It was one of the coolest pickup trucks ever made – Jeep’s 1971 J-10 and J-20, with flared front and boxy rear fenders, and a square-jawed face that dared you to find a sand dune.

And just as the current Gladiator is based off the Wrangler, the J-10/J-20 was based off another Jeep, namely the big Grand Cherokee SUV. It carried names like Honcho, and Golden Eagle.

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Now there’s the Gladiator, Jeep’s first pickup since the Cherokee-based Comanche of 1986 to 1992. Among the available trims are names like Rubicon and Mojave. The one with the most history is what we have: the Willys.

Willys-Overland was one of three companies that developed the first Jeep for World War II and then trademarked the “Jeep” name post-war to market the civilian version. Fast forward to late 2025, rolling to the front line in Anvil Gray paint comes EV Rider’s Jeep Gladiator Willys Edition. “Willys” is done in flat black on rounded bonnet sides.

So far Jeep has sold just over 42,000 Gladiators in 2024, and 38,000 more sold through September of 2025. That compares to 151,000 Wranglers sold in 2024, and 128,000 sold as of September of this year. The Gladiator has three classic Wrangler attributes: a folding windshield, removable roof choices and removable doors. It’s also a classic Wrangler with a 19.4-inch wheelbase stretched to become a 219-inch 4-door pickup, with steel pickup bed and aluminum body.

The Gladiator debuted in 2020, but got some changes for 2025, most notably a black 7-slot grille and slightly rounded nose between bright LED headlights with Daytime Running Light (DRL) halos. The new grille is a bit slimmer in height. Slim turn signals live on plastic front fender leading edges. The freestanding bumper has LED fog lights integrated into its design, plus black tow hooks and a brush guard under the front bumper. There’s fake vents aft of the front fenders, with “Trail Rated” badges. Under black plastic trim are deep-treaded 17-inch Firestone Destination off-road tires on forked 5-spoke alloy wheels. It’s has traditional hood clamps, plus more to clip the nearly flat windshield down – after removing four bolts on the frame.

Like the regular Wrangler, there’s a boxy roofline with lightweight T-tops over front seats that unclip quickly. But they look a bit rough inside with black rubber inserts as half-headlining framed by a textured painted white. Slab-sided aluminum doors come off after a Torx bit kit undoes those exposed hinges. The kit works on the windshield as well as composite rear roof. That leaves you gazing at the sky through the roll cage; its center bar houses stereo speakers and LED interior lights. The rest of the top is just heavy enough that it needs a few folks to carry and it has to be left at home.

On the sills down below, beefy steel done in black lives atop 11.6-inches of ground clearance. The 5-foot cargo bed gets a vinyl cover under an opening rear center window – manual, not power. The rear bumper is another massive metal piece with plastic covering and inset reflectors. There’s a spare tire below the bed, while square LED taillights live proudly on a 33.9-inch-deep/56.8-inch-wide bed with more tow hooks atop the bumper.

I still love the longer, leaner Gladiator’s looks four years after its intro. The wheelbase stretch and long bed gives it balance and a tough look.

Flat side doors have fabric straps to keep them from blowing open too far, since there’s only basic exterior hinges  Grab handles help you climb over the sill lips and into 2-tone gray cloth seats which have almost denim-like bolsters and some contrasting stitching. They are flat but comfortable, with manual adjustment and heat up front.

The dark gray dashtop is hard plastic, lighter cloth in front of the passenger and left side of the steering wheel. The passenger gets a grab handle. In case you get your boots dirty, there are rubber mats underfoot. A classic Willys Jeep silhouette climbs the passenger corner of the flat windshield.

A chunky leather-rimmed steering wheel that manually tilts and telescopes is great to grab with stereo controls behind it. The analog gauge package is purposeful on a basically flat dashboard. There’s an analog 120-mph speedometer and 7,000-rpm (6,500-rpm redline) tach. In between, a 7-inch display with audio, navigation, fuel economy, tire pressure, tire-fill alert, digital speed readout and adaptive cruise status. You can also call up a pitch and roll, or four-wheel-drive/locked center and rear differential status.

As classic as those are, change has occurred center stage on the flat dash. There’s a 12.4-inch-wide center screen with map, Alpine HD audio, front and rear camera displays, climate control and multiple apps screens, plus wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Wi-Fi and more. Despite having “HD” audio there is no HD radio tuner. Instead, you’ll have to settle for analog radio without the additional channels and refined sound quality that HD Radio provides. We do have a “Hey Jeep” voice command for audio and other needs.

