In their latest clip, Jeep Gear & Gadgets hosts Ben and Cassie Ertl head to Mason, Texas, and pit a Jeep JK against a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon at Wolf Caves off-road park. The friendly competition makes for a nicely shot showcase of the two vehicles hitting the off-road trails for some rock crawling and climbing on a 98ºF afternoon in a gorgeous Southwest setting. The focus of the video is primarily on testing the off-roading capabilities of the new Gladiator, which is driven by Cassie, who’s also comparing the Gladiator’s first rock climb to her usual ride, a Jeep JL.

So, can the JT handle extreme off-road trails as well as the JK? The answer: Of course. At least, to a certain extent. Cassie acknowledges the Gladiator’s limitations because of its longer wheelbase. But the added 3.5-inch Clayton lift and Teraflex Falcon electric shocks have her confidently putting the Rubicon through rigorous challenges. The Rubicon handles nicely over tricky trails and sizeable rocks.

The drive is decidedly slow and easy. It gives a steady look at how the vehicle handles the rocky ground with nary a shake or slide. Sometimes, there’s a drop that showcases the unshakeable build of the carriage and the shock absorption of the off-road tires. Sure, there are plenty of skid plate scrapes, but it’s all part of the fun in this enjoyable clip. “The Gladiator is kind of an all-purpose rig,” says Cassie. “It does a little of everything.”

The video shows off the rugged durability of the Gladiator’s impressive mods. The Yokohama Geolandar X-AT 37-inch tires don’t just look badass, they do a fantastic job of gripping the boulders and allowing the Jeep Gladiator to do some impressive climbing and maneuvering over intimidating terrain. It helps that the two hosts are hardcore Jeep enthusiasts, because they focus on capturing great footage in close-ups of exactly what you want to see, including pausing to capture 360-degree footage and undercarriage shots.

There are a lot of belly scrapes and hard lands that the two Jeeps experience throughout the afternoon. And the video shows the importance of a good skid plate, which Ben mentions a couple of times.

At the end of the day, the Gladiator proves to be a very capable vehicle. And then, in an unexpected climax, the Gladiator ends up getting the JK out of a serious jam with the necessity of a Warn winch, which did the job despite enduring some heavy scrapes during the off-road exploration. So, Cassie wasn’t exaggerating when she said that the JT does a little of everything.