Anyone have a Can Am UTV and have any comments on the reliability of them or comparison to other brands of UTVs. I need to buy an UTV and looking at a 1000 CC size.
Thanks

I've heard some things. Mostly from my ATV/UTV mechanic guy.

Just do your research and be sure, before you buy.

I’ve got two Rangers, one General, two big four Wheeler’s , all Polaris, had a can am too, I bought a Honda Talon few months ago, these are a beast, transmission like a truck, so much more capable in. 1000 CC than anything I’ve drove in 40 years.

HOnda, Yamaha in that order

Buddy in CO has a Slingshot he uses to blast around the mountains.

Kawisaki

CanAm HD10 Defender was the worse SxS we ever had. That thing was always in the shop.

I have a Mule 4010 4x4 now. Has 900 hours on it.

Love it! It's reliable and does what I ask of it every time.

But if I could get a new UTV, it would be a Mule Pro FXT Ranch Edition.

Hunted out of one that had a high seat, and we went through some pretty interesting areas after hogs one night. It is top of the line.

I ordered a Honda Pioneer early Feb. It was supposed to ship late Feb. it didn’t ship. Then supposed to ship March 28. It didn’t ship. Now supposed to ship April 20. I ordered a stock Pioneer 1000-3, nothing custom.

Im assuming Hondas incompetence will continue, so I’m looking for alternatives.

Jake has a Polars Ranger.

KUBOTA..

I wouldn’t go less than 600cc neighbor has a 400cc kubota might as well be a glorified golf cart

Same deal with their cars as well as every other manufacturer these days. I can tell you that a good friend of mine bought one about 7 years ago and literally runs it thru everything without an issue in all this time. Prior to that he had Polaris . Be patient , it is well worth it.

Love my defender way better than the Polaris ranger I had and way better dealer support form 4 hrs away compared to the Polaris dealer 2 miles away

I looked really hard at the Can Am Defender before I bought another Polaris Ranger in Oct 2020. The Can Am fit and finish is better and if the aftermarket was a little further along I'd have bought the Can Am. I'm still thinking about getting a Defender Pro with the long bed.

A friend of mine has a speed shop and builds SxS race cars and he's pretty hot on Can Am fwiw.

The utvs sitting on grass and dry ground are nice.

Mine lives in water and mud.

Ranger.

I have a 2018 Can Am Defender HD10XT (1000cc). I set out to buy a Polaris Ranger, ended up test driving Can Am, Polaris, Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Was immediately impressed with the Can Am. So much so, that I went back to the dealer and drove it 2 more times before ordering mine because I couldn't believe that I liked it so much more than all of the others. It was smoother, quieter, rode better and seemed to have more power than all of its competitors. It also just had a more quality build feel to it than the others. My wife agreed. It is now almost 5 years old with 3,400 miles on it and I have literally done nothing to it except annual services. No trouble whatsoever. I strictly use it for hunting chores and it gets worked hard. It commonly sees 15-20 50# sacks of corn/protein in the bed at a time, pulls my 18' utility trailer with box blinds, planting supplies etc etc. My buddy bought a Ranger about the same time I bought mine (in the same configuration) and his has been in the shop several times. His is also louder and rougher riding than mine. Several of the guys in my hunting club have replaced their Rangers with Can am's over the last few years and I haven't heard any complaints. I'm sure there are good and bad in all makes but I have zero complaints about mine. I liked my Defender so much that I bought a Outlander 570 2 years later and have had no issues with it either. Been a Honda fan my whole life but couldn't touch a Honda Rubicon for anywhere near the price I paid for the Outlander. Good luck with your decision.

I've had several Can Am ATV's over the years and recently got into the SxS game. Sport/fun types - I don't have any need for the work/utility types. I've been loyal to Can Am mainly due to the owner of the local dealership being a good friend of mine. I've been satisfied with them as to reliability though see far more Polaris machines out and about. If I didn't have an in with the dealer, I'd struggle choosing between those two manufacturers.

Our first SxS was a 2 seater but wife thought we should have a 4 seater. We rode the 2 seater for 1.5 years and sold it for exactly what we had into it, including accessories.



We just returned from a 3 week trip to AZ with the new 4 seater. Have to admit she was right - I like everything about the 4 seater better.

