2020 Jeep Gladiator Review

All come with a 5-foot cargo bed, a four-wheel-drive system and a 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and an eight-speed automatic is optional.

The Gladiator's Sport trim is equipped with 17-inch steel wheels, all-season tires, crank windows, manual door locks and mirrors, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, an eight-speaker audio system, a 5-inch central display, a rearview camera, Bluetooth, and voice control capability.

The Gladiator also comes with a convertible folding soft top, removable doors and a fold-down front windshield. A Class II bumper hitch with a 4,500-pound tow capacity, anti-sway trailer control, and a combination four-and-seven-pin trailer plug is standard.

Jeep also offers a Sport S trim level that adds the most common power and luxury features to the Sport, such as alloy wheels, power windows, power door and tailgate locks, heated power mirrors, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Both trims allow for certain options and packages to increase towing and hauling capability. These include the Trailer Tow package and the more capable Max Tow package (includes 4.10 axle ratios).

Opting for the Sport S opens up availability to more options. The Technology Group package is worth getting and includes a 7-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and automatic climate control. Other notable picks include the Cargo Group package (a rail-based cargo management system and a 115-volt power outlet in the bed) and the Safety Group and Advanced Safety Group packages that append a variety of advanced driver safety aids.

The Overland model dresses up a Sport S with style and function features such as 18-inch alloy wheels, body-color wheel arches, side steps, and tinted rear side and rear windows. Additional standard features include automatic headlights, LED ambient footwell lighting, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, the 7-inch infotainment system (with additional USB ports for the rear passengers), and a 110-volt outlet in the center console.

The Rubicon trim provides more off-road capability with a different transfer case that provides a lower crawl ratio for better climbing and crawling, fenders with increased clearance to accommodate larger 33-inch all-terrain tires, locking front and rear differentials, an electronically disconnectable front stabilizer bar, Fox shock absorbers, and body-protecting rock rails and skid plates.

Finally, there's the Mojave. It's similar to the Rubicon but lacks the Rubicon's locking front differential and disconnecting sway bar made for rock crawling. Instead there's gear focused on desert-running. One of the Mojave's advantages is the flexibility offered by its transfer case, which enables low-range gear use at higher speeds than the Rubicon. Jeep also reinforced the frame, developed unique Fox internal bypass shocks with hydraulic jounce bumpers to cushion impacts, and lifted the front end by 1 inch. It is also the first Jeep to wear a Desert Rated badge on its flank.

All trims can be equipped with a premium sound system with a nine-channel 552-watt amp and subwoofer, an auxiliary switch group that lets owners wire up to four electrical devices to customizable switches inside the cabin, a spray-in bedliner, a semi-rigid roll-up tonneau cover, a black hardtop with removable roof panels, and a premium soft top made of a thicker material that offers more insulation than the standard top. Overland and Rubicon models can get their hardtops painted in body color.

Additional notable options for the Gladiator, depending on the trim level, include a three-piece hardtop roof, a premium soft-top roof, a spray-in bedliner, a tonneau cover, LED headlights, a larger 8.4-inch infotainment display, leather seating surfaces, a premium Alpine sound system, and a detachable wireless (Bluetooth-based) speaker.