Jeep Gladiator 2023 review: Rubicon

Like its sibling, the Wrangler, this is chock-full of character with the signature blocky black accents and robust shape. It looks like the sort of vehicle you’d want to have during a zombie apocalypse. Very purposeful and capable looking, which is just highlighted by the 32-inch off-road muddies!

There are a few little Easter eggs to be found on the car, too, which adds to the sense of fun. There are Willys MBs icons located on multiple surfaces, which, for those who don’t know, was a military vehicle used in World War II. 

The Gladiator is chock-full of character with its signature blocky design. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

It was satisfying hunting them down and looking up Jeep forums to see if there were any that I missed. Its little things like this that invoke a certain fondness in an owner, which is something Jeep has done well. 

The interior has a lot of utilitarian styling that pays homage to its military heritage, which is a nice nod to the past. Hard exposed metal, hex bolts and squared edges are seen everywhere. 

The dashboard is very shallow but that makes you feel like you're right in on the action. The leather seats with the Rubicon logo add some refinement to the cabin but it's not the main player in design. 

The interior has a lot of utilitarian styling. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

Front passengers will enjoy the most space with ample legroom and elbowroom but the roof feels close even for my 168cm height, so taller occupants may not be as comfortable. 

Up front there's ample legroom and elbowroom. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

The rear seat is fairly spacious and I had my 187cm friend nestled in the back but he hit his head on the cross bar getting in and out, and figured that it wouldn’t be the best road tripper for comfort.

The storage throughout is a little average with webbing and netting being the primary fixtures. You’ll be able to tuck your gear away but it might not be super neat. 

The rear seat is fairly spacious. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

There’s a cool lockable cubby underneath the rear seat, if you need extra space, though. According to my son, the cross bar offers a perfect hiding space for snacks.

The tray isn’t as large as some dual-cab utes on the market but it will service for your off-road weekend adventures.

The tray isn’t as large as some dual-cab utes. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

Every day use starts to show some rough edges. The high ground clearance made it awkward to get in and out of the cabin. My six-year old treated it like an adventure but by the end of the week he was starting to get annoyed that I had to help him. 

But he adored his high seating position all the same because he had such a good view.

The driver's footwell is narrow and curves in on the left side, meaning you can’t rest your left foot or stretch it out – which could get tiring on a long trip.

The Gladiator could use a decent side step. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

The rear door apertures are quite narrow and the door lock anchors jut out, making it very easy to scrape your back when you slide in. 

The narrow apertures and high clearance, made it hard to fit our child seats. There isn’t a decent side step, so you do have to climb in or have help when you strap them into place. 

The top tether anchor points also seem a bit thicker than those I’ve used before. I had to use pliers to get my tether off, which surprised me! 

The tray has a grippy liner which minimises gear movement, always a plus, and I love the multiple anchor points and rail track system. I would have liked a lockable lid but you can get an optional soft or hard tonneau cover to keep your stuff secure, which range from $805 to $4618, fitted.

The Gladiator only achieved a three- out of five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing done in 2019. That testing is based on its sibling, the Wrangler, but the ANCAP report is worth reading if you’re considering buying this for your family.

There are some safety features you expect to see on a family vehicle, like: AEB with forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert, which I always like to have on a big vehicle.

It has a reversing camera and parking sensors but because it’s so chonky (1.9m wide) and long (5.6m), you really miss having a 360-degree view camera. 

There are only four airbags and unfortunately, none service the rear seats. 

There are two ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats and two top tether points. There’s just enough space for a 0-4 rearward facing child seat but it will cramp tall front occupants.

There are only two models available for the Gladiator and the Rubicon is the top grade, despite sharing the same engine with the Night Eagle. 

This will set you back $87,250, before on-road costs, which makes it one of the most expensive utes in the class, with the Ford Ranger Raptor being the closest competitor. 

You do get some cool features, like the heated leather front seats, removable roof, doors and windscreen (while on a private road) but make no mistake, you’re paying for the off-road capabilities as this is the only 'Trail-Rated' ute on the market.

The Gladiator is covered by Jeep's five-year/100,000km warranty. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

The official combined fuel cycle is 12.4L/100km but real-world testing saw my figure at 14.6L, and that was after a lot of open road driving. So, it’s thirsty, but I reckon if you’re considering a vehicle like this you probably won’t care!

You get a five-year/100,000km warranty, whichever occurs first, but this class usually sees an ‘unlimited’ km term, so this is a little disappointing.

This comes with a five-year capped-priced servicing plan and services are $399, which is competitive for the market. Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 12,000km, whichever occurs first but it could get painful if you clock a lot of kays every year.