Jeep Gladiator vs Ram 1500: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Ram 1500 burns about $2,650 of fuel annually against $3,250 for the Jeep Gladiator. That $600 yearly gap compounds to roughly $3,000 over five years and $4,800 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Ram 1500 leads in both cycles — 23 mpg city and 33 mpg highway against 22 and 28 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Jeep Gladiator is recorded with 2 distinct engine configurations (3.6, 3.0), the Ram 1500 with 4 (Mild Hybrid, SIDI, 5.7). Across 17 recorded Jeep Gladiator configurations and 142 for the Ram 1500, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Jeep Gladiator is offered with 4-Wheel Drive, the Ram 1500 with 4-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD and Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Ram 1500 emits 384 g/mile of CO2 versus 423 g/mile for the Jeep Gladiator. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.