Even Natural Disasters Won't Stop a Diesel Jeep Gladiator

On April 15 & 16, two stories caught my attention, in part because they both involved the deep freeze disaster that occurred in Texas this winter. To describe the mid-February drop into single digits as unexpected is an understatement. The devastating consequences were unimaginable, until we learned the details in the aftermath. 

When the temperatures dropped, a series of events occurred. Electricity demand climbed at the same time as critical equipment to generate electricity failed. Gas production likewise was pinched as well and 4 million Texas homes lost power, which impacted 11 million people. In addition to the loss of more than 100 lives, the economic losses were somewhere between 80 and 130 million dollars.

It was against this backdrop of devastation that Derek Price's Cargazing column in the GazetteExtra came across like a breath of fresh air. The title of the piece was Go anywhere confidence: Jeep Gladiator pickup delivers even in disasters.

The story begins with the deep freeze. The author was unable to start his brand new diesel Jeep Gladiator 4x4. Like most Texans, Price was unprepared for what he called snowmageddon. Gelled fuel doesn't flow and as nice as the vehicle looked in the driveway, it wasn't of much use if he couldn't get it started. 

Fortunately he had a neighbor who had a few tricks up his sleeve. (He must have lived in Minnesota or Wisconsin at one time.) After warming up the engine block and adding a little anti-gel chemistry to the fuel, the Gladiator sprang to life "like magic." The Jeep was "ready to do the job it was built for: getting people anywhere they need to go, even when there aren't roads."

Price tells how Texas looked like Siberia, but even with no visible roads his Gladiator Rubicon took it all in stride. There were few cars on the roads, but his 4x4 went wherever he wanted to go in spite of the conditions. 

Another luxury he enjoyed was using a remote to power up, then watching the ice melt off the windshield. True, that's not a feature he will use much in Texas, but it's nice to know you have it when you need it, whatever part of the country you live in. 

His enthusiasm for the Jeep seems boundless as he describes the reassurance it gives you in all types of conditions. 'Hurricanes, floods, ice storms and tornadoes create conditions on the ground that require vehicles like this with ridiculously high ground clearance, four-wheel-drive grip, traction-control wizardry and tires that can claw their way through all kinds of muck.'

The Gladiator's tenacity is in part due to the stout diesel power plant that gives it its oomph. It generates 260 horsepower and 442 foot-pounds of torque. It "pulls like a tugboat" yet still gets great fuel efficiency: 28 mpg on the highway as opposed to 22 with a V-6 gasoline engine.

This year is the 80th anniversary of the Jeep, so the manufacturer has added berber floor mats, special badges and 18-inch wheels with a Crystal Granite finish. The author confides that although he has been a sports car type of car enthusiast all his life, this Gladiator has won his heart.

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You can read the full story here:
Go-anywhere confidence: Jeep Gladiator pickup delivers even In disasters

Here's the story from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas about the February weather fiasco.
Cost of Texas' 2021 Deep Freeze Justifies Weatherization

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