Grab your best buggy buddy and head for the untamed outdoors. Rough riding UTV-style is a colossal amount of fun, and the only way it gets better is by sharing it with a friend, which is the whole point of a side-by-side. (If you’d rather ride solo, our guide to the best ATVs for adults has you covered instead.)
It’s perfectly understandable if you find the UTV market a bit confusing. It’s an addictive pastime, and a lot of manufacturers want their piece of the mudder market. That means there are UTVs built for a whole spread of off-road scenarios, which is a good thing. The downside is that it takes some studying to figure out which one is best for you.
This list is designed to take some of the headache out of your UTV homework. We compare the top side-by-sides on the market today on power, handling, reliability and the all-important fun factor.
Looking for the best side-by-side UTV for farm work? The best for family fun? The most reliable buggy, or the best value for your money? We get into all of it below. Strap in, and let’s roll.
The best side-by-side UTVs
Here is our shortlist of the best side-by-side UTVs.
Polaris RZR Pro R
- Best for
- Outrunning your own good judgment.
- Color
- Slate Gray, Earth Blue, Sand Dune
The Polaris RZR Pro R rewrites what a stock side-by-side is capable of. Its naturally aspirated 2.0-liter ProStar Fury four-cylinder produces 225 horsepower with no turbo in sight, the most of any production side-by-side, and pairs it with 29 inches of usable suspension travel across a 74-inch stance. This is the machine that turns a dune run into an event, delivering the kind of ferocious, planted composure at speed that used to be reserved for purpose-built race cars.
Can-Am Maverick R
- Best for
- Desert speed with a co-pilot.
- Color
- Legion Red, Dusty Navy, Triple Black, Loft Green Satin
The Can-Am Maverick R is Can-Am’s answer to the horsepower war, and it swings hard. The Rotax 999T turbocharged triple spins up 240 horsepower, and a clever new transmission fires off gearshifts in around two tenths of a second. Built on a long-travel desert chassis with a wide stance and reworked suspension geometry, it turns high-speed sand and rough terrain into its natural habitat. A four-seat Maverick R MAX joins the lineup for those who ride with a crew.
Polaris RZR XP 1000
- Best for
- Confidence while conquering any course.
- Color
- Stealth Gray, Sand Dune, Indy Red
If the Pro R is more machine than your weekends demand, the Polaris RZR XP 1000 is the sweet spot most riders should actually buy. Its 114-horsepower ProStar 1000 Gen-2 twin and 20 inches of travel bring together giant tires, long-travel suspension and confidence-inspiring handling for a fraction of the flagship’s price. It has everything you need to tackle the trails and nothing you don’t.
Can-Am Maverick X3
- Best for
- Rockin’ out amongst the rocks.
- Color
- Scandi Blue, Dusty Navy, Triple Black
If old-school rock ‘n’ roll was a UTV, it would be the Maverick X3 from Can-Am. Maybe the very best side-by-side for trail riding, Can-Am packs a whole lot of fun into this package, with a turbocharged Rotax triple offered from 135 all the way up to 200 horsepower. Sleek as a speed-demon car, it routinely tops the podium at the Dakar Rally and will rip down your routes with ease.
Kawasaki Teryx KRX 1000
- Best for
- Chasing the sun and standing a good chance of catching it.
- Color
- Smoky Gray, Grayish Blue
Feeling the need for speed? Kawasaki’s Teryx KRX 1000 is a flashy number we’d put up there with zippy 3-wheel motorcycles or sportier electric cars when it comes to the fun factor. The 999cc parallel-twin makes around 110 horsepower, and more than 21 inches of rear travel on Showa 2.5 piggyback shocks soaks up the rough stuff. Just make sure you don’t run out of wilderness before you realize it.
Honda Talon 1000R FOX Live Valve
- Best for
- Leaving behind the jolts and jarring of pre-select suspension systems.
- Color
- Matte Forged Bronze, Pearl Red
What makes the Honda Talon 1000R FOX Live Valve so special? It comes equipped with Honda’s semi-active FOX Live Valve suspension, which adjusts compression damping on the fly, wheel by wheel. Instead of pre-selecting a soft cruise setting or a stiffer one to avoid bottoming out over rough terrain, the system reads the trail in real time and gives you exactly what you need. Paired with Honda’s automatic dual-clutch transmission, it is one of the smartest-riding machines here, and the Talon is back in the lineup for 2026 after a brief hiatus.
Arctic Cat Wildcat XX
- Best for
- When nature growls at you, you growl back.
- Color
- Fossil, Black Magic
Arctic Cat built the Wildcat XX with a bring-it-on attitude. Stuck? Pull yourself free with the included winch. Hit a rocky patch? Sail through on premium Fox 2.5 Podium QS3 shocks with up to 18 inches of travel and 15 inches of clearance. Its naturally aspirated 998cc triple keeps things refreshingly simple in a class chasing turbos, and now comes in Limited and Black Hills trims kitted out to take on the outback.
Kawasaki Ridge
- Best for
- One machine that does everything.
