What car: Side-by-side/UTV

No I haven't won the lottery (too good at math to play ) so this is really a price-out for comparison reasons. Ever since my Samurai was wrecked, my parents have been trying to encourage me to settle down with a nice new car and a metric megaberkeleyton of debt. At first they were at least sort of on track for something that could replace the Samurai, with Chinese pickups and a used Defender, but now they're annoying me with brochures for a new Vitara and Swift.

As a way to put a stop to this, I would like to see if it's possible to competitively price out a UTV, about the only thing that could replace the Samurai and perform better than it. I'm sure they wouldn't want me to own a "weird little skeleton-buggy thing" so I'd like to make the case that this is the best newish big-money option.

Needs:

• New or <5yo, CPO preferred
• Under $25k. Will probably have to be around $15k to be competitive.
• At least a center lockable diff, or diffless transfer case with 2WD mode
• Ability to do anything a Samurai can do, performance-wise. Only potential problem here might be the angles the engine can run at.

Wants:

• Windshield w/ wipers & washer system
• Side windows
• Some kind of manual gearbox, vs. the usual CVT
• 2-speed transfer case
• Diff lockers
• Street-legal lighting (could custom-retrofit this myself)
• Ability to run 31" tires on 15" wheels
• Available long-travel aftermarket suspension

Man, side windows are RARE.

Best first guess: Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 w/ WOC cabin. Problems: Still no side windows, CVT.

A Yamaha YXZ1000R with some custom work could do the job. The custom work would be: Installing a universal electric wiper kit or two onto an aftermarket coated lexan windshield, custom washer system, fabbed side windows, maybe a fabbed rear window, custom street lighting.

Update: Moved all window stuff to "wants" since side windows are virtually nonexistent and full windshield/wiper/washer rigs are rare. This should make it much easier.

Forgive my ignorance, but is there a reason that a 2-door Jeep Wrangler wouldn't work? I see a few CPO's around advertised ~$25 or less, which would seem like a LOT less hassle than putting a bunch of aftermarket and/or custom parts onto a UTV to make it weather resistant and street friendly.

Just got beat on posting the same thing. 2dr Wrangler should cover your needs.

I like where this is going, I have been thinking a UTV would be a fun summer DD

Windows are going to be hard, there are aftermarket ones out there though.

I know the Polaris RZR comes 2wd/awd, and turbo

The Arctic Cat that Robby Gordon worked on, gets good reviews suspension wise, lockers 2wd/awd. Touted to clear 32" tires on stock body work

But I don't think either have windshields even optional.

EDIT: glass windshield and side mirrors are options on the RZR XP

Regarding the used Wrangler:

Fair point, I should've said something about fuel consumption. Gas is very expensive here, that's the killer. Insurance would also be expensive on such a vehicle, and more compact is better in terms of offroad capability, so the Wrangler is at a bit of a disadvantage there. I had to rule out a used Defender for the same reasons. Only one of them actually has anything to do with performance though, so it was a decent idea.

The YZX1000R with mods was actually competitive in price with the new Vitara.

If you stick with the more utility UTVs, full cabs with wipers are much more common.

Honda Pioneers, have automatic transmissions as apposed to CVTs, full cabs are available for at least the 1000 models.

We've shopped all of the 3 seater utility versions at work, with slightly different criteria, but still roof, full windshield, and optional doors are must haves. We've narrowed it down to the Polaris Ranger XP 900 EPS or the Kawasaki Mule Pro FX EPS. Top speed is better on the Ranger and it has locking diffs instead of LSDs, so it's edging out the Mule. Even though the Mule has a physically larger bed, payload and towing capacities are the same.

I'm not fully versed in the sportier UTVs, who has a manual transmission besides Yamaha?

I have nothing to add other than I approve of this plan.

Wait, are some of these UTVs street legal?

In reply to Lof8:

In some U.S. states (check local laws) and maybe in Barbados.

In reply to Lof8:

In WA you can "convert" them these days!

I think Yamaha is the only one who offers a manual in a UTV. It's a sequential one. No one offeres a clutch pedal.

^The YXZ1000R has a clutch pedal.

I forget where Gameboy lives, but going back to utility, Aren't there some AWD Kei Trucks you could get in a few states and countries that are legal?

In the US, yes, there are some places where Kei cars can be made street legal, and some of those little Kei vans were available with AWD.

By me, a UTV can be made fully street-legal so there's no legality problem.

Anyway I can't actually afford one and I haven't got any more brochures for new cars since I sent off the YXZ1000R option, so it looks like Mission Accomplished

GameboyRMH wrote: ^The YXZ1000R has a clutch pedal.

Say whaaaa?! That's killer! I learned something awesome today

We've got a few year old Kubota RTV1100 (or something, I forget the model number) and I remember a closed cab being an option. It runs on diesel, has a hydrostatic transmission, so it's slow. I think it'll do 30mph downhill with a tailwind. It does have 2/4wd and H/M/L gears, a dump bed, and rear seats that fold inwards to double the bed length. It's a great work vehicle, but the low top speed really limits the fun.

What about these?

Orieon Reeper

Street legal out of the box. 5 speed manual. Manual lockers (the levers in front of the shifter).

After my pops bought his RZR 900, I saw one of these on an ATV fun run. They are about $15k which ironically is $3k less than what he paid for his RZR.

In reply to stanger_missle:

Do you know if those are street legal in all 50-states?

stanger_missle wrote: What about these? Orieon Reeper Street legal out of the box. 5 speed manual. Manual lockers (the levers in front of the shifter). After my pops bought his RZR 900, I saw one of these on an ATV fun run. They are about $15k which ironically is $3k less than what he paid for his RZR.

How crazy, I saw one of these for sale at a local dealer on my way to work this morning. I was wondering if it was street legal. I can't imagine they would be here in PA, but maybe I'm wrong.

Going to the dealer's site it looks like they have 3 in stock, and there is a sticker on the dash that says "25 MPH Vehicle", so maybe it is street legal, but restricted to certain roads?

My buddies have progressed through several Razor models, and their fleet now includes a 4-seater, a 2-seat 1000, and some others. Most have windshields and either soft or rigid doors and windows. I would forget the manual, the CVT works fine and doesn't limit the power in any way that I could tell. They also go anywhere, and I mean anywhere. I am super-impressed with their abilities, I just wish they didn't cost so much!

RZR
RZR
RZR
RZR

stanger_missle wrote: What about these? Orieon Reeper Street legal out of the box. 5 speed manual. Manual lockers (the levers in front of the shifter). After my pops bought his RZR 900, I saw one of these on an ATV fun run. They are about $15k which ironically is $3k less than what he paid for his RZR.

A friend of mine has one of these and DDs it, but I haven't seem him take if off road yet. I'm not so sure about their offroad capability. You might not be able to tell from the pictures but it's a very small vehicle, much smaller than a UTV/side-by-side overall, so it doesn't have as much ground clearance or suspension travel.

Cactus wrote: We've got a few year old Kubota RTV1100 (or something, I forget the model number) and I remember a closed cab being an option. It runs on diesel, has a hydrostatic transmission, so it's slow. I think it'll do 30mph downhill with a tailwind. It does have 2/4wd and H/M/L gears, a dump bed, and rear seats that fold inwards to double the bed length. It's a great work vehicle, but the low top speed really limits the fun.

We had one at work until some cork soaker stole it from a job site. The low top speed was fine for us, because we are not allowed to have fast ones (eg a Razor). I support all that you said, but it was possible to high center it on a stump or log. I proved that twice. And it would run forever on a tank of fuel.