We looked and rode both on the sand dunes and decided that being able to "drive it home" after a day of playing sealed the deal on the jeep.

 

Be tough to Drive the Polaris to work on route 80 so I went with the JKU

I used to have Quads when I did a lot of Off-Roading. I NEVER saw the sanity in beating the Shizzle out of my $45,000 Jeep
I had a Trailer that I towed my Quads (if need be) Behind my Jeep.

 

After I pay of my Jeep I am (hopefully) getting a 4 seater Artic Cat for the go fast factor.

 

I have both. They each have there place, my jeep is my dd/ rock crawler where as my rzr I use out in the desert to go fast through the whoops and sand. Depending on what you plan on using the vehicle for.

 

If both are just going to be toys and not DD then the side x side would be a kick but if you are driving to trails or family trips the jeep wins.

 

I had a rzr 800.. it was modded up big time. I really enjoyed it. however when I was given a Polaris sportsman 500 for free. I sold the rzr (was making payments) traded my truck and bought my JKUR..

 

I have a JKUR and want a RZR1000 too !
I've driven my Jeep offroad enough to realize it is a slow speed moderate terrain vehicle at best no matter how much money I throw at it.
In hindsight I would have left the JKUR completely stock and bought a two seat razor to get crazy in, with all the money I've already spent and plan to spend it would of been a wash.

 

I have a 2015 JKUR and a 2011 Teryx 750 special edition sport. Both have their place in amusing me! haha. The Teryx is fun and more compact (obviously), so its the go to for my upstate NY property. Its actually kinda of a funny comparison actually, the sidexsides are usually compared to four wheelers and the down fall of the sidexside is the size. So I guess only in comparison to a Jeep, will the sidexside be preferred due to size!

 

Depends on where and how you off road. I live near the mountains and the good trails are tight and bumpy. A Jeep just doesn't fit down most of them. There are bigger trails but we liked getting deep into the forest away from everyone else. If you are looking to drive tight, rough trails with some speed I would say a side by side is a better choice. I sold my quad to my brother in-law last fall and I have missed that thing ever since. I will have another one when I have more time to ride. They are fun.

 

If you want to buy a turnkey rig that will drive over everything, get a RZR. If you want a daily driver that can do moderate trails, get a jeep.

 

I have a 2011 Polaris Ranger 500 EFI. We use it on our 136 acre woodlot, it can go into places where a CJ wouldn't fit. Also do some playing on old logging roads & railbeds. That being said I don't think I'd want to do many highway miles w/ it.

 

http://youtu.be/fgGm0mA1FLY a side by side comparison

 

How are the side by sides on mountain mining roads like those around Ouray CO or on typical Jeep trails?

 

I've been really thinking about getting a side by side in addition to my JKR. However, the people I've seen out on the trails in side by sides and ATVs recently has me doubting that I would enjoy it. Last time out at an off road park, many of them were quite drunk. Their coolers with alcohol were their main provisions. Most didn't even have CB radios. They were losing members of their groups and some of them were wandering around lost.

Our small group of just a YJ, TJ, JK, and a Toyota even offered to help a couple in a lost side by side by leading them out. They only stayed with us for about 10 minutes before they just took off in another direction. We tried to find them but couldn't. When most everyone was back at the trail head enjoying some BBQ, we found out they were still lost and a search party was looking for them and a couple others.

I'm trying to find out if this is typical. If it is, I don't think I'll be investing the money in one unless some of my current full size wheeling friends buy them also.

 

Every sport/activity ends up with a couple of drunk idiots. But I does seem like quite a few people in the sbs are like that( my experiences at glamis) but there are people like myself and others on this forum with sbs that try and be more respectable.

 

We've had ATV's for years and love them. The wife wanted a side by side. I started looking, and determined that the Jeep was the ultimate SxS.

I generally see the bad behavior more at ORV parks than out on the trails. I have no problem educating anyone how to tread lightly and on trail etiquette.

 

I've owned both, and by that I mean Jeeps for the last 40 years, and side by sides for the last decade. Most recently I had both, in the two door versions. The Jeep was a 2014 JK with a 3" lift, Fox reservoir shocks, Dynatrac Pro Rock 60s, and 37" tires. The side by side is a 2015 Polaris Rzr 1000 XP Fox Edition.

But to answer your question I have to say that it depends on what you would be using it for. If it is going to be a daily driver that goes off road on mild to moderate terrain at a slow pace the Jeep would be best. If it is for an off road toy, the side by side is going to be a whole lot better.

The side by side beats the Jeep for off road use. No bullshit electronic nannys like ABS or ESC that can cause dangerous situations in off road use. Much better suspension, much better handling, better power to weight ratio, and better capability. You can spend thousands of dollars on upgrades for the Jeep, and it wont be as good as a stock side by side.

