Jeep Wrangler Instead of a Side by Side?

[Sodo]

UTV's are awesome. But they'll never compete financially with a Jeep or Sami or whatever brand of compact offroad capable 4x4 you prefer. UTVs have their purpose. And are usually bought for the "status" of having one. No problem from me. I've got one too.

Richard I find that analysis a very objective financial comparison, well put - but you've got a UTV. And are able to use your UTV for the things UTVs are good for. If I count the number of fellas who add an extra $20,000 of features on their a pickup for capacity used once in 5 years (and many who haven't really used that capacity at all,,,,, yet !!,,,,,,right? ) then $8,000 for a UTV is not all that much money. And then there's the cost of chrome, that stuff costs half a UTV and depreciates faster than a UTV.

People in the USA have a lot of money & they spend a lot of money. Kind of amazing actually.

I'd love to find a rolled Samurai/Sidekick little 4WD with lowrange, and cut it open like a UTV. If I could borrow a modern UTV for a week I'd know more than I do now. Would help me a little for my "Ute" to be able to park outside and not depreciate due to exposure.

 

[Parkanzky]

This afternoon a friend of mine text'd me. He's selling his '98 Jeep TJ Sahara, 187K miles, all highway. It has the 4.0L 6cyl, AT, PS, PB, AC, CC, Hardtop, Hard Doors, Cloth/canvas seats, carpet. He wants $4K on Craigslist.

So,,,,,, I could buy it,,,,,, sell the Hardtop for $800, sell the Hard Doors for $600, disable the PS, disable the PB, disable the AC, disable the heat, disable the CC, yank out the cloth/canvas seats and install vinyl, weld the rear axle, and have the equivalent of a Kawasaki Mule and be in it for $2600. I'd also still be able to license it, drive it on the highway, etc. Or I could beat the snot out of it offroad. And it would still outlast a UTV. Seems pretty simple to me.

Again, not trying to flame anyone. Just bringing reality to the conversation. UTV's are awesome. But they'll never compete financially with a Jeep or Sami or whatever brand of compact offroad capable 4x4 you prefer.

UTVs have their purpose. And are usually bought for the "status" of having one. No problem from me. I've got one too.

I'm not saying that your math is wrong. But it's important to remember that it is $2600 and many, many hours of your time. And not just the time it takes to do all that work on the truck directly, but also the time you spend dealing with people to sell parts, source the new bits, etc.

It's like old LBCs (Little British Cars). If you want a roadster, you can spend $25k on a new Miata or you can buy an old MGB for a few grand, put a bit of work into it and end up with "the same thing," or at least as much the same as a stripped Jeep and a side-by-side are.

With one of those options, you're buying a roadster. And that's it. You go to the dealership, write a check, and you're feeling the wind in your hair. With the other, you are going to end up with a roadster, but you're also buying a hobby.

Obviously, you love the Jeeps/wheeling and there's no downside to you to buying the hobby. There's nothing wrong with that, but others will evaluate the same options and come to a different conclusion.

 

[wmonroe]

It really is going to come down to specific uses. For me when I started looking into utv's my main use was for running the 10+ miles of gas roads at our cabin and I was wanting something with a cab and heat for the winter, well that makes a pretty expensive utv. So I started looking at jeeps and found one that the wife "had" to have, 101,000 miles when we got it, 4.0 I6, 6 speed. It has been a lot of fun and has been wheeled hard at the cabin, with the lift, tires, wheels and all I'm in it for just under $12k which is quite a bit cheaper than the utv's I was looking at. For MY uses it is perfect.

 

[ovrszd]

Richard I find that analysis a very objective financial comparison, well put - but you've got a UTV. And are able to use your UTV for the things UTVs are good for. If I count the number of fellas who add an extra $20,000 of features on their a pickup for capacity used once in 5 years (and many who haven't really used that capacity at all,,,,, yet !!,,,,,,right? ) then $8,000 for a UTV is not all that much money. And then there's the cost of chrome, that stuff costs half a UTV and depreciates faster than a UTV.

