

People don't really get it! Solid axle is more durable an easier to modify for more suspension travel. Gladiator is the best here obviously. I want to see you guys putting the Colorado on 37s. With a 2 inch lift you can on the Gladiator lol

Jeep Gladiator? Never heard of her...

ZR2 is a fucking beast and makes the Gladiator it's bitch

The ZR2 non bison actually has a better approach angle because the bumper is cut more. ZR2 me for all day everyday.

It drives me nuts that the ZR2 comes with a v6 and all these review guys insist on bringing out the Diesel to compare against another V6. Wish it was more apples to apples.

It would be interesting to weight all the doors and roof.

The Jeep is Niche, the Colorado is all around . 90% my driving is on a road , spending all that cash for a rock crawler, unless you have the disposable funds to do so, is crazy in my mind . I own both brands, but the Colorado makes more sense for average person

No mention of price in the video. These two trucks are almost in different classes in that regard. A four-door gas V6 ZR2 will cost nearly $20k less at a dealership. At that point there's no question the ZR2 is a better buy. You could get a Raptor for a few grand more than the Gladiator Rubicon.

Taking the doors and top off makes the Jeep an instant win for me. Don't have a gladiator, but used to have a 2010 jk, and few things compare to the feeling of Sun and wind while your doing donuts at a gravel pit

The gasser Colorado has a 47:1 crawl ratio vs the 36:1 for the diesel. Which makes up for torque. If you are staying in 4 HI.... the 8spd auto on the gasser has a very low 1st gear ratio as well which makes up for the lack of torque. That being said... I do not think you guys fully disabled the traction control if it bogged down. I made that mistake when I took my Z71 out on the sand on the Outer Banks. Didn't notice the truck bogging down until I was going up/over the dunes. The second time I went out I disabled it fully... and wow what a difference. 4 LOW was a little much/too low for that situation. Even when just creeping through back/super tight trails looking for wild horses.

Not a fair test when you remove the doors. Removing all that weight affects everything from ride comfort, ride height, and so on.

Well I am not planning on racing in the Baja 1000 so I dont need a truck to fly and jump. Now "off roading" at slow speeds for recreation, camping hunting in the back country ...Ill take the Gladiator Rubicon ..Dana 44 axls and crawl ratio ...and added to the fact that Rubicons hold their value really well.

All you really need to know is the fact that they filmed the review while driving in the ZR2.

ZR2 all day easy to live with most of these vehicle are going to spend 78% time on pave and highway road than off road than alone makes ZR2 better buy

Hey guys why don’t we see a comparison with the 3.6 gas ZR2 which is WAY faster and way more responsive than the diesel ZR2. K thanks

Open top and Jeep ruggedness wins it for me. Gladiator would be way more fun.

Both do offroad very well. Gladiator has the edge on rock crawling and ZR2 has the edge in baja. Tie breaker is on pavement. ZR2 is far superior as a daily driver.

That 2.8 Duramax is a different ballgame. To properly test both need the gas Zr2. JT: 3.6L V6 285 HP and 260lb torque -- 4,600 lbs. ZR2: 3.6L V6 308 HP and 275 torque -- 4,000 lbs. I love me some Jeeps, but that Zr2 is a mean machine. Looks better and is probably a bit more capable off the lot. Gladiator will need a lift and some 37's to sway me. That Zr2 you can slap on some 33's and call it a day. I need some real towing capability so I'll have to stick with my '99 XJ and '81 CJ for the Jeep trail fun. GMC AT2 anyone? My Uncle bought one with 6.2L and my god it might be the best thing I've ever ridden in.

So.........over 20 minutes and you couldn't pick one over the other?

So you are telling me i wasted 20 mins watching this so you could say either one...

I will take my Alberta Heated Seats anytime.

Maybe yall can do the gladiator again when the diesel comes out

Can't keep the dmax in the power band? It makes peak torque at 2k RPMs. This is my first Chevy and I love my baby duramax.

Your champ wasn't the Bison. Zr2 has better approach angle and is lighter...should have had Zr2 vs Gladiator.

At some point you have to hook chains...

Don’t know why you used a diesel Colorado but the DOHC 3.6 v6 is a much better engine then the pentastar. You can around 360 hp out of it with a $380 tuner

The best pick up is a Bronco.

If you don't know the difference between solid axles and independent suspension then you deserve the ZR2 for being ignorant. I really wish all these "reviewers" would stop comparing every vehicle in the world to Wranglers (or Gladiotor in this case). There is no comparison. It's apples and oranges.

We purchased a new fully loaded Gladiator Rubicon JTu and absolutely love it! It simply elevated the Wrangler line and put it in its own class to compete in the mid-size truck group. Simply said, there is NO other truck out there in the market that will give you the likes and presence of a traditional Jeep Wrangler (convertible options, etc) and with the practicality of a truck. :-)

I find it so stupid that the Gladiator is bacicaly the pickup truck version of the Wrangler, yet it is much more expensive.

I'm not a fan of how they broke up the brush gaurd to make room for the fuel door on the ZR2.

