Jeep's 'Trail Rated' ute, the Gladiator Rubicon, seems to be, on paper at least, one of the most capable showroom-standard 4WD utes in Australia.

But does this petrol-powered off-road beast deserve your consideration? And, more importantly, does it make any sense whatsoever as a family vehicle?

How much does the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon cost?

The 2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon has an official list price of $87,250*, excluding on-road costs. (*Correct at time of writing, December 2023.)

What features do you get in the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon?

The 2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon’s standard features include an 8.4-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), as well as LED headlights/tail-lights/daytime running lights/fog lights, forward collision warning, plus adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor with rear cross-path detection, remote proximity keyless entry and a nine-speaker Alpine Premium audio system.

However, it’s more notable and off-road-focussed features include Jeep's 'Rock-Trac Active On-Demand II' 4x4 system (4:1 transfer case), 'Tru-Lok' front and rear locking differentials, sway-bar disconnect, Tenneco 2.0-inch diameter aluminium-bodied shocks (front and rear; Fox shocks on previous versions), a 'TrailCam' off-road camera, selectable tyre-fill alert, BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tyres (255/75 R17), and 17-inch machined-black alloy wheels.

Paint choices include standard black and 'Bright White', as well as $895 premium paint options including 'Sarge Green', 'Silver Zynith', 'Firecracker Red', 'Sting Grey', 'Hydro Blue', 'Granite Crystal' and 'High Velocity' (yellow/green).

The Gladiator’s accessories range is a line-up of more than 70 pieces of equipment, and includes everything from Jeep windscreen sunshades to a cargo tub drawers.

The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon certainly looks built for purpose if your purpose is to head bush and tackle some hard-core 4WDing.

It more than nods at a US-style pick-up's presence at 5591mm long (with a 3488mm-long wheelbase), 1894mm wide, 1909mm high, and with a kerb weight of 2242kg.    

The Gladiator's interior is a practical space with solid build quality. The cabin feels like it's water- and weather-proof, even if that may not literally be the case. 

The 8.4-inch multimedia touch screen is clear and easy to read, but the screen itself is too small. The Jeep's 'Uconnect' system is simple to understand and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is no problem.

A 7.0-inch LED driver-information display shows tyre pressure, tyre-fill alert, digital speed readout and more.

All controls, dials and switchgear are chunky and easy to operate, no matter how bumpy the terrain you're traversing is.

The reach-and-rake-adjustable steering wheel incorporates audio, voice and cruise control controls.

Storage spaces are few, but at least they're well suited to adventure, such as tensioned mesh pockets on doors and seat backs, and small spaces with textured bases for your keys etc.

There are two USB-A ports and a USB-C port up front and two for back-seat passengers. There's a 230V outlet up front on the centre console.

Seating is decent all-around but anyone taller than an Oompa-Loompa has to mind their head so they don't inadvertently smack it against the cabin’s hard detachable ceiling.

There's a shallow storage space under the rear seat and, when that 60/40 split rear seat is folded flat, there are LED lights behind to illuminate the narrow storage space in the rear of the cabin, where there are also storage nets.

The tub's load space is 1442mm wide – 1137mm between the wheel arches, so not wide enough for a pallet – and it is 1531mm long. Load height is 885mm at the tailgate.

The tray has integrated tie-down points and under-rail LED lights.

Payload is now a claimed 693kg, which is better than its previous 680kg but still rather ordinary when compared to a lot of dual-cab utes available in Australia.

Gross vehicle mass and gross combined mass are listed as 2935kg and 5656kg, respectively.

The Gladiator has a maximum towing capacity of 750kg (unbraked), and its 2721kg braked towing figure is a let-down against the 3500kg capacity of most other rivals.

This is a ute better suited to weekend camping trips than load-carrying work duties.

Another bonus for tourers though: the spare wheel is a full-size steel one.

The Gladiator Rubicon has the Wrangler's 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine (209kW at 6400rpm and 347Nm at 4100rpm) and eight-speed automatic transmission.

The V6 has a lot of punch for on- and off-road driving and plenty of low-end torque for low-range 4WDing and, matched with the eight-speed auto, it's a well-proven team-up that consistently works well.

The Gladiator has a three-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2019. Its safety gear includes four airbags, full-speed forward collision warning plus, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, tyre-pressure monitoring system, and more.