People in the USA have a lot of money & they spend a lot of money. Kind of amazing actually.

I'd love to find a rolled Samurai/Sidekick little 4WD with lowrange, and cut it open like a UTV. If I could borrow a modern UTV for a week I'd know more than I do now. Would help me a little for my "Ute" to be able to park outside and not depreciate due to exposure.

Very good comments. And very true concerning our expenditure of money.

In my area most trucks are equipped and purchased to work and they work hard.

On the flip side, in my area, most UTVs are equipped and purchased to play and they play hard.

 

[ovrszd]

I'm not saying that your math is wrong. But it's important to remember that it is $2600 and many, many hours of your time. And not just the time it takes to do all that work on the truck directly, but also the time you spend dealing with people to sell parts, source the new bits, etc.

It's like old LBCs (Little British Cars). If you want a roadster, you can spend $25k on a new Miata or you can buy an old MGB for a few grand, put a bit of work into it and end up with "the same thing," or at least as much the same as a stripped Jeep and a side-by-side are.

With one of those options, you're buying a roadster. And that's it. You go to the dealership, write a check, and you're feeling the wind in your hair. With the other, you are going to end up with a roadster, but you're also buying a hobby.

Obviously, you love the Jeeps/wheeling and there's no downside to you to buying the hobby. There's nothing wrong with that, but others will evaluate the same options and come to a different conclusion.

Whoa, wait a minute, where did you get many, many hours of time??? I can Craigslist the top and doors without even removing them. The buyer will gladly unbolt it all, which on a Jeep, takes about 15 minutes.

Disabling features takes about 15 minutes with wire cutters or pliers. And that statement was with much sarcasm. Meaning, you'd hafta disable all the comfort features to dummy it down to UTV level. Of course we all would leave the comfort features intact and benefit from them.

I totally agree that different conclusions are reached by different people. That's who we are (humans). And I agree with everyone's choices in this conversation. Until the choices made are falsely financially justified.

 

[ovrszd]

It really is going to come down to specific uses. For me when I started looking into utv's my main use was for running the 10+ miles of gas roads at our cabin and I was wanting something with a cab and heat for the winter, well that makes a pretty expensive utv. So I started looking at jeeps and found one that the wife "had" to have, 101,000 miles when we got it, 4.0 I6, 6 speed. It has been a lot of fun and has been wheeled hard at the cabin, with the lift, tires, wheels and all I'm in it for just under $12k which is quite a bit cheaper than the utv's I was looking at. For MY uses it is perfect.

Nice Jeep. I love seeing a Jeep being used for what it's intended to be, rather than Mall Cruising.

Now if you can just keep up with the constant maintenance and financial burden of keep it running........

 

[wmonroe]

Nice Jeep. I love seeing a Jeep being used for what it's intended to be, rather than Mall Cruising. Now if you can just keep up with the constant maintenance and financial burden of keep it running........

Thanks. This jeep does everything from taking me to work on nice days with the doors and top off, running the family around with no particular destination again with the top and doors off to off road driving.

The maintenance has been very burdensome, in the three years I've owned it just a few weeks ago I had to replace the thermostat.

 

[Carhartt Cowboy]

Nice Jeep. I love seeing a Jeep being used for what it's intended to be, rather than Mall Cruising.

Now if you can just keep up with the constant maintenance and financial burden of keep it running........

Sounds just like owning a tractor

 

[txdon]

A mini monster truck would also work, oh look, they do sell them: The Mini Monster Truck - Hammacher Schlemmer

 

[MMfrompa]

I have a side x side and love it, don't know how I lived without it. Very nimble in the woods and really easy and quick to get in and out of. Its a Ranger 900 crew and seats 5. I also have a jeep but it won't be seeing the woods anytime soon. its a 2015