UTV Driver 10 Best Side-by-Sides

The past 12 months have seen a flood of new side-by-sides from all corners of the market. Whether you’re shopping for a bare-bones utility vehicle or an all-out unlimited-class brawler, there’s probably a new machine out there with your name on it. Everyone from Segway to Honda and Kawasaki fleshed out their model lines in a big way.

We spent hundreds of hours riding, testing, and evaluating side-by-sides in 2023. That work took us to two continents and all over the United States, from Wyoming to North Carolina, Utah to Colorado. All the while, we kept our eyes open for machines that would earn a spot on our 2023 10 Best list.

As in the past, those vehicles must be 2023 models, so while rigs like the 2024 Polaris RZR XP 1000 and 2024 Can-Am Maverick R bowed this year and won high praise, they aren’t eligible for a 2023 award. That doesn’t mean we’re hurting for excellent machines. We’ve chosen the best 2023 model side-by-sides for sale today across 10 categories. Let’s get started.

When it comes to work rigs, the utility segment is packed with cowboy Cadillacs that offer high-end interiors, mega stereos, and insane suspensions. That stuff doesn’t count for much when there’s work to be done day in and day out. If you’re looking for a no-nonsense rig to handle the chores, the 2023 Polaris Ranger is hard to beat. Often overlooked compared to its XP 1000 siblings, the base machine still boasts a competent 61 hp engine, clever storage solutions, and a 1,000-pound bed capacity. That’s more than enough for most tasks, and the base rig’s $14,799 base price is a breath of fresh air in our age of machines with price tags that can easily triple that figure.

We’d opt for the middle-spec EPS model at $16,499 and be plenty happy. While the stamped steel wheels won’t win any beauty contests, its 2,500-pound towing capacity has the muscle to move what needs moving.

Like any good work rig, the selectable locking rear differential means there’s grip when you need it, and an open axle when you need to tread lightly on a pasture. What more does a workhorse need?

There are times when you need a little more grunt than what the Ranger 1000 can deliver. For that, we turn to the 2023 Can-Am Defender XT HD10. The XT package classes up the joint with niceties like aluminum wheels, a bumper, power steering, and most importantly, a full roof. And while you can get the XT with a variety of engines, the 82-hp V-twin in the HD10 is a perennial favorite around here. It’s no secret that we’re Defender fans. We spent the better part of a week bashing around Utah in a pair of the kitted-up Can-Am utility vehicles, and while they’re well suited for light trails, they shine when it comes to getting work done.

While the HD10 shares a 1,000-pound box capacity and a 2,500-pound payload with the Ranger 1000, it’s how the bigger-displacement Can-Am performs with a load behind it that matters. While lower-rung rigs can technically get the job done, the Defender doesn’t feel winded, even when squaring off against maximum capacity.

You also get a Visco-Lok front differential and a selectable locking rear differential with turf mode to keep your grass in place. We also like the machine’s hill descent control. You’ll pay a bit more for all those goodies. The Defender XT HD10 starts just north of $21,000.

Yamaha blew the lid off of the rec-ute segment when it introduced the Wolverine RMAX 2 1000 in 2021. While the Polaris General XP 1000 and Can-Am Commander both offer plenty of do-it-all for the dollar, the RMAX remains our favorite of the bunch. Even two years on, the rig remains a bright spot, offering an excellent suspension and some of the best articulation of any machine we’ve tested, rec-ute or not. Yamaha is also the only manufacturer to offer up a 10-year CVT belt warranty. While that would be impressive on a sport machine, it’s mind-boggling on a vehicle with a 2,000-pound towing capacity.

While competitors outside of the segment have stepped up their interior to match or surpass the RMAX’s cabin, the Yamaha still delivers best-in-class fit, finish, and materials. Comfortable seats, plenty of room, and quality switch gear make it seem nicer than its $26,699 base price.

The RMAX also benefits from a rarity in the rec-ute space: a genuine locking front differential. Engage the system and both front wheels pull with equal fury, helping the Yamaha billy-goat its way up otherwise impossible climbs. While other manufacturers rely on clutch-type or, worse, brake-based traction systems, the RMAX gets the power down without hesitation. If that’s not worth a spot on this list, we don’t know what is.

