Jeep has long been the most off-road-focused automotive brand in the U.S. if not the world. And yet, a few decades ago, many people found limitations in their Jeep Wrangler’s abilities, particularly when following rugged trails mostly traversed by dirt bikes and ATVs. They turned to the aftermarket, often spending $6,000 to $10,000 on local mechanics, welders, and specialized parts suppliers. Wanting a piece of this business and figuring a purpose-built Jeep would work better than a modified one, a few Jeep true believers in the company managed to convince wary suits to give it a go, and they named the result after one of the most famous trails for such hardcore off-roading, the Rubicon. A wild success, Jeep gave the same treatment to the Gladiator after its debut.
Today, there seems to be no end to the number of extreme off-road versions of pickup trucks, but the Jeep Gladiator has the best platform from which to start. There are nine distinct Gladiator trim levels, all of which are superior off-road machines. Still, models like the Willys, Mojave, and the Rubicon all promise additional off-road capability. Is there an obvious choice if you want the most off-road capable Gladiator? The answer is no. And that is a good thing because all off-roading is not the same. Jeep has it covered, and Benna Chrysler, Jeep Dodge Ram is here to explain which is best at what.
Gladiator Willys
The Willys derives its name from the World War II – era manufacturer that submitted a winning proposal for the original “General Purpose” vehicle to the U.S. Government and subsequently built a majority of them. The Gladiator lineup includes both the Willys Sport and the Willys. The first is one step up from the base model, while the Willys is in the middle of the Gladiator hierarchy. The Willys Sport represents the first step toward increased off-road ability due to its 32-inch LT255/75R17C Mud-Terrain Tires and a Trac-Lok® Limited Slip Rear Differential. The latter improves off-road ability by locking the rear wheels at about 80%, making it very useful in slippery on-road conditions to maintain stability. The Willys model includes these features plus some non-off-road-focus upgrades from the Sport S and Freedom models, such as keyless entry and the Uconnect® 4C NAV with 8.4-inch Touchscreen with Navigation and Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ Compatibility. The Willys has more than enough off-road ability for the off-roader who enjoys challenges but isn’t overtly looking for trouble. For those trouble seekers, Jeep has a choice of models.
Gladiator Rubicon
Just outside picturesque Lake Tahoe, California, is a 22-mile destroyer of off-road vehicles known as the Rubicon trail. This “crown jewel of all off-highway trails.” is rated 10 out of a scale of 10 in difficulty and was originally considered the most difficult off-road trail in the world. This highly technical trail is a mecca for a wide range of off-road vehicles, such as ATVs and dirt bikes. For street-legal vehicles, the challenge is just to get through it without breaking down or needing to be winched to safety. Boulders and other extremely uneven terrain routinely hang up vehicles with long wheelbases and /or insufficient wheel articulation. Most important to realize, though, is that the tough parts of the course are, by necessity, taken at very slow speeds. Hiking through them is faster. This kind of off-roading is what the Gladiator Rubicon is designed for.
A key feature of the Gladiator Rubicon is sway bars that can be disconnected by a dash control to increase wheel articulation. Even then, on its namesake, any one of the wheels will occasionally be suspended in air. To maintain forward motion in these instances, both the front and rear differentials are fully locking. Being able to go slow with precision is more important than going fast. Hence, another crucial factor is the Part-Time Rock-Trac® 4:1 Low Transfer Case with up to an 84:1 Crawl Ratio to help make all your accelerator pedal adjustments gradual and precise.
Another helpful feature available on the Rubicon is the TrailCam-Off Road camera, which enables the driver to see what the underside will encounter when no spotters are available. In addition, the front steel bumper is designed to carry a winch because no one is perfect. Skid plates protect the front bumper, sway bar components, fuel tank, and transfer case. A terrain-specific Off-Road Plus Mode helps the driver manage engine torque and braking in specific circumstances.
Gladiator Mojave
Off-roading in the Mojave desert and similar areas is the opposite of moving at a walking pace. This is the type of off-roading you see in videos of the Baja 1000 and other world-class rallies. It is fast, rough, and not uncommon for the vehicle to “get air”. Needless to say, this activity gives the vehicle quite a beating, and yet this is the kind of off-roading that is the Gladiator Mojave’s specialty.
Consequently, much of the Mohave’s unique components are designed to withstand fast and hard impacts. This starts with FOX 2.5-inch Internal Bypass Shocks featuring external reservoirs to provide enough fluid for the high levels of damping control needed. The track width is also extended both to allow room for those reservoirs and to increase lateral stability. Front Hydraulic Jounce Bumpers soften the blow when even the shocks bottom out. High-clearance fender flares give room for vertical wheel movement. The rear differential fully locks for improved traction, but not the front, as it is inconsequential in this kind of activity. In contrast to the Rubicon model, the low-speed transfer case is designed to operate at speeds up to 50 mph. The Mojave skid plates are designed to withstand harder high-speed impacts and protect the shock reservoirs and the fuel tank, transfer case, and other components. Inside, the seats are reshaped with larger side bolsters to help keep you in place.
Which Takes You Where You Want to Go?
For all of their specialized abilities, all of the above models are still designed to take care of you when you are not playing on the trails. Thus, they must be adept at normal road-going, hauling things, and keeping you comfortable inside. The best Gladiator for you rests entirely on what you plan to do with it. The Willys will excel in many kinds of off-roading, including those that leave other 4×4 models behind, even as it costs less than the two specialists. The identically-priced Rubicon and Mojave are both extremely capable in conventional off-road use but are ultimately designed for their respective specialties. On the road, the Gladiator Mojave even has the advantage of being best prepared at hitting potholes at speed.
Though this covers the general differences between these off-road models, our professional Jeep sales staff can certainly go into more detail. If that sounds interesting to you, pay a visit to Benna Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram and see the Gladiator model up close. Note that as of this writing, Gladiator models are currently offered for 15% off the MSRP. Happy Trails.
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