There are only two different kinds of wheelers in the world: Jeep peeps and side-by-side riders. They’re similar, but have totally different approaches to the same hobby. One thing’s for sure Are Jeep owners too afraid of getting dirty? Are they glampers at heart? Do UTV riders not have enough common sense to save their money for a vehicle that doesn’t have to be trailered everywhere?
Or as one Jeeper put it, “I’d never be friends with a UTV girl, but I could marry one.”
The side-by-side was born out of the Jeep. If there was no Jeep, there would be no UTV. They’re consanguineous—they share the same blood—and they’re both off-road fiends. Today people fall into two different camps. There’s the “why not just get a Jeep that I can drive to and from the park and take right onto the trail” group and the “side-side-by sides are so much more fun” group.
Now we might be a little biased—we do make parts for UTVs after all—but let’s look at every aspect of these vehicles and decide once and for all which one is best.
There are a few big glaring differences between a Jeep and a side-by-side that we need to look at first. These differences arise because a Jeep Wrangler is a car, while a side-by-side is not, and the following features have almost nothing to do with off-roading.
The first thing everyone says when asked to compare Jeeps and UTVs is that Jeeps are street legal right off the lot. And it’s true! You can sign your paperwork, hop in your shiny new Wrangler, drive an hour to the ride park, and go straight on the trail. It can be your daily driver and your weekend warrior.
Compare that to a side-by-side where you need a truck, most often a trailer, and a UTV to do what a Jeep can do on it’s own. There are states and counties that do allow you to ride your UTV on the road in their stock configurations, but most places require the addition of windshields, headlights, and more if you can make them legal at all.
Comfort is an even more lopsided argument than road riding. A Wrangler blows the gaskets right off any UTV when it comes to comfort. They come with a fully enclosed cab standard! They have AC, heat, a radio, windshield wipers, and cushy seats.
You can get those options on most UTVs too—you’ll just have to shell out some extra cash for the luxury parts.
As an automobile, a Jeep Wrangler’s safety features are regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Therefore, it has airbags, crumple zones, and a robust frame. It’s designed to keep passengers safe in head-on collisions on the highway.
The safety features of side-by-sides are not held to such a standard. They have roll cages, seatbelts, and systems that limit your speed when your seatbelt is unbuckled, but they’re not designed to take hits the same way a Jeep is.
Does any of the basic stuff really matter? When it comes down to it, you’re picking the best ride for going off-road and air-conditioning doesn’t really help there.
Even an entry-level Jeep Wrangler Sport is a powerful machine. Let’s take a look at the key specs.
| Displacement | 3.6 L |
| Horsepower | 285 |
| Torque | 260 ft-lb |
| Weight | 4,000 lbs. |
| Wheelbase | 97” |
| Width | 74” |
Let’s compare that with Polaris’s flagship model, the RZR PRO XP Ultimate Edition. It comes in at about the same price, and is among the very best UTVs on the market today.
| Displacement | 925 cc |
| Horsepower | 181 |
| Torque | 95 ft-lb |
| Weight | 2,000 lbs. |
| Wheelbase | 96” |
| Width | 64” |
At first glance, it looks like the Wrangler wins hands down. The torque and horsepower leave the PRO XP in the dust, right?
Not exactly. At double the weight, those boosted specs don’t make much of a difference, and the pound for pound performance on the PRO XP ends up being better. We’re talking about 11 lbs. per horsepower for the PRO XP and 14 lbs. per horsepower on the Wrangler. It’s a difference you can feel.
Speaking of differences you can feel, the 74-inch width of the Wrangler means it’s excluded from all but the widest trails and open parks. The PRO XP is 64 inches wide and is much more versatile. It’s capable of taking on most any backwoods trail and nimbly maneuver through chicanes and rocks that would bog down any Jeep.
Plus, the RZR PRO XP is fast. The Wrangler loves to crawl and there aren’t many side-by-sides it could outrun on the trail.
The biggest difference between a Wrangler and a side-by-side is its off-road readiness. By that we mean the ability for a stock machine to go rock crawling or trail riding.
UTV’s are wholly focused on going off-road, and they can’t be beat in this regard. They have more ground clearance (even a stock Ranger 570 has 0.3 inches more ground clearance than a stock Wangler Sport), more aggressive tires, better clutching, and independent suspension.
They also have better body geometry that allows them to approach obstacles head-on without their bumpers getting in the way. Basically, the bumper is higher up so the first thing to hit log or boulder is the front tires.