I own a CAN AM HD10, 1000cc. Great machine. 4 door, full cab, heater. The only complaint I have is the noise from the engine behind the rear seat. You can't have conversation. The cab in great in the winter. Especially with the tracks. Not a play toy like most of the pictures. It hauls camp, meat, wood....Figure out what you want to do with it, then research on the breed.

Can Am makes some nice machines, I have a Commander and have had zero issues in 5 years.

The jap machines are about half the HP, Polaris is about the only competition.

Had a 2014 Commander 1000. 4000 trouble free miles. Sold it and have a 2021 1000 Commander. Not many miles, but no issues yet. Also have a 2010 650 Outlander that has been trouble free as well. In my opinion, much better build quality that a Polaris.

CanAM Defenders here after years of running Polaris. We broke an axle per Polaris per year in moose camp. This will be our fourth year with CanAms and we have not broken a single axle. The CanAm is so much better there is absolutely no way to go back down to Polaris. They also are far better in serious deep mud.

2019 Defender HD8 XT. I’ve previously owned 2 other brands, and this Can Am has by far been the best of the bunch. Bought June of 2019 and been working it ever since.



Doc_Holidude

Bought mine brand new in 2017. Zero issues. It’s been a beast.

We have a couple of Polaris XP 1000's, use the heck out of them, and are more than satisfied.
Work, not play.

I own a 2022 Commander XT 1000 and use it as a trail rider and hunting rig. Plenty of power and fit & finish is better than the competition. Seats are laid back more like a sports car than many side by sides, making it a lot more comfortable on long rides (super important for my wife as she has had a number of back surgeries). A couple of things I wish I'd figured out sooner:

1. Cab gets really hot on hot days if you add a windshield and rear windscreen - creates a low pressure that draws hot air up through the shifter and into the cab. Closing the upper door panels fixes it, but then no air flow at all. I have a vented windshield and that helps a little as well. I've added a heat shield that covers the console and shifter and a fan mounted on the roof and that's pretty much fixed it. I hear this is an issue for the General and a number of other side by sides.
2. If I had it to do over again, I'd have ordered it with the street legal kit installed.
3. After seeing my buddy's General and my other buddy's RZR, I think the Can Am is a more refined vehicle, but the Polaris is a bit more rugged and easier to work on. I also like the idea of having all 4 wheels/tires the same size - the Commander has smaller fronts, so whatever spare size you choose to run, it's a compromise. I may be changing mine over to 4 same size when I wear out this set of tires.
4. While there are a lot of aftermarket goodies available for the Can Am, it seems there are about double the options for most things with Polaris rigs.


I did a bunch of research and talked to several local powersports mechanics before I bought. The latter were pretty much unanimous in saying the Can Am was more reliable and comfortable, but that if you were planning to really run it hard, the Polaris General is a bit more capable.

The Can Am was the right choice for us.

Yep heavy and overpriced, cities buy them

I like my factory Air Conditioning and Heat with a real solid cab.
but i use mine for work and not to play in..

It was the only one on the market that was Diesel and had factory AC/heat and it was less expensive than some of the Speedsters that are on the market.

Again I work mine and I did not get it to go fast because it is not built for that.

Every UTV owner has different needs and there is a UTV out there to just about fit every need.

Kubota does have a Gas driven Speedster and it can do work as well.
i think it gets up to around 50 MPH or so.

2023 can-am Defender Max Limited. Love it. 30” wheels came standard. Will see how it stacks up againts the Polaris it replaced, but not a lick of trouble yet.

That's what it boils down to.

I like more steel, and less plastic. I also don't need to drive it 70mph. Need it to haul weight and tow a trailer.

Want the engine heat to go out the back, not up beside the seat I'm sitting in. Power steering. Quiet operation. Reliable.

Be nice to have one that got good gas mileage as well, but I think that's a pipe dream. They ALL seem to get about the same mileage as a 2 ton truck..

My only experience was with a buddy’s 4 seat Maverick. We took it to Nevada in 2021 for a week of playing around out in the desert. That thing ran hot on and off all week it was very frustrating. He sold it when we got home and replaced it with a Polaris of some kind.

Cfmoto uforce 1000, trumps em all and for 7k to 8k less for a more loaded utv. One with a full cab will be about 18k.
Can am engine's are made by cfmoto.
Go test drive one.
Utube has tons of vids on them vs others also.
That is all.

Don't overlook the Yamaha Wolverine series, either.

Our 2016 R-spec EPS SE has been flawless.

