2026 Jeep Gladiator Trim Levels Explained: Sport, Willys, Rubicon, Mojave

The 2026 Jeep® Gladiator lineup spans eleven distinct trim and package configurations, from the work-truck Sport at $39,820 to the desert-tuned Mojave X at $61,210. Whether you’re hauling on McLeod County gravel roads, pulling a snowmobile trailer up to Mille Lacs, or rolling out on a hunting weekend with the doors off, there’s a Gladiator built for it. The trick is figuring out which one.

I’m Jordan Malone-Forst, Assistant General Manager at Jay Malone CDJR in Hutchinson. This guide breaks down every 2026 Gladiator trim — Sport, Sport S, Texas Trail, Willys, Willys ‘41, 85th Anniversary Edition, Sahara, Rubicon, Rubicon Shadow Ops, Rubicon X, Mojave, and Mojave X — what each one includes, what it costs, and who it’s built for. For more depth on individual topics, check out our 2026 Gladiator buyer’s guide.

How many trim levels does the 2026 Jeep Gladiator have?

The 2026 Jeep Gladiator is offered in eleven distinct trim and package configurations across three model platforms: Sport-based (Sport, Sport S, Texas Trail, Willys, Willys ‘41, 85th Anniversary Edition, Sahara), Rubicon-based (Rubicon, Rubicon Shadow Ops, Rubicon X), and Mojave-based (Mojave, Mojave X). Every Gladiator is 4x4. Every Gladiator uses the 3.6L Pentastar V6 paired with the 8-speed 850RE automatic. Beyond that shared foundation, each trim is meaningfully different in suspension, off-road hardware, interior material, badging, and equipment.

What’s included on the base Gladiator Sport?

The 2026 Gladiator Sport 4x4 starts at $39,820 MSRP, plus the $1,995 destination charge. It’s a real, fully capable mid-size truck — not a stripped-down loss leader. Standard equipment includes the 3.6L Pentastar V6, 8-speed automatic, Command-Trac part-time 4WD with a 2.72:1 low range, the standard 12.3-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Black Sunrider Soft Top, and the five-foot steel bed with integrated tie-downs.

What you don’t get standard on the Sport: automatic temperature control air conditioning (the Sport gets standard manual A/C), LED headlamps, heated seats, remote start, the Class IV receiver hitch, and side steps. The Sport ships with halogen headlamps, a Class II hitch, and 17-inch black steel styled wheels. It’s the right Gladiator for someone who wants the truck for work, doesn’t care about creature comforts, and plans to add accessories later.

What’s the difference between the Gladiator Sport and Sport S?

The Sport S at $43,015 MSRP is what most central Minnesota buyers actually want when they say "Sport." For about $3,200 more than the base Sport, the S adds automatic temperature control air conditioning, body-color 2-piece fender flares, deep tint sunscreen windows, the cluster 7.0-inch TFT color display, ParkSense rear park assist, the Convenience Group readiness, and 17-inch painted black wheels. It’s the trim where the Gladiator stops feeling like a base truck and starts feeling like the daily driver most people picture.

The Sport S is also the volume seller for shoppers who want maximum towing — it can take the Max Tow Package (4.10 axle, anti-spin differential, Class IV receiver hitch, heavy-duty engine cooling, GVW 6,500 lb) to hit the full 7,700-lb tow rating. We cover that in detail in our towing and bed capability guide.

What is the Gladiator Texas Trail?

The Texas Trail at $45,820 MSRP is a Sport-based trim with Western-themed exterior styling and a content bundle aimed at outdoor and ranch buyers. It includes a unique tailgate and hood decal package, side steps, a 400W inverter, the Mopar All-Weather Slush Mats, the Cluster 7.0-inch TFT display, full-speed forward collision warning plus, and 17x7.5 dark gray painted wheels. It also adds the Trailer Tow and Aux Switch Group as part of the package, which gets you the Class IV receiver hitch, heavy-duty engine cooling, and the four auxiliary switches off-road accessory wiring depends on.

