Ford Ranger v Jeep Gladiator 2021 Comparison

The 4x4 ute category can’t be pinned down to an exact size and type, with everything from the commercial van-based, all-wheel drive 2021 Volkswagen Transporter T6.1 cab-chassis to the 2021 RAM 2500 full-size pick-up truck ‘competing’ in this class.

Yet the most popular sellers and most common available are the (theoretically) ‘one-tonne’ payload, (mostly) Thai-built 4WD dual-range utes such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, and it is within this loose definition that we find these two high-end utes.

The 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor needs no introduction. It has been the Australian-developed T6 Ranger series’ stand-out party trick since its arrival two years ago. Ford took the sports ute concept and took a sharp left turn at ‘off-road racing’.

So forget any tarmac-oriented, tied-down suspension or high-kilowatt engine – it has the same 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel available elsewhere in the range – the Raptor is all about being able to eat up rough ground like it was not there.

When a vehicle is named ‘Gladiator’, you know it’s not going to be some sweet little shopping hatch.

Sure enough, this 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon – which landed here in mid-2020 – is an all-new, open-tray extension of the bold, retro military-style Jeep Wrangler theme.

While it looks very different to the Raptor, the Rubicon’s mission statement is very similar – a luxury sports ute built for off-road expeditions.

These two flagship utes are similarly priced – $77,690 plus on-road costs for the 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor, and $76,450 plus ORCs for the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.

Both have part-time, dual-range four-wheel drive systems and a locking rear differential (also locking front diff for Gladiator), Fox dampers (coil-overs on the Raptor), all-terrain tyres (light truck-rated on the Jeep), keyless entry and start, leather seats (heated front) and LED auto-on headlights.

The Ford has a “Terrain Management System”, with six traction/driving modes – Normal, Sport, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Sand, Rock and Baja. The Jeep has just one ‘Off-Road +’ mode, which basically alters power delivery, gearshift points and disengages the electronic stability and traction control to allow more wheelspin (and, ultimately, momentum) in terrain such as mud and sand.

Over the Raptor, the Rubicon scores active cruise control (ACC), a heated steering wheel, tyre pressure alert and front sway bar disconnect. None of these are available on the Ford.

While lacking the Jeep’s (optional) heated tiller or its novelty of being able to remove the door/roof panels for open-air motoring are hardly deal-breakers, the Ford’s lack of ACC is a notable omission at this price point.

While the Ranger Raptor on test was a standard model, the Rubicon test vehicle had the $3835 Lifestyle Adventure Package that brings a roll-up tonneau cover, spray-in bedliner, lockable rear under-seat storage bin, wireless Bluetooth speaker, 700-amp battery and auxiliary switch bank. It was also fitted with the $2535 Luxury Package, which includes leather upholstery, heated front seats, heated steering wheel and body-colour fender flares.

It also had Gator paint ($1035), body-coloured hard-top ($1950), black alloy wheels ($975) and steel front bumper ($1625), boosting the final price to $88,405. Add about $2000 for the fitted tow pack and Redarc electric brake controller, as well as the on-road costs, and you’re well into $90K territory for this American ute.

The Jeep Gladiator is backed by a five-year/100,000km warranty, with lifetime roadside assist when serviced with Jeep. Servicing intervals are 12 months/12,000km, with service costs capped at $399 annually for the first five years.

The Ford Ranger has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, servicing is due every 12 months or 15,000km and prices are capped at $299 per service for the first four years, but rises to $390 for the fifth service.

While 114mm longer than the Raptor overall, the Rubicon has a slightly shorter and narrower tray. Around one-tonne load carrying and 3500kg trailer towing capacity is typical for this class, but not so here.

The Ford has a 748kg payload, the Jeep 620kg. The Ford can tow up to 2500kg, while the Jeep has a 2721kg maximum towing capacity.

At least their trays are easy to access, have suitable tie-downs and both have very light tailgate operation.

Both the 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor and 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon enjoy safety tech such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), the usual suite of mandated traction/stability controls plus trailer sway control, rollover mitigation and hill start assist

Both are equipped with a camera and parking sensors at the rear, while the Jeep also has front parking sensors and front camera (which even has a wash system to keep the lens clean).

It’s incredible that you need to mention it, but both also have rear disc brakes, showing their ‘performance’ intent in a class where rear drums is the norm.

While only the Ford has load adaptive control and lane departure warning, the Jeep’s safety suite includes blind spot monitoring and rear cross path detection, both of which aren’t on the Raptor.

When it comes to the crunch though, the Ford has a superior ANCAP safety rating of five stars over the Jeep’s three stars, although there’s five years’ difference between the testing – the Ranger was assessed in 2015, and the Gladiator in 2020 (under a tougher testing regime).

Both these utes have a large centre colour infotainment screen (8.0-inch in the Ford, 8.4-inch in the Jeep) with native sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio and, of course, Bluetooth phone and streaming facility.

