What’s a car that just doesn’t make any sense?

I do feel that. I deeply appreciate a good looking car. I'm a total sucker for things that spark emotion for me. But this is going to be your daily. It's something you're going to be using every single day for the foreseeable future, and it needs to be comfortable and practical, and that's where the Ridgeline shines. It gets better gas mileage than the Gladiator, has a better ride, better steering and handling, is quieter inside, is faster despite having almost exactly the same power, can tow more, has way more/better features like the storage area under the bed, a better turning radius, better visibility, better cabin insulation, it's easier to get things in and out of the bed with its tailgate that can open in two different directions, is much safer according to IIHS testing, and it's waaayyy more reliable than the Gladiator, so it's going to cost you less in the long-term. Now, granted, I actually really like the look of the Gladiator, and I love that it can be had with a 6-speed manual, though I don't know the quality of the clutch and transmission. And the roof coming off is pretty cool, but it doesn't serve much of a specific purpose, and makes the sound and thermal insulation suffer, as well as the safety of passengers. But I'm just some rando on the internet. Ultimately, it's up to you, and I hope you enjoy whatever you pick. 👍