I'm all approved and ready for a buyers order on a shiny new (2 seater) SxS.
I could get pretty much anything I want but due to the resulting payments - I'd like to keep the out-the-door price well under $20K.

I'm a very experienced ATV rider having owned at least a dozen of them and about that many dirt motorcycles(I'm 46).
I currently have a 2014 Honda Rincon 680 that I'll be trading in on whatever I get.
I've never owned a SxS but I have used one(RZR) off road for a few days so I'm not a complete noob to them and I've been studying them.

I go to Windrock OHV(Coal Creek) 2-3 times a year and I think a SxS will be safer and also allow me to take the wife....which will in turn allow me to go more often
So, primarily I want something in the 60" wide class that can rock crawl and do seriously steep stuff well and not get too beat up doing it. That is the Primary concern.
I'm not at all interested in high speeds but I know the value of a good suspension and power when it comes to climbs.

Secondarily, I want something that will hold up....
I know Polaris is popular and performs well, but I've owned 3 of their ATVs and I've got a lot of friends w/late model RZRs and they just seem to start nickle and diming us after the new wears off.
I just can't bring myself to commit to bushings every year, air box leaks, water pumps and a crappy warranty....my apologies to anyone I'm offending w/that
I really love Honda and am usually willing to be at the back of the pack in exchange for making every ride(reliability)...The Pioneer 700 has the same engine as my current Rincon which I like, but
NO power steering and it is certainly a utility model at heart. That is actually fine but I doubt it is the most off-road capable in the current SxS market.

Third and last, I live in North Florida and my property has direct access to the Apalachicola National Forest trail system - so it will see PLENTY of mud and water here.
I'm not a huge mud-bogger, won't be snorkeling it, but mud, sand and water are all I really have right here.
So although I don't want to buy something based on performance in the mud, It'll need to be able to survive a lot of it over its life.

Right now, I'm considering the Kawasaki Teryx 800 LE, The Can-Am Maverick XC and the Arctic-Cat Wildcat. The local dealer has a new 2014 Teryx 800 LE he will sell for $3k below MSRP.

So there it is....I'm hoping you guys will give me your thoughts good and bad about any and all SxS options in the $15-16K range.
I'm particularly interested in knowing which one may have better chances of getting through/up/down the rocks than the others.

 

I just stumbled on the new Honda Pioneer 1000....does anyone know MSRP on it?

 

It seems Honda doesn't want to reveal that information, even on their website. I would guess north of $20,000 at least. If its less than that I would be surprised. The base Arctic Cat Wildcat models would probably fall within your price range. The base model still has the 1000cc engine but its detuned to make a little less power than the top of the line Wildcat X. My local dealer sells both Kawasaki and Arctic Cat. The best deals on side by sides are usually the Teryx models. I've seen them priced as low as about $10,000. The Wildcat has more power though. Much more suspension travel as well. Its a 1000cc machine but I've seen plenty of videos showing them rockcrawling at places like Moab and its a very capable machine for that kind of terrain. So its not just for going fast. As long as your trails are wide enough to fit it(its 64" wide) I think it would be the best choice. The Wilcat Sport is a little narrower at 60" but its only offered with the still capable 700cc v-twin that makes 60+hp that it shares with the 50" Wildcat Trail. That's more power than the RZR 800 made. But its also less expensive, base model starts at about $13,000. That's also more power than the bigger 800cc v-twin in the Teryx makes as well. You might also take a look at the new Yamaha Wolverine R-Spec. It has a little less power but its a single cylinder so it has the bulk of its power on the low end. It tops out at about 53 mph stock so its not quite as fast as its v-twin competitors. The price is lower though, I've seen them priced at about $12,000 with EPS.

 

I just bought a wildcat trail, love it so far and ac usually has better suspension than the competitors in whatever class. The 60" sport model has better suspension and may be worth your consideration. That 700 twin has plenty of get up and go, and there are some easy ponies to be found if you need them. However, New York would let us register utv over 1000lbs, I would have bought the Wolverine r spec in a heartbeat. Those Kayaba shocks they use are great units. I am very surprised at what you are getting for the $$ with the Yamaha.

 

I'm not a big fan of Polaris either. Can Am side by sides have mixed reviews as far as reliability goes. I would think the best value would probably be the Arctic Cat Sport. The Wildcat has a lot more suspension travel than the utility based Teryx has. The Teryx might be a little less expensive but the Wildcat is much more capable and has more power even with the 700 engine, probably easily tops 60 mph.

 

Maybe the Yamaha Wolverine 700 2016 Yamaha Wolverine R-Spec EPS Reviews, Prices, and Specs. Yamaha has the same reliability rep as Honda and it has a more powerful 708cc 48hp DOHC then the 700 Pioneer's 38hp 675cc OHV.
Plus it comes with Power steering and 26" Radial tires.

 

The Wolverine comes at a lower price than the Wildcat too. It has a lot less power than even the 700cc engine in the Wildcat Sport, about 15 hp less. From what I have seen, its still quite an impressive machine for trail riding though, just don't expect to be the leader of the pack in wide open areas, it just isn't fast enough on top end. If the Wolverine had more power, I can see it being the best side by side in the business. But 48 hp in a 1200 lb machine doesn't sound nearly as impressive as the same engine in a Grizzly that weighs just over half as much. Yamaha's teaser video would imply that a v-twin Wolverine is coming but as I said in another post, why tease? Honda made sure that potential customers knew the Pioneer 1000 was coming. Yamaha is gambling that customers will wait. People get impatient, they will just buy something else.

 

Then the 28hp 500 Honda and 39hp 700 (675) Pioneers SXS must be lucky to move under there own power if 48hp is weak. The 700 Pioneer is even a heavier 4 seater.

 

Well yes, the 500 and 700 Honda Pioneer are underpowered. The Wolverine makes good use of its 48 hp from what I've seen. Even the Viking with the older 686cc engine makes a good showing of itself. Which is why its a bit disappointing that Yamaha hasn't come up with something better yet. Getting that kind of performance from seemingly not a lot of power would indicate that if they had say 75 hp, they would be extremely sporty.

 

if I were you, I'd check around some of the UTV forums for reviews and opinions from people who actually own and have experience with the machines your interested in. It's all just speculation otherwise.

Btw,

The pioneer 1000 has a starting price of 14k for the base 3 seater model but it doesn't include PS, paddle shifters and a few other luxury/convenience options. There are 3-4 models of the 1000 with the Top of the line 5 seater model falling just under 20k - just in your price range.