The infotainment systems are both easy to use and have logical menus; the Jeep’s has larger touch-screen buttons and seems a little easier to navigate on the move. It also benefits from a larger, clearer digital information display in the centre of the instrument cluster.

Audio is a subjective thing, but the nine-speaker Jeep system does seem to offer next-level sound quality over the six-speaker set-up in the Ford.

Both have very good rear-view cameras (and front-view for the Jeep). With the Jeep’s massive 13.6-metre turning circle, you’ll appreciate the cameras just as much in the city as the bush.

If the phrase ‘there’s no replacement for displacement’ were true, the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon should win here, with its 209kW naturally-aspirated V6 displacing 3.6 litres over the 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor’s 157kW bi-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder.

Yet the ‘tell’ for how these two compare in real-world useable performance is not only the Raptor’s far superior 500Nm of torque, against the Jeep’s 347Nm, but where that torque is developed.

The Raptor’s torque peak is at just 1750-2000rpm – no surprises there, for a turbo-diesel – but the Rubicon’s atmo petrol V6’s torque peak comes in way up the rev range, at 4100rpm.

This results in the Jeep needing to kick down a gear (or even two) to maintain speed on the highway. The Ford just feels more relaxed, needing fewer downshifts less often, as it can usually rely on its low-rpm torque.

Both the 10-speed and eight-speed autos in the Ford and Jeep respectively are very smooth-shifting transmissions. The Raptor won’t hold gears to redline (instead upshifting at about 4000rpm), while the Rubicon will spin to 6500rpm at the redline. Neither will doggedly hold gears in respective manual modes; upshift will still occur.

The Ford is slightly quicker than the Jeep in straight-line acceleration. Although neither is what you’d call sluggish, if outright acceleration is what you’re after, then there are better ute options than this pair. A Volkswagen Amarok V6 or RAM 1500 5.7 V8 would leave these two in their wake.

Off-road performance is very good for both vehicles, although in tricky situations where you need lots of momentum, the Jeep’s lack of low-down torque means it needs to be in the right gear to reach the revs it needs to punch out the kilowatts.

Both have excellent low-range reduction for slow work, but for open-road driving it would be nice if they offered full-time 4WD for not only better traction in the wet but also those transport stages that vary between paved roads and slippery dirt.

In mostly open-road touring conditions, the Raptor achieved 9.5L/100km against the Rubicon’s 12.0L/100km. While our off-road foray was relatively short, the fuel average in the Jeep climbed quickly compared with the Raptor.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is a curious blend of old-school style and modern comfort and convenience.

There’s space to spare in the upright, box-shaped interior and it’s comfortable to sit in. Some will, however, notice the narrow driver’s footwell, and lack of a driver’s footrest.

The 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor feels far more like a passenger car to sit in. It’s quieter and more refined too, while the heavily bolstered front seats are more supportive.

On the road, the Rubicon feels much more like a traditional off-roader than the Raptor. Steering is much more vague on-centre, and the whirring from the light truck tyres is ever-present.

Yet when tarmac turns to dirt, the Rubicon is far better than you’d think. With its long wheelbase and high-end suspension, it does not skip around like most live-axle 4x4 off-roaders and tyre grip is good on slippery dirt.

All this allows far more relaxed and quicker point-to-point times than you’d expect from this set-up.

Yet jump into the Raptor and the Rubicon begins to feel a little flat-footed. There’s almost none of the side-to-side pitching that the Rubicon displays, and the Raptor’s firm suspension somehow also manages to soak up big dips, potholes and corrugations taken at speed without fuss.

The reluctance of the live rear axle to skip over corrugations even makes you want to peer underneath to confirm it is not an independent set-up.

Diving down some bush tracks in low-range, the Raptor feels a little more nimble. While it seems slightly easier to pick a line over the Jeep’s upright screen and short bonnet, the Rubicon’s much more lanky wheelbase means that it has a bigger cut-in on tight turns, U-turns on tight tracks can be more difficult and ramp-over angle is compromised.

Yet the combination of tough, more open-tread all-terrain tyres, diff locks front and rear and a disengaging front sway bar sees the Rubicon (literally) crawl ahead of the Raptor in some off-road situations.

The 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is an off-road weapon right out of the box, has all the luxury and convenience features you’d want in a ute and has all the design cues to make it stand out in a sea of conformity.

Yet it lacks the all-round useable performance, civility, dynamics and five-star safety rating that make the 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor the winner of this comparison.

How much does the 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor cost?
Price: $77,690 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel
Output: 157kW/500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.2L/100km (ADR Combined), 9.5L/100km (on test)
CO2: 212g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)

How much does the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon cost?
Price: $76,450 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.6-litre V6 petrol
Output: 209kW/347Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 12.4L/100km (ADR Combined), 12.0L/100km (on test)
CO2: 288g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Three-star (ANCAP 2020)