The Best Side-by-Side UTVs of 2024
Are you ready to blast through sand dunes, peel through mud, and explore some of the world’s toughest trails? Looking for an easier way to get into the backcountry or just feed your friends a face full of dirt? Sounds like you need some seat time in side-by-side UTVs (utility task vehicles), the ultimate outdoor vehicles.
UTVs—also called side-by-sides (SXSs)—are relatively small, maneuverable four-wheeled vehicles designed for off-road use. Ideal for navigating tight trails and rough terrain, UTVs are also great for recreational riding, hunting, and hauling supplies and people to locations where a road-going vehicle might be impractical. Can-Am Maverick R X RS is our pick for the best overall side-by-side you can buy today—as long as you’re looking for off-road thrills and not a farm or ranch workhorse.
But to help guide your search, we’ve rounded up our favorite side-by-side UTVs for 2024—including an EV model—for sport, ranch work, and leisure. Any of these four-wheeled beasts will satisfy your off-road appetite.
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Best Overall Side-by-Side: Can-Am Maverick R X RS Smart-Shox 
Can-Am Maverick R X RS Smart-Shox Side-by-Side UTV
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Can-Am launched a brand spankin’ new unlimited-class sport machine for 2024. The new Maverick R is easily the wildest production side-by-side we’ve ever seen or driven. Its turbo-charged engine cranks out a face-melting 240 horsepower, and runs it through an impossibly fast 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. The striking “Tall Knuckle” suspension system is easily the smoothest and most stable we’ve tested to date, especially when bolted to the Fox Podium Smart-Shox found on the flagship version. Simply put, this is the fastest production UTV in the world.
Best Budget Sport Side-by-Side: Kawasaki Teryx KRX 1000 eS 
Kawasaki Teryx KRX 1000 eS Side-by-Side UTV
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If you’re looking for an extremely capable rig but don’t need the ungodly power of a turbo-charged machine, Kawasaki’s Teryx KRX 1000 delivers serious bang for your buck. The brand’s “eS” trim level is our favorite option because it includes Fox’s outstanding 2.5 Podium Live Valve Internal Bypass shocks while still coming in well below the $25K mark. You’re also getting shift-on-the-fly electronic four-wheel drive and a locking front differential; a rugged CVT transmission; and Kawasaki’s electronically controlled suspension, which offers three selectable modes (soft, medium, and firm) without touching a single clicker. The eS model also comes equipped with a Hifonics stereo system and 31-inch tires spooned onto bead-lock wheels, making it a particularly smart buy compared to the base model.
Best Recreational Side-by-Side: Polaris RZR XP 1000 Sport 
Polaris RZR XP 1000 Sport Side-by-Side UTV
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For 2024, the entire Polaris RZR XP lineup, the industry’s best-selling sport side-by-side, has been completely redesigned from the ground up with a focus on class-leading durability, comfort, and performance. It’s available in two- and four-seat configurations in three trims: Sport, Premium, and Ultimate. RZR XP Sport certainly has plenty of oomph: Owners can enjoy 114 horsepower from a ProStar 1000 Gen 2 engine. Extra traction for technical terrain comes via Polaris’ fast engaging on-demand All Wheel Drive system. Rocks, roots, sand, and mud are no match for this rig’s 20 inches of usable travel and 2.5-inch Walker Evans Racing needle shocks. It features 29-inch Trailmaster X/T tires, color-matched seats and springs, LED headlights, illuminated in-cab switches, and a new digital display. To fully align the ride experience with the terrain, there are four RZR XP rider collections with more than 60 accessories–doors, storage, fender flares, windshields–designed for trail, mud, backcountry, and all-season use.
Best Four-Seater Side-by-Side: Can-Am Maverick X3 Max X Rs Turbo RR Smart-Shox 
Can-Am Maverick X3 Max X Rs Turbo RR Smart-Shox Side-by-Side UTV
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Four-seat UTVs are great for hauling friends and family, but Can-Am’s top-of-the-line Maverick X3 Max Turbo RR also happens to be great for hauling ass. Ultra-wide, ultra-stable, and ultra-powerful—thanks to a 200-horsepower 900cc Rotax engine—Turbo RR will take you and three lucky passengers just about anywhere on the planet. This machine wants for nothing with Smark-Lok differentials, 22 inches of suspension travel via Fox 3.0 Podium Smart-Shox, 32-inch tires on bead-lock wheels, and a trophy truck-style double A-arm front end. The Smart-Shox version also gets upgraded 4-point harnesses throughout, which your kids will appreciate whenever all four wheels leave the ground.
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Best Reliable Side-by-Side: Yamaha YXZ1000R SS XT-R 
Yamaha YXZ1000R SS XT-R Side-by-Side UTV
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With its factory-installed Warn winch, red and tan livery, color-matched wheels, and 998cc inline-triple engine, Yamaha YXZ1000R SS XT-R is a stylish and high-spec standout among UTVs. Its drivetrain incorporates Yamaha’s On-Command 4WD system for ultimate traction with easily selected 2WD, 4WD limited-slip, and 4WD full-differential lock modes. Lower-spec versions of YXZ1000R are the only game in town with a true manual transmission (which is just as fun as it sounds), but we’re also big fans of the flagship trim XT-R’s “Yamaha Sport Shift” system, which employs a 6-speed sequential gearbox (no CVT here) with an automatic clutch for maximum power and traction at all times.
