We've got some land on the Brazos with a trail leading down to the river beach, so there will be plenty of sand driving involved. I'm mainly looking for something fun to drive, performance and acceleration/speed matter more to me than pure utility, though some utility would still be nice when needed. It doesn't have to be the fastest machine out there, but I do want something reliable. I'll need at least a 4-seater, and I'm open to new or used options.

Where should I start? Any recommended forums, groups, or resources to learn more? Appreciate the help!

Check out Polaris RZR, Can Am Maverick, Kawasaki Teryx, and Honda talon. Stick to one of these main brands. Go drive them all. I'd buy one from a dealer that is convenient.

Definitely a lot to consider. A few questions to think on and maybe answer here to help with ideas.

Budget?
Full cab (see Budget) or not?
Local dealer brands available?

Think more about the differences between utility (think Ranger, Mule or Defenser) vs sport (rzr, maverick, talon or Teryx). There's a lot of differences between those groups. Some cross over more than others. Whether or not you want a bed will cull a lot.

Most of the newer crew models with 800-1000cc engines will have lots of power and go faster than you probably should so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

I've always been partial to Kawasaki. I just got a Ridge crew. I love it so far. My dad has a Mule that's old and been a beast. The new mule pro fxt is very nice. I'm not a huge fan of the seats. Got friends with old mules that have done great. They pretty basic but notably reliable.

My buddy loves his Can Am defender. I rented one is Colorado, it was solid in the mountains.

kyledr04 said:

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Definitely a lot to consider. A few questions to think on and maybe answer here to help with ideas.

Budget?
Full cab (see Budget) or not?
Local dealer brands available?

Think more about the differences between utility (think Ranger, Mule or Defenser) vs sport (rzr, maverick, talon or Teryx). There's a lot of differences between those groups. Some cross over more than others. Whether or not you want a bed will cull a lot.

Most of the newer crew models with 800-1000cc engines will have lots of power and go faster than you probably should so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

I've always been partial to Kawasaki. I just got a Ridge crew. I love it so far. My dad has a Mule that's old and been a beast. The new mule pro fxt is very nice. I'm not a huge fan of the seats. Got friends with old mules that have done great. They pretty basic but notably reliable.

My buddy loves his Can Am defender. I rented one is Colorado, it was solid in the mountains.

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Budget is flexible, but I don't need a top of the line $40K+ Can-am Mav R. I'd love to find something under 20 that works, but that's not looking feasible going new.

No on a full cab. I want open with a windshield.

Live in CS near Snook.

The only utility I see right now would be for is clearing trees, moving trailers, and hauling things down to the beach for the day.

We went and looked at the Defender here https://maps.app.goo.gl/mu4sdbHw2mXmBazh8 yesterday. My wife loved it, but I told her I need to do more due dilegence before we buy.

I have the Mule Pro FXT. It's been great. Used as a farm machine and for hunting.
Got it from Madisonville Kawasaki. Good people.

I have owned yamaha, polaris, canam, kawasaki, and honda, and rented a john deere.

Honda and Kawasaki are the only ones I have ever bought twice.

Honda seems to be more reliable.

Kawasaki seems more comfortable.

But I am on it all day, and have put around 100K miles on side by sides.

For short runs, limited usage, pretty much any of them should be fine.

Used 4Runner?

I run a Kubota 1140 I think it is, 2 seat diesel. It top ends at 25 which is perfect for a few family members to drive. This in Zapata and been great but it's only 1 1/2 yo.
In Encinal I have a Polaris diesel Crew of 2012 vintage. It does about 58 which is more than enough. It's a warhorse having been through hell several times back to our TTT deer days.
With that said I'd be very careful buying used. All in a days work I Put my Polaris through the wringer running nearly top speed through brush chasing helicopters.
You don't want to buy one of those.
Polaris was first with independent suspension this a smoother ride back in the day. I think it also has the largest bed which has been great around the ranch.
Good luck with it, there's lots to consider. I'm going through that with a skid steer.

It's been 3 years since I bought a Kawasaki mule pro fxt. Great machine and way less problems than the Yamaha Viking I previously had. I looked hard at the Honda side by sides but they were just way too small in the driver and passenger compartments for me.

I've never had a Polaris but I've heard they are faster and more of a performance machine than the mule. I prefer the mule as 45 or so is faster than I want to go in one.

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I'm mainly looking for something fun to drive, performance and acceleration/speed matter more to me than pure utility,

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Well, you can rule out the mule…

I bought a Mule a couple years ago and it's great for putting around and hauling some stuff around the farm, but if you're looking for speed and performance and "fun"…I sure could not recommend a Mule!

I have a 2018 Kawasaki Mule Pro FXT. Used it hunting filling feeders pulled trailer with a ton of corn, had 4 people over 13000' feet in Colorado several times. It has never let me down. The ride is superior to all the others I think. I highly recommend it!!!

Check our Kawasaki of Caldwell on 21

Look around for something with low hours/miles on Facebook marketplace. Look it over good & take it for a test drive. You can save a ton of money buying used.

There are a lot of people that buy one for their lease or buddies land. They either find they don't use it enough or the lose access to the land they are on. You can find some good deals if your patient.

Also cross shop the Honda Pioneer. What drove me to picking my Pioneer over a Mule is the transmission. It's an actual geared transmission and not a CVT. I'll ride around for a long while and being in a low gear without the engine screaming while I'm riding around is a big plus. Love the geared transmission

you should 100% get a Quadski. I know that I would.

