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What the Gladiator shares with the Wrangler
For those who spend lots of time in the latest JL Jeep Wrangler (as I do, being our long-term Wrangler’s chaperone), the Gladiator’s cabin ought to be incredibly familiar. Pretty much everything from the front-seats forward is shared with the Wrangler. The Gladiator’s upright dash, instrument cluster, infotainment screen, buttons, seats—literally everything save for the “Off-Road+” switch next to the differential lockers on our Gladiator Rubicon tester is shared with the Wrangler. That might strike some as lazy, but in actuality it’s a brilliant move because it instantly gives the Gladiator one of—if not the—nicest-looking and highest-quality cabins in the growing midsize pickup market. Porting the Wrangler’s interior over to the Gladiator also saves Jeep money in extra design and tooling costs, savings that could, in theory, be passed on to Gladiator buyers.
Unique features in the Jeep Gladiator’s interior
The Gladiator’s rear seats are a party piece in and of themselves. They fold forward and flat, functioning as a shelf of sorts for more cargo-holding ability, while also revealing a rechargeable portable Bluetooth speaker (should you check off the box for that $295 option when ordering your Gladiator.) The rear seat bottoms also flip up, revealing lockable storage for odds and ends like ratchet straps or tow hitches. For extra security—especially important for the only convertible pickup on the market—the rear seat backs can also be locked to the wall of the cabin so they can’t fold down, ensuring the cabin stays secure.
The Jeep Gladiator’s bed
Although most pickups in the segment offer up two different bed lengths, usually a short 5- to 5.5-foot bed and a longer 6-foot bed, the Jeep Gladiator is only available with a 5-foot bed. Standard features on the bed include four tie-downs and a three-position tailgate, with a middle position designed to help the Gladiator accommodate longer items like sheets of plywood or motorcycles. Optional features include a bed liner (complete with tire tread marks on the front of the bed wall to help you line your motorcycles up properly), LED lighting, a 110-volt outlet, roll-up tonneau cover, and bed-side rails for extra tie-downs or accessories. As far as pickup beds go, the Gladiator’s is pretty old school; it doesn’t have any steps or handles to ease access the bed, but its bed rails are low, making it easy for adults of average height to reach into the bed to grab items.