The plastic fascia on UTVs is also a win. Why? Nobody cares if they scratch them up, and nobody babies their machine to protect their plastic. It’s not like scratching the paint job on the Jeep—it looks terrible, it exposes the underlying metal to the elements which can lead to rust, and it can be expensive to repair.
Nope, the Jeep’s not quite ready for the trail. It really needs a lift kit, some aggressive tires, and some machine protection before you take it on the trail.
Finally, let’s talk about price. You might be surprised just how many options there are for you.
Looking at new prices is a little unfair for the Jeep. The MSRP for the two-seat model of the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Sport is $28,295. Optimizing it for off-road will run you at least a few hundred dollars more than that. And that’s the cheapest new Wrangler you can get.
The MSRP for a RZR PRO XP Ultimate is $28,499, plus you need a trailer and a truck to haul it. But that’s about as high-end as it gets. You can get a new off-road ready side-by-side for almost any price point down to around $10,000. And these aren’t obscure brands you’ve never heard of—you can get a new Can-Am Defender HD8, Honda Pioneer 500, Polaris Ranger 570, Polaris RZR 570, and others each for $10,000 or less. They’re not quite as capable as their more expensive versions, but they’re still plenty powerful enough for some exciting off-road.
If you’re on a budget, it’s hard to beat the off-road value of a new UTV.
Used Prices
This is where things get tricky. If you’re diligent and patient enough, you can find any vehicle for almost any price. But there are certain trends that make Jeeps come out a little ahead.
Newer Jeeps tend to retain their price, but if you go back a few model years and look at high-mileage Wranglers, you can get great deals on already modified vehicles for less than $15,000. That’s a crazy value and one that’s hard to ignore. Even getting a used RZR 1000 at that price becomes a little difficult to justify.
But then again, what are you after? Do you want a vehicle that’s laser-focused on flying through the backwoods, or are you looking for a daily driver that doesn’t mind getting dirty? The value of a Jeep vs a UTV varies from person to person.
We have a lot of Jeeps in our parking lot at SuperATV, so it should come as no surprise that we don’t agree on all points here.
Christen chooses Jeep:
“With a Jeep, I can drive anywhere and UTVs are limited in that respect. Jeeps can rock crawl just like UTVs, but I like how UTVs gain speed fast and almost drift around corners.
Overall, I like Jeeps better because it’s a toy and a daily driver (2 for 1). Plus, Wranglers really hold their value when you go to trade them in.”
Adam chooses UTV:
“I would go with UTV if I were going to buy a vehicle completely dedicated to wheeling. They are much more versatile in the terrain they can get around in, meaning between trees, up slopes, etc. and that means more places to ride a lot of times.
They are smaller, which makes them easier to work on without a lift, and you don’t need quite as large of an area to store it. One disadvantage is that you can’t just drive it where you are going usually, so that means you need a trailer and truck big enough to haul it. A Jeep you can just jump in and drive.”
Justin goes Jeep:
“I operate on 95% logic. $15-25K can get me a nice road worthy Jeep that does 80% of what a sport SXS does. I don’t have to invest in a towing truck or a trailer either. Sport side-by-sides are a blast, but are they worth the cost for someone that has to finance it?”
Jordan sings Kumbaya (but really chooses UTV):
“Both are one in the same in terms of being able to see amazing sights, get to destinations not easily reached, and go on overnight adventures leading to who knows what. All night wrenching or all night throwing down on some trails.
It’s not about what you’re riding but the fun you are having. Heck, we’ve done it in ol’ beater cars, golf carts, go karts, and mowers—if you got a ride, bring it!
I’m a little hard on stuff riding wise, some may say, so I don’t feel so bad rock bouncing the RZR instead of a Jeep. The RZR has held up great and I’m very impressed. Luckily I work for an amazing company that helps feed my passion. At SuperATV, when I do need replacement parts from internal transmission goods to new fender flares, and the list goes on, we got it.”
There’s a handy-dandy comments section down below for you to tell us why we’re wrong. That’s really all it’s for. So if you think we missed the point or that anybody who buys a side-by-side is a sucker, please share.
What do you think? Is the two for one Wrangler unbeatable value, or are the uncompromising side-by-sides worth the price?
24 Comments
I choose SXs. Buts thats because i ride the dunes mostly. Not sure a jeed can fly like the rzr.