Have a 22 limited defender. Been chasing cows in the blizzards all winter w it. Love it so far. Looking forward to summer w the ac. If Honda could come up w a cab w all the amenities that it has, I'd go w Honda. All my quads have been Honda and bulletproof. Nothing but issues w Polaris over the years ranching.

If you care at all about noise consider the Honda.... it has a real transmission with selectable gears and no belt. All of the other machines are hydrostatic? Or some form of it .... only high/low with belt drive..... they are so damn loud and whine..... i despised the Yamaha rhino my father in law had..... if it's just for work who cares.... they all have their pluses/minuses but Honda is the ONLY one with a standard transmission.

I hated that thing for hunting.... so much more noisy than my Honda foreman quad..... I have a buddy with a pioneer and that thing is super quiet just puttin along.

Just don't try to turn around facing downhill on a logging road.....

I don't have one but ride/drive one all the time. They're fast, loud, and reliable. But most I've been in have been loud.

I ride with a large group folks, and some of them are serious off roaders. If I were buying a Can-am it would be a maverick X3, i'd stay as far away from a defender as I could. the Talons are good machines just not enough accessories for my needs

The ranch has 5 Rangers purchased over the past years. The most recent was purchased and showed up last fall, a 1000cc North Star bought for advertised heavy build and toughness. It hasn’t been.

Meanwhile last year a partner of mine took possession of a 1000 Can Am sxs nicely dressed and frankly a lot more machine. The Can Am is far more quiet as well. I’m ordering a BRP shortly.

Osky

Why wouldn't anyone want to support China?

But they’re so much cheaper! LOL

Screw that Chinese junk.

I will take my can am over the last three Polaris’s without any hesitation. Not sporting mine in the dunes or anything but love it in comparison to Polaris. If you want quiet I agree to look hard at Honda. My next will probably be a Honda but they didn’t offer a good sealed full cab when I was looking.

they aren't junk. they are very well-built machines. I have a 100 CC ATV and have stayed neck and neck with Polaris, Can am and Yahmahas.

100cc or 1000cc? 100cc seems pretty small for an ATV.

LMAO. That’s a complete fabrication. CanAm uses Rotax engines, which BRP owns with manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Finland and Austria.

Put the Chinese kool-aid down!

I have a John Deer XUV 825 i 4X4 .I plow 800 feet of driveway with it.Just did a 16" snowfall yesterday. It is only a two seater ,but I bought it as a work horse and it is. I can load two thousand pound bales of alfalfa behind it and pull up hill no problemo. It has the same engine as the Kawi. Not a speed demon, but you will not get stuck in the swamp.

Chinese junk.

It depends what you want and what you do.

Can Am and Polaris are very popular with a certain kind of person.

LMAFAO.

That’s complete bullschitt.

But that's what the salesman said!

Dude they’re a garbage fire. They may be the most well built of the chi-coms, but “well built” they are not.

Exactly.

This is where I'm at as well.


We have a 2016 Ranger XP900 with full cab and it has been fine but I also don't beat the hell out of it. That's why I have a 700 Grizzly.

I can think of 6-7 guys that help move cows with SXS's and 4-5 of them run Polaris and the rest Honda. I'm talking off trail, fairly rough use and the Polaris do fine. But still I don't think they're as tough as the Honda machines.

KTM uses CF MOTO engines

If you want a hardcore work machine.... get the bobcat sxs with the front hydraulics..... have a damn loader bucket or whatever on the front lol.

Really? I thought they used Rotax engines from Austria. At least the 5 ATV's and 2 SxS's I've owned all did. As I recall, Rotax is noted for their aircraft engines.

Oops - I see this was addressed above...

Some KTM motorcycles use CF Moto engines. It's not like KTM has a sterling reputation of reliability.

How u guys get anywhere with rigs so wide and them tires ...

I like the old school SxS/ATV.

My ride when I was stationed in Kodiak was a 2 wheel drive Suzuki 160 4 wheeler. I'd load that up with my wife and an ice chest on the back and guns, rods and reels and tackle bags on the front. When I got stuck, I dismounted and dragged it out of the hole.

I've only known 1 guy with a can am, and he is satisfied.