I bought my side by side on a Tuesday, and raced it in a local desert race that Saturday. The local racing organization had very loose rules for required safety equipment, so I made no changes at all. I pulled up to the starting line with a completely stock Rzr XP 1000 Fox Edition. At the end of the day nothing had broke, and everything was working perfectly, despite hours of wide open throttle, flogging the crap out of that side by side.

 

I've owned both, and by that I mean Jeeps for the last 40 years, and side by sides for the last decade. Most recently I had both, in the two door versions. The Jeep was a 2014 JK with a 3" lift, Fox reservoir shocks, Dynatrac Pro Rock 60s, and 37" tires. The side by side is a 2015 Polaris Rzr 1000 XP Fox Edition. But to answer your question I have to say that it depends on what you would be using it for. If it is going to be a daily driver that goes off road on mild to moderate terrain at a slow pace the Jeep would be best. If it is for an off road toy, the side by side is going to be a whole lot better. The side by side beats the Jeep for off road use. No bullshit electronic nannys like ABS or ESC that can cause dangerous situations in off road use. Much better suspension, much better handling, better power to weight ratio, and better capability. You can spend thousands of dollars on upgrades for the Jeep, and it wont be as good as a stock side by side. I bought my side by side on a Tuesday, and raced it in a local desert race that Saturday. The local racing organization had very loose rules for required safety equipment, so I made no changes at all. I pulled up to the starting line with a completely stock Rzr XP 1000 Fox Edition. At the end of the day nothing had broke, and everything was working perfectly, despite hours of wide open throttle, flogging the crap out of that side by side.

Amen brother, that is exactly why I want a side by side.
Don't get me wrong I really like my jeep for cruising over mountain passes from town to town at low speeds but after 40+ years of higher performance off-road machines I really miss getting my adrenalin pumping.
The OP's decision of one or the other doesn't seem that difficult .... To me they only share a very narrow area of performance. The Jeep at one end of the spectrum can be used as a daily commuter or family car for that matter and the Razor is a off-road race ready machine at the other end .

 

I've got a Jeep instead of a side by side for many of the reasons above. I can drive it around town. I don't need a truck and trailer to get it to the trail. Etc, etc.

But there are other reasons. Jeeps are comfy. Real seats, air conditioning, heat, a top that keeps the rain out, tunes. I'm not covered in dust after a day on the trail. My allergies don't go nuts from all the dust, pollen, etc. either. I can carry more stuff. And here in Nevada, I can take most trails that a side by side can. We just don't have the trees and such that prevent passage.

 

Very different animals.

If you NEED it to pull double duty, being a DD, a road tripper or just need on road capability, then the jeep is the obvious choice.

If your just looking for an off road toy, the side by side might fit the bill better, assuming you have a way to get it where you want it, it fits your needs and is allowed where you want to use it.

ANOTHER OPTION - would be to consider an older model jeep set up specifically for your needs while keeping it street legal. Easy to tow to your destination, can run into town, less stressful to wheel than a $30k - $40k JK.

 

the SxS scene in like what snowmobiling was back in the 70s. I hear you about "circling the wagons". While snowmobiling you'll come to a trail intersection & there will be sleds all over the place. You have to stop & wait while a 2 or 3 of the sledders start & move their sleds out of the way so you can continue. I just glare @ the idgits as we pass thru.

I'm on a Ranger forum & I can't believe that 1 of the 1st mods people want to add is a sound bar. I can't imagine wanting what w/ the engine/drivetrain noise & wearing a helmet, it's difficult enough to hear the passenger talk.

 

I have both, a 2008 JK Sahara and a 2012 RZR900XP. I have put a lot of money into both and like both equally. When its 105 here in Arizona or raining the JK gets the nod. The RZR is a great rock crawler, I have run Pritchit in Moab and don't worry about body damage like I would with the JK. If you can swing it have both! I spend a lot of time in Glamis during the winter and it would really suck if I had to cruise the JK thru the dunes.

 

I Love the comments that put things into prospective. We all need to quit trying to compare a Jeep with a side by side. Both are two totally different machines with totally different capabilities. I’ve just returned from Moab for my first time and took a rzr turbo S up there with me after my 5th year of driving them. I noticed challenges on the hardest trails Moab has to offer that the fully built Jeeps performed better and smoother on, even though they seemed a little slower doing them. But it was awesome to watch them! But I also noticed challenges that side by sides performed better on than Jeep’s as well. Overall, on a 4x4 trail, a performance side x side will out perform a fully built Jeep in speed and capability. It’s really like a snowmobile on land. That’s the best way I can describe them. But both are very fun and impressive in different situations, but really, it doesn’t make sense to compare one against another..
They’re truly two different animals..
Just drive them both to their fullest potential!!

 

Not sure where you are located but if considering a SxS check your local laws. Here they are not allowed on the atv trails thank god even though I see them out there. So you spend 20+K and can only use them on the same roads you take you jeep on and the dunes. Search Rubicon vids on a SxS it doesn't look near as fun as the jeep plus not room to pack gear.

 

Get a Jeep and a YZ450f