Despite the name, the Texas Trail makes plenty of sense in central Minnesota. It’s effectively a Sport S with the right utility upgrades baked in — better towing readiness, a built-in upgrade for accessory wiring, and a rugged appearance package — without paying Sahara or Rubicon money.

What’s the Gladiator Willys, and how does Willys ‘41 differ?

The Willys nameplate is a tribute to the original Willys-Overland Jeep that came home from World War II and started the brand. The 2026 Gladiator Willys at $45,750 MSRP is the off-road appearance trim built on Sport bones — you get 17x7.5 mach/painted gray wheels, LT255/75R17C off-road tires, an electronic locking rear axle, the Off-Road Plus mode, the Willys Suspension package, mold-in color bumpers with gloss black accents, and a 4-Wheel Drive decal. It’s the cheapest Gladiator with a factory rear locker, which makes it a real off-road tool, not just an appearance package.

The Willys ‘41 at $48,360 MSRP stacks heritage style on top of the Willys mechanical package. You get the same off-road equipment plus retro Willys ‘41 hood decals, fender decals, a body-color 3-piece hard top, the Mopar Triple Hoop Grill Guard, an Alpine premium audio system, the LED Headlamp and Fog Lamp Group, the steel front bumper, body-color fender flares, and a unique cloth seat with plaid insert. If you want a Gladiator that looks like a 1941 Willys MB but performs like a modern Trail Rated truck, this is it.

What’s new about the 2026 Gladiator 85th Anniversary Edition?

The 85th Anniversary Edition at $46,810 MSRP is the headline new trim for 2026, celebrating Jeep’s 85-year heritage. Built on the Sport platform, it adds the 85th Anniversary Group, an 85th Gladiator hood decal, an 85th tailgate decal, an 85th fender decal, an 85th cupholder plaque, an 85th shifter medallion, the Bronze Tow Hooks, a Grey/Bronze Trail Rated® badge, mold-in color bumpers with gloss black, the Performance Hood, the Mopar Sunrider for Hardtop, premium McKinley trimmed seats, body-color fender flares, and the LED Headlamp and Fog Lamp Group.

It’s positioned between the Texas Trail and the Sahara — nicer than a working Sport S, but not as luxurious as a Sahara. The bronze accents and unique badging are what make it stand out on a lot, and Jeep is producing it for one model year only, so collectibility is part of the appeal. If you want something different from the truck your neighbor just bought, this is the trim that does it.

What does the Gladiator Sahara offer?

The Sahara at $48,115 MSRP is the comfort-and-tech-focused trim — the closest thing the Gladiator lineup has to a luxury truck. It includes premium McKinley trimmed seats with 8-way power adjustment for both front seats, power lumbar adjustment, leather-wrapped park brake handle and shift knob, premium door trim panels, body-color 3-piece hard top standard, body-color fender flares, the LED Headlamp and Fog Lamp Group, the Convenience Group (heated seats, heated steering wheel, remote start, passive entry, automatic temp control), 18x7.5 mach/painted gray wheels, and 255/70R18 all-season tires.

The Sahara is the right Gladiator for someone who wants a daily driver that happens to be a Jeep — it rides better on highway than the Rubicon or Mojave thanks to the all-season tires and softer suspension tune, and it has the comfort features that make a long drive to the cabin tolerable. It’s less of a rock crawler and more of a refined off-roader.

What makes the Gladiator Rubicon, Shadow Ops, and Rubicon X different?

The Rubicon is where the Gladiator becomes a serious rock-crawling tool. Standard Rubicon equipment that the Sport-based trims don’t have: Rock-Trac part-time 4WD with a 4:1 low range (vs the 2.72:1 on Command-Trac), electronic locking rear axle, electronic locking front axle, electronic disconnecting front sway bar, Dana M210 wide front axle, Dana M220 wide rear axle, performance suspension, red Tenneco shocks front and rear, fender flares, mold-in color bumpers with accent color, LT285/70R17C all-terrain tires, and a 4.10 rear axle ratio. It’s a genuinely different machine from the Sport-based trims.