- Color
- Varies by trim
Kawasaki’s Ridge is the newest name on this list and one of the most versatile. It splits the difference between sport and work with a 999cc inline-four making 116 horsepower and 73.8 lb-ft of torque, a 2,500-pound towing rating, and an available fully enclosed cab with heat and air conditioning. Think of it as the luxury SUV of the trail: it can crew up for a workday, then carry you home in genuine comfort.
Yamaha Wolverine X2 1000 R-Spec
- Best for
- Kicking down the doors into the UTV world.
- Color
- Tactical Green, Acid Green
Sometimes you want a transition vehicle, something to take you from your world of slick electric motorcycles into the rougher realm of UTVs. Yamaha’s Wolverine X2 1000 R-Spec turns that trick just fine. Now built around Yamaha’s 999cc twin and the confidence-inspiring Ultramatic CVT, it is easy to handle, generously capable, and one of the friendliest ways into the sport at $16,999.
Polaris XPEDITION
- Best for
- Going far and staying out longer.
- Color
- Slate Gray + more
If your idea of a good weekend involves an off-road camping trailer and a map with no roads on it, the Polaris XPEDITION was built for you. This adventure-focused side-by-side pairs a 114-horsepower ProStar 1000 twin with a 200-plus-mile fuel range, 2,000 pounds of towing, and available Northstar trims with a sealed, climate-controlled cabin. It is overlanding in side-by-side form, engineered to go far and keep you out there longer.
Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic
- Best for
- Letting absolutely nothing hold you back.
- Color
- Icy White Pearl, Polaris Pursuit Camo
Do you have a luxury travel trailer that needs a lift somewhere exotic, or a stubborn tree stump that needs pulling? Polaris’ Ranger XP Kinetic is likely the best utility side-by-side workhorse for the job. Like the best electric pickup trucks, its electric powertrain runs with fewer moving parts to wear out, delivering 110 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque, hauling power to the industry-exclusive tune of 1,250 pounds, and towing power of a jaw-dropping 2,500 pounds. Choose the Premium for value or the Ultimate for up to 80 miles of range.
Kawasaki Mule Pro-FXT 1000
- Best for
- Ruling ranch responsibilities.
- Color
- Super Black, Timberline Green + More
When you need a tough side-by-side for farming, it has to do it all. The Kawasaki Mule Pro-FXT 1000 is up to the task with a full one-ton (2,000-pound) towing capacity, a convertible Trans Cab that flips between three and six seats, and an expansive cargo bed. Powered by a 999cc twin, it is the workhorse that shows up every day and never complains.
Can-Am Commander
- Best for
- Unleashing power and versatility in equal measure.
- Color
- Compass Green, Fiery Red, Triple Black + More
Buckle up for a rollercoaster of rugged reliability. Packed with customizable options for every whim and wallet, the Can-Am Commander is a trusty steed for any adventure or assignment. Higher trims add a 100-horsepower Rotax V-twin, Dynamic Power Steering, a 2,000-pound towing capacity and a generous cargo box, so it hauls, tows and plays in equal measure.
Honda Pioneer 1000-5
- Best for
- Getting the right UTV for the right situation.
- Color
- Hero Red, Black Forest Green, TrueTimber Camo
Honda has gone all in on making the Pioneer 1000-5 ready for just about any situation a side-by-side can meet. Two QuickFlip seats fold up out of the cargo bed, so you can carry five people out to whatever landscape you choose, then flatten them for hauling. For 2026 it gains a new six-speed dual-clutch transmission, throttle-by-wire and fresh drive modes, sharpening an already versatile crossover.
Yamaha Viking VI EPS Ranch Edition
- Best for
- Bringing the entire crew in on the action.
- Color
- Winter White + More
Some jobs require all hands on deck. Yamaha’s Viking VI EPS Ranch Edition is a six-seater with a dumping cargo bed, making it both a utility and personnel carrier. Yamaha’s Ultramatic transmission with Hi/Lo drive plus reverse remains one of the smoothest, most durable drive systems around, and that bed can carry up to 600 pounds of whatever you throw at it.
Segway Villain SX10
- Best for
- Looking like you mean it.
- Color
- Electric White, Bold Black
Segway’s Villain SX10 is built to look like an apex predator. Head-on, the headlights form fierce glowing eyes and the winch gear a snarling mouth. But in the UTV world, looks take a back seat to performance, so can the Villain back up the profile? It can: the 999cc twin makes a strong 105 horsepower for a machine that undercuts most of the sport establishment on price. Segway also builds the industry’s first hybrid side-by-side in the Super Villain, which pushes output well past 190 horsepower.
Hisun Strike 1000R
- Best for
- Asking for more and getting it.
- Color
- Grey, Blue, Tan, Black, Camo
Hisun Motors’ Strike 1000R comfortably straddles the line between a recreational and a utilitarian UTV, and it is the best value on this list. The 976cc V-twin gives plenty of oomph for the money, but what’s most impressive is how much Hisun packs in as standard. A roof, aluminum rims, winch, windshield and side mirrors are chargeable extras on many rivals, yet they come stock on the Strike 1000R at $14,599, alongside standard electric power steering and locking front and rear differentials.
Frequently asked questions about side-by-side UTVs
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