2024 Jeep Gladiator Reviews, Pricing & Specs

In Canada, Jeep sells the 2024 Gladiator in four core trim levels: Sport S, Willys, Mojave, and Rubicon. Growing from this family of trucks are the new-for-2024 Mojave X and Rubicon X. Don’t be surprised if more variants emerge; they commonly do.

All Gladiators come in a crew-cab, short-bed configuration with a standard fabric roof or an available hard top. Both are removable, as are the doors. You can also fold the windshield down, though based on the number of bugs smeared all over the test truck’s chip-resistant Gorilla Glass, we don’t recommend that except at very low speeds. Inexplicably, every paint colour except for Bright White costs extra, from $195 to $695 depending on the hue.

New Jeep Gladiator prices run from $59,240 for a base Sport S to $82,235 for the well-equipped Mojave X and Rubicon X. These prices include an estimate for destination charges, which can vary across Canada, as well as dealer fees. As of this writing, discounts in the $3,000 to $4,000 range are available according to the Jeep Canada website. Our test vehicle arrived in Mojave X trim equipped with an automatic transmission, new-for-2024 Anvil paint, upgraded wheels, a Sunrider fabric panel over the front seats, and a spray-in bedliner, which lands it in the $85,000 range including destination.

This year, subtle styling updates accompany the 2024 Gladiator. Up front, there is a new black seven-slot grille design, and the whip antenna is gone, now integrated into the windshield. All Gladiators get new wheel designs, and the standard soft top is now made of premium fabric. The updates make it easy to differentiate a 2024 Gladiator from those that came before it.

Jeep also updates the Gladiator’s interior with additional soft-touch surfaces, standard contrast stitching, and a new 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system nestled into a revised dashboard. New AMPS bracket provisions live above the screen, and both the Mojave X and Rubicon X add 12-way power-adjustable front seats and premium leather upholstery.

Based on our experience in our Jeep Gladiator Mojave X test truck, the interior is much nicer than before. Nice enough that you won’t want to get it wet or muddy, which is somewhat antithetical to the Jeep ethos. Still, it remains loud on the highway and retains the quirks it inherits from the Wrangler, such as a centre-mounted handbrake and power window switches on the centre of the dashboard.

Though Jeep is planning to introduce a Gladiator 4xe in 2025, there aren’t any changes to the powertrain for the 2024 model year. It continues to offer a tried-and-true 3.6-litre V6 engine making 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, equipped with a standard automatic engine stop/start system that tries to save gas.

The engine pairs with a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic transmission and one of four four-wheel-drive (4WD) systems. Depending on how you spec a Gladiator, it can tow up to 3,492 kilograms (7,700 pounds), haul up to 782 kilograms (1,725 pounds) of payload, and provide up to 29.5 centimetres of ground clearance. All-season and all-terrain tires are available.

Jeep builds the Gladiator Mojave for desert running. The highlights include a 2.5-centimetre front suspension lift, FOX 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks and front jounce bumpers, Command-Trac part-time 4WD, a Tru-Lok locking rear differential, Dana 44 heavy-duty front and rear axles, and an Off-Road+ driving mode. In addition, Mojaves get a performance hood with a scoop, steel rock rails, a sport steering wheel, sport seats, and orange accents inside and out.

The Mojave masterfully handled the deserted dirt trails we used in our testing, confidently crossing eroded sections at a slow pace and bounding along at higher speeds as trail conditions allowed. As always, driving the Gladiator off-road brings a spirit of adventure accompanied by sensations of joy—these are the feelings of freedom.

On our way out to these trails, we drove through highways, rough streets, and winding roads. The Gladiator Mojave proved most enjoyable to drive on potholed pavement, where its 33-inch tires, desert-running suspension, and generous clearances shrugged off the heaves and holes. The same proved true during a day trip around my hometown. Except for its length and rather wide turning radius, the Gladiator is a terrific urban warrior.

Road trips are less agreeable. Highway speeds produce significant wind noise, and that, coupled with the sloppy on-centre steering feel, can get tiring. Stiff crosswinds also created stability problems. On a positive note, the Gladiator doesn’t encourage speeding. Unlike many modern vehicles, it usually seems to be traveling faster than it is.

Meanwhile, on twisty mountain roads, the all-terrain tires and relatively slow steering response keep speeds in check. But the slower pace lets you take in more of the surrounding scenery, so flip open the Sunrider top, open the windows, and slide open the back glass to let the outside in.

As you might expect, fuel economy is not a Gladiator strength. Natural Resources Canada numbers suggest it will get 12.3 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving (or 13.2 with the manual transmission). But on testing day, over nearly 300 kilometres of driving on every type of road, the Mojave X averaged 16.9 L/100 km.

Stylistically, from the centre roof pillars forward, the Jeep Gladiator and the Jeep Wrangler have plenty in common. From there rearward, however, the Gladiator is doing its own thing.

