UTVs

No machine has played a bigger role or has had more impact for a wider variety of owners than the Polaris Ranger.  Before the Ranger, John Deere’s Gator and Kawasaki’s Mule were about the only choice for any serious, work capable utility vehicle.  Both the Gator and the Mule were solid performers on the farm or the job site, but weekend recreation was not their domain or even much of a consideration.  The new Ranger, however, offered the ability to haul everything from bricks to hay bales all week and camping, hunting, or fishing gear all weekend.  Plus it did it with more power, more features, better handling, and vastly improved ride quality.

Last year we spent a couple days prowling around the woods of South Carolina on KYMCO’s UXV 500i and it performed extremely well crawling over downed timber, crossing streams and mud holes, and maneuvering through the tight trees.  This year we would be giving the UXV an entirely new challenge and rather than the Eastern woods, we would be taking it into some of the toughest, yet most beautiful terrain on the planet.  Saddle up for UTAH! 

In every manufacturer’s lineup, there are models that mark watershed moments of major change.  In the hardworking utility vehicle market, John Deere first found success with the five wheeled AMT, then enjoyed an even greater following with their next generation Gator.  Last year they celebrated a huge milestone when the 500,000th Gator rolled off the line at their Horicon, Wisconsin plant, but other companies took notice of the Gator as well.  Polaris quickly capitalized on a loyal sportsman following with their Ranger, while Yamaha catered to performance lovers with the Rhino.  Kawasaki continues to offer their Mule utility vehicles, but the Teryx also appealed to the sporty crowd.

There are companies that have a knack for finding opportunities in the market and then building a product to fill it. The Disney people never build a ride without a movie, toys, and a happy-meal to go with it, and in the powersports world, Polaris has always managed to find that untapped group of potential riders that didn’t quite find what they needed with existing models. Since the Side x Side market is relatively new, it’s been the habit of most manufacturers to concentrate on their top of the line models. Polaris has done that as well, but at the same time they never forgot those left behind.

When most people think of John Deere, it has little to do with off-road vehicles and everything to do with American agriculture. There’s more than one side to a field, however, and the company that began with old John Deere’s simple steel plow, pounded into shape from a broken saw blade, has turned into one of the world’s most recognizable brands, with products that touch on nearly every type of outdoor activity whether it’s work or recreation. Deere & Co. has always remained true to its down-on-the-farm roots, though, and one of their most successful products began as an incredibly handy utility vehicle named after a southern swamp predator.