Jeep Gladiator Prices Seeing Soaring Markups Up to $20,000

CAR/JEEP BUYING TIPS,  AND DEALER MARKUPS

First off, before we get into how dealers are marking up Gladiators, allow us to offer some tips on car/Jeep buying to help you get the best price on any Jeep — knowing that you do not have to shop at your local dealership or accept these huge markups.  It amounts to you doing a little shopping armed with a few tips.

Now all of us at ModernJeeper do support local businesses whenever we can; but not to the point of taking an unnecessary car buying bath!  Give that…let’s look at some key tips we’ve garnered over the years.

First, Know Before You Go.

Do your homework before you end up in front of a salesperson or dealer. You can look at sites like TrueCar or US News Best Price Program, or just use your browser to see what folk are paying for the rig you want.   Find Facebook groups that are dedicated to your rig of choice. Check public review sites like Yelp to see what dealerships are not well liked by your peers.

Second, Don’t Get Attached to One Salesperson.

Use multiple dealers to make sure you get the best price offer.  If you can figure out when a dealer is trying to close out inventory, or reach a sales goal at a certain time of year, then take advantage of this to the hilt.  The last weekend of the month is normally a good buying time (as salespeople want to meet their quota).   And try to avoid buying on weekends; but rather during the week towards the end of the month — get more time with your salesperson who is not so jammed.

And do not get attached to just one, nice, smiling, “I-do-this-for-a-living” salesperson.  Talk to a few.  Get some competition going.

Third, Wrap It Up Intact.

Avoid distractions when closing the deal.  Get the price of your car; and make sure you are paying it.  Don’t be distracted by the trade-in of your old car, or the financing, etc.  KNOW what you are negotiating to pay; and pay that amount!    Separate out your trade-in.  Or jsut say you’re not sure what you will do with your old car.  Make the dealer give you a deal based on the best deal they can offer.  Wrap it up intact, with YOUR price point in mind.

Now About the Jeep Gladiator…

Our friends at Car and Driver recently pointed out:

• On average last month, Americans spent an average of $56,000 on the 2020 Jeep Gladiator, which starts at $38,240 and tops out just above $62,000.
• Some dealers are marking up the Gladiator by thousands and even tens of thousands.
• As with any Wrangler, high customer demand and soaring resale values mean there is little to zero price negotiation.

Jeep fans may not care too much about price tags because the Gladiator is the gnarliest Jeep truck to hit the trails.  And we suspect it will get a lot of road miles rather than trail miles.

Car and Driver added these thoughts:

“But alongside the fair sticker prices are heaps of absurd Gladiator listings. You’ll find Rubicons listed above $80,000, bare-bones Sport S trims on skimpy tires for $70,000, and base Sport trims in the $50,000s—many of which have no apparent mods at all. Right now, markups of a few thousand dollars, $10,000, and even upward of $20,000 are common. This, on a 2020-model-year vehicle with visible hinges, no curtain airbags, and an assembly quality dating back to the American Motors era. If you’d really pay such sums, why not bid for the Wrangler Hellcat 6×6 pickup?

The Gladiator is the gnarliest boss of all short-bed pickups and an unyielding symbol of anti-commuter freedom, even if its sway bars never disconnect during the majority of its on-road miles. Similarly to when the BMW M2 came out and aggressive dealers pushed laughable prices that doubled the sticker, the Gladiator is bound to stay flaming hot through the rest of this year. Just don’t let the hype victimize your wallet. Check your emotions, the salesperson’s pressure to buy one immediately, and the thick nest of dealer fees on the bill of sale, all before committing to a new Gladiator. The fine folks in Toledo are happy to make more for you. A lot more.

As of Wednesday, of roughly 3600 Gladiator pickups in U.S. dealer inventory listed on Cars.com, 60 percent are the top two Rubicon and Overland trims that max out with MSRPs of roughly $57,000 and $62,000, respectively. That makes sense. Then there are dealers piling on Mopar lift kits and custom wheel and tire combos, like a Gladiator in Gastonia, North Carolina, on 22-inch Asantis or another Gladiator in Gainesville, Georgia, with Nitto Mud Grapplers. As with any Wrangler, high customer demand and even higher resale values mean there is little to zero price negotiation. The Cox Automotive transaction average is based on 2584 Gladiator sales in May. Since deliveries began trickling in March, Jeep has sold 3021 Gladiator pickups through May.”

So yes, ModernJeepers, if it’s good, beef up the price!  Well, while that may be true, it’s not good for us if we go unarmed with the right info.  If you’re shopping; we suggest you do it prepared. Know before you go; talk to multiple dealers; and stay focused on the target — the price you pay.  Good luck.

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