Thanks for reading, Stacy! We love them both, but obviously favor side-by-sides a little. 🙂
I have both (sort of)… a WJ (Grand Cherokee) and a SxS. I got the WJ before the SxS mainly as a way to get out on the trails during the hot months. And so since it’s been super hot lately, I took it out a few weekends ago. And… it just wasn’t even close. The SxS is SO much more fun I can’t even begin to describe it. The Jeep is comfy… leather seats, nice stereo, tinted windows, cold A/C. But even though it’s lifted and has high-end shocks and good tires, it can’t touch the SxS for ride quality. And it definitely can’t keep up with one. I spent two hours doing a short, fun, technical trail that I could cover in a half hour in the SxS.
After that, I’m tempted to sell the WJ, but I have too much invested in it, and it’s a good secondary tow vehicle when my truck is otherwise occupied.
This conversation is where I am torn. I have a TJ Rubicon that is in great shape and can crawl just about anything. The problem is that I don’t have a local park near me to wheel it and wouldn’t feel comfortable taking it to Winrock without a trailer in case of breakdowns. The are 2×2 parks everywhere. If I have to trailer, I am leaning to the 2×2 as it is much smaller to tow. But there is nothing quite like driving the TJ naked down the hwy on a nice sunny day…what to do?? Trade or no trade. It is a hard choice to make.
Nope. Rubicon all-day-long. Sxs is single minded and super expensive when adding truck/trailer. Try figuring out how to get back to the truck on a one way route like Black Bear. How about getting over that pass to the ski resort in the blinding snow. And in the dark getting to the trail head in the cold pouring rain? Never mind going to work everyday. This isn’t even a contest. Sxs does only one thing better. Go so fast you miss everything you came to see out on the trail smh.
Hey Paul, for times when weather is against you, that’s where we come in. We offer windshields, roofs, doors, heaters, and more so you can stay comfortable no matter what hits you. And you can continue to enjoy the view as you cruise along, or hit the gas if you feel like it. However, side-by-side’s are definitely not for everyone. Either way, we appreciate you tuning in!
My wife and I are in our mid 70’s and have gone the gamete – 4 wheelers, side by sides and now a used 2008 Jeep Wrangler JK that we picked up for $10k (had 120k) on it and is Wrangler X. Has cold AC, nice warm heater and comfy seats. I will agree that the side by side will beat the JK for a smoother and faster jaunt, but we’ve slowed down to smell the roses – love the Red Desert, with desert elk, feral horses, antelope, coyotes, all kinds I’d raptors and an occasional moose every now and then and also in the Wind River mountains just outside our back door. We ride with a younger crowd in their RZR four place and Honda Talon, also a four place. We can get just about anyplace they care or can go – maybe not as fast, but hey, we’ve paid our dues and still love to get out. The JK is my daily driver and I’m in love with it. That’s our opinion and if we were forty years younger I’d have both.
Thank you for sharing, Ben! That’s a great testament to both options. Sounds like you’re living the life!
So coming from a moderately built samurai (it’s not a jeep!) then going to SXS’s, I can tell you without a doubt that SXS’s will do *almost everything a trail rig will do AND it will do it in 1/4 of the time AND maybe not even need 4wd to do it. They are so much more capable it’s not even close!
Having said that.. Trail rigs have their place to shine, especially in big rocks where size and brute force matters.
Let’s put $ aside and talk about why we are even on the trails that we are on in the first place. We don’t buy a serious 4×4 to go to work in. And if you do do have a vehicle that can do some of both, that’s great! But if you want to cover amazing amounts of challenging roads and see all kinds of scenery in one given day, you will be driving very slow and cautious even in a well built Jeep than you will in an average side by side. Let alone a performance side by sides that are available. You can’t compare the two because they are built for totally different objectives. It’s like trying to compare a performance snowmobile with a 4×4 truck for getting around in deep snow. It just doesn’t make any sense to try to compare the two. They’re both built for two totally different scenarios. Even though both can do some of the same terrain, the snowmobile will out perform the 4×4 in the deepest snow and the most aggressive climbs. It’s because it was built for that, and the truck was not..
Hey Matt, thanks for tuning in! We’re definitely not saying that it has to be one way or another. Heck, there’s a number of us here at SuperATV that own both, myself included. 🙂 We know they each have their advantages and they are different in many ways. However, it’s a good conversation for many people in the industry. Just some good ol’ garage talk! We appreciate the response.
