The side-by-side is a sort of off-roading cheat code. It doesn’t matter if you buy one emblazoned with BRP or Polaris on it, these specially-designed rigs make even the most novice drivers look like rally legends when they’re wheeling. Sadly, the best ones cost a fortune, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’re willing to go a little slower and have less capability, America’s cheapest side-by-sides offer incredible fun on a budget of under $20,000 and even under $10,000.
One of my upcoming reviews this spring will be on the Can-Am Maverick R X RS. Frankly, that side-by-side is a marvel of engineering. This “car,” as side-by-side manufacturers like to call them, can tear through trails, safely perform wicked airtime jumps, and conquer just about any terrain at just about any speed you’re brave enough to go. And these things have so much ridiculous power that triple digit speeds are possible. There is not a stock 4×4 truck or SUV on the market that could hold a candle to the best side-by-sides.
But here’s the thing: For how wonderfully awesome the Can-Am Maverick and its Polaris RZR competition are, they’re ridiculously expensive. The Maverick R X RS I tested commands $44,299. Even the cheapest Maverick R is still $35,499. You can buy a decent new car for that kind of money. Heck, you could buy a new Nissan Sentra and a really nice new motorcycle or multiple V6 Ford Mustangs.
If you thought that was expensive, buckle up. This year, Polaris launched the Polaris RZR Pro R Factory, the side-by-side market’s only factory-built race-ready rig. This nutty thing, which has an astonishing spec sheet and is built specifically as a turn-key vehicle for a professional racing team, starts at $139,999 and rises to $149,999 if you want it with 255 HP.
But what if you aren’t sitting on luxury car money to buy an off-road-only toy? Hey, look, I get it. So, let’s maximize your fun while minimizing your spend. I’ll be clear from the start here. No low-cost side-by-side will come close to the Maverick above. But if you’re okay with blazing trails at a more leisurely pace, I’m sure you’ll still have a blast.
Some manufacturers and dealers play a little loose with the fact that there isn’t a true definition of a side-by-side. Because of this, technically, the cheapest side-by-side in America is something like the Trailmaster Cheetah 8 below. It costs just $2,499 and looks like a side-by-side, but has a tiny 7.5 HP engine and a top speed of 19 mph.
I grew up driving rigs like this and they’re best at driving around an open field. Give it literally any real obstacle and it’ll just stop moving. Some dealers market these as a side-by-side, but they’re way closer to a go-kart in practical function.
I say this because the side-by-side has its roots in beefed up utility vehicles. Side-by-sides are supposed to be a bit more durable and more capable than an ATV. So, a side-by-side that can’t handle basic changes in terrain shouldn’t be called a side-by-side. Then again, I must stress how crazy it is that these vehicles are all over the place with classification. Depending on where you live, what brand you’re looking at, and what specific vehicle you’re looking at, it may not even be called a side-by-side, but a utility task vehicle, utility terrain vehicle (UTV), or recreational off-highway vehicle (ROV). As I noted earlier, some folks will even just call them “cars,” including manufacturer PR people.
If your head isn’t spinning yet, UTVs and side-by-sides then get a bit granular with their own sub-categories. See, you could buy a utility side-by-side. Those are going to be the John Deere Gators that you see driving around golf courses with little truck beds on them.
Then you move a step up into the trail or recreation class, and these are smaller vehicles made just for having off-road fun.
There’s also a sport segment, which gives you what’s more or less a trail with but with more horses in the stable. Some manufacturers also toss the 200-plus HP off-road conquerors into this category or call them something like “Wide Open.”
You’ll also find a segment of side-by-sides meant for adventure, and these things have the luxury of road-legal 4×4 trucks and SUVs. So, it’s all flexible and weird. For the purposes of this piece, my picks will be from known brands for under $20,000 and meet the criteria of being beefier than a kid’s ATV.
Cheapest Sport
Let’s start with the most speed and capability you’re going to get for $20,000. Unfortunately, with a price ceiling of $20,000 you’re not going to get any of the wide open side-by-sides or any of the super slick rigs you see getting epic airtime at your local off-road park. But you can still get a lot of bang for your buck.
