This is the first time that Jeep launched the pickup model. Very interesting comparison. The removable roof is so amazing! You can just stand on it just like parade.
The 2020 Jeep Gladiator and the 2019 Toyota 4Runner may not be very similar in form. One is a less-than-full-size convertible pickup, and the other is a mid-size SUV. But when life’s trials push you to bug out of town for safety or to just get away to more peaceful pastures, one of these rugged, off-road-friendly ruffians is what you want parked in your driveway. Be it fleeing zombies, a flood, or an impending visit from your in-laws, these overland-ready utilitarians are built to tackle less-trodden paths whilst loaded with gear-and to look good while doing it-without entirely sacrificing on-road drivability. How do they stack up?
The Matchup
The all-new Gladiator clearly is a beefed-up four-door Jeep Wrangler JLwith a cargo bed. Despite its freshness on the market, it is arguably one of few vehicles that can make Toyota’s current 4Runner seem modern. With its front and rear live axles and design cues that trace back to World War II, the Gladiator is an anachronism that has been meticulously fussed over to operate far better in day-to-day use than it has any right to. And you can remove its roof and doors and fold its windshield down flat, which spikes its driver’s cool factor better than a selfie with Keanu Reeves. The Gladiator’s inherent compromises limited it to third place in our most recent comparison test of compact pickups. The 4Runner fared only slightly better in its last comparison test, back during Obama’s first term, when it finished second to the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
That Toyota sold about 140,000 4Runners last year speaks to the solid fan base that this SUV has cultivated over the years. Like the Jeep, the 4Runner’s body is mounted atop a separate ladder-type frame, diminishing its packaging efficiency in favor of a tougher build. It only has a live axle at the back, and its control-arm front suspension and conventional SUV layout make it feel less like a novelty on the road than the Jeep. Its 270-hp 4.0-liter V-6 is a decent match for the Gladiator’s 285-hp 3.6-liter V-6. Both of these vehicles have a maximum passenger count of five, yet the Toyota’s 5000-pound towing capacity falls well short of the Jeep’s 7650-pound rating.
News from https://news.yahoo.com/2020-jeep-gladiator-vs-2019-120000944.html