Best Sport/Utility Side-by-Side: Kawasaki Ridge XR HVAC 
Kawasaki Ridge XR HVAC Side-by-Side UTV
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Sport/utility UTVs are the most versatile rigs out there, combining equal parts work and play for speed when you want it and capability when you need it. Kawasaki earns our top pick in the segment with its all-new Ridge XR HVAC, which delivers more bang for your buck than anything else on the market. Major highlights include a rev-happy 116-horsepower, inline-4-cylinder engine, as well as a fully enclosed cab with both heat and air conditioning. Pricing was just announced for the brand-new Ridge and it starts at $23,999 for the base model; $29,999 for XR; and $31,999 for XR HVAC, featured here. That reasonable sum buys you a bunch of goodies like selectable four-wheel drive, locking differentials, selectable power modes, a handsome full-color TFT dash, an HVAC system (hence the name), as well as serious utility specs like a 2,000-pound tow/haul rating and an extra-large dump bed rated for 1,000 pounds. We’ll also note that Kawasaki offers the best warranty in the business with a full three years of coverage, adding serious value to a rig that’s intended to work as hard as it plays.
Best Budget Side-by-Side: Honda Pioneer 1000-5 
Honda Pioneer 1000-5 Side-by-Side UTV
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Honda Pioneer 1000-5 Side-by-Side UTV can tow the whole crew around, thanks to its 999cc parallel twin engine. We love the extra safety touches Honda includes as standard, like debris-blocking side nets and an effective traction control system, which uses the brakes to limit wheel spin for optimal grip in place of a locking differential. The base model Pioneer is a great deal at well under $20,000, but if extra features are what you’re after, Honda offers three additional trim levels with extra seats, storage space, a 4,500-pound winch, and even Fox QS3 shocks.
Best Entry Level Side-by-Side: Yamaha Wolverine X2 850 R-Spec 
Yamaha Wolverine X2 850 R-Spec Side-by-Side UTV
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Entry level isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Yamaha Wolverine X2 850 is wildly affordable, yet also benefits from one of the most reliable engines on the market, Big Blue’s 847cc parallel twin. The power plant has more than enough giddyup to keep you entertained on the trail, but this rig is also built to work with a 2,000-pound towing capacity and a cargo bed that’s rated up to 600 pounds. The X2’s narrower 62-inch width and 84-inch wheelbase also make it well-suited to narrow trails than your typical recreational side-by-side, so it’s a great candidate if you’re looking to venture deeper into the woods for work or play.
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More Side-by-Side UTVs We Love
As far as halo products go, look no further than the 74-inch, wide-open stance RZR Pro R Ultimate. Polaris’ strongest RZR, the 2024 Pro R Ultimate has an all-new chassis that delivers two times the torsional stiffness. A welded one-piece cage is built from two-inch tubing with tapered joints for added strength. A ProStar Fury 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, 16-valve engine delivers 225 horsepower and features a naturally aspirated design for cooler operating temps and improved reliability. It also comes with Dynamix DV advanced suspension control with modes for Rock, Comfort, Track, and Baja—all controlled via a glove-friendly seven-inch touchscreen display. Want to crank some music? A Rockford Fosgate Stage 2 audio system ensures everyone in the vicinity will enjoy. Choose between two- and four-seat options.
Best Side-by-Side for Families: Honda Talon 1000R Fox Live Valve 
You can’t go wrong with any model in Honda’s Talon 1000 lineup, but 1000R Fox Live Valve is our weapon of choice from Big Red. These sporty side-by-side UTVs come in both two- and four-seat versions, and they all share the same high-output 999cc engine and snappy dual-clutch automatic transmission. Talon also gets Honda’s exclusive i-4WD tech, an intelligent system that offers brake traction control, hill-start assist, and electronic brake force distribution, all of which translates to better grip on challenging surfaces without using a locking front diff. As the name suggests, the Live Valve version also gets Fox’s automatically adjusting suspension; Honda’s riotous “launch mode” function; as well as a generous helping of standard factory accessories including lower door panels, a full-length roof, and window screens for front and rear seats.
Best Utility Side-by-Side: Polaris Ranger XD 1500 
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There are hard-working UTVs, and then there’s Polaris Ranger XD 1500. To put it plainly, this is the most impressive utility rig currently available on four wheels, sporting a jaw-dropping 3,500-pound towing capacity and an equally impressive 2,110-pound payload capacity. That’s better than some street-legal pickup trucks, and if you opt for the six-passenger version, it’s got more seating than most pickups, too. The bed box alone is rated to carry up to 1,500 pound of whatever your heart desires, so chances are you’ll run out of work before the Ranger runs out of steam.
Best Side-by-Side for Hunting: Can-Am Commander X MR 
Built with recreation and hunting in mind, this mud-ready, camouflaged, 64-inch-wide beast can haul up to 1,030 pounds—so it’ll have no problem carting mountain bikes or bringing home that Booner whitetail you’re going to tag this season. The Commander X MR has 15 inches of ground clearance and the XPS Swamp Force tires will have you flying through muck with ease. It comes with a 4,500-pound winch, features a 7.6-inch digital display with keypad on the dash, and its 100-horsepower Rotax 1000R V-twin 976cc engine has enough grunt to get you out of (almost) anything.
Best Bang for Your Buck Side-by-Side: CFMoto ZForce 950 H.O EX
