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With the top off the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland 4×4 looks smooth and one-of-a-kind like the Michael Jordan of all terrain vehicles.
And you can take the doors off, too, which adds a whole other level of flexibility that makes it look leaner and meaner.
If you ask me, this $41,000 happy, fun loving design has already made it over the finish against the competition, on looks alone. After all, you cannot beat the granite crystal metallic clear-coat exterior paint, which matches perfectly with the 18-inch, 7.5-inch granite crystal aluminum wheels.
But it has muscle under the hood, too. The powertrain is powered by a 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 engine that provides excellent horsepower and torque. It features dual overhead camshafts, high flow intake and exhaust ports, variable valve timing and electronic throttle control. That combined with a six-speed manual transmission makes this Jeep purr like a tiger and fast like a cheetah. It also gets 22 miles per gallon in the city and 28 miles per gallon on the highway.
And that is not all. The six-speed transmission features a short-throw shifter with lost first and reverse gears for improved control when you are off-roading. That type of driving can take a toll, so Jeep put in a twin disc clutch with a dual mass flywheel for improved durability.
The interior comes standard with Overland cloth bucket seats.
Packages run from $1,295 for a series of LED-related upgrades on everything from the running lamps to fog and tail lamps to as much as $2,995 for one of the more popular packages that includes the three-piece hard top, a trailer-tow package and leather-trimmed bucket seats.
You also can upgrade how tough you want the Gladiator Overland to look by paying attention to the details. By that I mean the side steps and running boards, which offer the tubular side step option, a higher-end chrome tubular side step and for a little extra money, you can get this beauty fitted with heavy-duty rock sliders with step assist, which is my personal favorite.
The cabin is roomy, giving you a very nice view of the entertainment system, which features a Uconnect 4 system with seven-inch touchscreen display. There also is a bigger screen with an 8.4-inch display that is part of the Uconnect 4C NAV package. But for my money, I’m sticking with the smaller display, which doesn’t clutter up the interior.
Sometimes cars with big screens make you feel like you are driving a computer instead of a real-world representation of your spirit on the road.
The Alpine Premium Audio system was clean and powerful, giving me a wide range of sound and bass when I wanted to really crank it up.
And I did want to crank it up to keep pace with the overall feel of this vehicle. It made me feel strong and fearless behind the wheel and that is no small feat in 2021.
