The new generation of utility vehicles is not only working harder but also playing harder.
Someone's having too much fun, don't you think? Mom and Pop are showing up at the Grange hall wearing too wide a grin. Aunt Betties everywhere are singing louder in church, and I'm sure you've also noticed ol' Ted, Joe and Frank heading toward the woods without their guns or poles. It's those utility-vehicle buyers. They're slipping one over, you know, making all this fuss about barn duties and hauling chores. The truth is, today's eXtreme Golf Cart owners are really sneaking off to do whoops. And when someone's having that much fun, there's only one thing to do--join 'em.
Yes, things have changed mightily in the utility side-by-side game. Some reshaping was expected, of course, as ATV technology trickled down through each manufacturer's line. Polaris was the first company to shake things up when it released the high-performance Ranger line in 1997. Suddenly Kawa-saki's old Mule had something to aim for. And then came the Yamaha Rhino, introduced in 2003 as a kick-in-the-pants work-horse/toy. This fun-intended rig raised the bar on class standards. Raised it way high. Not only do these new machines have to work, they have to work harder than ever and have a built-in workin's-done fun factor that compares to Open-class ATV abilities.
We assembled the likely candidates on a 500-acre ranch in Northern California's hilly Gold Country. Kawasaki's Mule 3010 Diesel was there, of course, along with the Polaris Ranger 4x4, the Yamaha Rhino 660 and a fresh player, the XRT, newly minted by Club Car, the golf-cart guru. (John Deere did not participate with its popular Gator, though it was invited.) We used the machines for daily chores such as dispersing horse poop, hauling hay, towing equipment and checking fences, as well as for general transportation around the property. We also invited likely owners to visit and run courses, which ranged from humdrum barnyard fare to I-think-I-peed-my-pants high-speed circuits. Cowboys (the real kind), gentlemen ranchers, gamesmen and gardeners all tried the vehicles. Really, we had everyone from schoolteachers to stunt men run them about.
The Polaris Ranger 4x4 control layout (from left): rear differential control lever, gear selector, headlight beam selector and AWD switch.
Fun vs. Functional
What you notice right away is how different these four machines are. The Polaris is huge next to the Rhino and reeks of heavy-duty purpose. At first glance, the Yamaha's bite-me bodywork makes the Mule appear demure and somewhat dated. It's obvious straight-out that the Yamaha is intended for performance and fun first. The others are work-first vehicles, but we'll tell you right up front: Every one of these machines also makes a fantastic after-hours plaything. Each is also efficient and useful. This test was really about finding what kind of balance each machine offers between performance and capability. You're not choosing varieties of apples in this market. The side-by-side buyer is faced with an entire fruit platter.
Any consumer should have an idea of what he wants to do with a side-by-side. All of them come with tow packages and dump-style beds. Unless you're a granny heading for bingo, you'll want one equipped with four-wheel-drive. Each provides a roll cage, steering-wheel-style dash and controls, foot controls for brake and gas and constantly variable transmissions. The similarities end there.
A bench seat may not be the most comfortable option, but it has room (and seat belts) for three.
Size Matters
One fine test day we took the machines on a cattle roundup. It looked as silly as it sounds, of course, but it was also really fun (as long as you weren't a cow). We covered a huge amount of ground running bovine to and fro. Truth be told, many a modern cowboy uses a dirt bike instead of a horse these days. When you think about it, a two-wheeler is just as maneuverable and much less cantankerous. A performance ATV might also do the trick. These side-bys did not make such good herders simply because their wheelbase is so long and wide that the cows were yawning by the time we could double back to keep the edges from straying. Of course, you probably wouldn't use them for such a task, but the cowboys did say they'd use the side-by-sides for the ongoing chore of checking herds and fences. Gladly.
We tested the '04 version, which is equipped with a solid rear axle, while the '05 has IRS.