It also has hill start assist, hill descent control, and trailer sway control.

It has dual ISOFIX child seat anchor points and three top-tether attachments in the rear seat.

The Gladiator has Jeep's five-year/100,000km factory warranty, five-year capped price scheduled servicing, and lifetime roadside assistance.

The first five services are capped at $399 each and scheduled servicing is due every 12 months or 12,000 km, whichever comes first.

What is the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon like to drive?

This 2242kg ute is built for tough fun with a body-on-frame design and reinforced chassis, but the Gladiator manages to be nimble around town.

It’s fun to drive and It's surprisingly not as atrocious on-road as some might assume, but it demands maximum driver attention.

The steering is floaty, with plenty of play in the wheel, understeer through corners, and there's a fair bit of tyre rumble from the BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tyres.

The wing mirrors generate a lot of wind noise, but the Gladiator's not as unrefined as you might expect.

Because it's a stretched Wrangler – with a 787mm longer body and a 480mm longer wheelbase than its stablemate – the Gladiator feels even more settled and composed than the Wrangler does on sealed surfaces.

Ride quality is mostly impressive with this ute cruising comfortably on live axles front and rear with coil springs and, in 2023-onward versions, Tenneco shocks all-around rather than the previous Fox Shocks set-up.

Some Gladiator characteristics will annoy a few people. 

Visibility is compromised in all directions, the throttle is touchy, the 13.6m turning circle often adds a degree of difficulty in attempts at fast turnarounds (on a city street or in a busy country pub car park) and all that driver attention the Gladiator demands of its steerer will become tiresome for a few drivers.

But, as expected, the Gladiator is a lot of fun in the dirt. The 'Trail Rated' Gladiator is loaded with off-road mechanicals, from a 4X4 system with 4:1 low-range (contributing to a 77.2:1 crawl ratio), front and rear diff-locks, heavy-duty Dana 44 axles (front and rear), sway-bar disconnect and BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tyres, as well as a stack of driver-assist tech aimed at making you feel like Australian 4WD expedition legend Ron Moon.

Shocks engineered for off-roading add a welcome dimension of comfort and handling to the Gladiator on dirt and gravel tracks on the way to your off-grid campsite of choice.

That 77.2:1 crawl ratio I mentioned means nothing to most of us until you have the opportunity to experience the feeling of all that terrain-gripping torque for yourself.

In 4WD low-range first gear, and with both diffs locked, the Gladiator feels unstoppable. It climbed with ease a short steep rocky hill where I've seen drivers of modified vehicles opt for the ‘chicken' tracks either side.

The only thing is, because of the Gladiator's 3488mm-long wheelbase and 18.4-degree ramp-over angle, there's a real risk of bellying out or at least grinding the undercarriage on earth when you crest these steep hills, which is why you must drive with concentrated focus.

But that's part of the fun. It really is a driver-direct experience.

Besides, the Gladiator does have substantial underbody skid-plates, protecting the fuel tank, transmission and transfer case, as well as heavy-gauge tubular steel rock rails to soak up any off-road hits.

With an approach angle of 40.7 degrees, a departure angle of 25.1 degrees and a listed ground clearance of 249mm and a wading depth of 760mm, the Gladiator has decent off-road measures.

Suspension travel is okay, but to get even more axle flex, you can hit the sway-bar disconnect button to drop a wheel to the dirt.
 
The Gladiator has 'Selec-Speed Control' (effectively an adjustable low-speed cruise control for 4WDing that can be set between 1.0-8.0km/h), and 'Off-Road+', which tweaks throttle and traction control, among other systems, to best suit the terrain.

It also has a forward-facing off-road camera so the driver has a chance to see any obstacles that might otherwise go unnoticed until it's too late, such as branches, rocks, tree stumps and hard rubbish.

The Gladiator Rubicon has listed fuel consumption of 12.4L/100km on a combined cycle. 

On test I recorded actual fuel consumption of 12.9L/100km, from fill to fill.

The Gladiator has an 83-litre tank, so, going by my on-test fuel-use figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of approximately 643km from a full tank.

Is the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon any good?

The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is okay on-road and very capable off-road.

But it lacks the versatility, safety tech and refinement that would transform it from a decent hard-core 4WD ute into a good general-purpose vehicle.

However, this is ute built for off-road fun and it well and truly achieves that goal.