The three Rubicon trims build on each other:

• Rubicon at $52,520 MSRP — the base Rubicon. All the rock-crawling hardware standard. You can add the Capability Package, which bundles a steel front bumper with a Warn electric front winch.
• Shadow Ops at $57,515 MSRP — Rubicon plus a unique Shadow Ops appearance package: Shadow Ops fender decal, side bed decal, tailgate decal, the Convenience Group, the Safety Group, body-color 3-piece hard top, body-color Rubicon Highline flares, Mopar performance satin black grille, integrated off-road camera, and ParkSense rear park assist.
• Rubicon X at $60,515 MSRP — Rubicon Shadow Ops content plus the Steel Bumper Group with the Warn electric winch standard, GVW rating bumped to 6,305 lb, the Alpine premium audio system, power-adjust Nappa leather seats, the Mopar hardtop headliner, and the Technology Group. The Rubicon X is a fully-loaded rock crawler that doesn’t need much added.

For most central Minnesota Rubicon buyers, the base Rubicon plus the Capability Package is the sweet spot — you get the steel bumper and winch for snow, mud, and trail use without paying for the appearance group.

How is the Gladiator Mojave different from the Rubicon?

The Mojave is the Rubicon’s desert-tuned twin — same Trail Rated badge, completely different mission. The Mojave at $53,215 MSRP uses Fox Performance internal by-pass shocks front and rear, Fox hydraulic jounce bumpers, a performance suspension, a reinforced frame, a heavy-duty rear axle, and an electronic rear locker. What it doesn’t have, and what makes it fundamentally different from the Rubicon: no front locker, no disconnecting front sway bar, no 4:1 low range. It’s built for high-speed off-road work, not slow-speed rock crawling.

Standard Mojave equipment includes premium cloth seats with sport bolsters, the Mojave hood decal, an Orange Desert Rated® badge (the only one in the lineup), 17x7.5 mach/painted dark gray wheels, LT285/70R17C all-terrain tires, the same body-color Rubicon Highline flares as the Rubicon, and the same wide axle setup. The Mojave is a unique tool — if you spend most of your seat time on washboard gravel, high-speed rough roads, or open-country driving with sudden obstacles, it’s the right one. Our Rubicon vs Mojave deep dive walks through which terrain favors which truck.

What does the Gladiator Mojave X add over the base Mojave?

The Mojave X at $61,210 MSRP is the most expensive Gladiator you can buy. The Mojave X package adds leather-trimmed bucket seats with 8-way power adjustment, a body-color 3-piece hard top, the Mopar hardtop headliner, the Alpine premium audio system, the Convenience Group, the Safety Group, the Technology Group with integrated off-road camera and Uconnect 5 NAV with the 12.3-inch display, the Steel Bumper Group with steel front and rear bumpers, rock protection sill rails, ParkSense rear park assist, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. It’s a fully-loaded desert truck that doesn’t need much added.

How much does each 2026 Gladiator trim cost?

Here’s the full 2026 Gladiator pricing ladder. All prices are MSRP and exclude the $1,995 destination charge ($2,045 in Hawaii):

Trim	Best For	MSRP
Sport	Bare-bones work truck buyer	$39,820
Sport S	Daily-driver volume seller, max tow eligible	$43,015
Willys	Cheapest Gladiator with a factory rear locker	$45,750
Texas Trail	Outdoor / ranch buyer who tows a lot	$45,820
85th Anniversary	Buyer who wants something different and collectible	$46,810
Sahara	Comfort-first daily driver, refined ride	$48,115
Willys ‘41	Heritage style with real off-road hardware	$48,360
Rubicon	Slow-speed rock crawling, mud, technical trails	$52,520
Mojave	High-speed gravel, washboard, open country	$53,215
Rubicon Shadow Ops	Rubicon hardware with appearance and tech upgrades	$57,515
Rubicon X	Fully-loaded rock crawler with winch standard	$60,515
Mojave X	Fully-loaded desert truck with steel bumpers	$61,210

Which 2026 Gladiator trim is right for central Minnesota buyers?