I have a need for speed – along with power sliding corners, jumping off dunes, and eating all terrain for breakfast. So wether I like it or not, I’m a SxS vote for sure. I also think there is a distinction between turbo and non turbo SxS – the non turbo variety is a closer comparison to the Jeep world, but once you have a turbo in your SxS, you’re in performance territory and closer in relation to a trophy truck, which is a whole different experience on a lot of levels. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jeeps, but I love catching some air off a dune more 😃
Great write up, exactly what I was looking for and thinking! Great comments as well. Agree that both are different tools for different jobs. In a perfect world, have both! For what my wife and I are looking for right now, an off road vehicle with protection from the elements that can get us on the backroads and trails of Northern Idaho, seems like a used jeep for under 10k is the best option for us right now. AC, heat, wipers, windshield, street legal, room for cooler and dog and gear, cheap enough to not care about scratching it up or hurting it. A tool to get us where our expensive new gmc at4 duramax cant! (already have scratches all down the sides from narrow overgrown roads!)
Thanks for the feedback, Steve! Sounds like you’ve weighed your options and chose the right one for you. We wish you the best of luck with your new rig!
We go further than we even care to go with a stock Wrangler. We know a Side by Side will go further past where we want to go anyways. Wrangler is so awesome we can pull it behind the MH and unhook it and drive everywhere. Awesome in big cities etc.
As Rubicon people ready for the toughest trails…. I was thinking about buying a General XP 4 1000 or an RZR XP 4 1000 VS a New Rubicon (would still have to lift and get 35-40’s and tires are expensive now). … We already have a big truck and trailer and thought the UTV would be fun and kind of the same (minus AC and heated seats). I really liked this post! Didn’t really help my decision, but it’s all true. They’re both fun. The only thing I can think of is an Ultimate RZR 4 or General 4 will not have an extra $100 for insurance per month and yearly title and plates and would cost much less ( half as much) than a new Rubicon with all options. Hummm
Good read. I’ve had many jeeps. Had a 4 door JK on tons and 40’s that was so perfect I was nervous wheeling it. Right now I have a stretched YJ on JK axles atlas case and 37’s that does very well in the rocks… but it’s sooo slow. I trailer anyway so that factor is out. Now that I see people throwing 35’s on the KRX4 and doing the rubicon trail I’m really thinking about making the switch. Good to read others opinions.
Of all the comparisons between jeeps and UTV, which ones are just simply more comfortable over bumpy roads? I am doing dich work on bumpy canal roads and am looking for the most comfortable off road vehicle. Anyone have a comment ? Thank you.
Hey Ron, you probably won’t be able to beat a nice Wrangler for that sort of thing. A Rubicon comes with 32″ tires and has suspension travel about on par with a 72″ wide Maverick X3. Plus, you get AC, heat, a fully enclosed cab, and passenger seats (as opposed to race seats). If you want to get wild, a UTV would be better, but for staying comfortable on bumpy roads, I’d stick with a Jeep.
I have both, a 2005 LJ on 37’s and a 2021 turbo s4,.. both are modified… I take the RZR out more because is just more fun.. and by more.. I mean a lot more..
If i go Jeep it will be an old small version (Scout 800) or a Samurai. All the goats are out eating the neighbors hubcaps because I have been on this old fence so long. Solid axle vs independent, street legal vs trailer tow and etc, etc. Some things that I have spent time on lately are drivetrains and durability issues (“issues” are often abuse driven and still can be learned from) and the availability of fully functional (and controllable) locking differentials for front and rear for the Jeep type (I have a 1966 IHC Scout 800 project). I have read a lot about the dreaded turf mode and it’s elimination from the otherwise awesome Super ATV RZR, General versions. I would love to just build what I want up from the aftermarket and not have to throw away half a vehicle is another aspect. I have enjoyed learning about all of these and am a retired machinist, this is all a great deal of fun for me to see from the original Jeeps, Dodge Power Wagons and now UTV’s (plenty to dig thru). If i go Jeep it will be an old small version (Scout 800) or a Samurai and at least heavily inspired by UTV’s (some have blended the two already). Closing off with looking forward to what the younger folks will come up with next on these , more in future for street legal? Drivetrains that can accommodate pavement and hard pack as well as “turf”? Manual gears vs auto belt CVT? 🙂
Great thoughts, Tim! Thanks for reading and sharing your knowledge with us.
I love the honesty of your site. I am going to buy my wife a 76 cj5 and narrow down the fat tires so she can ride the trails with her brother in his polaris ranger. This will save me about ten thousand green backs. Thanks again for this great site.
Thanks, John! We appreciate the support.