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The Gladiator has a sense of adventure<br />
to its layout<br />
tasked with 2,332kg of Raptor. The massive<br />
BF Goodrich rubber does not help, either,<br />
and is a genuine liability under brakes, with<br />
the Ford taking a truly appalling 46.16m<br />
to stop from 100km/h in the dry and a<br />
diabolical 61.45m in the wet.<br />
Yet, it’s not the worst. The Gladiator<br />
Rubicon, wearing the same rubber as<br />
the Ranger Raptor, takes a slightly better<br />
(damning with faint praise) 44.2m to stop<br />
in the dry but a whopping 66m in the wet.<br />
It seems to sail across the surface like it<br />
is coated in Teflon, accompanied by the<br />
furious yet fruitless attempts of the ABS<br />
to find grip.<br />
Of course, tyres make a huge difference<br />
in these sort of tests and this is the price<br />
to be paid for off-road prowess. That in<br />
itself is fine, as long as buyers and drivers<br />
understand the level of compromise that<br />
this focused rubber requires. Put it this way:<br />
at the point at which the BT-50 Thunder<br />
has stopped in the wet, the Gladiator is still<br />
traveling 44.8km/h.<br />
The Jeep is somewhat more alarming<br />
as it is capable of genuine pace, the grunty<br />
209kW/347Nm 3.6-litre V6 propelling it<br />
to 100km/h in 9.18 seconds and from<br />
60–100km/h in 5.2 seconds, accompanied<br />
by a howl that is not a million miles away<br />
from a Nissan 370Z.<br />
Its heavy off-road focus costs it<br />
dynamically – there’s a reason no sports<br />
cars use solid axles at both ends – with<br />
lifeless steering, ponderous handling and a<br />
loose, top-heavy feeling through tight turns.<br />
The on-road ride is poor, but switch<br />
to gravel and the situation improves; the<br />
Gladiator shrugging off road imperfections<br />
and the electronic speed controller (ESC)<br />
keeping everything pointed in the right<br />
direction.<br />
A predilection towards the rough stuff<br />
does not automatically mean sacrificing<br />
on-road manners, though.<br />
Ford’s flagship Raptor is head and<br />
shoulders above the rest dynamically. Its<br />
substantial weight and all-terrain tyres cost<br />
it in terms of outright handling, but its tuning<br />
instils a sense of confidence combined with<br />
truly plush ride quality.<br />
The HiLux is a strong performer, its<br />
upgraded 150kW/500Nm engine feeling<br />
enthusiastically grunty. Granted, 0–100km/h<br />
in 10.7 seconds is not going to set too many<br />
hearts racing.<br />
But, with competitive overtaking<br />
acceleration (60–100km/h in 5.8 seconds),<br />
it feels stronger than the numbers suggest.<br />
It struggles to arrest itself as impressively,<br />
though; its 39.7m dry effort from 100km/h is<br />
okay but the 57.5m wet result is poor.<br />
OFF-ROAD RIDE<br />
Previous versions of Toyota’s best-selling<br />
ute have seemed incapable of possessing<br />
both decent dynamics and a comfy ride, but<br />
the recent facelift’s steering modifications<br />
make it quite a nimble handler, cornering<br />
with accuracy and control. You could almost<br />
call it fun.<br />
Away from smooth roads, however, the<br />
stiff suspension results in a jittery ride that<br />
feels agricultural compared to the far more<br />
sophisticated Raptor. Road and tyre noise<br />
are also ever-present and the ESC is far<br />
too intrusive on loose surfaces. There are<br />
dual-cabs with worse ride and refinement<br />
issues, but none that command the elevated<br />
price tag of the HiLux.<br />
The script flips completely off-road. No<br />
vehicle is more of a candidate for larger<br />
tyres than the Rugged X, but that is its only<br />
letdown off-road. The HiLux traction control<br />
is first class, pulling it through everything,<br />
even on small highway tyres, and 4x4<br />
activation was quick and easy with excellent<br />
low-range gearing.<br />
But even the Toyota’s excellence is no<br />
match for the Jeep. In terms of pure off-road<br />
prowess, you would be hard-pressed<br />
to find a more capable vehicle than the<br />
Gladiator Rubicon. Front and rear locking<br />
differentials, tremendous low-range gearing,<br />
a disconnecting front anti-roll bar and mud<br />
terrain tyres are a recipe for success. The<br />
Gladiator is a bit long for some tight tracks,<br />
but it never appears to even lose traction.<br />
Engaging 4x4 is simple via an old-school<br />
lever and the Jeep is only some larger tyres<br />
and a slight suspension lift away from being<br />
completely unstoppable off-road.<br />
Undermining the Raptor’s off-road ability<br />
is its width. This not only hampers it on<br />
narrow tracks but it means it will not sit in<br />
the wheel ruts of other vehicles.<br />
Apart from this, it makes a strong<br />
case, with easy 4x4 engagement, various<br />
traction control modes to play with, those<br />
fantastic seats and great traction thanks<br />
to those chunky tyres. While it is not as<br />
outright capable as the Jeep, it is still very<br />
accomplished and an absolute hoot to drive,<br />
eating washouts for breakfast.<br />
Mazda has pitched the Thunder more<br />
as a weekender than a hardcore off-roader<br />
but its D-Max underpinnings mean it is still<br />
capable. The traction control cannot match<br />
the HiLux but the rear diff lock gets you out<br />
of trouble and the engine produces plenty of<br />
torque down low. Only the firm suspension<br />
offers room for improvement – something<br />
easily fixed via the aftermarket.<br />
Top: The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon rides better off- than<br />
on-road<br />
Below: The Ford Ranger Raptor’s stopping distances are<br />
a letdown<br />
88 <strong>ATN</strong> July 2021 FULLYLOADED.COM.AU
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