I have friends/cousins with TJ's, CJ's, and JK's. I had a 2dr 4cyl XJ in college, that ended up dead (I let my sister borrow it and she ran it without coolant).

Anyway, my offroading of late has been via ATV's and dirtbikes, as well as in friends' UTV's.

I am now listing out the pros and cons of getting a UTV myself versus an XJ. I am leaning towards the XJ, while the wife is leaning for a UTV. I see more utility with having an XJ (we have a little'un on the way), but she seems to have a mental block of not really feeling like she is outdoors in an on-road vehicle as opposed to on an ATV or UTV. She rode dirtbikes with me, but we are both now wanting something more stable for her as well as something that we can carry a rug-rat along.

We take camping and riding trips frequently and in the past I would tow my camper with my truck and through the dirtbikes in the back of the truck. In either a UTV or XJ case I will end up having to tow...it seems to me that pulling an XJ behind the camper on a tow bar would be easier than towing a UTV on a trailer behind. The UTV and XJ both have their pros and cons as far as hunting goes.

I am researching both avenues quit a bit and am doing a pros & cons for both. So far I have:

XJ
Pros: Cheaper entry cost; many available mods; heater in winter/hunting; can fit whole family; streetable; can tow an ATV or dirtbike; wife can use around town with baby; dogs can ride in rear; favorable gun case hunting regs; can be driven to trails.

Cons: heavy; wide; can't go on some UTV/ATV trails; can't go in tight trees; requires chains in some cases

UTV
Pros: Light; fits in back of truck; small; fits tighter trails; good in trees; can get in the woods deeper; can be used to work around horse property; can go over or around most obstacles.

Cons: no heater; gun case hunting regs; still too big for some ATV trails; expensive entry; expensive mods; requires mods to be family friendly; must be towed/hauled; requires a trailer to be towed.

Anyway, I am looking forward to taking it all in and learning more about XJ's. Any input is welcome, particularly from folks who have (or had) both an XJ and a UTV.

Travis

 

Welcome to CF! yeah, it's really about what fits your needs the best. with a family and all, it might be better to go with the XJ, but it's really up to you.

 

Welcome to CF.