‘$40,000 for this?’: Expert calls out Jeep Gladiator over this surprisingly old-school feature

A car expert is going viral on TikTok after calling out the owner of an old-school Jeep Gladiator.

In one of his latest videos, Thomas (@carsrme) admits that he can't “wrap [his] head” around the fact that an unknown buyer spent more than $40,000 on a car that still had antiquated features. 

Specifically, Thomas says he takes issue with the car’s crank-down windows and manual locks. As of Tuesday, his clip calling out the car’s buyers had amassed more than 21,500 views.

What’s wrong with the Jeep Gladiator?

While nothing was technically wrong with the car, Thomas says he has an issue with the fact that some of its features aren’t automatic.

“I can’t wrap my head around the fact that someone would pay $40,000 for a car that has crank-down windows,” he says.

Thomas then points out some of the other, more dated features of the car, including that it has “manual windows, manual locks, [and] no power mirrors.”

He adds, too, that the Jeep’s radio is “tiny,” and the interior looks dated.

“The only saving grace this one has is that it’s a manual transmission. That’s it,” Thomas says. “Who is buying these?”

Thomas suggests that the Jeep in question isn’t worth its rather high price point. For the same price, he says, buyers could’ve gotten a full-sized pickup truck that has “more features and options.”

“$40,000 for this?” Thomas says, still in disbelief by the Jeep. “It just blows my mind.”

Updates to the Jeep Gladiator 

The 2025 model of the Jeep Gladiator no longer has manual crank windows or the stick shift, according to Kelley Blue Book. This model will also eliminate the manual door locks, another feature that Thomas has an issue with.

Jeep reportedly removed the crank windows, in part, due to production costs, since building manual windows at scale is more expensive. This won’t make newer car models more expensive, though. Kelley Blue Book said that the cost of the 2025 Gladiator starts at a little under $40,000.

And if you’re looking for a car with a manual transmission, there’s still the Jeep Wrangler, according to the Drive. But, beyond that, the only other pickup sold in the U.S. with a stick-shift-equipped pickup will be the 2025 Toyota Tacoma.

@carsrme It's a Jeep thing i guess ???? #Jeep #JeepLife #JeepWrangler #jeepgladiator ♬ original sound - Thomas

Viewers are torn on having crank windows 

In the comments section of Thomas’s video, users were divided on whether having crank-down windows was a pro or con to the Jeep model.

“That one will probably last longer than the others,” one man said of the more outdated Gladiator model. “Less things to break. Every Crysler or Jeep I owned had issues with those damn window regulators.”

“Crank windows are better. Manual transmission is better,” another echoed. “Less stuff to break and it will last longer.”

“Easier to remove doors and easier/cheaper to maintain,” a third viewer said of the older Jeep.

Others, however, similar to Thomas, couldn’t comprehend the Jeep’s high price tag and outdated features.

“I could deal with manual locks, but manual windows in a brand new $40k SUV?” one viewer questioned. 

“For $40k, get a CX-70,” another advised. “That tiny bed is not gonna be used for hauling anything but groceries anyway.”

“Should be $30k,” a third user said of the Jeep Gladiator.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Thomas via TikTok comment and to Jeep through email.

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