Hopefully you had a chance to read our first installment of the UTV Shootout where we tested the UTVs in Jacksonville, TX at the High Lifter Mud Nationals. If muddin’ is your thing, be sure to check out our June/July issue for the most comprehensive mud test you’ve ever seen.
In this issue, we’ve traveled to one of the most beautiful places in the country to off-road: Moab, UT. It’s considered the Mecca for off-roading for not only UTVs, but jeeps, trucks, and mountain bikers, as well. Why, you ask? Well, in Moab you have an ever changing backdrop of terrain that consists of loose rocks, jagged rock ledges, sand dunes, high speed washes, to highway smooth slick rock that never seems to end. The other beautiful thing about Moab is that you can almost never get a bad picture, because there’s an abundance of sunshine most days. And for our rock crawling test, there’s not a better place to do it than Moab, UT.
After attending the UTV Rally again this year, we headed out to find the optimum place to test all 5 of the UTVs: Yamaha Rhino Sport Edition, Polaris Ranger XP, Arctic Cat Prowler XTX, Kawasaki Teryx, and Polaris RZR. We wanted terrain that was difficult enough to challenge stock vehicles, but not so extreme it wasn’t doable, especially since we didn’t have any winches. But, one thing we realized is that in stock form these UTVs are absolutely amazing. So, after searching for the perfect place, we opted to perform our testing on the famous Poison Spider Mesa trail that starts off Potash Rd just on the north side of the Colorado River. Poison Spider Mesa is rated difficult by most trail books and maps, and the scenery is absolutely stunning. But, given the length of the trail
and the fact that we’re not street legal, we decided on roughly a 6 mile loop to run the UTVs on. And, if you’ve ever ridden 6 miles in Moab, it can take an awful long time to cover that amount of ground.
But, before we get into the actual testing, let’s talk about how we performed the testing. Just as we did before, we needed 5 drivers for the 5 machines. And, in the same fashion as before, we wanted the average consumer to assist in the testing, so we could get as unbiased opinion as possible. But, we didn’t pull some random people off the street that have never driven them before, either. In this test, we had Chris D., Patty, Jeff, Troy, and myself (Chris R.). The reason I’m pointing this out is that Jeff owns a fully decked out Rhino with long travel, Chris has a long travel RZR and has owned a Rhino, and Patty is Jeff’s wife. Chris D. is probably 6’1”-6’3”, Jeff’s 5’10”, Patty about 5’4”, Troy 6’3”, and myself at 6’1”. Chris D., Patty, and Jeff are thin, and Troy and I are more full figured. This information becomes important as you begin to see each driver’s comments.
Lastly, if you didn’t get a chance to read the first article where we tested all these machines in the mud, our goal is to show you how each vehicle performs under multiple driving conditions, including mud, rocks, desert, dunes, and regular tight woods trail riding. Each issue is intended to give you results based on one of these specific terrains, so please keep that in mind when comparing vehicles.
To start out, we had raised the preload on all the UTVs for the mud test knowing that every inch of extra ground clearance would help us out in the mud. For the rocks, we ended up keeping them in the same place, because the same held true for the big rock crawling we were about to embark on. In addition, we ran all vehicles in 4wd and Low Gear 100% of the time. Because of the Polaris AWD system, we told each test driver to use the lockers on the Prowler, Rhino, and Teryx at each obstacle to be fair. And, just as we did before, I pulled everyone aside individually at the end of each loop to get each test driver’s feedback so no one could overhear what each of them was saying. So, in the same fashion as last time, we wanted to provide you with the raw comments from each test driver with initial thoughts first followed by directive questions second. Although not necessarily recommended by the manufacturers, we aired all the tires down to 6 psi to increase the tire patch on the ground and minimize wheel spin. Obviously, by airing down to 6 psi we ran the risk of pinch flatting, but at speeds less than 10 mph for the entire test, we felt 
safe knowing we had the most traction possible. The only tire we’d recommend keeping at 8 psi or higher are the super flexible Goodyear MTRs on the Prowler.