Cattlemen John Kemp and Don Wilford took us on a long and wild loop. In theory, we were hunting for strays, but really, we were laughing more than looking. This is where these machines come in handy--going places you can't take your truck. All the vehicles handled the extreme climbs and river crossings with ease, and usually without a shift to 4WD. When the going did require more grip, some units were easier to engage than others. The Mule and Ranger are especially tough, since they require a full stop to shift to low and lock the differential. The Rhino has a trick three-way push-button system for locking in 4WD and can be shifted on the fly. Club Car kept it simple for the XRT--there is only a forward and reverse gear. Its locking differentials offer traction on demand: As one wheel spins, it will engage the other, offering a combination of the benefits of both two- and four-wheel-drive. The majority of testers preferred the Ranger and Mule tranny-shift setups since they are the most straightforward and carlike. The Rhino lost points for clunky shifting and no visual indication to show you whether you are in high or low gear.
Kawasaki's Mule doesn't enjoy the same suspension travel as the others, but it handled its workload without complaint.
On our cattle-driving adventure, the Polaris kept getting hung up as we wound around low trees, brush and rocks because it's just so wide and tall. The Kawasaki and the Club Car had similar maneuverability issues in extreme trail situations. The Yamaha was a champ here. For maneuverability it can't be beat.
Round and Round
On the barnyard circuit, these vehicles are divisible by personal taste and the type of chores an owner will actually perform with them. For hauling and towing, the Polaris was the favorite. Some of our testers who use a utility vehicle simply to bring bales of hay to their horses and get from the barn to the house preferred the Kawasaki. It does have the smoothest engine feel and is relatively quiet, especially when you consider it runs on diesel. It positively has the fluffiest seat, which actually smooths out the machine's stiff ride considerably.
Splitting the difference between a bucket seat and a bench, the Mule has a contoured bench, which is the comfiest of the bunch.
The Ranger, Mule and XRT all have huge two-bale beds, while the Rhino can't handle even a single bale with its tailgate in place. Dump action on the Ranger is premium--it's easy to release and fluid on twin hydraulic shock arms. The Rhino's bed also tracks on hydraulics, and its catch mechanisms can be released from either side of the vehicle; whereas those on the Ranger and XRT can be released only from the driver's side. The Mule's more-archaic bed system needs to be released on both sides. Not only does the Ranger hold the most and dump the most smoothly but its entire bed is made of thick plastic, which is great for durability. Its synthetic tail also helps keep the machine quiet. The metal beds vibrate irritatingly at low rpm.
In fact, it could hold a whopping two full bales of hay in its cargo area.
Many testers who use a utility vehicle regularly found the Ranger's three-seat element hugely attractive. All the other side-by-sides seat two. It should be noted, however, that if you're the unfortunate passenger in the middle seat of the Polaris, you'll be crying on a trail ride because there's nothing to hold onto. As far as comfort and safety go, the best seats in the house belong to the Rhino and XRT. Both vehicles feature nice buckets, the Rhino with shoulder belts. Some drivers, and especially passengers, were perturbed by the way the shoulder belts locked whenever they hit the slightest bump or brake. The Club Car is also the only ride with adjustable seats, and they are our favorites since they are both bucket-style and padded. Neither the Mule nor the XRT provide head padding on the roll cage, which we consider essential for those wild rides.
The Mule's analog gauge package leaves no doubt in your mind that this vehicle hasn't changed much since the 1990s.
On the high-speed trail circuit, there was only one king: the Rhino. It was the fastest in this group by far, using a large engine--a 660cc four-stroke single--in the smallest package. Both the Ranger, running a 499cc four-stroke single, and the Rhino will blast off and run as fast as any sane person would want. The Mule's diesel engine is not without oomph, but it's designed for more-usable torque output. Same goes for Club Car's 719cc diesel, which was the slowest in the pack. Polaris and Yamaha do not offer a diesel option, a turnoff for some loyalists. Of course, we're talking about pinning the poor things on what was essentially a dirt racetrack. Most buyers looking for a ranch wagon will find that all are torquey and able to tow and haul like champs on the flats.