FWIW - kawasaki bumped the motor in the FXT from 800cc to 1000cc in the 2024 model year. So take that into account when weighing feedback. New top speed is 65mph.

It's still firmly utility IMO, but suspension is smooth and power is pretty good for what it is.

Depends on what you want. You want a work horse that drives like a bus or a sports car that drives like a baja buggy?

Mules are slpw and reliable.

RZRs are way more fun, but probably more maintenance.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

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I'm mainly looking for something fun to drive, performance and acceleration/speed matter more to me than pure utility,

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Well, you can rule out the mule…

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Guess it depends on how much performance and speed.

The PRO FXT isn't Teryx or RZR fast, but it isn't slow either.

There is a huge difference between the traditional Kawasaki Mule (600, 610, 4010, etc.) and the PRO-FXT line.

The PRO isn't going to compete with a RZR or Teryx in terms of speed, it isn't designed to. I'd say it's a decent mix between the traditional utility Mule and a more sporty SxS. Mine tops out at 43mph, and I'll tell you that outside of my neighborhood where we cruise on the roads, there is 1 spot on my entire deer lease that we can even approach max speed and that is on the improved main all weather road. Any other place outside of that and speed isn't a concern at all.

I've been pretty happy with my PRO-FXT since I bought it in 2018. Very few problems, very reliable and overall a great SxS for both utility purposes but also for my girls to cruise around in. Both have learned how to drive on that mule.

What puts it above the others IMO is that it can go from a single seat configuration with a large bed for hauling feed, etc. to a 2 seat configuration in about a minute. Any other model and you have to choose between a short wheelbase single seat that performs best offroad or a long AF wheelbase 2 seater.

It isn't without faults or improvements needed, but for me it was the best option at the time because of the versatility and reliability. There are 5 of them on my lease and we run them hard, especially during the season when it's typically muddy as hell. 2 polaris rides are decent (old farts put them around), 1 polaris is a heap of sht, another guy has a Viking (I think that is what it is) and it has some great features but also some drawbacks and another guy has a 4010 Mule that isn't sexy but he never has a problem getting to his area and back.

https://instagr.am/p/C4N4Ok9udYP

My Kabota does the seat think as well.

After all my research and seeing what is always breaking on our large deer lease I went with the Kawasaki mule pro fxt. Very happy with it so far, they offered me a 7 year warranty also

I got a Landmaster AMP crew Wilderness edition.

it's fully electric, so it's quiet as a mouse for sneaking up on wildlife, no oil and fluid changes, charges up in the shop at my land for 12c per kwh instead of $3/gal of gas. has a gun rack, red light bar for predator hunting. range of over 50 miles on a charge, so it can work all over the land all day no problem. top speed of only 30mph, which is fine running around the property on trails. tows sprayer, spreader, disc harrow, drag harrow, etc. no problem. i can go on and on. I'm very happy with it.



specs here:
https://landmaster-assets.american-landmaster.workers.dev/uploads/resources/2025/Price-Tags/8.20.24/CP00469-AMP-WILDERNESS-CREW.pdf



but seriously, you're on the river with a trail to the bank- i'd get a Quadski if i were you!!

There are 2 low hour units on the Classifieds board

Deerdude said:

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My Kabota does the seat think as well.

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That's a new feature for Kubota then.

Also looking at them, it looks like the entire bed slides back when you put it in the front/rear seat configuration. So the bed size stays the same. How does it change the center of gravity on the UTV?

When the rear seats are deployed it takes up part of bed on a Kabota. I suppose the bed load has to be shifted to the rear. I don't know how much it affects center of gravity, I don't carry heavy loads in it. Not enough room. Maybe 6-8 bags of feed or 300-400 lbs.

Your post in classifieds is what got me opening this can of worms. I need 4 seats and now know I want at least a 750cc engine so neither of those work for me.

NW80 would tell you how stupid it is to mix speed and kids. RIP.

rather be fishing said:

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NW80 would tell you how stupid it is to mix speed and kids. RIP.

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Exactly why I insisted on the Kubota diesel to partner with family. His son is mid 20's and great kid but a train wreck with things like this.

I am needing to get something bigger than my single bench gas Kubota Sidekick now that both my kids and my wife are always with me checking stock. I am seriously considering the Honda Pioneer Deluxe 6. They have an actual dual clutch transmission instead of a CVT belt. Drove one around in the Davis Mountains for a few days and it was awesome going up and down steep mountain roads.

Strangely enough I got a good deal on a used 2 yr old Ranger on FB Marketplace. If you stalk the seller a little bit, you can sniff out who is legit and who is a time waster. Agree with going used as they are stupid expensive for what most of us use them for.

The transmission is why I always buy a Pioneer. It's a great machine. Mine is a 2018 with a long hard life on the ranch under its belt. Never a problem. When I kill this one I'll buy another

Got a dealer that you really like? I am located in San Angelo but don't mind traveling a ways for the right deal and peace of mind knowing that I'd be working with an honest & upfront dealer/salesman.

I've been going to Dales Fun Center in Victoria, TX. It's probably prohibitively far from you. Always good to build a relationship with the local guy for any warranty work you'll need

We don't have a local Honda dealer. We have a Family Powersports that sells CanAm/Polaris/Kawasaki, a Yanmar dealership and a Kubota dealership in San Angelo. That is the one drawback, but I don't want a belt driven machine anymore, so willing to travel to get a Pioneer.