In addition, the Gladiator’s frame and rear suspension design are exclusive to the truck, adding length to the body and wheelbase while providing the capability you expect from a pickup. So, the Gladiator is not simply a Wrangler with a five-foot steel cargo bed attached. That bed is simple, offering a dampened tailgate and integrated tie-downs. Upgrades include a spray-in bedliner, under-rail bed lighting, and a covered power port.

Inside, the Gladiator lacks practical storage spots. Aside from stashing them in the cupholders, smaller items can figuratively get lost in the small bin under the centre armrest or the glovebox and literally get lost if you tuck them into the nets attached to the lower door panels. In the rear cab area, there are bins, nets, hooks, and space underneath the seat cushion for storage.

Climbing into a Gladiator is a hassle, and exiting can be tricky. Don’t put running boards or step rails on the truck; they’ll impede the breakover angle when off-roading and get your legs dirty when you enter and exit the Jeep.

Once you’re aboard, you’ll find a reasonable amount of comfort, especially with the new-for-2024 power-adjustable front seats. Rear-seat passengers must take care not to catch their kneecaps on the protruding plastic hooks mounted to the front seatbacks. Doing so is painful.

The most impactful change to the 2024 Jeep Gladiator is the 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system housed in a lightly restyled dashboard. This year, the truck graduates from the previous generation of Uconnect technology to Uconnect 5 with superior graphics, responsiveness, customizations, and features. Over-the-air software updates keep it fresh over time.

Jeep says the display features “full-array local dimming technology” to ensure the screen remains legible in bright light. I didn’t notice excessive reflections, but I also didn’t take the Gladiator’s top and doors off. Neither did I open the Sunrider top during the brightest times of the day because I need to keep my balding head out of the sun.

The Gladiator’s Uconnect 5 system includes Bluetooth pairing for two smartphones simultaneously, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and access to a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot.

A TomTom navigation system is available, and it comes with Jeep Adventure Guides providing complimentary access to 68 Jeep Badge of Honor trail guides. (However, given that there are still no Jeep Badge of Honor trails in Canada, this is of limited usefulness unless you’re planning to spend a lot of time south of the border.)

Jeep says the 2024 Gladiator has an improved microphone for better voice recognition capability. It worked well during my travels, easily providing directions to places like the nearest Starbucks. But it produced hit-and-miss responses to more complicated queries and commands.

For example, when I told the system in a panicked voice that I needed to go to a hospital—an entirely credible situation for an adventurous Gladiator owner—the top four options appearing on the Uconnect display included a physician's office, an urgent care, a veterinary office, and an assisted living facility.

Is the Jeep Gladiator safe? Your guess is as good as ours. As of this writing, crash-test data doesn’t exist, and the ratings you can review aren’t impressive. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says the truck earns a three-star rollover resistance rating while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is unimpressed with its headlights, seatbelt warnings, and pedestrian detection and protection systems.

Nevertheless, the 2024 Gladiator does get safety-related improvements. Forward-collision warning and adaptive cruise control with full stop capability are standard, and the most expensive versions of the truck, the Mojave X and Rubicon X, add standard blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors.

In addition, Jeep says the 2024 Gladiator boasts structural improvements to enhance occupant safety in side-impact collisions, and the standard roll cage now has front and rear side-curtain airbags embedded into it. So, while the jury is out regarding a Gladiator’s crashworthiness, these upgrades for 2024 suggest that, if nothing else, the truck is now safer than it was before.

Still, we think the blind-spot monitoring system should be standard. Considering that three-star rollover resistance rating, the last thing you want to do in a Gladiator is suddenly swerve to avoid contact with another vehicle while changing lanes at highway speeds.

Buying a Jeep Gladiator purely for pickup truck duty is not cost-effective. This is a lifestyle vehicle as much as it is a work truck.

In addition, several rival midsize pickups offer off-road-tuned alternatives with better performance than the Gladiator’s V6 engine can muster. In particular, the redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma in TRD Pro and Trailhunter spec with a powerful hybrid drivetrain is compelling, especially if you don’t care about the Gladiator’s removable top and doors.

Nevertheless, there is nothing else quite like the 2024 Jeep Gladiator. It represents a singular driving experience among pickup trucks in the same way the Wrangler always did among SUVs until the Ford Bronco showed up a few years ago. And that is just one of several reasons that endear this Jeep truck to its owners.

We remain fans of Jeep’s pick ‘em up, and when the 2025 Jeep Gladiator 4xe plug-in hybrid goes on sale later this year, it will give you one more reason to choose it. But time stands still for no truck, and sooner than later Jeep needs to find a way to retain what makes the Gladiator special while keeping it competitive with performance-oriented off-roaders from Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, and Toyota.

Note: Images show a US model.