ARCTIC CAT PROWLER XTX 700
If you’ve never had a chance to ride a Prowler, we’d highly recommend it. It deserves a lot more credit than it has received in the past by the industry, in general. Our hope with the new Prowler XTZ 1000 is that Arctic Cat really shows folks they’re here to stay in this ultra-competitive UTV market. When it came to steering for the Prowler, we mysteriously got mixed reviews. Some said it was great both in and out of 4wd and diff lock mode, while two of us felt it was a little stiffer. The one advantage the Prowler has over all the units in the test is the auto locking rear differential, which could be the primary reason it steered so well in 4wd lock. Overall, it steered very nicely, but because of the mixed reviews we gave it 4 ½ stars to be fair.
One of the surprising things for most of our drivers was the power response of the Prowler. It’s definitely one of the faster units and for rock crawling, the combination of its clutching system and motor worked very well together. It wasn’t lurchy at all and felt like it had plenty of power and the right gearing for this type of riding.
The suspension on the Prowler was top notch, as well. For many, it gave the Ranger and Teryx a run for the money on being a great combination of ground clearance and articulation. One thing we did notice is that of all the tires, the Goodyear MTRs were the most squishy at 6 psi, so that might have played a role somewhat, but that would have also lowered the ground clearance. Any way we looked at it, it articulated very well, rarely lifted a tire, and provided a plush ride.
The ergonomics on the new XTX is leaps and bounds ahead of where they used to be. With the addition of the tilt steering wheel, the digital gauges, and ease of engaging the diff lock, and decent bucket seats, the overall comfort level was good. There were a few comments that you felt like you were way up in the air and the lack of having a top side bar to the roll cage made folks a little uneasy, as well.
The braking on the Prowler was very good. The pedal feel was a little softer than the positive engagements of the Polaris units, but they modulated very well. The truck style parking is still well liked and works well. Lastly, we got mixed reviews for some reason on the engine braking. To some, it was the best engine braking of the test, and others said it was unpredictable. When working properly, though, it is by far the best engine braking system out there, requiring no gas to keep it engaged and maintains the slowest speeds.
In regards to ground clearance, the Prowler has plenty of it. We’ve touched on it above, as well, but it had no trouble getting hung up on anything and had good undercarriage protection, as well. Overall, the Prowler was very impressive in the rocks, surprising the majority of our drivers just like the Ranger did.
Kawasaki Teryx 750
The steering on the Teryx is generally pretty good on the rocks with the main thing being how stiff it becomes with the diff lock engaged, which is typical of most manual diff lock machines. Other than having something like power steering, there’s really no way around it. It reacts to bumps very similar to the Rhino in that it has more bumpsteer than desired.
Power response for the Teryx is similar to the same reaction we got from the RZR, but not quite as twitchy. The Teryx has plenty of low end torque, and with it not having an easy place to rest the right side of your foot, you sometimes find it to be lurchy, as well. Overall, the power of the Teryx is something we definitely like. We can’t decide if it’s the clutch, gearing, throttle position, or actual engine power that causes you to have to watch what you’re doing with the skinny pedal at slow speeds.
When it comes to suspension, the Teryx was top notch in the rocks. While we raved on the suspension in our recent press intro article, as well, the Teryx seems to have a very well balanced suspension setup. Even though for this test we kept the shocks turned all the way up for maximum ground clearance, the Teryx never seemed too stiff or bouncy. All in all, we felt it is probably the best combination of ground clearance and articulation. And, for those that may not know the difference, articulation is different than suspension travel. Articulation refers to how well the vehicle’s suspension flexes up and over obstacles. For example, you might have a vehicle with 10” of suspension travel, but if it’s too stiff, it might only articulate 5” of that. And, the opposite would be in the case it’s too soft at which point you might be bottoming out and never fully extending the shocks either, which could result in lower ground clearance, as well. The Teryx rode over obstacles with little to no bottoming or tire lift, which is a sign of a very well balanced suspension both side to side and front to rear.