Sure, there are other machines out there we could have picked to be everything to all people, but the Pioneer 1000-6 came away the winner for two very good reasons. First, it will comfortably seat six adults and carry a few hundred pounds of cargo. It took Honda a while to get the seating to cargo ratio right for the Pioneer lineup, but the 1000-6 is a home run on both counts.

Secondly, it has Honda’s wonderful six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The transmission is one of the few in the side-by-side world that will let you pick your own ratios, and it has an automatic mode if you just want to cruise around. That’s indispensable for both work and play. Whether you need a low ratio to get a heavy load moving, carry a load of people up a hill, or you want to keep it in the powerband on the trail, the DCT is down.

As a bonus, you get more direct power delivery, and you never have to fret about burning up an expensive rubber band because you were trying to have a good time. Added to all of that, the 2023 Honda Pioneer 1000-6 is a bargain, starting at $21,899. The rig is pretty bare-bones for that coin, but can be optioned up for comfort and convenience.

If you need the latest and greatest technology and/or a luxurious, sumptuously appointed cabin, look elsewhere. The Pioneer 1000-6 doesn’t do that and it wasn’t designed to. Instead, it’s a hard-working farm tool with a playful streak. It’s tough, affordable, and enough fun to get you and your family out on the trail on the weekends.

The Can-Am Commander 700 might not seem like a lot. It’s small, has a 650cc engine, and isn’t that impressive compared to other models in Can-Am’s lineup. Where it shines, though, is as an affordable weekend off-roader and a low-commitment recreation rig.

The single-cylinder Rotax makes an honest 52 hp and routes that power through a CVT. We know, that sounds like just about every other side-by-side out there, but that’s the appeal of the Commander 700. It does just about everything very well without breaking the bank.

Want to go camping? Throw gear into its 600-pound capacity cargo bed. What about towing and knocking out simple work around the property? With the Commander’s 2,000-pound towing capacity, hauling logs and supplies will be a breeze. Then on the weekend, throw it on a trailer and take it to your local off-road park. With a 1,575-pound dry weight, just about anything with a 2,500-pound towing capacity can tow it. That means that you most likely already have the perfect tow rig sitting in your garage.

All of that wrapped in a package that starts at $15,699 makes the 2023 Can-Am Commander XT 700 one of the most accessible recreation side-by-sides on the market.

For 2023 Honda realized that the Talon was in desperate need of an update, and it delivered. Big Red added a second row of seats to the Honda Talon 1000R-4, giving us a crew version of the Talon with the extra width of the desert-ripping Talon R. To sweeten the pot, Honda put Fox Live Valve on all Talon four-seaters.

That took a dated-but-compelling machine and gave it a new lease on life as a family sport rig with an industry-leading suspension setup. We have loved Live Valve for a long time, and it’s a truly trick piece of gear. As you drive, it reads the terrain thousands of times a second, making seamless adjustments with no driver input. There are two setting modes, Sport and Normal, but the Talon does the rest.

Then there’s the powertrain. Honda bolted in the excellent 999cc parallel twin and six-speed dual-clutch transmission from the Africa Twin motorcycle. The 104-hp mill is engaging, grunty, and eager, and the transmission will let you row your own gears or rely on the computer to do it for you. Either way, it’s seamless and easy to use. Throttle response is a little harsh, but once you’re used to it the rig will handle anything you point it at.

If the performance isn’t enough, the engine and transmission have proven to be Swiss watch-reliable in the adventure bike, racking up hundreds of thousands of miles all over the world.

We drove other rigs this year that did certain things better than the Honda did, but none stacked up overall. When you consider that the Talon 1000R-4 comes in a little under $26,000, it’s hard to argue with.

The Open-class segment is heating up in a real way, and we can all thank Polaris for lighting the stove. The RZR Pro R broke all manner of conventions around what it meant to be a performance side-by-side, from its ballistic, 225-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine to its massive size and optional, advanced adaptive suspension. While competitors are sharpening their pitchforks just over the horizon, the Pro R is still king in 2023.