Who’s High Pitch?

Being in the market for a midsized truck and considering both of these I've come to the conclusion that this is, in a sense, an apples to oranges comparison. The JL Rubi emphasizes rock crawling capabilities and the classic "Jeep feel" over efficiency and practicality. The ZR2 provides more comfort and efficiency for everyday use but at the cost of some loss in off-road performance (IFS, lower ground clearance, higher crawl ratio). If offered one of these two as a gift it would be the Jeep all day long. But considering a ZR2 can be had at 2/3 the price of the JL I think that makes the decision for me. 20K can go a long way toward mods, a trailer, and adventures.

If you hold down the traction control button down for 10sec iT WILL cancel all limited power, on the ZR-2

Jesus dude, lay off the burgers and pizza

The ZR2 has smaller tires And the bison is the different bumper Which cuts down on approach angle Also the Jeep is way more expensive the money that you save you can modify the ZR2 give it some more power and it will put the Jeep in the dust Hell I got mine for 36K brand new midnight edition diesel I can almost get 2 of these for one Jeep And good luck daily driving a Jeep you can dress up a brick and drive it down the road but you're still driving a brick

Gladiator for me. Something about the looks. The feeling of the wind with the doors off and the top off is too great

I loved my ZR2 but it wasn't a Jeep. Now I love my Gladiator Rubicon!

They are both great off-road, but absolutely love how you can take the roof and doors off the Jeep, makes it a win for me

I got the zr2 v6 with bds lift and 35 tires love it.i own a jeep wrangler Rubicon with lift 40 tires 456 gears and a hemi engine in it that's my baby.i want to modify my zr2 but better half says I need to pay it off first.i thinking v8 in it later.

Now do a comparison using the Colorado V6 ... it will be interesting to see the difference. But to be honest you are trying to compare 2 completely different vehicles.

If you want a Wrangler with a bed, you get a Gladiator. If you want a smaller Silverado Z71, you get a Colorado ZR2.

I like the ZR2.... I'm not really into climbing over giant rocks in a vehicle. 🙄

You don’t buy a Jeep for the mileage or the power. You buy it because it has solid axles and the doors and roof come off. Until somebody steps up and checks those boxes, a Jeep is a Jeep

Colorado any time any day hands down. Especially when it comes to on road performance fuel mileage. Affordability, especially the non bison version. Engine choices. List goes on and on. EASILY THE COLORADO, period!!!!

afterwards I would take the gladiator to a car wash to clean inside and out!

Thanks for actually doing off-roading and not medium trail driving and calling it an off-road review.

Zr2 all the way....

Should of kept all the panels on the Jeep trying to cutting weight and had the 3.6 V6 ZR2 for a apple to apple comparison.

It is just LONG Wrangler?

That a pretty nice Chevy ford raptor Colorado

Are these two vehicles really in the same class or market of competition to one another?

I’ll take a wrangler over a Gladiator any day

The price makes the ZR2 the winner, not to mention the drive to and from the trails is better in the Colorado That Gladiator is just a bit shy of the Raptor’s price, which is insane for a mid-size truck.

Give me a TACOMA

which one fucking won????

The Rubicon is more set for rock crawling, you should have used the Mojave for "desert running", that's the difference between the two. Rubicon for slow crawling and Mojave format desert running . You should run the ZR2 against the Mojave.

I just test drove a loaded Gladiator with lift and 37's, amazing truck, every bell and whistle. I would love to own it but 68K is a bit more than I want to spend. My ZR2 has every mod I want should go anyplace the Gladiator can go and it is 22k less.

To me the video seemed like making so many excuses to not allow the Chevy to win!

Jeep owner?🤔 that's why gladiator is better. It was a great comparison, but need neutral judges.

Why you got to make the gladiator lighter by taking doors off?

No way I would trade my ZR2 diesel for that overpriced Gladiator. The thing is too long and just looks weird to me. I have no issues keeping my 2.8 in the power, you're doing something wrong.

Why take the door and roof off when it’s dusty?

Factoring in the price...a ZR2 (non-Bison) can be had in the Duramax for $41k...the Gladiator Rubi is gonna be $50k+...is the Gladiator Rubi worth $9k (or more...way more) than the ZR2? Not in my book...what was the Launch Edition? $61k? $20k difference...not a chance. (And...I own 3 Jeeps!)

You cant put the diesel zr2 against a gas jeep. You already gave it a handicap for offroading and even the gas version zr2 needs a leveling kit, 4.56 gears with 33"/35" tires then and only then you guys will need to redo this video.

What I wish these guys would talk about is the AMAZING fuel mileage the Diesel Colorado gets. My relative has a 700km range and diesel is much cheaper.

Why is that seat belt trying to kill him lol

The ZR2 non bison with the v6 is the best off roader in class hands down, this is coming from a jeep owner

Why did you lighten the weight of the Jeep by running without the top and doors? At least half of people will leave those on the keep their $50k plus truck clean.

Get to the point. You guys sound like you’re scare to just say it like it is.