Is there a more perfectly American vehicle to pull up to a 4th of July fireworks show in than a Jeep? Having the keys to a Jeep Gladiator Willys for the holiday weekend felt incredibly fitting, especially with less than 3,000 miles on the dash.
This specific loaner showed up in Anvil Grey, which, in my opinion, is an absolutely gorgeous color. (I really wanted Anvil when I bought a ’17 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, but ended up with Rhino which was also cool.)
The Willys package always hits the sweet spot for styling, with the blacked-out wheels, a black grille and exterior accents. It completely transforms the stance and makes the Gladiator look significantly more expensive than its actual sticker price.
Step inside, and you’re met with the standard “new” Wrangler and Gladiator interior—which is to say, it’s remarkably nice. Jeep has completely elevated the cabin with modern touches, most notably that massive new 12.3-inch horizontal touchscreen dominating the dash. It feels premium, quick, and lightyears ahead of the older generations (and it handles Apple CarPlay flawlessly).
But the absolute best part of the interior design? Jeep didn’t jump on the trend of burying every single function inside a digital menu. Unlike so many other modern vehicles where you have to tap a screen three times just to turn down the AC or adjust your heated seats, the Gladiator is still packed with hands-on, physical buttons. From the chunky climate control dials and center-mounted window switches to the dedicated off-road toggles and the beefy manual transfer case shifter, you have immediate control over the vehicle.
From a practical, daily-driving perspective, you immediately notice the length. Parking requires that typical wide-swinging pickup truck math, but that’s exactly what you sign up for when you want a bed on the back. What really surprised me, though, was the ride quality. I fully expected an unweighted Jeep truck to have a light, jumpy back end over bumps, but the suspension felt remarkably planted and composed, even when the bed was completely empty. It handled the highway runs and local errands with ease and was a pleasure to drive.
You can’t have a Willys sitting in the driveway and not take it off the pavement. I took it out into the wild at the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area to see how it handled the local terrain. While South Florida woods don’t offer extreme rock-crawling or any true off-roading, Corbett provides plenty of mud to play in. The Gladiator ate it all up effortlessly. It was genuinely enjoyable to wheel through the trails, and it felt just as sure-footed cruising back home on the pavement in the rain.
After a week of driving it, my takeaway is this: The Gladiator is built for the person who loves the Jeep lifestyle but absolutely needs a bed. If you want the iconic styling, the off-road capability, and a place to toss muddy gear, wet dogs, or oversized shop supplies, it is an absolute no-brainer. For those who want that unmistakable Jeep freedom with the added utility of a tailgate, the Gladiator Willys completely delivers.