You can access Off Road pages with bigger off-road displays, engine gauges and more. Folks with gloved hands can rejoice. There are rubberized volume, tune and fan speed knobs, with big buttons for traction and hill descent controls and more. Under those, there are vertically-placed power window controls that are awkward to use, plus a 12-volt outlet and USB ports. Then lower you’ll find the rear axle lock button, OFF-ROAD+ mode that adjusts throttle, transmission and stability control when in 4WD high or low range, and buttons to control aftermarket goodies like lights.

Added wheelbase means more interior length. Despite a somewhat tight rear door opening for tall folks, the bench seat offers comfortable leg room for two adults, with storage bins under flip-up bottoms. There are a/c vents, while an Alpine Bluetooth speaker is behind a fold-down seatback. It slots into a charging rack.

The pickup bed is a bit shallow with a high load lift-over. But at 35.5-cu.ft., with a lightweight aluminum tailgate, 110-volt outlet, tie-downs and LED lights under a soft cover, it is useful. It has 1,450 lbs. of cargo ability, plus up to 7,700-lbs. of towing ability.

The first Willys Jeep had an L134/Go Devil inline-4 with 60 hp, which was fine for hauling Gen. Patton around. This Willys has a 3.6-liter V-6 with 285 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, plus a stop-start system that was evident when it reawakened as I left a stop. The 8-speed automatic helped get the most out of the beast, albeit with a growly grumble under acceleration. 

The V-6 didn’t have enough power to get any wheelspin in a straight-line launch, but 10,000-mile-old Gladiator battled to 60 mph in RWD in a quick enough 7.4 seconds. The 8-speed transmission cleanly if carefully upshifts, with leisurely kickdown when passing was demanded

Passing was achieved fairly quickly, although this pickup’s 4,982 pounds and blocky aerodynamics means it has to work a bit to get there. At 70 mph, there’s wind noise around the plastic roof and side mirrors, plus tire rumble – hey, it’s a Jeep! We did a fair amount of highway driving and managed 19 mpg. For comparison, another 2025 Gladiator we tested a year ago launched to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds in rear-wheel-drive only, and 8 seconds flat in 4-wheel-drive high – it averaged 18 mpg..

The Gladiator’s steel frame and alloy body has classic solid axles front and rear, aided by a five-link coil front suspension. With that longer wheelbase, the ride was less bouncy, swallowing speed bumps and supple over potholes at neighborhood speed, with little of the hobby-horsing of a shorter Wrangler. It was comfier on commutes, other than a bit of bounce over some pavement gaps and tar strips.

We had the Command-Trac 4×4 system with two-speed transfer case, 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio, all/rear-axle locker, heavy-duty Dana 44 front and rear axles with a 4.10 rear axle ratio, skid plates and electronic sway bar disconnect on top of those off-road tires. It can wade through up to 30 inches of water with a 43.6-degree approach angle, 20.3-degree breakover and a 26-degree departure angle.

It took a tug to pull the transfer lever into 4-wheel-drive. Then we pulled it again into low as we aimed at very soft sand. The Gladiator plowed through with no effort. Power steering was fairly direct, easily breaking us out of ruts. The longer wheelbase and suspension absorbed those bumps nicely. The fairly narrow width, and knowledge that the four corners are plastic fenders, allowed me not to worry about scratches. It still has a tight turning radius. The off-road display showed us getting 11-degrees of downward pitch coming off a sand dune, and a 4-degree sideways roll. But the longer rear overhang meant its rump did dust some stuff at the base of dunes.

One other display was the GPS Trail Log, which is a digital bread crumb system that tracks your off-road drive, records it, and can be played back to get yourself un-lost.

As for daily running, the Gladiator (in RWD) was pretty neutral in basic cornering, with body roll that you felt a bit due to the high seating position. Push harder in a tighter corner and you could feel the front rubber — and its tread blocks — hiss a bit, but it was catchable. What surprised me was how well it hung on when driven around our skidpad in 4-wheel-drive high, other than some easy-to-handle understeer. But easily hang on in the wet with no understeer. Using those off-road pitch and roll meters, we saw the Gladiator take a 16-degree tilt on our asphalt skidpad.

