Got the lowdown/opinions on Polaris and Can AM buggies. I'm looking at a Kawasaki rig. 2 seater, fully enclosed. No heat, winch, few other things. Who has experience with the Kawasaki brand. 3 year warranty too!

I have driven the Kawasaki Tyrex, Polaris Ranger, Can Am Defender, Honda Pioneer, and the Yamaha Wolverine. Out of all of them, I felt that the Kawasaki Tyrex was the worst. It was loud, rough riding, and just didn't feel as well built. I would vote the Honda Pioneer as the best. I own a Ranger and like it. I think they are comparable the Can Am brand. But they are belt driven and prone to slip when wet. When the belt does slip, it will set off a code and sometimes limit the speed of the machine until you turn it off and the engine clears the code. I have limited experience with the Yamaha, but drove it about 50 miles last year in the CO mountains and didn't have any complaints.

ol' dad

I’ve got a Honda and a Polaris.
The Honda is a WAY better machine.
That said, Kawasaki has improved a bunch over the years. Sure don’t see guys who use the crap out of them have Kawasaki. Cattle guys around here put them through the wringer more than anyone. They all run Honda or Polaris.

We have one, can’t wait to get rid of it. Have to wear earplugs it’s so loud. Have to replace the belt just about every year and it’s not a simple process. My buddy who has worked on them as his job for a long time claims the Hondas are the best built brand.

Get a Honda pioneer. I've beat them all to death at work, and the one I've been consistently impressed with is the Honda's

I have had 2. One was a 3010 mule, it was bulletproof. Not fast, road rough, but was solid. Never let me down one time. I have Mule Pro FXT now. It has been junk, it will be leaving this spring. Think we are on the 4th timing belt tensioner. The throttle cable has been changed twice. I will not have another.

I got the mule sx , 4x4 and fuel injected . Love it. I use it around the farm , waterfowl hunting and trapping. It’s been a great machine , but it’s my first side by side, had Honda 4wheelers forever. This machine does everything I need it to do at a fair price. Wife and kids use it just as much as I do

Was really pleased with Kawasaki I had. The electric power steering would get a little wonky once in a while. My big dislike was it had very few grease points. Eric

I bought a 2023 Kawasaki mule pro mx and like it a lot. They don’t go 100mph and probably aren’t as fun as some Can Am 1000 blasting through a mud pit.

But for the way I use it, putting trails and hunting, it serves me well.

It goes 70kmph and that’s plenty for me. I drive much slower than that in the bush.







I added a full windshield and a winch to mine.

Also had the machine completely bottomed out in mud and never needed to use the winch to get unstuck yet. Put it in 4x4 and diff lock and go!

The way it was explained to me is these machines are more of a work horse than a toy for ripping around. That’s the reason I bought it.

Have two Kawasaki's Both have been bullet proof. Planning to pickup the new Kawasaki Ridge this spring. The Honda and Polaris rigs we have had and been around tend to spend a lot of time in the shop.

I have a mule sx xc and love it. Has bigger tires from factory than the regular mule. More ground clearance. Its simple, fuel injected 4x4 with locking diff. Easy to adjust valves and change oil. Brakes are not the greatest, drums all the way around. But its slow. I didnt want a fast one. Kids can get out of control quick, when they roll you fall out if not wearing seatbelt or people put their arm out thinking its gonna stop the roll.
I used to work at a Kawasaki, Suzuki and Ducati dealership, then had my own independant shop for a while. Never liked Polaris or can am. If you buy a used one just remember most people dont take it back to the shop for service. Only when its broke.

Yamaha here .....no issues

Some of the Mules use the same 3 cylinder Chinese engine they use in the John Deere Gators. I think they’re ok if you keep the oil changed and check the valve clearances when recommended. No adjusting the valve clearance they need to be measured then order the proper thickness shims.

We have 2 Kawasaki Mules on the farm; One is a 2006 3010 Trans 4x4 and the other is a 2018 4010 Trans 4X4. The 3010 has around 1,700 hours on it and runs like a champ. Its down right now as I broke a tie rod end Saturday. I have the parts ordered and will be fixing it in the next few days. Its easy to work on at home.

The 2018 4010 is an absolute lemon. Less than 400 hours and can't keep it running. The throttle body fouls about every 3 months to where it will stall when you stop or are not giving it fuel. Its and easy fix to clean it but just something you have to do too often. Now it has a slow battery drain that appears to be sucking the battery juice down in about 18 hours or so of sitting. It also doesn't want to go up hills. We just made the decision to get rid of this one and replace it with a mini-truck or Can-am.

Ground clearance is low on both and small rocks sticking up in the roads will hit the bottom.

Ill probably get crap, look at cf moto. Have ran their quads for several years, no major issues and im pretty hard on stuff. Buddy has a sxs from them. They come with extras from factory to. Winch, roof, etc.

We had a Kawasaki Mule 4x4 diesel.
It was slow and problematic - everything broke down, except the engine.
A friend also had a Mule with a gas engine - the engine was a problem.

We tested all brands and there was a clear winner.
So we have a Honda Pioneer 1000-3. It is great.
We also have a Honda 4 wheeler.

CF Moto, is pushing hard with their line-up and tech. These newer companies have hired experts from all the major builders and are no nonsense and will put a hurting on the big 5-6, if they don't keep stepping it up. This is fact!