The bed
Cargo inside or out
The Gladiator trades the Wrangler’s cargo area for a 5-foot pickup bed. Wet gear, fishing rods, coolers and firewood ride outside instead of next to the back seat.
Compare · Jeep
Jeep Wrangler vs. Gladiator
The same open-air Jeep, as an SUV or a pickup. Here is what the bed costs you, what it gets you, and which one fits how you use it.
At a glance
Wrangler vs. Gladiator, side by side
| Jeep Wrangler | Jeep Gladiator | |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Four-door SUV | Four-door pickup with a 5-foot bed |
| Engine | 3.6-liter V6, 285 hp; 2.0-liter turbo four, 270 hp, available | 3.6-liter V6, 285 hp |
| Wheelbase | 118.4 inches | 137.3 inches |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Top and doors | Top comes off, doors come off, windshield folds | Top comes off, doors come off, windshield folds |
| Lockers | Willys: locking rear. Rubicon: front and rear | Rubicon: front and rear |
| Behind the back seat | 32 cubic feet | An open 5-foot bed |
Four-door models, 2026 model year.
Where they differ
Same Jeep up front, different back half
Length
Nimble vs. stable
The Gladiator’s wheelbase is almost 19 inches longer. The Wrangler turns tighter and clears sharper crests; the Gladiator feels steadier at highway speed and when it tows.
Open air
Both lose the top
Both take their top and doors off, and on both the windshield folds down. The Gladiator is the only pickup that does.
Engines
More choice in the Wrangler
Both use the 3.6-liter V6. The Wrangler also offers a 2.0-liter turbo four.
Which one fits you
How to choose
Pick the Wrangler if
You want the classic
You want the shorter, nimbler Jeep and your gear fits inside.
Pick the Gladiator if
You haul messy gear
You carry boards, rods, coolers or a dog crate and want them in a bed, or you tow.
Drive both
Both are in our lineup
The Wrangler and the Gladiator are both in our lineup. Half a day on the Carova beach and on North Carolina Highway 12, the two-lane road up the Outer Banks, settles it. How it works.
Wrangler vs. Gladiator questions
Common questions
What is the difference between a Jeep Wrangler and a Gladiator?
The Gladiator is a Wrangler with a 5-foot pickup bed and a wheelbase almost 19 inches longer. Both seat five, both take their top and doors off, and both fold the windshield down.
Does the Jeep Gladiator have a removable top?
Yes. The Gladiator’s top and doors come off and the windshield folds down, making it the only pickup with a top that comes off.
Which engines do the Wrangler and Gladiator have?
Both use the 3.6-liter V6 with 285 horsepower. The Wrangler also offers a 2.0-liter turbo four with 270 horsepower.
Order alerts · Drive it first
Waiting on one of these? We’ll tell you.
Order alerts
We email you when factory ordering opens or changes for the vehicle you pick, and only about that vehicle. It is not a reservation.
Ready now
Five and a half hours in the off-road trim, about three of them on the Carova 4x4 beach, then one No-Haggle Price in writing. $325 a vehicle. Already built one on the maker’s site? Send us your build.