The power steering had a slightly vague steering feel; with a hint of dead spot on center, meaning some minute course corrections on the street and highway. The disc brakes had a decent pedal feel and stopped the Jeep well with nose dive at full halt, and no apparent fade after repeated hard use. For safety, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross path detection and adaptive cruise control that maintained speed and distance to stop.

Our Jeep Gladiator Willys starts at $38,100 – options included $7,100 Customer Preferred package with Tru-Lok rear axle, 17-inch wheels and special suspension, LED headlights and more; $2,095 bed cover and 115-volt outlet; $3,690 hardtop/soft top; and a few more for a final $58,475.

Bottom line: A longer, leaner but still real Jeep that more comfortably holds people and stuff, still giving serious off-road ability with a smoother ride – still like the look, even if it is a bit classic.

2025 Jeep Gladiator Willys 4×4 Specifications

Vehicle type – 5-passenger four-wheel-drive sports utility pickup truck
Base price $38,100 ($58,475)
Engine type – DOHC 24-valve aluminum block V-6
Displacement – 3.6-liter
Horsepower (net) – 285 @ 6,400-rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 260 @ 4,800 rpm
Transmission – 8-speed automatic transmission
Wheelbase – 137.3 inches
Overall length – 218 inches
Overall width – 73.8 inches
Height – 74.1 inches
Front headroom – 42.8 inches
Front legroom – 41.2 inches
Rear headroom – 40.8 inches
Rear legroom – 38.3 inches
Cargo capacity – 35.5 cu.-ft in 5.025-ft. bed
Towing capacity – up to 7,650 lbs.
Curb weight – 4,974-lbs.
Fuel capacity – 22 gallons
Mileage rating – 17-mpg city/22-mpg highway

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It’s always fun to see what EVs attract the most viewers so we’ll end the year with a roundup of the Top 10 videos produced this year on EV Rider, based on viewership. 

Number 10: Kia EV6

Coming in at number ten, Kia enthusiasts were obviously excited that the EV6 was getting a mid-cycle refresh for the 2025 model year.  

Among the improvements: A jump in range to more than 330 miles per charge for the rear-wheel drive version and a new front end that includes daytime running lights and an LED light bar. 

Number 9: Model 3

Tesla’s Model 3 also got a mild-overhaul, which generated lots of interest as the ninth most watched video. Commonly referred to as the Highland edition, the latest Model 3 includes an upgraded interior, quieter cabin, and revised exterior styling. 

Number 8: Karma Kaveya & Gyesera

Karma is finally showing off new EVs after being reincarnated from the ashes of the first Fisker car company to go out of business. EV Rider was possibly the first media outlet to post video of the unveiling of the Kaveya and Gyesera EVs at the 2024 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, along with design summaries from former GM design chief Ed Welburn and Karma President Marques McCammon. Neither car has made it onto the production line yet. 

Number 7: Eli Zero Micro EV

Coming in at number 7, EV Rider viewers were obviously excited about the possibility of a $12,000 micro EV called the Eli Zero. When we interviewed  U.S. head of operations James Seargent  II, he predicted this tiny EV that’s meant for neighborhoods, urban cores and campuses would be on sale in the U.S. by the end of 2024. 

Although the Eli is on sale overseas, so far there’s no indication that the Zero will make it to American shores as soon as originally forecast. 

Number 6: Vinfast VF8

 A new entry that has made it to the U.S. is coming on strong if EV Rider video views are any indication of interest. The Vinfast VF8 road test that debuted several weeks ago is quickly climbing the viewership ladder. 

And why not? The car company from Vietnam could well end up being the next Kia when it comes to success stories. Formed in 2017, Vinfast already has a full model line-up, including the VF8 SUV EV. 

It appears Vinfast also appeals to high-tech viewers. The 3D spatial version of the VF8 road test was the number one EV Rider video for immersive virtual reality headsets like Meta Quests and Apple Vision Pros. 

Number 5: MINI Countryman All4 EV

MINI fans have something to cheer about with the arrival of the all-new Countryman ALL4 EV. It’s a huge step forward over the last-gen Cooper SE EV and given Americans tend to like bigger vehicles, it’s likely to sell better than MINI’s last EV to be imported to the U.S. 