We love the big, torquey, naturally aspirated engine and predictable CVT gearbox, but the Pro R has a special place in our heart more for what it said than what it’s made of. The Pro R is the first side-by-side to show the world that UTVs are the new frontier of performance. Until very, very recently, there wasn’t another production machine on the planet that could keep pace with a bone-stock Pro R across broken terrain.

This machine is the top of the Polaris food chain, and buyers can pick between two- and four-seat variants if you have friends you need to scare the pants off of. In our testing, the two-door version ripped off a 5.11-second 0–60 mph time with no roll out. That’s a full second quicker than everything else we’ve tested. If outright speed is your jam, the Pro R is the rig to have.

The youth category hasn’t quite caught on yet for side-by-sides. While youth ATVs have been a staple of the market for decades, we really only have one option when it comes to side-by-sides, the RZR 200 EFI.

It’s small and meant for kids, but still loaded with features, many of which are aimed at keeping kids safe when behind the wheel. Starting at $6,799, the RZR 200 is the best entryway into full-size side-by-sides for kids.

The single-cylinder, 180cc engine is similar to the engines found in kart racing. Also like a kart, the RZR 200 is chain-driven and rear-wheel drive. While this saves on repair costs and can teach your children how to maintain a vehicle, it also means that the RZR 200 doesn’t get four-wheel drive.

If you’re worried about your kids getting into trouble while driving, you can set specific parameters for the RZR 200 through Ride Command. You can adjust the top speed and set geo-fence boundaries while your kids are growing into the vehicle. Plus, when you buy a new RZR 200 EFI, Polaris throws two youth helmets into the deal. You’ll need them, because with Helmet Aware technology, the RZR won’t start unless it detects the helmets.

The RZR 200 EFI is a standout in a limited category, and we hope that other brands catch on to offer more options to the youth.

Until now, electric utility side-by-sides haven’t been much more than high-riding golf carts. But Polaris changed that this year when the company partnered with Zero Motorcycles to develop the driveline for the 2023 Ranger XP Kinetic. Until the 2024 Ranger XD 1500 debuted, the Kinetic was the quickest, most powerful Ranger in the manufacturer’s lineup thanks to 110 hp and 140 lb.-ft. of torque from its electric motor. Those are stout numbers, and the Kinetic’s spec sheet doesn’t stop impressing there. The EV can haul 1,250 pounds in its bed and tow 2,500 pounds. Find me a golf cart that can do that.

Range tops out at around 80 miles, which is more than enough for most small farms. But none of that captures what earns the Kinetic a spot on this list: It’s simply a better Ranger in every way. From its dead-silent operation to its easy-shifting transmission (borrowed from the Polaris Slingshot), it takes everything we love about the base, gasoline-powered machine and refines it into something that’s more than a gimmick. Prices start at $24,999 for the lower-range model. If you want the full 80 miles, you’ll want to step up to the $29,999 Kinetic Ultimate. That is, if you can find one.

From what we hear, Polaris has sold every Ranger Kinetic it has built. From our experience behind the wheel, that comes as no shock.

The phrase “luxury side-by-side” seems like an oxymoron. How can something that is meant to work hard, be dirty, and be abused be luxurious? Sure, there are expensive aftermarket stereos and other accessories that will make a sport side-by-side rival a Benz, but we’re looking for the best out-of-the-box trim with all of the features. And for that, we chose the Can-Am Defender Max Lone Star edition.

The 2023 Defender Max Lone Star features a Rotax HD10 engine that pushes 82 hp and 69 lb.-ft. of torque. The Lone Star edition gets a fully enclosed cab, HVAC to stay comfortable no matter the season, a front bumper, rock sliders, and more storage bins than you can count. If that’s not enough, the up trim features special seats with “Lone Star” embroidered on the front to let your friends know that you have the nicest Defender around.

Paying $35,000 might seem like the low end for luxury side-by-side, but the Lone Star is a whole $10,000 more than its direct competitor, the Polaris Ranger Crew XP 1000 Texas edition. Is it worth the extra money? Absolutely, if you want to have the best-looking rig on the farm.

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