When it comes to ergonomics, the Teryx has nice bucket seats that are nearly as comfortable as the Rhino with well laid out controls. With the addition of the R.O.P.S. Cage and 3-point seatbelts, it felt safe. It could use some normal cup holders and a place to rest your foot to help with the responsive gas pedal. Overall, though, Kawasaki did a great job laying out the cockpit.
Braking with the Teryx is good, but not quite as positive feeling as the Polaris offerings. Where I think the Teryx shines is in the previous test we did in the mud with their sealed rear braking system. It gives some weird sounds out of the rear end when coming to a stop, but the durability of that system is second to none. Overall, the engine braking was very positive and easily controllable with the Teryx. It didn’t seem to release at the off-idle engagement RPM like the Polaris units tended to.
The ground clearance of the Teryx is one of the best. As mentioned above, it has an excellent balance of articulation and ground clearance to climb the biggest ledges or rocks with minimal bottoming. Not only that, the undercarriage protection of the Teryx seems to be very stout with full coverage protection, which is great for rocky terrain. Overall, the Teryx is a great, well-rounded machine for rock crawling.
Polaris RZR 800 efi
The RZR’s steering setup is near perfect. Not only is the tilt wheel a plus, but the steering effort and feedback is the closest thing to having power steering. When driving the RZR you feel like you’re driving a sports car with little to no oversteer, understeer, or bumpsteer. If you’re wondering what each of these is, let me explain them quickly. Oversteer is when you turn your vehicle and it actually turns more than you intended it to. This is very odd for these types of vehicles, because by nature with locked rear differentials and short wheelbases, they tend to understeer more than oversteer. So, you guessed it. Understeer is the opposite of oversteer, and it is often referred to as pushing through a corner, not turning the way you intended it to. To further explain this, when driving a UTV with a locked rear differential it has a tendency to go straight, because both tires are turning the same speed at all times. Lastly, bumpsteer is when you hit a bump and you feel the steering wheel turn in one direction or another.
So, when it comes to power response, the RZR leads the pack. But, for rock crawling there comes a time when fluid, non-jerky throttle response is welcomed by its driver when traversing a steep rock ledge or trying to ease up a steep rock face. So, this was a hard one, because although we love the power response of the RZR, the jerky throttle made it a little harder to control at slow rock crawling speeds.
The suspension on the stock RZR is definitely on the firm side for rock crawling. This is due to it being the only UTV in the test with front and rear swaybars. Because the RZR barely has any body roll when cornering, this tends to limit the articulation when driving at slow speeds. The result is a lot of tire lifting, which once you get used to it, it’s no big deal. But, for those new to the sport, this can be a little nerve racking.
When it comes to ergonomics, that RZR is top tier. It drives like a sports car, seats hold you in place, and the combination of side nets and 3 point harnesses make for a safe and secure feel, as well. The only concern we had was from the shortest of our test drivers. She said it was harder to see over the dash to pick the right line, because you sit so low in the vehicle.
Braking performance on the RZR is fantastic. With the same basic system that comes on the Ranger XP, you can only expect them to perform great in a much lighter vehicle, as well. This definitely holds true for the RZR. Once again, though, if we have a complaint about the braking, it’s in regards to the engine braking. With the slightly higher gears of the RZR, it releases sooner than the Ranger and doesn’t hold it back as well.
Ground clearance can be a double-edged sword sometimes, but in the case of rock crawling big ledges and boulders, every little bit tends to help. Ground clearance on the RZR is the lowest of the bunch, but when combined with its narrow 50” width, you can sometimes miss an obstacle with a slightly different wheel placement. But, nevertheless, the RZR conquered every bit of the same trail as the rest of them, you just tended to drag bottom more than the others. It never hung up, but we have a feeling with an extra person on board, it might have been a slight issue. Overall, the RZR did a great job in the rocks with the main concerns being the stiff suspension and lower ground clearance. The positives are the sports car like ergonomics, excellent braking, and precise steering.
