I am thinking about getting a new vehicle and I can't decide between which! Elite Energy 35 Ninja 29" 70lbs. QAD HDX HHA Optimizer Pro Easton Axis TRU Ball NAP Killzones HHS Hybrid
completely depends on what you want/need it for. I sold my 02 Wrangler TJ which was fairly built, and then traded my 08 Ram 1500 quad cab hemi 4x4 for a 2013 Wrangler Unlimited with the Pentastar V6 (or as jeepers call it, the Jesus Engine.) There were several reasons for this: 1) I have no kids, had 4 vehicles and only a 3 car garage. The old Jeep and the Ram were strictly for play, but admittedly, I play hard. 2) the old jeep towing capacity was somewhere slightly above that of a Chevette. If you are too young to remember Chevettes, good for you. Google it. 3) The old Jeep was an absolute money pit. I loved it, and it was fun, but over the course of 3 years I only drove it about 4000 miles per year and I guarantee I spent about $4000/year on mods. That's a dollar per mile in "maintenance fees" if you want to look at it that way. Would you happily spend a dollar per mile on your daily driver commuter vehicle? Probably not. 4) I didn't really "need" a pickup truck, I needed something that could drive through snow and tow a 3000lb camper, camping/hunting gear, and occasionally some crap from Lowes/Home Depot, etc. 5) When the Pentastar engine replaced the old 3.8 V6 in the 2013 Wranglers, towing capacity went from 2500lbs to 3500lbs. All that, plus I get to shred offroad trails, envied by many, get oggled by country girls, and take the top and doors off when it's nice outside? SOLD. Plus, several of my friends with crossover SUVs all agree that the interior of my Wrangler is larger and more "family friendly" than their glorified grocery getters. All that being said, the Wranglers have their shortcomings. For one, the sheet metal is paper thin and dents like crazy, especially considering how much the chassis flex when off-roading. But I rarely regret swapping the pickup for it, and I don't miss the old TJ kicking both my spine and my wallet all over the place one bit.
Don't know what your looking to spend or how old you want to go but my favorite hunting vehicle I have had is 96 Cherokee I have now. I have an 06 F150 Extended cab, 09 Silverado, Ford ranger and now the cherokee. I like it because it's small enough to get down well groomed ATV trails turns on a dime and the cabin is big enough to put all my equipment in and I can still make room for a deer if I get one. I do have the seat cusion part of the backseat out and just lay the back down flat. It's easy to work on and actually parts are cheap and are everywhere. I have had it over a year now and it hasn't left me anywhere and the gas mileage is better than any 4x4 pick up will be. Not amazing but better. I will say if you decide to go the cherokee route do your research, learn about all the places to look for rust and go after 97-early build 99s. They have better axles and built in cup holders you know the important stuff. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
I have owned 3 Jeeps. A 1979 CJ-5, a 1994 Wrangler, and a 1996 Cherokee sport. All manual transmissions. The '79 had a straight 6 with 3 speed, the '94 had a 2.5 4cyl with 5-speed (can you say gutless?), and the '96 had the 4.0 HO with 5speed. The Cherokee was really the only vehicle suited for a hunting vehicle. Two door Wranglers have no storage space and unless you put a hitch with a deer hauler you will struggle to haul gear and deer in it LOL. The Cherokee was a 2 door also but with the seat folded foward you could fit gear for 2 guys and 2 deer in it. I still prefer a truck for ease of use. Plus that 4.0 only got 17mpg. Most full sized trucks are at least close to that.
Truck. You know what I've never had a problem with? Wondering if I have enough room for gear and hunting buddies.
had 2 Cherokee "classics"; a 93 2 door Sport and a 99 4 door Classic. Awesome vehicles, got over 170k on each of them and both were still running strong when I got rid of them. That 4.0 inline 6 was bombproof. Only thing I ever had to do the drivetrain on either one was clutch work on the 93 and trans seals on the 99. That 99 is still the best vehicle I've ever driven in deep snow. That being said, my Wrangler unlimited's interior is at least as big as the 4 door Cherokee, PLUS it's a convertible when I want it to be.
I love jeeps... But I have to have a truck. A jeep is really not good for much if any hauling. But if I had lots of money I would have a 4door keep and my truck!
I own a 4 cylinder Jeep Patriot and its small but the price of gas is out of control, my commute to and from work is rarely under an hour and a half each way, plus my Jeep is a 4x4 for tough winters here in NY. But, to each his own! Best of luck deciding which is right for you!
I have had a 79 CJ7, a 96 S-10, and currently have a 2005 Colorado. For hunting purposes, I like the truck platform better. The Jeep, as has been mentioned, has limited storage/hauling capacity. To haul a deer and all your gear, you pretty much have to have a hitch-and-haul or small trailer. The truck is much easier. The problem I have with small SUVs is that no matter how much you try and avoid it, you will end up getting blood from the dead deer inside your vehicle and then you will have to scrub the stain to get it out. With a truck, hose out the bed and your done. Yes, the Jeep is more off road capable but a small 4x4 truck should be enough to get you in and out of tight places without getting stuck. Until the 2015 Colorado comes out this fall, small trucks are pretty much either a Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier. If gas mileage and tight spaces are of no concern, any of the full size truck 4x4s would work well also. But either way, having owned both, I would pick a truck if deer hunting is a main focus of the vehicle.
Use to have a '74 CJ-5, candy apple red sitting on 35" mud terrain Dunlop's. Rebuilt 360, 4 barrell, 3 speed and loud as can be. She was bad...but so were the girls that it attracted. However, it only got 7mpg and at the time, I couldn't afford it so now it belongs to someone else
One of each preferably lol.....Like the others said it totally depends on your main needs. I am fortunate to have both a truck and a jeepWhen I have my kids and we are going camping or something and need more dry storage I use the Jeep. When I need to haul my tractor, boat, etc or pick up lumber or something like I use the truck...
I guess I am the odd ball again. I have a Jeep Truck. Bought it new in 1972. I don't ever see getting rid of it.
