33
cult to quantify. It reminds anyone
old enough of simpler times, when
seatbelt usage and occupancy counts
were mere guidelines. It is the car for
having fun outdoors. If overlanding is
your bag, Rubicon-edition Gladiators
NR aUR \ß\NQ R^bVcNYR[a \S N 0_-
vette on a racetrack.
A couple Wranglers were eligible
for 10Best this year, but they didn’t
have the same on-road composure
as the Gladiator [See, we haven’t com-
pletely forgotten about handling—Ed.].
All signs indicate that the Gladiator’s
near comical wheelbase stretch of
18.9 inches over the already stretched
four-door Wrangler is the secret
to the Jeep’s stabilizing success. It
softens the bucking ride and discon-
nected road manners that plague
other live-axle Jeeps.
Wranglers have always been
tons of fun best consumed in small
doses—20 minutes here, 20 minutesaUR_R/baaUR4YNQVNa\_V`QVßR_-
ent. Despite having two stick axles,
a ladder frame, recirculating-ball
steering, and four-wheel drive, the
Jeep pickup feels more modern than
N[f D_N[TYR_ 0\[`VQR_V[T NYY Va`
attributes, we’ve decided it’s love.
It’s taken Car and Driver 65 years,
but we now comprehend that mantra
constantly broadcast by Jeep owners.
AUR dU\YR 7RR] aUV[T dR ¼[NYYf
understand. —K.C. Colwell“IT’S A CONVERTIBLE PICKUP
WAGON DREAMED UP IN THE
VEIN OF AN 83-FUNCTION SWISS
ARMY KNIFE FOR THE ROAD.”
More than any
other vehicle on the
list, the Gladiator
inspired passion-
ate arguments for
and against it.