The big thing with the gladiator rubicon. Always overlooked. The 4:1 Transfer case. That thing. It’s insane. Makes everything safer off road

Excellent review, Sir, thank you. Love me some Jeep; always wanted one. I thoroughly researched the Gladiator, Taco, Ranger and Colorado ZR2 and went with the ZR2. Now with 15k miles on/off-road, zero issues, I would make the same choice again. Much respect for competition as each has strengths/weakness. Chevy got this one right in a big way.

This truck looks amazing from the factory. Front and rear lockers. Awesome.

Never thought I'd see a ZR2 on your channel 😲🤯

I recently bought a Colorado ZR2 and I absolutely love it. It has good power, very comfortable, proving to be very capable, and I love how it looks. I got mine in the harvest bronze color. Even my wife loves this truck. And she likes all the positive comments she’s getting about it from her male colleagues when she drives it to work. Couldn’t be happier that I brought this truck.

I picked up my white ZR2 last week. First time passengers freak out when I approach a speed bump at 35 mph, but the suspension just soaks it up. It’s an amazing ride.

Its the ONLY mid sized truck thats worthy of replacing my Mojave. BUT the price of these premium mid size off roaders is absurd. I can easily keep my JT on 37”. Still get 17mpg, zero mechanical issues and its an off road beast.

Everyone slept on the 2nd gen ZR2s, but the gen 3s aint letting anyone sleep in now.

I'm a diehard Tacoma guy, but I would buy that Chevy over the new over priced Tacoma. The Chevy also looks a lot better in my opinion.

I'm on Jeep 7 so a bit bias. I loved and modified my 2-doors and took them in swamps, deserts, the Rockies, and Moab. As much as I loved my little Jeeps I always thought a truck would very handy and then Jeep came out with the Gladiator! I bought the 2020 launch and wow what an incredible vehicle. Amazing off-road and decent on-road even after adding 37's, not to mention the awesome feature of a truck bed. For just over four years I took the Gladiator on long trips, pulled camping trailers, and did some crazy off-road stuff and the Jeep never let me down. As much as I loved my 2020 I like shiny new things and just traded for a 2024 Rubicon Gladiator. This time I opted for the factory Mopar lift and the ride with the remote reservoir Bilstein's is next level smooth and that's comparing to many other lift kits I have ran on all my other Jeeps over the years. All that being said, at the end of the day even if the Chevy came on 40's, got 10 times the mpg, and could climb over the Empire State building it wouldn't matter to me, I'd still want my Jeep. Why... Doors off, top down, and yes I do put the windshield down on occasion. The amazing Jeep community, it's like an instant bond with someone as soon as you meet them. The aftermarket parts and support that far exceeds all other vehicles combined. The average guy (not a mechanic) like myself can do a lot of the modifications such as lifts, bumpers, lights, etc. Finally, there is just something so cool about owning the most iconic vehicle in the world with heroic roots back to 1941 and WWII.

I don't know what it is about owning a Jeep but it is so easy to get lost in the Jeep world and sleep on great trucks like this. Thanks for sharing!

35’s from the factory, hydraulic bump stops, dssv shocks. Very capable truck from the factory.

In 2019, you came by our booth at Overland Expo taking pictures of our Ranger and Colorado and said “man these are cool trucks, I’d love to have something like this on my channel” Glad you finally had the opportunity 5 years later, a lot of people sleep on the Colorados. Should come by and drive some of our builds 😎

A another spec to consider. The Rubicon Gladiator has a 1200lb payload as opposed to 1050 on the bison. When I take the family camping with all the extra stuff, we bump up against that pretty often. With the back stuffed full of gear, toys and kids bikes it’s really nice to fit the spare under the bed and not in it. The suspension is definitely choppier but the squishy 37’s help keep the complaints down on bumpy roads. If they stop coming on adventures with me and it’s just me and a dog driving down rocky mining roads then the Bison seems great! With 4 people though I appreciate the gladiator’s compromises…even if they only edge out the competition by a margin

I’ve still got my 2019 Bison (with the Duramax) and it’s still going strong. I have only gotten stuck once when I got the right rear shock stuck on a rock and I noticed Chevy fixed that potential issue by moving the shocks closer to the wheel. It’s been a great truck and I highly recommend it. I put an Expedition One swing out rear bumper to deal with the spare tire which is a pretty good alternative.