Number 4: Fisker Ocean

Coming in at number four is an EV manufacturer that flamed out in 2024 after appearing to have a bright future in 2023. 

The second incarnation of Fisker declared bankruptcy in 2024, but not before delivering thousands of Oceans that thrilled many owners before the bad news hit. It’s a shame. Fisker’s Ocean was a nicely styled entry. 

Number 3: 2025 Zero Motorcycles Lineup

EV Rider’s motorcycling audience paid a lot of attention to Zero Motorcycle’s expanded 2025 lineup. The California-based company debuted two new models in the low end of the market: the XB and XE. Both are lightweight, off-road dirt bikes, although they are street legal in some parts of the world.  

Zero also showed off it’s Neutrino concept, which could shake up the market currently dominated by Honda’s Grom. 

Number 2: 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe

The number two video produced in 2024 shows just how popular Jeep is despite stumbles by its parent company Stellantis this year. Our long-term road test of a 2021 Wrangler Rubicon 4xe plug-in hybrid was the most watched video produced during 2024. 

Number 1: Canoo

And the number one video with more than 40,000 video views at last check was EV startup Canoo’s first quarter earnings call. Canoo actually had two videos produced in 2024 hit the top 10, likely driven by investor interest.

Canoo has been burning through cash and still hasn’t managed to reach any sort of meaningful production numbers despite having a multi-billion dollar order book that includes high-profile customers like Walmart. 

At the time of this post Canoo had idled it’s Oklahoma factory and had furloughed more than 80 employees to conserve cash, saying it is “in talks with various capital sources.”  

In an effort to to get back into NASDAQ compliance and prop its stock price back up, it announced a 1-for-20 reverse stock split effective December 24. 

2025 will likely be the sink or swim year for Canoo. 

Happy New Year to all of you. Here’s hoping 2025 will be the best year yet. 

The post Top 10 EV Rider Videos Of 2024 appeared first on EV Rider.

This week on EV Rider we’ve got a long-term road test of the 2021 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe, which is Jeep’s first plug-in hybrid here in the U.S. The Jeep we’re profiling has more than 21,000 miles on it.

Unfortunately owner Jake Fuchs is currently dealing with a fairly serious recall situation due to the possibility of a battery fire being triggered while charging. “As far as I know, there’s been 9 instances of battery fires,” said Fuchs.

Jeep’s parent company Stellantis confirmed in November that it had documented eight vehicle fires. All the fires occurred when the Jeeps were parked and turned off, with six out of eight connected to chargers, according to Stellantis.

The recall affects 32,125 Wrangler 4xe PHEVs. Owners can check for updates on the recall by plugging their VIN number into this mopar.com webpage.

At the time of this post’s publishing Fuchs had not received a fix from Jeep yet. “They’re supposed to be issuing a software flash that you take it to the dealer for. They run the software flash on it and if it throws a specific error error code then they have to replace the the battery pack.”

In the meantime Jake is charging his 4xe outside, away from his house as a precaution. Jeep is advising owners not to charge the impacted vehicles at off and park them away from structures.

Despite the bad news about the recall he’s been generally happy with his 4xe, saying he choose it because he wanted an off-road capable convertible.

Other vehicles he mentioned in the category included the Hummer SUV EV and Ford Bronco. Fuchs decided against the Hummer because of its large size and cost. He wanted the feel of an EV, which ruled out the Bronco since it isn’t offered as an EV or PHEV.

Fuch’s Wrangler has the Sky One-Touch Power Top option, which will run you just under $4,000 on the 2024 model. A 2024 Rubicon X 4xe can be optioned to top $76,000.

Fuch’s 2021 has an EPA rated electric-only range of 21 miles per charge. That EV-only range estimate hasn’t changed with the 2024. Fuch says hes seeing roughly 20 miles of EV-only range per charge.

The 4xe uses a standard Wrangler’s 2.0-liter turbo I-4 turbo engine coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It has two electric motors and a 17.3-kWh battery under its rear seat.  That’s good for 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. 

Jeep claims a 0-60 time of just under seven seconds for its Wrangler 4xe. The 2024 Jeeps got a bit of a refresh and now come with a 12.3 inch infotainment display. 

With that brief overview as a setup be sure to watch this week’s episode at the top of this post for the full long-term review of Fuch’s 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited. If you enjoy the video please give it a like and subscribe to the EV Rider YouTube channel.

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