In case you haven't noticed, the Jeep Gladiator is not exactly cheap. Buyers don't seem to care too much given the reported average price is around $56,000, nearly double the $33,545 starting MSRP. That's also $5,500 more expensive than the base Wrangler. But these figures relate to actually purchasing the truck, not leasing one. Could leasing be a better deal? Possibly, yes.
CarsDirect completed a Gladiator pricing analysis and the results were quite interesting. Turns out that thanks to favorable residual values, leasing a Gladiator can be up to $75 less per month over a Wrangler Unlimited. Kind of strange, right? Yes, and here's an example from an offer in California: A 2020 Gladiator Sport is being advertised at $245 per month for 36 months with $4,259 due at signing and an annual allowance of 10,000 miles per year.
With an MSRP of $37,070, that comes to an effective cost of $363 per month. Okay, so how does this compare to the Wrangler? Well, take this Wrangler Unlimited Sport with an MSRP of $36,235 as an example. It's being listed at $269 per month for 36 months with $4,389 required upfront. This comes to $391 per month – an effective cost that's $28 more than the Gladiator. Its gets even weirder regarding the two-door Wrangler.
The entry-level Wrangler Sport has an MSRP of $31,540 but Jeep is advertising a lease price of $327 per month for 36 months with $3,999 required at signing. That's an effective cost of $438 per month - $75 more than the Gladiator. Why is this?
Because, as mentioned above, residual values. Dealer leasing guides show the Gladiator's residual value has an 18 percent advantage in 36-month leases compared to base trims. Lastly, it's also important for any potential Gladiator and Wrangler customers to know this: although less expensive Gladiator trims are in very short supply (good luck finding one for less than $40k), Jeep is offering some great Wrangler deals with unadvertised cash incentives to help reduce leftover 2019 inventory. Point being, now's probably a good time to get a 2019 Wrangler before 2020s arrive.