It appears that most of the sport segment of the side-by-side world starts at around $21,000 before shipping and other fees. Spending about that much money would get you a Yamaha YXZ1000R, which has the distinction of having the only real manual transmission in the entire side-by-side market. Seriously, if you want to row your own gears you have only one choice.
The YXZ1000R has some neat engineering going on too with a shaft drive (many side-by-sides still rely on belt drive). Fox Podium 2.5 shocks, and lockers. Power comes from a 998cc triple making 110 HP. Again, that’s less than half the power that you get in flagship side-by-sides, but if you can’t have fun with 110 HP I would recommend seeking a doctor.
Here’s a basic spec sheet:
Power: 110 HP.
Engine: 998cc inline-three.
Dry weight: 1,567 lb.
Ground clearance: 12.2″.
Dimensions (L x W x H): 123.9″ x 64.4″ x 68″.
Wheelbase: 90.6″.
However, this isn’t about the coolest sport side-by-side you can get. If you must spend the least amount of money possible, the cheapest sport side-by-side by a known brand is the CFMoto ZForce 950 Sport.
You could get one of these for $15,299 before fees and they offer a lot of bang for the buck. Here’s a run-down of the specs:
Power: 83 HP.
Engine: 963cc V-Twin.
Dry weight: 1,436 lb.
Ground clearance: 12″.
Dimensions (L x W x H): 121″ x 60″ x 74″.
Wheelbase: 90″.
It should be noted that while CFMoto has made leaps and bounds in quality over the past decade, it’s still not exactly on-par with its competition. Reviews for the ZForce 950 Sport note that some plastics feel cheap, the suspension is a bit harsh, and that the vehicle could use another 30 HP or so. Indeed, a number of the side-by-sides in this sport class now have 100 HP or more. So going cheaper does cost you loss of power.
If you read my motorcycle content, you know that CFMoto is a Chinese company and isn’t as established as a player in the field as Polaris, Honda, or BRP. So you get a lot of bang for your buck, but you do seem to take a hit in power and some quality. This isn’t the case with the whole CFMoto lineup. If you spend around $20,000, you can get a trail rig from CFMoto with 143 HP.
Cheapest Utility
The cheapest kind of side-by-side that you can get into from a known brand will be one that’s meant for work. These kinds of UTVs won’t have a ton of power, won’t have toys, and don’t have any of the racing bits you find in the high-end stuff. Instead, they’re closer to the old-school way of off-roading where you have a simple vehicle with some good ground clearance and grabby tires.
The undisputed king of cheap is the Kawasaki Mule. A Mule SX will run you a rock-bottom $8,299 before fees. Don’t let that price fool you, either. The Mule was one of the pioneers of the modern utility side-by-side when it hit the trails back in the 1980s.
Since then, the Mule has served as a reliable workhorse for ranchers, farmers, construction firms, and just about anyone else who has needed a lightweight off-road vehicle with more beef than a normal ATV. People use these things for off-roading, too. Again, don’t expect to have your boots blown off, but if you have a forest nearby, you can have some real fun.
If you’re not entirely sure what I’m talking about here, the spec sheet will tell all:
Power: 13.5 HP.
Engine: 401cc single-cylinder.
Curb weight (dry isn’t listed): 1,032 lb.
Ground clearance: 6.7 in
Dimensions (L x W x H): 106.7″ x 52.6″ x 73.4″
Wheelbase: 70.1″.
Towing capacity: 1,100 lb.
Cargo Payload: 399 lb.
The standard Mule doesn’t even have four-wheel-drive, but you do get a rear locker. You’ll have to pay up $9,649 to get a four-wheel-drive system. With only 13.5 HP on deck, even the CFMoto will be running circles around you. However, I have seen Mules out in the wild and while they’re slow, like their namesake animal they get the job done. They will use every bit of power available in that tiny engine to get through mud and even some obstacles.
If the Mule is a bit too much toward the utility side of things, you can also get the $8,999 Honda Pioneer 500.
This one doesn’t have a big bed on the back, instead there’s just a little rack. Yet, it can still tow things, too. Honda’s powersports vehicles have a good reputation for quality. However, it should be noted that Hondas are also pretty tiny inside. So be sure to sit in one of these little guys before spending any dough.