Comfort is in the eye of the beholder . My 4 Door Rubi ( I know it’s not a pickup) but we are talking Jeep ride quality . I can say that my Rubi which is set up for overland travel rides fantastic with very comfortable seats . I have driven across Canada twice , currently overland mountain bush camping northern BC ( I’m from Ontario) and I’ll take the robust capabilities of solid axles over the less robust less capable IFS . I have been running into some pretty extreme trails , and with the 2” lift and 35’s 4 low , lockers and sway bar disconnect, aired down has made these easy going . On road very comfortable . If I wanted ultimate comfort I would get a high end touring sedan . I like 4 wheel drive ( solid axles) vehicles I like the confidence of having robust running gear under you stock IFS is weak . Love the Jeep ride the visceral experience the slight cab noise which I don’t even notice . Cheers Wild Bill , overlanding the remote bush of north of Canada 🇨🇦

I just purchased a 24 gladiator but seriously considered the Chevy. At the end of the day I wanted the solid front axle and the excess of aftermarket support for the Jeep.

The big thing about the Gladiator, which always goes overlooked in comparisons, is the almost infinite bolt-on upgradability. A gladiator rubicon with a 3.5” lift can run 40” tires, no cutting, no welding, etc. You can’t do that with any other truck. I’ve been running a G Rubi with 37s since 2020- it rides AMAZINGLY, has superb clearance, and still plenty of power.

This is 100%, hands down, my next vehicle after doing a lot of research. It’s offroad ready for overlanding and comfortable to drive on a daily basis. Thanks for the video.

Jeep has done NOTHING to make the gladiator appealing. And if they think that by adding the 4xe to the gladiator is going to be enough they are very wrong. Happy Sunday everyone

Oh man I didn't know seat covers added 5 HP thought only stickers did. Seat covers coming my way! 😂

I bought an AT4X (GMC Canyon) version of this truck a couple of months ago. I just bought it to daily, but I love the platform and the truck overall so far. The AEV is another step up but I didn’t need that for my daily. But if I was building it as a dedicated overland rig I definitely would!

Having the previous gen ZR2, I'm sure this is an amazing truck. I do love my little diesel though and it'll have to be pried from my cold dead hands 😂. I am jealous it's significantly more powerful.

The ending comment is the best statement for folks deciding whether they want a good daily road car that can do most trails or something they can build into a dedicated rock crawler. IFS will always do better on roads and tends to be a lot more enjoyable going fast on dirt roads, but a solid front axle will always reign supreme at rock crawling. Personally I prefer IFS for a daily, but would love to have something with a solid front axle to pull behind my Tundra for the trails!

I have owned a 19 zr2, a 21 zr2 bison and now a 24 bison absolute beast these trucks are. It has been zero issues for me for 7 years and combined 150k miles. Many offroad miles. The new one is a game changer in everyway. The 4 cylinder turbo is actually pretty awesome better mpg and lots more torque and faster than my last 2 v6.

One thing I think people miss about the AEV version of this truck - the fact that all the "aftermarket" parts are technically factory, and because of that have factory warranties.

If you are leaning towards harder trails and taking your doors and top off then a JT is your go to. If you just want to overland and do easier trails then any other midsize pickup will suffice. I’ve been driving my JT with 39 inch tires for 3+ years and 60k + miles. Daily driving it isn’t bad to me, but I purchased it knowing it wouldn’t have the road manners of an IFS. I wouldn’t trade it for any other midsize truck because of the ease of modifying it and its off-road capability on harder trails can’t be matched by any modern mid size truck.

Similar reason why I chose, over a Wrangler Rubicon 4dr, my 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Diesel 4x4 w/ Off-Road Adventure II Pkg w/ permanent AWD, 4H, 4L, Quadra-Drive (RLSD) and Adjustable Air Suspension, which I ordered built to my specs. Added many additional bash plates, MUCH better tires, and Mopar Rocksliders. I can drive all over Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas and still not hesitate to take it on off road trails. My recovery gear is totally dialed in for such solo adventures. It gets 28mpg driving on pavement at 60mph or less, which gives me almost 700 miles of range on a tank of diesel fuel. However, I will admit that cruising along at 80mph on the expressways does diminish fuel efficiency. The heated and cooled seats are great, and the seating memory positions for different drivers has probably saved my marriage, since my wife is only 5 ft tall and I'm 5'10". 😁 I just have to remember not to grab her key fob by accident so that I don't get crushed after I climb behind the wheel. I have fanatically maintained it and now have about 102K on the odo so far. I regularly it drive about 180 miles from my home in southern Michigan up to our cabin on the Manistee River in northern (Lower Peninsula) Michigan, at highway speeds, and I can immediately air down upon arrival and drive through some really nasty stuff to get to my favorite hunting and fishing spots. Yes, I can certainly see the use case for the Colorado ZR2 Bison vs. the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon (or its other iterations). I actually considered buying a used Wrangler (and decking it out) just to keep up at my cabin, but I opted instead for a Honda Pioneer 1000 ORV with tractor tires (it is a BEAST). Your video just goes to show that the correct tool for one's use case really makes a difference in how much a person can enjoy 4-wheeling and off road adventures, and the oftentimes long highway driving that is required to get there.