I was dropping an atv off at a repair shop just yesterday and ask the mechanic which brand he'd suggest for most reliable/less repairs. He told me Yamaha was the least seen brand in their repair shop, followed by Honda. He said kawasaki uses an engine made in China and he works on the newer kawasaki's daily. Ymmv

I think-if you stick with the mainline manufacturers you'll find pluses and minuses that most can work with.
I've had a JD diesel, Mule and finally settled on a Rhino.
Haven't heard of any CanAm owners that weren't happy with their choice[know a few]

My cousin had a Can Am SXS. Had problems from day 1. Had it less than 6 months and got rid of it. Bought a Roxor. He had a cab and I think they never could get A/C to work correctly. I’m a Yamaha guy. Have had many over the years and are very dependable. I currently have a Viking S X S, a Grizzly 700 and a Big Bear 400

I do have a Can Am Defender for just over two years. It has been problem free.

Thank god there are folks on this forum that do not believe all of the complete and utter bullshit that is spewed upon these pages!

My 2008 Yamaha Rhino 700 special edition has been trouble-free since I bought it (Used). It had 1,500 miles on it, it has 4,000 miles now. I added a 3" lift and taller tires, a winch and a plow.

Built like a tank and last forever thats why municipality's purchase them.Go figure..

This is what 2 different dealer mechanics told me also, when I was looking. They both sell Can Am, Kawi, Honda and Yamaha. They both said the Yamaha's were hardly ever in the shop compared to the others.

That was 6 - 7 years ago though, so take it for what it's worth.

You want to find different dealers. Having worked on several different SxS's the Yamaha's have been very dependable and the Kawasaki KRX is a brute with very few problems, I could retire on keeping Polaris's and the Mavericks running. Both brands have many weak points and you never know when you are getting a stop ride with a Polaris.The 2019's KRX had weak ball joints which Kawasaki replaced under warranty. I put almost 8,000 miles on a 2012 Can-am commander 1000 with zero issues.

One thing I've noticed with Polaris is that without a full enclosed cab, they suck in dust so bad, the riders are filthy dirty when they get to the pit stops.


Like shake 2 lbs of dirt out of your hair, dirty...

Thanks for all the replies. Seems like Honda, Yamaha and CanAm are good choices. Polaris, not so much.
Availability is an issue.

I don't know of anyone with a bad thing to say about Yamaha UTV - sport or work. Sport guys would like better HP and suspension but not actual "failures".

All of the Can-Am guys I know are sport guys so they're adding huge turbos etc and breaking things with gross application of the right foot and quick stops caused by trees.

The Polaris guys - issues but I don't know specifics. I'm not a Polaris guy at all so I don't pay attention, it's not in my decision process.

Honda - my uncle has a Pioneer. I'm not a fan, I found it DAMN loud and hot (and slow).

I really REALLY like the look of the newish Yamaha Rmax 1000. 10 year warranty on the belt, able to boogie to 70mph if having fun, still has a dump box etc.

OP,

I did a lot of research, and there is a ton of it. But after the dust settled, I went the Honda Pioneer 1000. It is mostly used for work on property and some trail rides. What made me go with the Honda was reliability, and no belt.

My .02

I have one friend that bought a Can Am. It broke suspension components too easily so he sold it. He is a full motorhead, dirt bikes, other buggies, rat rods. He knows how to take care of stuff and he wasn't abusing it,

That was one of the issues the mechanics talked about and others on the forums. Too much throttle, not enough beef, in the areas that see the torque.

I have a Polaris RZr xp1000 trail and rock edition. I’ve had it for 3 yrs and I have about 1700 miles on it. Only issue I have had was a blown input seal on the front diff and it was covered under warranty. I’ve made several trips to WV outlaw trails around Crumpler Mt, been to Tackett Creek in Speedwell Tenn. and multiple other trails around my area. We ride hard and sometimes fast. We go through creeks and some awful mud. We have climbed hills and gone down hills.
Mine has a 30% lower gear reduction and it will climb a wall. I’ve made upgrades just because I don’t take chances and don’t want to break down out in the middle of nowhere.
With all that said, they are all going to breakdown if you don’t upgrade cheap OEM parts and keep up with maintenance . I don’t regret my purchase.

Which parts did you replace, if you don't mind?

My 08' 660 Rhino has been totally bulletproof to date.
90% of it's use is hauling firewood out of the mountains.

I replaced all 4 axles and the prop shafts. It was basically shoring up known weak points that Polaris and Can Am have. Other than that it was adding a what I think are necessities, GMRS radio, added spare tire carrier and tire and some more lighting. Had to do a few things to make it street legal in NC like horn, turn signals and a parking brake.