Welcome to 2020, where everyone who doesn’t want an electric self-driving car wants to go off-roading. The irony is that we lack proper infrastructure to support all the EVs we want, self-driving cars are still far away, and there is really nowhere to go off-roading but the roads sure are crap. It’s a game that we are all playing and we are all losing.
After years of speculation, Chevy has finally released the mid-engine Corvette Jeep has finally released the Wrangler-based pickup truck, the Gladiator. I really can’t recall any other vehicle that generated so much interest from people who have never considered a Jeep or a pickup before. Everyone wants the damn thing and, frankly so do I.
But everyone seems to be forgetting that FCA already has a crew-cab short-bed pickup designed with off-roading in mind. Heck, it even comes with a Warn 12,000-lb winch from the factory! It has the same locking axles and sway-bar disconnects as the Jeep Rubicon. But since it’s a three-quarter ton pickup truck it also has a 410-horsepower V8 and can tow more than 10,000-pounds. It has a bigger, more comfortable cab, and a higher payload. It is also physically bigger and its roof does not come off, but a sunroof is available.
Yes, the RAM 2500 Power Wagon is pricier. But if you load up your Gladiator Rubicon to the brim and skip on some goodies on the Power Wagon, the price gap gets much narrower. It is also a lot more likely that there will be incentives on the RAM, thereby equalizing the price even more.
So, if you’re looking for a truly off-road capable pickup and have $60,000 to blow and don’t want a used Raptor (or a new Tacoma TRD Pro or a Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison) – what do you get?