Polaris Ranger XP 700 efi
So, you’ve read the individual comments, and you’re struggling to come up with a conclusion, right? Well, let’s start with steering. Once again, the Polaris AWD system excels on the terrain in Moab. Why? Well, it’s quite simple, really. Basically, with the stickiness of the Moab rocks, the tires rarely slip. So with the Polaris AWD system, the Ranger XP is essentially running in 2wd most of the time. Once the rear tires start losing traction, it immediately engages the fully locked front end which is true 4wd. So, given the rare occasion that you slip a rear tire, the turning in the Polaris Ranger XP is similar to driving in 2wd most of the time with only slightly more steering effort than the RZR and more unnatural steering wheel angle, which is why it gets 4 instead of 5 stars.
When it comes to power for rock crawling, it’s all about gearing. Some of the best rock crawlers of all time had the smallest and lightest motors with extremely low gearing, especially for the super sticky rocks in Moab. Now, keep in mind, though, that when rock crawling back East on super slick rocks, low gearing isn’t always your friend. But, in this case, with the Ranger having the lowest gearing of the bunch, it excelled at being able to feather the gas pedal and ease up obstacles with virtually no wheel spin. There was no jerky or lurchy feel to the Ranger, which made it very confidence inspiring for all the drivers. In fact, most of the drivers commented independently of each other that they found themselves trying to pick the harder lines.
Another key to rock crawling is keeping your tires on the ground so they help to maintain forward momentum. A tire floating in mid-air is useless to the driver. So, articulation is the key to keeping those tires on the ground. The Ranger again excels in this area with the softest suspension in addition to being one of the highest travel, as well. Of all the vehicles, the Ranger seems to lift a tire the least amount of times, which again instills confidence in those not used to driving these all the time.
Of all the items we’re testing, the Ranger is the only one with a bench seat and probably the least favorite when it comes to seating and steering wheel position. Some commented on the straight up feel to the gas pedal, as well, but what’s funny is that nearly everyone said they got used to it rather quickly. In combination with just the lap belts, upright riding position, and no side bolsters to the seat, you found yourself trying to hold yourself in place more often than the others.
Braking performance is usually measured by a combination of brake pedal effort, brake fade, traction, and engine braking. Well, out here, we had unbelievable traction, so it really boiled down to brake pedal effort, fade, and engine braking. The Ranger has 4 wheel disc brakes, and it has a very positive feel. They have no problem stopping the large Ranger in this type of terrain. The engine braking on the Ranger with its low gears works very well, but with any Polaris dry clutch setup you need to remember to tap the gas to keep it engaged when it gets going too slow.
Lastly, the ground clearance on the Ranger was never an issue in Moab climbing even the biggest rock ledges. You found that it rarely bottomed out or dragged across the rocks. Even though the suspension was plush and had excellent articulation, you rarely found yourself hung up on anything. Overall, the Ranger XP performed excellently out in the rocks of Moab, UT.
YAMAHA RHINO 700 efi
To start, the Rhino is the most proven recreational UTV out there and the benchmark by which all others have been measured on. For Yamaha, this has been great, and for the others it’s been their mission to surpass them, I’m sure. When it comes to steering on the Rhino, it steers very similarly to the Teryx with good turning radiuses and a decent amount of bumpsteer. Although this is the case, the steering effort is pretty minimal except when the front differential is locked.