The right Gladiator depends on what you actually do with the truck. A few honest matches we see at the Jay Malone CDJR lot in Hutchinson:

• You tow a lot — boats, sleds, UTVs, livestock: Sport S with the Max Tow Package, or step up to a Texas Trail. Both are tow-rated to the full 7,700 lbs and won’t saddle you with off-road tires that wear fast on highway.
• You want a daily driver that’s also a Jeep: Sahara. The all-season tires and refined suspension make the difference on the drive home from work.
• You want a working off-road tool for woods, mud, and snow: Rubicon. The 4:1 Rock-Trac and lockers earn their keep here, especially if you’re running a hunting cabin or pulling stuck trucks out of fields.
• You want something rare: 85th Anniversary Edition or Willys ‘41. Both are one-year-only specials with collectibility built in.
• You spend most of your time on rough gravel and washboard back roads: Mojave. The Fox shocks make a real difference on US-7, MN-15, and McLeod County gravel.
• You don’t want to think about it — just want a fully loaded truck: Rubicon X or Mojave X. Both come with the safety, technology, and convenience groups standard plus their respective off-road hardware.

If you’re cross-shopping a Gladiator against a Wrangler — because the Gladiator is more truck than the Wrangler is — our Wrangler vs Gladiator guide walks through that decision in detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest 2026 Jeep Gladiator?

The Sport 4x4 at $39,820 MSRP is the cheapest 2026 Gladiator, plus $1,995 destination. The Sport S at $43,015 is what most buyers actually consider when looking at the entry-level lineup.

What is the most expensive 2026 Gladiator trim?

The Mojave X at $61,210 MSRP. The Rubicon X is right behind at $60,515 with rock-crawling hardware instead of desert tuning. Both are fully-loaded versions of their respective off-road platforms.

Which Gladiator trim has the best resale value?

Historically the Rubicon and Mojave hold value best because of their distinct hardware and limited supply. One-year-only special editions like the 85th Anniversary Edition and Willys ‘41 also tend to hold value well thanks to scarcity. Resale always depends on the local market though — in Hutchinson, well-equipped Sport S and Sahara trims also resell quickly.

What’s the difference between Willys and Willys ‘41?

The Willys is the off-road appearance trim with rear locker, off-road tires, mold-in color bumpers, and the 4WD decal. The Willys ‘41 is the heritage edition that adds retro 1941-themed hood, fender, and tailgate decals, the body-color 3-piece hard top, the Mopar Triple Hoop Grill Guard, the Alpine premium audio system, the LED Headlamp and Fog Lamp Group, and a unique plaid-insert seat. Same off-road hardware underneath, more style and content on top.

Should I get a Rubicon or a Mojave?

For most central Minnesota buyers, the Rubicon. We don’t have desert here — we have woods, mud, snow, and rocks at hunting cabins and farm fields. The Rubicon’s 4:1 Rock-Trac, front and rear lockers, and disconnecting front sway bar earn their keep on the kind of terrain Minnesota actually offers. The Mojave makes more sense if you spend most of your time on high-speed gravel or washboard roads at speed. Read our full Rubicon vs Mojave breakdown here.

Can I order a 2026 Gladiator in a specific trim and color combination?

Yes — and Jay Malone CDJR doesn’t charge a locator or factory-order fee. If we don’t have the exact trim, color, and package combination you want on the lot, we can either find it from another Stellantis dealer or factory-order it directly from Toledo. Build times typically run 8–12 weeks. Reach out and we’ll get the order started.

There’s no wrong Gladiator in this lineup — just different trucks for different lives. If you’re standing in front of a couple of options on the lot trying to decide, the best thing you can do is get behind the wheel of each one. The Rubicon and the Sahara feel like completely different vehicles even though they share an engine. The Mojave on washboard gravel feels like nothing else on the market. Stop in at Jay Malone CDJR in Hutchinson and we’ll set up test drives back-to-back so you can feel the difference yourself — no pressure, no hard sell, no locator fee if we need to find your exact build. That’s how we’ve done it since 2005, and that’s why we’re Your Dealer for Life.