Something neat about the Pioneer is that it costs just a little more than the Kawasaki, but doubles the power and has roughly similar overall dimensions.
Power: 29 HP (estimated).
Engine: 475cc single-cylinder.
Curb weight (dry isn’t listed): 1,027 lb.
Ground clearance: 8.5″
Vehicle size (L x W x H): 102.5″ x 50″ x 71.2″.
Wheelbase: 73″.
Towing capacity: 1,000 lb.
Cargo Payload: 450 lb.
Both of these side-by-sides are considered to be entry-level models. So, you’re getting a very basic, very plastic interior. Don’t expect fancy sound systems, colorful displays, or tons of style. The Mule doesn’t even have LED headlights. But the really cool thing about side-by-sides is that they have practically infinite upgradeability. I’ve seen folks do turbo kits, custom paintwork, huge tires, and all other sorts of stuff. However, you do have to be realistic. You aren’t going to turn a Kawasaki Mule into a Can-Am Maverick so temper your expectations.
As an honorable mention I want to nominate the Can-Am Commander.
This weirdo is a hybrid of sorts that tries to mesh sport side-by-side attributes with a utility side-by-side. I’ve tested some of these and they do some seriously good wheeling for not a ton of money. They’ll even do the big airtime jumps I love so much, but with harder landings.
I would recommend at minimum getting the Commander DPS with the 1000R engine for $18,699. Now, like everything else here, the Commander is about as basic as it gets. But you do get lockers and a sport mode, plus a very useful 2,000-pound towing capacity. Back in 2021, I took a few of these on an off-road adventure through Utah and they’re an absolute ball.
Power: 100 HP.
Engine: Rotax 976cc V-Twin.
Dry weight: 1,600 lb.
Ground clearance: 12.5″
Vehicle size (L x W x H): 128.5″ x 62″ x 70.5″.
Wheelbase: 90.6″.
Towing capacity: 2,000 lb.
Cargo Payload: 600 lb.
Now, to be clear, this isn’t a list of the best side-by-sides, but what you can get by scraping the bottom of the barrel at a name-brand company. The Polaris RZR range starts at $15,999 while the cheapest Honda Talon is $20,099. A Kawasaki Teryx is $14,199. There are lots of good side-by-sides that you can get for under $20,000. Some of them will be trail rigs, some of them will be utility rigs, and some will be the very bottom floor of the sport category.
No matter what, I would recommend coming into a cheaper side-by-side with the mindset of knowing what you’re going to get. None of these will perform anything like the flagships and expecting them to will set you up for disappointment. Instead, I think you should aim just to have the most fun for your dollar. Who cares if you can’t hit desert whoops at 90 mph, you can still have fun at a more leisurely 40 mph.
Of course, another option would be to buy a used side-by-side or to buy a used off-road SUV or truck. Not only can this be a daily driver but it can also be immensely fun off-road for about the same money. But if you want to buy a side-by-side for off-roading, you do have options and as it turns out, you can have a lot of fun for not a huge cash infusion.
Top graphic images: Manufacturers
For work, I think the 6×4 Deere merits a mention. Locker-ed 4×4, though it is only the rear wheels. The only suspension out back is provided by the balloon tires. And all those tires spread weight well so you don’t sink in the soft stuff. And Deere is decent about continuing to make parts for older vehicles so they’re never obsolete.
There’s too much chorin’ for trail-riding in my life now. But if make time for that I prefer two wheels anyway.
Forgot to mention the payload! Google tells me 1400 pounds!
In the upper midwest (ND, Wi, MN) were I do most of my off roading and trail riding the hobby is now almost all SxSs. Jeeps, trucks and ride on atvs are so much rarer than they use to be. Nearly all I see on the trails is SXS. Then again in MN the trails are mostly atv and sxs and jeeps and trucks are not allowed but in a handfull of places and trails. Polaris and Arctic Cat have political power to keep the trails that way.
These are the worst thing to ever happen to the offroad community. Any yahoo with a credit card can get out and tear up the trails, and they do.
Sadly I can’t get a new subaru Brat if I’m looking for 4×140 rims on a “car”. Pushrod flat4 is great. 75hp sounds bad till you realize it’s fine around town. Modern efi would be nice update.
