It's hard to complain about the JT, because it's such a great truck. I've watched all the clickbait YouTube videos titled "5 Things I HATE About My Gladiator" and listened to a ridiculous list, including things like "I wish I the mirrors were wider."
My complaints are minor, and are meaningless when compared to "The Good" features. Take a look below, and hopefully this gives you can idea of what to expect if you're considering a Gladiator.
The Bad (no particular order)
No Automatic Windows: Yes, the front windows roll down automatically, but then don't roll up automatically. Sometimes I ask myself if I'm crazy and no vehicles offer automatic roll-up, but I'm 99% sure my 3rd Gen Tacoma did. Perhaps it's a safety thing, but it would've been a nice touch.
No Automatic Wipers: My 2012 Jeep WK2 had rain-sensing wipers. Granted, my 3rd Gen Tacoma did not. But, that's a technology that's been around forever, and although it's certainly not critical, it's kind of expected on a $60,000 vehicle.
No Electronic Seats: It's my understanding that the seats aren't electronically adjustable because the electronics would be below a water fording threshold of some sort. I get it, but I also have a winch that's waterproof and it's powered by electricity. All that said, I think the seats are plenty comfortable and I don't necessarily feel that I need more adjustability; it's just a matter of sitting in my wife's RAV4 and having enough adjustments to perfect position myself in the seat that makes me wonder why it don't exist in a far more expensive vehicle.
No Steering Assist: When I purchased my Tacoma, the sales guy said most people just turn the Lane Departure Assist off because it beeps at you and it's annoying. I interpreted that as "all this feature does it beep at you." It wasn't until 6 months before I sold the truck that I learned it actually helps you steer. Meaning, if you're on the the 5+ hour drive to Moab, you set the adaptive cruise to 80mph, turn on lane assist, and steer normally, but with far less input. Wind even has a minimal effect on your steering; it's amazing. Keeping a Jeep straight on the highway is difficult enough, and a feature like that would've been A) really cool, and B) expected on a $60,000 vehicle.
Auto Start Stop: I get why it's there, but it's extremely annoying. The very first modification I made to the truck within hours of picking it up with installing a Tazer JL to permanently turn it off. The level of customization in the JT is awesome, so it's weird that you can't toggle that on/off in the settings menu and it's a shame you've got shell out a couple hundred bucks to get around it.
Enormous Key Fob: It's huge. At least twice the size of my former Toyota keyfob, and there's no reason why it should be that large (that's what she said). "Is that a Jeep key fob in your pocket, or are you happy to see me" shouldn't be a thing.
Bed Lights: Perhaps I'm missing something on the bed lights, but they appear to only turn on when you open up the doors and stay on for just a short period of time. Ideally, they would automatically turn on when the tailgate is lowered, or they could be manually turned on/off. They're a waste of two lights, in my opinion. I ended up installing my own bed lights, operated by a switch in the bed.
Dorky Stock Build: Potentially an unpopular opinion here, but I think Gladiators look super dorky from the factory. All you need are some 35s (and perhaps a small lift, depending on your model) to make it look normal, but even the Rubicon looks like a weird shaped guy wearing ballet shoes to me. I had most of my build components waiting in the garage after I picked up my JT, not only because I was excited but because I didn't want to be driving around in that weird looking thing. To me, the weirdest angle is from the rear. Short tailgate and big rear glass looks like a kid wearing a 10-gallon hat.
The Good (no particular order)
8-Speed Automatic: Let's first start by remembering that I came from a 3rd Gen Tacoma; one of the worst shifting vehicles in history. The Tacoma's 6-speed automatic hunts for gears incessantly. Add a lift and it's much worse. Pay $800 for an Orange Virus Tune and you're good to go. The 8-speed in the JT is perfect. No hunting for gears, and the shift points are perfectly timed, every time. I frequently wished my Taco was a manual, not just because they're fun but because I was so annoyed with the shifting. With the JT, I'm actually glad I have an automatic.
Adaptive Cruise Memory: Small touch, but it matters. In a Tacoma, when you set your adaptive cruise distance from 3 bars to 1, then turn it off, it forgets your last setting. The JT remembers it, so I'm not having to constantly change distance settings. I love this feature.
Ease of Modification: Besides an alignment following my lift (which actually just confirmed that it was still perfectly aligned), I haven't paid anyone for any work on this truck. I've installed everything myself, and my mechanical knowledge is OK at best. I'm modifying things I never expected to, simply because everything so easy to take apart and put back together.
Tolerable Road Noise: Road noise is something I often hear as a drawback to the JT/JL, but I'm not complaining. Added my rook rack added some noise, and on a really windy day it's definitely hard to carry a conversation. But, I actually feel like it's pretty good on the average day. I really think that's a product of minimal engine noise. In my Tacoma, I felt like there was a ton of engine noise. With a Prinsu roof rack, it only got worse. Most days, I feel like my fiberglass, detachable roof (with hothead headliners) is quieter than my Tacoma.
37" Spare: Don't get me wrong, a 37" tire barely fits down there and it looks weird hanging down as low as it does. But, remember that in a Tacoma, even with a 33" tire, you've got to find an alternative mounting location, such as a $2,500 swingout rear bumper. Ouch.
Headroom: This was actually the reason I even considered leaving the Tacoma behind. I had a moonroof, which cut down on headroom by at least 2 very valuable inches. My head would rub the roof unless I slouched or leaned to the right. In the JT, I sit perfectly upright and have plenty of room. I can even wear a hat while I drive now *gasp*.
Seat Height: The height and position of the seat is such that your legs hang down and your thighs are fully supported by the seat. That makes a HUGE difference in how comfortable the ride is. Formerly, in my Tacoma I sat with my legs unsupported and knees bent significantly just to get myself close enough to the steering wheel (which barely telescoped). I've done numerous hours-long drives in this truck and I no longer am thinking to myself "when will this be over" as I did in my Tacoma. If anything, I enjoy the ride.
Rear Seats: People complain that the rear seats don't offer much room, but those people should test out the Tacoma's rear seating. In the Tacoma, I had zero room for my knees. In the Gladiator, I have just enough room. It's not supposed to be spacious; the JT's not a full-size truck. It's supposed to be sufficient, and I feel like Jeep found the perfect size backseat.
Off-Road Features: I know there are benefits to air lockers rather than e-lockers and such, but having lockers and swaybar disconnects and a front facing camera right out of the box is so, so nice. I did enjoy the Tacoma's Multi-Terrain Select capability (especially Rock mode), but I'll take the JTR's features over that any day.
Cushy Stock Suspension: Of course, I never expected to hold on to the stock Fox suspension, but man was it a cushy ride. I actually feel like it was a softer ride than my Falcons set to 1-Soft. That means soaking up half-destroyed Colorado roads and getting a smooth ride all day long. In my Tacoma, I would sometimes brace for certain bumps in the road because it was such a harsh ride (note: I had HD leaf springs, and that was partially my fault).
Sure, there are plenty of other things I could state that I love about the Gladiator, but these are some key ones that matter to me, and in large part don't make the list of some reviewers.