Love the stance and The aggressive look of the Colorado

I drive a Rubicon Gladiator, that I love! But, you know what I don’t love? All the road noise! I knew what I was getting into. But the other day I rode in a non Jeep and it was so nice to take a call and be able to hear clearly.

It looks to be better, always like the Colorado. I am a Gladiator Mojave owner. If I was to ever change that would be the one to get

Awesome review, most of your camera angles were of the exterior of the truck driving off-road, thank you for that. GM has really stepped up entering the offroad/overland market. The Sierra 1500 AEV diesel IMO is probably the best truck for overland travel and off-roading.

Great review. Well equipped off road truck from the factory. Full warranty on everything. Excellent content, editing and drone footage.

Still like the Raptor Ranger. I compared it to the Gladiator Mojave. Never really looked at the Bison. Surprised the hood doesn’t have gas struts to lift and hold it open.

It’s the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. Not just car/truck. It cushy, it handles better than most cars, and it’s fast enough for sure. Highway cruising I get 16.9 mpg, smashing the pedal i haven’t gotten less than 10.0 mpg. Get one, no questions asked.

I would say this truck is more a Tacoma competitor personally. I think you go in to a Gladiator knowing that it rides like a Jeep, but you have greater offroad capability bc it is solid axle.

Love the ZR2 and the Bison version, but would still need to see if they beefed up the IFS, steering, and gearing for the bigger tires. I assume the brakes are already pretty good in the newer Colorado. That was the problem with the previous gen ZR2 Bison 35 version, AEV put a lot of flash on it but didn't do much out of sight to beef things up to spin or turn that much tire.

Just like you said if you’re into rock crawling and heavy off road use then the Gladiator and Wrangler are the best option. If you want a comfortable Offroad experience and a quiet, smooth driving vehicle than any IFS off road vehicle is better than a Jeep solid axle. I am very impressed by the Bison Zr2 and I wouldn’t mind trading my JT overland build for this.

Kudos to you for mentioning the hydraulic bumpstops! For some reason the majority of reviews skim over this. I think it's an important piece of deciding information, especially when the Canyon AEV doesn't come equipped with them as standard, unless added as an option (odd considering the GMC is more expensive). Great review!

From the GMC point of view, it's something special sort of like totally opposite of Cristmas day as a kid when that check engine light comes on continuously. 18 different issues. I've owned a Jeep for eight months now with no problems except the problems I cause and have been loving every minute of it.

Awesome video as always Brad.

I sold 3 jeeps once I got my 2nd gen bison, stoaked to see a 3rd gen and see what it can do!

Great seeing you review something other than a Jeep :) Great presentation!

Love the amount of cup holders

I've had my ZR2 Bison since 2021 and I agree completely with your assessment Brad, they are great trucks. I replaced my 2006 LJR with mine and it'll do everything the LJ would offroad while being TONS more comfortable and convenient on daily driver duty also. Great job on the review.

I am a died in the world Chevy guy but when it came time to get a Jeep that's what I got and I agree with you that it depends on what you want to do with it, ZR2 is the better daily driver but for strictly off Highway stuff Jeep is the best.

I concur with your selection for daily driving

Thank you Brad for the honest and objective reviews. I will for the foreseeable future subscribe, watch, and like your videos!

I had a 21 Gladiator Rubicon. I now have a 24 GMC Canyon AT4X. Its better in pretty much every way. I absolutely love my AT4X. Granted, mine isnt the AEV and it "only" on 33s, but at 2000 miles Im averaging over 18 mpg (Not bad for a truck with 3 inch factory lift, 33 inch MTs and selectable front and rear lockers). I love these Goodyear Territory MTs. Aggressive but comfortable and quiet.