Handles good in fwd too. Like autox tested. Less so offroad as you have a street car approach angle.
Mainly liking the “can hit up a gas station without talking to a bored cop” attribute. 0.0% farm vehicles here. So a different region will be fine seeing a modern side by side.
have a mule SXXC. So the 4wd option, and can tow a little. For us the slow speed is precisely the point. My 12 year old can drive it and not get in to too much trouble. I can tow a utility trailer, and the kids friends enjoy the heybail rides. All in all, it is definitely a toy, but I’ve really enjoyed it.
Yup, why i advised riding lawnmowers for kids. Side by side is better even if they don’t have to make 18,000 turns to use it. More car shaped and more throttle control.
I’m a farmer, so SxSs are commonplace in my industry. I fully don’t understand them. I’ve had ATVs which are far more mobile. I have a golf cart (with ATV tires) that is equally as capable and slow enough my kids can drive it to help with chores. I’ve had multiple Jeeps including a CJ-5 which are both similarly sized to SxSs AND street legal. I just don’t really get the appeal of a SxS, especially not for the price. Kei trucks are better at pretty much everything, ATVs are more fun, old Jeeps are cheaper…I just don’t understand the appeal.
I completely agree with you. I don’t get them either for the exact reasons you say. I feel like these things should be about half the price they are for them to make any sense.
Agreed. Furthermore, I’ve known more people to be hurt/killed in one than on a quad.
I can speak to this, as I live in an area that the SXS is extremely common (outskirts of a NW suburb of Phoenix, AZ).
1) Lots of open desert right up the street. It’s a big playground.
2) They are street legal here for non-highway use
3) They fit in the garage
4) More comfortable to ride than a quad or a Jeep at speed
5) You can bring the whole family versus needing 4 quads
There is another option that is cheaper…
Off Road Lawn Mowers!
https://youtu.be/TbEljjgnZ6k?si=IP1iVbKmXhS-zJhD&t=440
We use Kawasaki Mules at work (the base, 2wd models) and I mean WORK them. I will confidently say we surpass that tow rating twice a week for six months of the year. We work them so hard doing landscape and maintenance work that the drive belt gets stretched out in five years.
I will say I hate the plastic windshield due to morning glare so much that my Mule doesn’t have it. I suffer Florida’s torrential rains in it but would rather deal with being soaked to the bone in ten minutes that being blinded.
It’s on my bucket list to drive one of these from Florida to California using mainly trails or dirt roads.
In my area, all public OHV trails ban side-by-sides from ATV/dirtbike trails and they’re only allowed on the same trails as full vehicles like Jeeps/trucks.
Quads always seemed like an overall better value since I could get two “2-up” quads, and my entire family can ride a much larger trail network for less money than a four seat side-by-side.
The problem with most of these choices is that there’s a better alternative. For the ZForce there are ATVs that are more powerful, more comfortable, and more capable, while road-going you can get a KJ Jeep Liberty, XJ Cherokee, Suzuki Sidekick/Geo Tracker, or an old Ford Explorer for five grand or less. For the Mule and the Pioneer you can get an old S-10 or Ranger, or even import a kei truck, and you’d still have money left over to possibly buy another. The Mule isn’t bad because you expect the minimum and get the minimum, but the Pioneer will make you hate it because of how it’s somehow bouncy and stiff at the same time. Loaded or unloaded, hard ground or soft ground, the Pioneer will wallow and waft while your back gets crunched. They’re cheap because they’re basically a Foreman with seats and a steering wheel, and the poor adaptation from the Foreman shows.
The only one that’s a value proposition on here is the YZX1000RR, but the cost of modifying it to have low range, a real skid plate, and better rear shocks just sucks that value right out of it. The thing has a lot of parts on the base RR that are intentionally made out of plastic or use thinner and cheaper metal to keep the cost down and prevent easy parts swapping to protect the RR SS XT-R and the Wolverine RMAX2. Most people buy the RR SS XT-R because of this.
Oh yeah, I’m totally with you there. You also didn’t mention that you have to find a place to store the UTV when you’re not using it. But I also get the appeal of these things, they’re quite fun!