When it comes to power response when rock crawling, the Rhino is plagued with the highest gear ratio in low gear of all the UTVs tested. For most, it seemed it needed more low end torque, but the reality of the situation had nothing to do with engine power, because it has plenty of that. It has everything to do with its gear ratio. For example, most of the other machines in low go roughly 20-25 mph, while the Rhino can reach and maybe slightly surpass 30 mph. While this is a great setup for tight woods trail riding, in the rocks where our speeds probably never exceeded 10 mph, the higher gearing results in having to give it more gas. The result is higher wheel speed when the clutch finally got it moving. Keep in mind though, once you understood the characteristics of the Rhino, it never had any trouble getting up the same obstacles and lines as all the others. It was merely a learning curve similar to how folks got used to the ergonomics of the Ranger.
The suspension on the new Sport Edition Rhinos are heads above previous models we’ve tested. While the shocks provide full adjustability of compression, rebound, and preload, we kept them at the factory settings to be fair to the others. There doesn’t seem to be as much bucking in the rear as the previous models, which is a welcome feature. Although we weren’t running high speeds and hitting whoops to really notice this, it was obvious just in the slow speed rock crawling, as well. Overall, the suspension of the Rhino was definitely one of the best of the bunch. Plus, I’m sure if you spent a little bit of time to dial in the shocks it could have been even better for the rocks. My best guess would be to take nearly all the compression dampening out, increase the rebound dampening, and increase the preload on the spring and you’d be perfectly setup for slow speed rock crawling. Then, if you’re going somewhere else where high speed riding is your thing, adjust them again and off you go.
When it comes to ergonomics, the Rhino has always been hard to beat. And, once again, in the rocks everyone felt the Rhino and RZR were top notch when it came to seat comfort, steering wheel location, brake/gas pedal locations, and the steering wheel itself. The only thing that would be nice is if somehow the seat belts didn’t rub the necks of the taller drivers. Outside of that, with the half doors, 3-point seat belts, and a proven roll cage design, the Rhino felt safe to most drivers.
Braking with the Rhino is good. It takes a little more pedal effort than the Polaris units, for example, but you never feel like it won’t stop, by any means. The clutch stays engaged nicely when engine braking, but we found at speeds as slow as we were going the gearing didn’t keep us rolling as slowly as some of the others. But, it also doesn’t release at the off-idle engagement RPM like the Polaris units do, so that’s nice.
Lastly, the ground clearance on the Rhino was one of the highest with very little bottoming out. It would lift a tire a few times more than the Teryx I think primarily due to the slightly stiffer shocks, but other than that it felt very stable and pliant over the largest of rocks. Another really nice feature to the Rhino is the design of the lower portion of the roll cage. It essentially acts as a built in slider and is much sturdier than the others that either have plastic shrouds or thin walled square tubing on that vulnerable outer edge. All in all, the Rhino competed nicely against the rest of the pack with the main culprit being the gearing, which affected the power response and braking. We’d really like to see power steering on the Rhinos, because we feel that combined with a slightly altered geometry up front that it would steer fantastic. Outside of that, the Rhino excels in the ergonomics, suspension, and ground clearance categories.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it once again. All 5 machines conquered Moab, UT, the ultimate rock crawling destination in the U.S. What never ceases to amaze me is how capable all of these machines are, and testing them all together is like splitting hairs to identify the various characteristics of each of them. Not during our testing this time, but while doing some other riding in Moab, it’s hilarious to watch all the jeepers and other 4wd vehicles watch in amazement as we climb up the same obstacles they do, sometimes with less trouble. These UTVs are definitely the wave of the future, in our opinion, and I can only imagine — or dream, for that matter — as to what they’ll be like in just a few years.
In the next issue, we’re going to be testing all 5 machines in Glamis, CA to see how each of them performs in the dunes. If you’re not a dunes fanatic like some, maybe it’s rock crawling, desert riding or mud that’s your thing. We’re hoping that by the end of this shootout, you’ll be able to sit down and evaluate which machine best suits your needs, riding style and terrain. If there’s something you’d like to know more about for the next issue, feel free to email us so we can make sure to cover everything our readers want to know.
