I cannot count how many UTV/SxS brands out there now. Is the market big enough to absorb this many choices (over 100)??

 

Must be if they keep making them. I see lots of RZR's out on the trails now. What started out as a trickle is a flood. Very popular. I can understand it too. You can buy a 2 seater instead of 2 machines. Personally, I prefer quads but to each his own. Quite a few trail systems in the New England area are beginning to get wider to accommodate them.

 

Just seems like a short time ago there was just the Ranger and the Mule. The Rzr came out and then everyone jumped on the bandwagon.

 

saturated, its probably coming soon. Then again, the $$ on a lot of these is getting insane. I would imagine much like full size pick up sales, there is a pretty hefty profit margin on most sxs.

 

Yes there are a lot of them out there, according to a couple local dealers the SxS are out selling the atv's. I know I moved from multiple atv"s into a SxS and loving it. For me it is much more user friendly. I own a fair sized piece of property and the SxS is much more convenient than getting the atv out and hooking up a trailer to do yard work. I also have to take my trash out to the road...about 250ft and the SxS makes this job so much easier. Now if I were strictly trail riding at higher speed then the atv would be my choice. However with my age and my wifes artificial hip, the SxS makes much more sense for us. While we do intend to do some trail riding it will be at a much more leisurely pace. While I enjoyed my ATV a great deal for many years the SxS is just so much more convenient and I believe others are seeing the same thing. There are certainly a bunch to choose from, perhaps even a better selection than ATV's.

 

The nice thing is that we are seeing some smaller, less powerful utvs that don't cost 20 grand. Like the Kymco 450i for example. You can buy one of those brand new for about 8 grand. And it has good power for a 450cc machine, faster than what a Rhino 660 was and about what a Rhino 700 will do and those have much more displacement. Has many features the higher priced machines do such as differential lock and efi. No EPS but as I have heard, it steers pretty easy without it. The Honda Pioneer 500 is another value priced machine with the unique semi-auto transmission and paddle shifters. Polaris has the Rzr 570 and Ranger ETX. John Deere recently released the 590i, which starts at $8999 retail. Manufacturers are finally realizing these customers exist and would choose a utv over an atv if the price were a bit lower. Not everyone can afford a 1000cc utv that costs 18-20 grand. Cut the price in half and you greatly increase the amount of people who will buy one. The performance of these entry level machines will surprise many as well. People remember the old Gators and Mules and how slow and underpowered they were. This new crop of smaller displacement utvs are making quite a good showing for themselves.

 

Yes, I do believe you on right on track there with the new lower cost vehicles. I know there was no way I was paying 12,000 or more for a play toy, but then again look at how high the high cc ATV's are going for! I see some of the new 1000 plus atv's in the 10 grand range, now, if the Moab desert is in your backyard then their might be reason to buy one of these but frankly I see no need or want really for any more than my 450. Quick acceleration, 50 mph top speed and the ability to haul over 400lbs....what more can you ask from a UTV. I am not one to put the RZR and other high performance side x sides in the same class as my 450, I see them as sport machines strictly, a UTV is something you use for work and play, but I don't see much work coming from a 1000+ cc offroad side x side... just my two cents anyway.
Oh yea....forgot to ad....my 450 steers quite easy even with the diff lock on, I would see no reason for EPS on that machine.

 

Both have their intended purpose agreed, so this isn't about ATV vs. UTV, its about supply and demand Economics 101.

My thought is if there's a lot of new UTV competition, prices will fall. If prices fall on UTV's, ATV's will follow. Its hard to pay MORE for an ATV than a UTV. I agree, the profit margin on these things MUST be great in order to lure such an influx.

 

In recent months most major mfgrs have come out with a economy model UTV at a more reasonable cost...yes still quite high...but better than 12 grand. I see most have models starting at under 10 grand and I see the cost of ATV's going up due to less demand and lower production. Your right on with the supply and demand theory but can't help but think how long wil this demand for the UTV keep going unless the public trail system starts expanding for UTV use. Decent trails are crowded and many good trail systems still don't allow the wider UTV's. If something doesn't change soon the demand will drop as there will be no place to play. The only state in the Midwest region is W Virginia with there HM riding srea, they are growing and raking in big bucks for the state, to bad other states don't see their success.

 

I have to say for those of us in the southwest that ride in the desert you have to compare components you get for your money. There are sandrails out there that cost a ton more than what you get for your money with the new SxS.