It’s nice. That spare tire setup is a deal breaker for me. The box is already bordering on to small. Losing 20% of it is a no go

You mentioned that the Bison comes with 35” tires. However, you make no mention that the doors and roof can be easily removed from the Gladiator. Which one of those two is a more major selling point? What other pickup truck has that option? Maybe your next comparison can start with all the trucks with removable doors and roof?

I did a test drive of the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 bison, and it sit up taller, now I am going after this truck.and it's going to be the start of my overlanding adventure. I'm going to come up with a name for the channel. I would love to take a trip with you and Marco down to BAJA Mexico.

Awesome looking truck, absolutely love it... Style/ Ability... Solid truck ! Good review Brad... Aussie fan🦘👍

I think a lot of the greatness of the truck in this space will be to what extent the after market vendors embrace it. A jeep will always be embraced by them because it's a big part of owning one but the sooner they embrace this truck the better it will sell.

The good news: all of the recalls are free!

I do have to say, I ran into the StreetSpeed717 guys at Rausch Creek off-road park in PA. His buddy had a ZR2 non-Bison model and he was putting it through some punishing on some pretty hard trails. There was a lot of wheel lift, but that wasn't stopping him. I was pretty impressed.

I have a JTR on 37s and 5:13 gears and I agree I would choose the zr2 out of the two if I had to commute daily. There are some things that stood out to me, my personal JT has a 1200lb payload (door jam sticker) which matters if you have a family and gear on board and this zr2 is about 200 short and if you tow that tongue weight matters. Something to think about. Chevy really did an amazing job with this truck

We've been wheeling a Zr2 for a few years now. It's an excellent platform for overlanding.

I am not an experienced off roader, but I wanted to dip my toes in those waters and ordered a Colorado ZR2 when they were announced. I waited a long time to get mine, but I have 22,000 miles on it now and love it! I have only been off road a few times and want to do much more and I think the Bison would be better for that with the 35s, but I use my truck as a truck much more often than an off roader and I need the full bed. I also don’t want my view blocked. So as much as I like the Bison, I’ll be sticking with the regular ZR2 and loving it. Oh, by the way, I test drive a couple of Gladiators, the Rubicon and Mojave before I bought my ZR2, and while they may be more capable off road, the driving experience was way better to me in the ZR2.

Brad, thank you for your honest evaluation. Although I am a FJ Cruiser guy, I would love to have something like the Colorado as a daily driver. The off-road capability is a plus!

For what you do, this would be my choice. Overlanding, pulling a trailer, I say why not be more comfortable. Have to move that spare tire if it was me. I like the Gladiator, but it needs some attention in today's market. I think now that Jeep has all this competition, they are pulling a Toyota and living off an old reputation.

Great unbiased video; I also have a '23 Gladiator Mojave. Only reason I bought the Jeep over the Colorado.......removable roof and doors.

Took delivery of our ZR2 last Saturday. Love it for all the reasons you highlighted. Here in TX most off road stuff fairly flat and dirt. Some limited river xings.

Most definitely better than a gladiator. Nice review.Buddy has one and he loves it. I drove it and love it too

Grew up, (born in??) '54 flat fender Willy's. Dad would put me in the front pasture, low range first gear. "Don't Touch those Levers. you get brake and gas." I was happy as a pig rolling int,, well.. owned the first two Original ZR2 S-10 in the 90's. Fantastic rigs, did thigs we should not have been able to do. didn't wine a bit. and I am a Toyota Tacoma past owner. ZR2 was one of the most capable, Road worthy. off road machine I have owned. thinking of one of these.

I’ve been wanting a midsize truck for awhile now and the Chevy Colorado has been on the top of my list. This is a little out of my price range but I’d love to get a base model and add my own aftermarket parts to it. Great video.

I like your honest reviews ..

Your closing comments probably also apply to the Bronco I think

Best looking midsize truck to me. Id definitely pick this over any other midsize truck. Do everything i would need it for and looks good doing it. Add a good winch and its perfect.

My wife has a 2022 Colorado Z71 Trail Boss and I love it. I drive it more than I drive my 2020 JL Rubicon.

I had the first gen ZR2 and it had transmission issues that caused me to trade it for another Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. I also owned a Gladiator Rubicon that I loved. But this new ZR2 Bison is very intriguing and I’d give it a look over a Gladiator for sure

The only issue I have with back seat on the Colorado/Canyon twins is it can be a bit tight to get into. Have to turn your feet in a weird way. I dont have that issue with the Gladiator. The interiors are nicer than most and the front end looks great.

