Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Why not a Jeep?

Yesterday I was standing next to a Kawasaki Teryx 4 1000. I looked up the specs later. 68" wide, same as a CJ5, 130" long, only 8" shorter than a CJ5, 72" high, 4" taller than the CJ5. Top speed 70 mph. So why not just get a CJ5 with lockers and have a street legal vehicle with a heater? The only real advantage that I could see is that the SUV has the differentials tucked up underneath for more center clearance.

Weight?

The Kaw was about 1900. I assume the Jeep is a couple lb heavier.

That kind of depends on which CJ5. Somewhere in the mid-70s after AMC bought them and did what boomers did to everything: cheapen it up, they dropped off. Boomers dIdn't make anything better just rode the reputation that those who came before him built.

You can be confident that any given modern Jap device will be quality-wise light years ahead of anything any boomer ever could have built in his life.

I have similar questions regarding fishing kayaks compared to canoes.

I have a jeep and a Polaris Ranger. The Polaris is easier to get in and out of, but jeep has a heater, keeps you drier, but the Polaris can go a lot more places, lighter to tow.

The jeep is a nice fourth vehicle, drove it to work for years, can’t do that with a Polaris.

You get a two year free supply of Preparation H when you buy one!!

I’ve owned 6 Jeep’s used for off road only. They are easy to tow or haul on a trailer. Hasbeen

The Honda Talon I was in yesterday - had heat, tunes, went down the road fine (allowed here), manual transmission with paddle shifters and rode smoother than any jeep I owned or rode in recently. The LIVE valve suspension is danged impressive.

SxS's should be bronzed and preserved as monuments of stupidity.

Very, very, very rarely, do they make more sense than a small pickup or SUV.

Unfortunately Suzuki quit marketing passenger vehicles in the North American market, but if they should resume, I suspect their subcompact 4X4 (with high/low range transfer case) Jimny could become quite popular here...

https://www.globalsuzuki.com/automobile/lineup/jimny/

https://www.motor1.com/news/507354/2022-suzuki-jimny-long-details/

Speed, you can run down bumpy azz roads way faster than a jeep or pickup.

A SXS is 100x better for moving cows than any actual auto type 'vehicle'.

100x better mud/irrigating.


Of course I am speaking for off-trail conditions.


Full cab with heater, handy machine.

That said unless it's cold weather I prefer my 700 Grizzly.

For what purpose?

That is very true, goes over rocky ground way smoother and faster. My Jeep beats me to death.

Can you show us on the dolly where the mean boomer touched you?

I’ve been struggling with the similar trade offs (though speed is not a consideration). I want a ranch-only vehicle that climbs good and SLOW without bogging down, is easy to get in and out of, has decent/good ground clearance, can safely carry a load of firewood down a hill, and can plow snow. And not cost many thousands of dollars to buy and repair. So far I’ve been using multiple vehicles to cover this spectrum of requirements, but maintaining and storing them is challenging. Currently using an old Jeep Gladiator, a CJ2A, and a Deere 6x4 Gator.

I don't think any of the UTVs will run 100k without major repairs as almost all of the Jeep-type vehicles can. I'd like to see a comparison of cost/mile. UTV's just aren't built for the long miles.

Yeah I’m a cheap bastard. Paid $800 for the Gladiator, $1000 for the CJ2A, and $2200 for the Gator. Grand total cost of repairs over 12 years for all of them together prolly less than $1000. I’ve seen where this and that UTV typically breaks a transmission gear or fuel injection quits for big bucks to repair.

Jeep or SxS, gets hashed around a lot, it's kinda like which is better the 30-06 or the .270 ?

There is no 4 Wheel drive off road, drive to town, car , truck., that fits all you would or could use it for, that fits all road conditions, mud, snow, deep sand, rocks, swamp, you will be cold and wet or warm and dry, stuck take your pick.

SxS don't work on the hi-way, and are uncomfortable and noisy, but will go most places off road, and not much fun when it's real cold and wet.

Jeeps are not the best hi-way drivers, but not terrible if well cared for with good tires, off road it's hard to beat a good Jeep.

The Small pickups and SUV'S 4 wheel drives are pretty handy, good on the hi-way and ok off road, warm and dry.

There is no one size fits all 4 wheel drive unit, that will work perfect, no matter what your doing or where you are,

For me, year around use for hunting, ranch work, going to town, my well cared for jeeps beat every thing else, and I have tried them all, currently we have 3 Jeeps, 4 Jeep Gladiators, 4 SxS, 3 F-250, 1 F450, and 4 F-250 Top Drive, gun trucks we use for Quail hunting, None of them are perfect, some are just better than others, What ever works for is what you need. Rio7
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