Jeep Gladiator vs Chevrolet Colorado

Midsize trucks are having a moment. Rugged, off-road-ready lifestyle pickups and SUVs are all currently in vogue. In the past few years, we’ve seen redesigns for the Ford Ranger, the Nissan Frontier, and, long-awaited, the Toyota Tacoma. General Motors has joined the party with a redesigned GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado.

The popularity of smaller trucks has ebbed and flowed through the decades, but based on all of these redesigns, automakers are convinced that there are sales to be made. One way these trucks have evolved is by pivoting from downsized work vehicles offering weekend-warrior and lifestyle-off-roader versions, to focusing specifically on those weekend warrior and lifestyle shoppers.

Verdict: The Colorado has evolved from merely offering more content and upgraded versions to focusing on well-equipped, upgraded trims catering to recreation more than work.

The open-air driving experience you can enjoy with a Gladiator is just one of many appealing things about it. As expected of a Jeep, the Gladiator is also a rock star off-road. And some versions of this crew-cab midsize truck offer substantial payload and towing capacity. Better yet, Jeep has updated the 2024 Gladiator with minor styling revisions, next-generation infotainment technology, added comfort and convenience features, and new range-topping trim levels. A Gladiator 4xe plug-in hybrid arrives in 2025.

Verdict: Though we’re fans of the 2024 Jeep Gladiator, it requires some trade-offs. Fuel economy is poor, the ride can be rough, the interior is loud at higher speeds, and the cabin looks like you can hose it out—because you can. Buy a 2024 Gladiator for what it can do and not for the image it projects, and you’ll more easily accept its inherent flaws.