Can-Am

Tremendous value, super performance By the staff of Dirt Wheels From the earliest introduction of the Can-Am Maverick X3 line, the byword has been” performance.” One year there was a normally aspirated model, but we never saw one. We have only experienced X3 versions with factory-installed turbos, and the lion’s share of those are intercooled turbos. In 2018 Can-Am started selling a lower-priced non-intercooled model simply called the X3 Turbo. That put it at 120 horsepower instead of the 172 ponies for the…

A UTV for bedheads By the staff of Dirt Wheels Can-Am’s Defender line has been a real hit since it was introduced five years ago. There are many models of the Defender, and arguably the standout of those models is the pair of Defender Pros—the DPS and XT. We have come to expect a certain look for rec-utility UTVs: short front end, big cab area and a compact bed area. Can-Am has changed that look with the Pro. The concept began when a Can-Am engineer was looking at a Crew model. He realized that a standard cab on a…

Trails to anywhere By the staff of Dirt Wheels Can-Am and Honda make two of the newest and most impressive 1000cc, normally aspirated, trail-focused UTVs on the market. It seemed only natural to get them together for a rigorous comparison to see which one has the goods for trails, and to find out where they excelled. Can-Am sent the all-new 64-inch 2020 Maverick Sport X xc that starts at a price of $21,199. It faced off with the $19,999 Honda Talon 1000 X. Of the two available two-seat Talons, the X is most comparable…

Options and more options By the staff of Dirt Wheels What an exciting year for the UTV world! There have been big changes in the sport side, with Honda stepping up with a pair of two-seat Talon models. The Talon X is trail biased, and the longer-travel, wider Talon R is more pure sport. A pair of Talon X-based four-seat Talons will be 2020 models as well. Kawasaki introduced the all-new Teryx KRX 1000. Even though it has long travel and a track that matches the Talon R track width of 68 inches, we expect the KRX to be…

What you need to drive By the staff of Dirt Wheels Can-Am is focused on designing machines that provide the driver with the right tool to get the most out of their off-road experience. Can-Am offers everything from pure-sport powerhouses like the 195-horsepower X3 Turbo RR to the work- and recreation-ready Defender. In between, the line is well-rounded with multiple Maverick offerings. Can-Am sent us out onto the trails with their all-new 64-inch 2020 Maverick Sport X xc that starts at a price of $20,199.…

The best offerings in this category By Casey Cordeiro, Photos courtesy of the manufacturers and Dirt Wheels There are so many categories and options in the UTV world these days that we often get asked, “How do I choose the right one for me?”  The 60-inch side-by-side vehicles on the market offer a lot of great features that many enthusiasts look for when purchasing a UTV. They are legal on many different trails across the country. They offer a good assortment of engine sizes across the different manufacturers, with…

Sticking with sport quad roots By the staff of Dirt Wheels Most of us didn’t start off riding fast and agile straight-axle sport quads or exceptionally capable big 4x4 rigs. Instead, we started small. Three-wheels, or four, we began riding on machines smaller than Can-Am’s DS 250. Once we had sure footing and a real understanding of how an ATV works, we could step up to a new realm of off-road enjoyment. The DS is a great transitional machine to allow you to progress to life with roost and wheelies, or a perfect quad…

Four-season fun By the staff of Dirt Wheels In this fifth year of the Defender there are nearly 20 variations of the model, and the Limited is top dog. The Limited is a cab model, meaning that it has a fully enclosed cab with sealed doors, glass windows and even a front windshield wiper. Can-Am has other Defender cab models, including six-seat Max models, that all have a heater and defroster. The Defender Limited (in single cab or Max) has a heater, but it also has air conditioning! One of the recent trends in…

Competing in the most challenging and damaging UTV race in the States is no small feat. Hubert Rowland has made a name with informational YouTube videos on upgrading UTVs. Hubert is also known as everyone’s favorite “RedNek” or as we call him the Nitro RedNek, from Nitro Circus and Travis Pastrana’s mechanic. He repairs and upgrades all sorts of machinery to take the hardest beatings imaginable. Subscribe to the print or digital Dirt Wheels Magazine HERE. Rowland knows exactly what parts will survive the toughest UTV…

By the staff of Dirt Wheels ARCTIC CAT ALTERRA 570 Arctic Cat is back! Textron owns the company, but the historic brand name is back with machines that are trail-ready. The Alterra 570 has independent front and rear suspension sporting 10 inches of travel at each corner to smooth out terrain. Cargo racks and towing capability make it a great worker. An EPS version is available. Engine type: Liquid-cooled, SOHC, 4-stroke, Displacement: 545cc, Transmission: CVT w/ reverse, Final drive: Shaft, Fuel…

By the staff of Dirt Wheels Dirt Wheels started 40 years ago featuring the best handlebar-controlled three- and four-wheeled machines in the industry. We haven’t let that tradition go, and neither have the great ATV manufacturers in our industry. We put together 100 machines, and their variations, from 14 different companies in this “2020 Buyer’s Guide.” Can-Am and Polaris keep things interesting with the most available models in their lines. Polaris shocked the industry by announcing the impressively wide and…

Take a look at all the impressively built UTVs that we captured at the 2020 Best in the Desert series. The first round was held in Parker, Arizona with 132 UTV team entries!