I have a 2023 Trail Boss Colorado its my favorite truck that I've owned

A few tweaks to an IFS front end does not an offroader make. You can lightly travel on fire roads with this. But if you are seriously going to push it in the rocks and off camber stuff. You will break the front end, likely catastrophically. Pretending otherwise is just leading the foolish into situations that could get them hurt, or worse.

For sure it's a good looking truck. The low end torque is impressive as well as the fact that it has lockers front and rear. That being said I didn't see you test it anywhere my minivan wouldn't go.

Awesome spec.. and good looking. ❤

i am really impressed with your final couple of thoughts. awewasy worried when people base review off the 1% performance/top speed /rally etc realizing that does not apply to 95 % of people that never will drive a vehicle anywhere close to fullest capability..

We own a 23 Taco, 22 Gladiator rubicon and and ZR2, The Gladiator is best off road, Tacoma is most comfortable and second for choice to modify if wanted to and Bison is parking lot princess and will stay that way. On road only, Bison, Taco, Gladiator. All around it would be up to the person and pocketbook. Work, our 6' bed trd off road, the bed makes the difference but has squishy rear springs

I think the seats in my 22 Gladiator Mojave are very comfortable. I also like the removable doors and tops that Jeep offers, that is why you have the wind noise from outside.

I would absolutely love to own one of theses trucks. The zr2 is awesome and this latest iteration looks great!

I was going to buy one a few years ago and my Raptor owner friend talked me out of it. I'm still kicking myself for listening to him. That 14mpg stood out. My Jeep JLR gets better than that on 37's.. not that it matters much to me but wow. I thought that truck would do 17+

I dont think anything can compare to the Gladiator really. The solid axles really differentiate it in feel, capability, and ease of upgradability.

@$64K, this Bison cost just a smidge above my first house and that was not very long ago...2016 holy smokes.

I’ve got a ‘22 gladiator and I’ve definitely been thinking a zr2 might actually be better.

One is a convertible truck, and the other is not. As far as the convertible class, the Gladiator remains on the throne.

Tire in the back is a dealbreaker.

Love that paint color. Looks great.

Great looking ride. My first truck was a GMC 4x4 back in '88, and although I currently drive a Power Wagon, this one looks like a nice scaled down, but capable ride. Throw a winch on there and maybe move that spare up onto the roof and away you go. Those seat belts will be black before you know it! LOL

Thanks for the honest review. It is a really nice truck and worthy of consideration. Cheers!

Nice looking and capable truck. Just missing one thing that makes mine better........being paid for! Thanks for the look at it Brad. Great job giving us a sense of the feel the ZR2 had.

Owned a Colorado - nice truck, but back seat is useless for carrying gear. Traded for a Wrangler and very happy. Whether the Colorado's seats are folded or not, the room is disappointing and the elevated floor will be troublesome if a seat delete is in mind. Nice to see this platform spec'd for off road as Chevy knows trucks - front and back axel locks on 35's - boom! Curious if rear quarter panels will handle frame torque and resist springing - no mention of frame strengthening.

I know last year at TRS2 there was the white Colorado and did fairly well on the trails at Merus.. I only had to pull them out once. This is something I would look at.. for sure.

Who knew Toyota would become the best sales person for the Nissan Frontier and Chevy ZR2

You forgot the Nissan Frontier. Enjoyed the video.

You forgot the GMC Canyon AT4X I daily drive a 2016 GMC Canyon with over 200k miles averaging over 20 mpg. I've taken it off road in oklahoma, near Ouray, and Moab. Love my Canyon!

LOVE the truck, but my issue is the loss of BEDSPACE, due to carrying the 35" spare in the bed. Wish Chevy had an option for a 6' bed (like the Tacoma). This would likely allow for the spare to be stored in the typical factory location under the bed.

Seems like the main thing that kept being brought up in this video is comfort. My 2024 Gladiator Rubicon X I find pretty comfortable, I know it supposedly has more comfortable seats but I haven't spent any time in the other models.

Good timing Brad! I’m waiting to order a new 2025 Colorado Bison and move on from my 2018 JLUR. Sad but exciting!!

Jeep Gladiator is about being a transformer type 4x4 pickup, not a quite truck. Can the bison remove the roof, doors, how about after market parts. The bison has a 4 cyl. the gladiator has a relieable v/6. Gladiator has more towing ability. Nuff said.

I agree and it would cool to see you get one and build it out for overlanding. Jeeps are cool but some non Jeep content would be awesome.