They’d Rather Have Dirt than Diamonds: 5 Reasons Why Women Love Off-Road SUVs
Anyone close to me knows that talking about my Jeep Wrangler (or any other off-roader) opens up a can of worms. Turns out, I'm not the only one.
A little over 10 years ago, my then-fiancé and I took a road trip to Moab, Utah, in our 1996 Land Rover Discovery to visit my uncle. He’d lived there for about 15 years and drove a heavily modified 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. He’d installed a 3.5-inch lift, put it on 35-inch tires, packed it full of locking metal compartments, a CB radio and a winch bumper, plus some other cool off-road gear.
I fell in love immediately.
The Flame Red paint, the beefy tires, the open-air top, the desert-sand blasted patina on its bumpers made me swoon. It was muscle on four whees.
Two years ago my uncle decided to part ways with his Jeep and I jumped at the chance to own it, even if it needed a little TLC. We drove it home to Oregon where my now-husband and I began restoring it. Now it’s my pride and joy. Every time I see my Jeep I have to stop and stare. The ride isn’t great, the soft top is incredibly noisy, and the way its body leans into every turn thanks to its lifted frame is insane—but it’s my favorite car to drive.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Turns Out, I Wasn’t Alone In My Love For a Muscular, Lifted SUV
I started to notice I wasn’t the only one cruising around in a lifted trail-ready SUV. I began noticing modified SUVs—Jeep, Ford Bronco, Toyota 4Runner, Nissan Pathfinder, or Subaru Forester—driven by a women.
It made me wonder, aside from my reasons why I’ll be buried in my off-roader, why do other women enjoy theirs? So, I asked that exact question of women who own trail-worthy SUVs. I was so surprised by their answers, I just had to share them.
For Me, It’s the Off-Roader’s Ability to Explore That Ensnared Me
When I first laid eyes on my modified Wrangler, my thought was, “There’s literally nowhere that thing can’t go.” And to this day, that rings true. Our Land Rover kept up with the Jeep everywhere we’ve taken it, even Moab, but we were nervous and very aware of its limits. The Wrangler, having been driven through every single trail in Moab without a hiccup, has no limits.
That level of confidence is what drew me to it. And many of the nearly 1,000 members of the JeepHERS of San Diego Facebook Group said the same.
Of course, an off-roader’s capabilities were just one of the many reasons these women had a deep love for their modified, lifted, or even fresh-from-the-factory Jeeps.
1. Some Were Born and Bred for That #JeepLife
When she’s not working as the Security Manager at Disneyland, Dawn Beauford is reminiscing about the days she spent riding in her family’s off-roader, a CJ5 nicknamed “Wil E Coyote.” She said growing up in the backseat of such a capable Jeep instilled a love for Jeeps when she was young.
“I was born into the Jeep Life,” Beauford replied. “My parents asked the pediatrician what age they could take me off roading, and they were told, ‘As soon as she can hold her head up on her own.’ At 6 months, I was strapped in the backseat of a CJ5. I grew up Jeeping most weekends, and knew the first vehicle I would buy myself was a Jeep.”
When she was able to, she bought herself her own off-roader, a 2006 Wrangler she nicknamed “The Starry Knight.”
READ MORE: I Went Off-Roading in the New 2024 Jeep Wrangler, and It Blew My Mind
2. Others Fell In Love as a Passenger to Later Become a Pilot
Anne-Marie Reese responded with a picture of her new-to-her Jeep in Moab that she was inspired to buy for herself after she’d attended Jeep meets with her brother. She’d spent a decade as a passenger in either her brother’s off-roader or in a friend’s, but a simple suggestion was enough to inspire her to buy her own.
“I was always a passenger, until one day in 2021 when a friend said, ‘Let her drive.’ In Moab!” Reese wrote. “Since then, he has been letting me drive his JLU with lift and 37s. In December, I finally bought my own.”
She has plans to enjoy it as it came from the factory for a while before modifying it to handle tougher trails. Until then, she’s been enjoying meeting up with the girls in the Jeep group and making friends with like-minded people.
3. One Said a Daring Rescue Helped Her See the Light
Tiana Giebe-Stern responded with a story that earned plenty of reactions from other users. She’d been on a road trip with her family in their trusty minivan when it became stuck. However, her story wasn’t an episode of Matt’s Off-Road Recovery.
“After an entire night of rain, we were mudded in,” she wrote. “Luckily, we had a minivan and plenty of supplies. Two Days later, in the middle of the night, a Jeep group came in to rescue us! I went home and told my husband I needed a Jeep. Six months later, I was a Jeeper!”
Others responded with similar stories, nothing that the Jeep’s ability to get out of sticky situations made them feel more confident.
4. Many Had His-and-Hers Jeeps to Escape
Tonya Ison Langdon, like Beauford and a few others in the group, had been off-roading for decades. Langdon’s family always had Jeeps, and when she’d met her husband, that tradition continued. Eventually, she and her husband discovered hitting the dirt was a great way to connect with her spouse.
“I’ve been off reading since the 1980s,” said Langdon. “It’s only semi-modified since it’s also my work vehicle. My husband and I love exploring dirt roads that lead to mines, abandoned towns (some great ones near Mammoth), and, of course, kicking up dirt in the desert. It’s really our escape pod.”
5. Some Said Their Off-Roader Was a Symbol of Freedom
Rebecca McAlmond Hess also grew up admiring off-roaders, mainly Jeeps, with their lifted stature, large wheels, light bars, and winch bumpers. She’d told herself that one day, she’d bring her childhood dreams to life and own a Jeep of her own. Hess put that dream on the back burner after having children and being caught in a marriage that confined her. Once she found her way out, she made it to a Jeep dealership.
“After my divorce, I bought my first Jeep, a 2014 4-door Wrangler,” Hess responded. “It was big enough to put kids in the back seat, but it was still a Jeep.”
As the kids got older, Hess took them on more trails and unintentionally lit a fire in her daughter’s heart.
“My daughter bought a 2006 TJ [Wrangler] for her first vehicle after she went out with me in my Jeep and fell in love,” she wrote.
And I can honestly say, I get it.
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