Jeep Gladiator vs Toyota Tacoma

2026 Jeep Gladiator vs 2026 Toyota Tacoma — two rivals compared on efficiency, size, safety and reliability.

Jeep Gladiator

2026 Jeep Gladiator

Standard Pickup Trucks 4WDAWD/4WD
VS3 – 4Toyota Tacoma wins 4 of 7 categories
Toyota Tacoma

2026 Toyota Tacoma

Small Pickup Trucks 2WDAWD/4WDHybrid/EV

Swap in a different car →

The short version

The Toyota Tacoma is more fuel-efficient: 23 vs 19 MPG combined in its best version.

That works out to about $650 a year less in fuel for the Toyota Tacoma (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

The Jeep Gladiator is the bigger car, about 4 inches longer.

Across all model years since 2005, the Jeep Gladiator has had fewer recall campaigns (14 vs 42).

The two cars

The 2026 Jeep Gladiator is a standard pickup truck offered with a 3.6L 6-cyl engine and 4-wheel drive. It measures about 217 inches long and 74 inches wide on a 137-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 4,751 lb (4dr Pickup Overland).

The 2026 Toyota Tacoma is a small pickup truck offered with a 2.4L 4-cyl turbo engine, including a hybrid version and rear-wheel drive, part-time 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive. It measures about 213 inches long and 77 inches wide on a 132-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 5,104 lb (Double Cab Hybrid).

Buying used? The 2024 Gladiator and the 2021 Tacoma have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2021 Gladiator and the 2016 Tacoma.

Basics

Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD
Class
Small Pickup Trucks 2WD
Regular Gasoline
Fuel
Regular Gasoline, Hybrid
3.6L 6-cyl
Engines
2.4L 4-cyl turbo
4-Wheel Drive
Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive

Efficiency

19 MPG
Best combined MPG
23 MPG
17 city
City / highway MPG (best)
22 city
$3,550
Fuel cost per year (EPA)
$2,900

Performance & space

285 hp
Horsepower (most powerful)
278 hp
–
Seats (most)
5
216.9 in
Length
213 in
74 in
Width
76.8 in
73.6 in
Height
74 in
4,683 lb
Curb weight (lightest)
4,374 lb

Safety & reliability

2
Driver-assist features standard
9
2
Recalls (2026)
0
14
Recalls, all years since 2005
42
3
Owner complaints (latest year)
12

Interest

6,586
Wikipedia views, 30 days
24,041

Buying used

Best used year
Year to avoid

Green = clearly better. Prices are not included. How we calculate this →

Which one should you choose?

Choose the Jeep Gladiator if…

  • You want more room (4 in longer)
  • You put reliability history first (14 vs 42 recalls since 2005)

Choose the Toyota Tacoma if…

  • You want lower fuel bills (23 vs 19 MPG)
  • You want something easier to park (4 in shorter)
  • You want a hybrid or electric option
  • You want more standard driver-assist tech

Pros & cons of each

2026 Jeep Gladiator

  • Emergency braking not standardAutomatic emergency braking is optional or limited to some trims.

2026 Toyota Tacoma

  • Hybrid version availableOffered as a hybrid as well as gas.
  • AWD / 4WD available
  • Below-average fuel economyBest version gets 23 MPG combined, 13% below the 2026 small pickup truck average of 26.4 MPG.

Full 2026 Jeep Gladiator specs →Full 2026 Toyota Tacoma specs →Compare fuel costs for your driving →Compare size & garage fit →