The Jeep Gladiator Is the Most Reliable Car Consumer Reports Has Tested
In its first year of production, the Jeep Gladiator made a huge splash in the market in more ways than one. Not only was it a new adventurer’s vehicle that no one seems to regret, but it also proved to be pretty reliable as well.
Consumer Reports used their yearly survey data to determine which automotive brands ranked the highest or the lowest when it comes to being reliable.
How Consumer Reports calculate a brand’s ranking
Consumer Reports gathers data from owner surveys on several models for each brand. They will take the average predicted reliability scores for each unit and come up with the overall score for the particular brand. This year, Mazda came out on top with a score of 83.
There has to be enough data gathered for at least two models of a brand for it to get placed in the rankings. Some models, this year, rose in the ranks, like Buick, who went 14 positions up on the list, which is an improvement from previous years where it went down.
Others fell down significantly like the Mini, which went down 13 positions. The Lincoln, which fell 11 places on the list, is rated with the poorest reliability ranking.
Consumer Reports uses a 0 to 100 point scale to determine where a vehicle’s brand places on their list. Most average ratings would fall within the 41 to 60 points. They also include whether the brand went up or down in rankings from the previous year.
Where Jeep is at on their reliability list
The Jeep brand received an overall score of 41 out of 100 possible points. This score falls within the average range and places them in the 19th spot on the list and puts it up seven spots in the rankings. The models used to determine Jeep’s rating were the Renegade, Compass, Wrangler, Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and the Gladiator.
Consumer Reports felt the model that had the poorest reliability score was the Renegade. Based on the data received from the owner’s surveys, it ended up with only 19 points. The previous models had significant issues with the climate system, paint job, body hardware, power equipment, and some minor engine problems.
The Jeep Compass model didn’t fare much better, but the Wrangler saw a decent amount of improvement over the last year. Jeep’s Cherokee and Grand Cherokee came in second and third in the brand with scores of 31 and 48. But the best-rated model was the Gladiator.
What the Jeep Gladiator offers consumers
In its first year, the Gladiator managed a perfect score of five out of five for predicted reliability. With the collected data, it received an overall score of 99 out of 100 possible points. This is what helped Jeep jump up to the 19th spot and kept it from falling further down because of the poor scores from the Compass and the Renegade.
In Consumer Reports testing, the 2021 Gladiator ranked No. 2 in the compact pickup truck segment with eight total trucks competing. Fuel economy ratings are low, but still competitive within the class, with 13 mpg on city roads and 23 mpg when traveling on the highway.
The cabin offers rugged-looking features and a combination of hard plastics, padded material, and sturdy equipment. With optional packages, you could add a leather-wrapped steering wheel, intricate white stitching, and vinyl-wrapped steering column.
Under the hood is a standard 3.6-liter V6 motor that has plenty of power for towing up to 7,600 lbs with the right equipment. As an option, you can upgrade the motor to a 3.0-liter diesel V6, producing 260 hp.
With the Jeep Gladiator’s excellent predicted reliability rating, it boosts the Jeep brand up seven spots on the Consumer Reports brand reliability list. If the other models in the brand could improve several points, we could see Jeep higher up the list in the future.