Sadly, you also do need to check local regulations in wherever you’re wheeling. Most off-road parks in Illinois no longer allow road vehicles. So, unless you feel like legging it to Michigan, Wisconsin, or Indiana, you’re going to buy an ATV/dirt bike/go kart/UTV of some kind.
For my money (which I would never actually spend on an SxS) I would get a Yamaha Viking 6-seater. It can ferry around six full size adults on pretty much any trail. I did Hell’s Revenge in one while in Moab and it was a piece of cake. The more powerful ones are fun, but to me the real fun is being outside with friends and family and see nature
I love the fact that the Mule comes with an air cooled engine as standard.
That being said I’m all in on BEVs now.
I was cross shopping my Nissan Leaf with a Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic as UTVs can be registered and driven on the public roads here as “MPVs”. The Ranger fully configured would have cost me about $26,000 more than the Leaf not including shipping for the Ranger. It would only have 80 miles of range.
If my Leaf ends up dying within the next 3 years *knocks on wood* the Ranger is what I’ll replace it with.
Where is “here”?
WY
Of course, another option would be to buy a used side-by-side or to buy a used off-road SUV or truck. Not only can this be a daily driver but it can also be immensely fun off-road for about the same money.
OR, for about 5K, you can get a kei truck that does everything you pretty much said.
And that is why there is anti-consumer legislation on the kei trucks you guys are covering.
You can import a Kei truck for way less than that, actually! The cruel thing is that I cannot take my Kei van off-roading in my state. Most parks have banned road vehicles of any kind. Weirdly, my state has a stipulation that parks taking state grant money cannot allow in road vehicles. Basically every off-road park out here needs those grants to stay open (and many have ended up going out of business, anyway), so here we are. Ugh.
Thank you for the reply Mercedes!
“A” Dream project would be a little key truck with a foamy-built camper. And I’m talking like I would trailer that to some place and do a little BLM fire-road driving.
Stinks to hear about that.
If you might like, maybe do an article on the Kei-Camper youtube channels, I don’t like AMSR, but I love seeing the builds and what they do with them.
They don’t have state off-road vehicle parks like this in IL?
Hungry Valley SVRA
I looked at something like the YXZ1000R to replace my series of project off-roaders and my Yamaha Raptor sport quad, but decided I’d rather just buy an old Jeep TJ for a fraction of the price and the ability to drive to and from the trail. I spent many, many hours racing around in the very first RZR nearly twenty years ago, and while I love SxSs, I don’t want to have to buy (and store) a trailer for one (on top of storing the SxS itself) when I can just roll my Raptor into the back of my truck with ease. I also find owners of the really expensive SxSs have (and this is a generalization) no consideration for others on the trail nor for the trail itself.
We may be in the market for a used RZR 570eps for my wife and daughter this summer. They could ride that around while I’m on a bike
I think something like a CJ3B would be better, and probably cheaper, wonder where one could buy such an item ?
My buddy has a CJ-2 and it is smaller and cheaper than the SXS we see on the trails and the off road parks all over but the CJ is not allowed on nearly all of the trails in MN because it is not an ATV/SXS
Well, kind of. It does have a clutch pedal but it’s a sequential, not an H-pattern shifter. Still cool though.
Sequential. Like a racecar!
I’m old, I still consider this legitimate car numbers.
In the parts of the US where you don’t own tons of land, and where BLM isn’t a thing (the OG one, that is), it can be hard to make a case for the really fast ones. But I can see them being really awesome in a lot of the West.
I’ve still had a good time on Gators in low gear, testing out impossible grades and obstacles in the woods where you’d never dream of taking a real car.
My cheat code for SXS’s is the mid-00’s Yamaha Rhino 660 or 700. It will go fast (enough), has a small bed (that can be converted with jumpseats to hold kids), and has lockers. Best part is that you can buy them for 5-7k and sell them for 5-7k. It’s the SXS equivalent to the Ninja 250.
I’ve never gotten behind the performance sxs. Alot of of them you sit so low you can’t really see the trail in front of you. I understand the utility of the utility sxs. But still hop on an ATV most of the time. Unless the weather makes the sxs seem like a better choice or taking something that it fits better. Like a bag of feed or fence posts.
I prefer an ATV for trail riding, but I do respect the comfort of a sxs.