2023 Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel Makes Its Case

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator Overland Diesel isn’t as fast as a gas car. Not available in manual transmission or full-time transfer cases. The diesel model also weighs him 500 pounds heavier and has a lower maximum towing rating than his petrol-powered Sport S Max Tow. His Italian-made 3.0-liter diesel V-6 is louder than the 3.6-liter petrol engine, both at idle and at 70 mph. It also adds a total of $4650 to the sticker price, and as of this writing, on average he will need fuel that costs him an additional $1.38 per gallon. Oh, and there’s diesel exhaust fluid to think about. Because when you run out of it, you can get stuck. Anyway, let me explain why you should want it.

First of all, you will be unique. Most gladiators aren’t diesel for the reasons attentive readers have gleaned from the paragraph above. Ford ditched his 3.0-liter Powerstroke for his F-150, Ram ditched the diesel option from the 1500, and General Motors ousted his 2.8-liter Duramax for Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon for his 2018 Did. Redesigned for 2023. This leaves Gladiator and GM’s 0.5-ton truck, powered by his awesome 3.0-liter straight-six engine, as the sole keeper of the oil-burning flame. At least another year, anyway.

If you’re a business owner, the Gladiator Diesel will give you a boost thanks to its heavy-duty axles that exceed the 6000-pound threshold that the IRS thinks real work trucks live on. Of course, the same goes for the petrol-powered Rubicon, Mojave and Sport S Max Toe models, but the diesel’s beefy Dana 44 brings benefits beyond bragging rights. I’m just pointing out that it’s possible. Speak with a CPA (Giant Pumpkin Assessor) to see if any apply to you. I hardly know how to use TurboTax.

But speaking of turbos, the Gladiator’s 3.0-liter V-6 has turbos and 442 lb-ft of torque from 1400-2800 rpm. Meanwhile, a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter petrol V-6 makes just 260 lb-ft at a relatively stratospheric 4400 rpm. Looking at the test results, the engines appear to be evenly matched, with the Gas Gladiator scoring slightly faster times in most of the competition. But the difference is in how you get there. The Diesel Gladiator Overland apparently without even trying he accelerates to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds. The Gus Gladiator Overland allows him to hit 60 mph in 7.2 seconds, but that requires him to hit the 6,400 rpm horsepower peak many times, an exercise that feels decidedly sadistic. Diesel, at 87 mph he passes the 1 mile in 15.6 seconds and in 4 minutes he does. It’s also a bit behind the gas model, but it doesn’t feel like you’re trying to ride a very angry mule down the backstretch of the Breeders’ Cup.

A diesel is a $4,150 option, available in most trims and paired with the 8HP75 heavy-duty transmission more commonly found behind the V-8. The 8HP75 is built by his ZF in Germany and before 2023 Jeep added the $2000 surcharge that Jeep applied to his 850RE made in the USA paired with his 3.6 liter. It was a sneaky bargain. However, in 2023, the 8HP75 transmission will cost him $2,500, and his total diesel spending will be $4,650. Diesel isn’t available on the base Sport or Mojave, but it’s available on all other trims, including the top-of-the-line High Altitude model.

And on the topic of high altitudes, thanks to forced induction, the Gladiator diesel has another advantage over the gas model. At sea level, the 3.6-litre dominates in horsepower (285 versus the 3.0’s 260), but driving to Crested Butte is a different story. Mountain folk like preppers, off-grid hippies, overlanders, fugitives and hermits will want a diesel.

Another reason is that the diesel has a longer range despite having a smaller fuel tank. The EPA rates it at 19 mpg with the gas-powered automatic overland and 24 mpg with the diesel (28 mpg on the highway). The difference proved to be even more extreme, with 14 mpg on gas and 23 mpg on diesel observed in the Overland. Diesel His 75 mph highway fuel economy result for the Gladiator also put him at an impressive 27 mpg, 6 better than the Gasser. These figures reinforce the subjective representation that the petrol engine is working hard in its day-to-day duties while the diesel is relaxed and happy in its role as a truck engine. It also means that oil-fired gladiators will have to recoup their initial costs over time, despite the current price differential between unleaded gasoline and diesel. And gradually over 100,000 miles, I mean really gradually, but with the petrol/diesel price relationship going back to where he was a year ago, the Gladiator’s diesel powertrain is going to keep him below 60,000 miles. Will pay for itself in DEF twigs). Or even fewer miles if you’re towing frequently. Plus, you can spend your spark plug budget on a lift kit and big tires. These tires are necessary for Overland to visually offset Wiener Dog his proportions.

Well, the Gladiator Diesel is noisier at idle and at cruising speed, but it’s much quieter at full throttle, from 72 decibels to 77 decibels. And the sound it makes is cool, if you appreciate the resolute rattle of the compression ignition and turbocharger rattle that work in tandem with the fuel injection system pressurized to 29,000 psi. It’s the aural signature of a truck you hear before you see it, like a St. Bernard with a barrel around his neck emerging from a snowstorm carrying tow straps and a spare can of fuel.

If you hate that sound, the Gladiator Diesel probably isn’t for you. After all, this is a convertible body-on-frame pickup truck with stout axles and removable doors. It’s a business casual caveman with upscale Overland trim. It’s a freak, a collector’s item, the kind of pet project you’d expect Jeep to roll out at your Easter Jeep Safari and then forget about. Diesel may not be the engine most people get, but it’s the one every Gladiator should have.