Hello people, first time posting here, at least in a looooong time. I used to belong years ago, but forgot my user name and password, so had to sign up again.

Anyway, I am thinking of getting back into another side by side. We had a 2010 Kawasaki Teryx, but sold it because it was just too noisy, and not exhaust noise. In fact it was so noisy my wife and I would have to yell at each other any time we went over 15 mph. There was so much mechanical noises going on, we ended up just getting back on our Kingquad 700's and sold the Teryx.

Its been gone about a year now, and thinking of trying another one. Maybe something like a Can Am Commander or Rzr? We are in our early 60's, and have no desire to race anyone, just like cruising around in the thousands of miles of trails here in the Nevada high desert without having to yell at each other. We aren't looking for a totally silent machine, but the Teryx was stupid noisy. What are our options for something quieter than the Teryx or is there one?

 

I'd drive as many as possible.

Kawasaki made big changes in 2012 and they are a lot quieter that the 2010s.

I rode a 2010 Kawasaki Brute Force and wouldn't have ever bought one because the engine and trans were soo noisy.

I have a couple of friends with newer Teryx's and they love them. One of them just bought a new 2014 and he loves it - traded off a Polaris Ranger.

I recently bought a new 2014 Brute Force and love it.

 

Don't know if they addressed it yet, but when I drove a, then new, 2012 Teryx I found it very difficult to go from the gas pedal to the brake pedal. The brake pedal was much higher than the gas. You had to lift your foot up and then over rather than just over to hit the brake. Might have been my size 13 boots but I was so uncomfortable that I switched back to a Brute Force for the rest of the event.

If you don't like noise Can-Am might not be a good fit. There is a good bit of drivetrain noise. Especially from the CVT clutches. They make a loud whine. The faster you go, the louder the whine, obviously. My Outlander has it but I just tell people it's the turbo kicking in.

The RZR is a nice machine if you find yourself on narrow trails that would challenge the bigger side by sides. Not as much room for cargo but enough for a day's ride. They now have a 900 trail width RZR for those that want a little more on tap than the 570, and 800. My son and a friend's son rode RZR's out on the Paiute Trail with Specta a year and a half ago. They went everywhere the quads went without an issue. These were the, then new, 570's. Didn't think they were noisy at all.

If you can, try out a couple machines on a test drive.

 

Plenty of machines to choose from. Pretty much all the manufacturers make a machine that would fulfill your needs. Even something like some of the new John Deere Gator models would be a good choice too, they have some sportier models that are more for play than work like the RSX850i. I remember Dirt Trax Television doing a review of it and they came away very impressed. Best bet would be to go test ride a few models and see which one you like the best. Reading reviews and watching videos can only do so much, in the end you have to go experience the machine from the driver's seat.

 

If quiet and not speed was my thing I would get a Honda 680 Pioneer. One thing about all Hondas is they sure are quiet .

Down side is its only 38hp with no low range.

 

I'll second that on the quiet Hondas. I know one thing, Arctic Cat Prowlers are very noisy, a lot of cvt whine just like the can-ams. Here in the small town I live in, side by sides are legal to ride on secondary roads in town if you register them. Just yesterday I listened as I think it was a 550 Prowler howling as it passed by as I was jogging through town. That thing was loud. So I'd mark that one off your list. Yamaha has just introduced the new Wolverine R spec side by side. Its a brand new model. They already have the Viking(another one to look at) but this new Wolverine looks to be a lot sportier.

 

Better to get a performer with ear plugs.

 

I think the whole point here is, quiet is the #1 priority. Honestly, other than the Honda Pioneer, none of them are what anyone would consider quiet. Question is, does the Pioneer have enough power for what they want? Only they can decide that. If you're used to riding King Quad 700s, then anything less powerful will probably seem disappointing and the Pioneer will definitely be a step down. You'll need an 800cc or bigger side by side to equal the performance.

 

Have owned a Commander for three years and agree it is a nice ride but is very noisy.

The RZR is not as loud as the Commander IMO. May want to check out the RZR 570.

 

This might help. UTV Side By Side Comparison | UTV Guide. It has a lot of useful information. As far as noise goes, they liked both the Polaris Rzr and Ranger and the Arctic Cat Wildcat and disliked the Rhino and Teryx, which you already knew was loud.