Side-by-sides are all the rage right now, and they have been getting even more popular over the past few years. In terms of off-road, four-wheeled fun, there’s no better way to tear up a trail in the company of family and friends. This year at Husker Harvest Days, we got an in-depth looks at one of Kawasaki’s flagship 2023 side-by-side models.

Kawasaki’s Teryx line of UTVs entered the market in 2008; at this time, it was one of few side-by-sides on the market that wasn’t focused purely on utility. They’ve since evolved to lean more on the performance recreation side, although base model (two-seat) Teryx and Teryx S LE models do still feature 600-pound capacity cargo beds and a towing capacity of up to 1,300 pounds. If a utility-focused side-by-side (with some thrills to be had in addition) is what you’re after, the Kawasaki MULE has always been the way to go.

The Teryx KRX 1000 line now serves as the go-to performance recreation vehicle in its catalog, offering a range of features and capabilities that make it a thrill to ride almost anywhere off the beaten path.

Displayed front and center was the all-new 2023 Teryx KRX4 1000 eS, Kawasaki’s flagship UTV model. The 999cc four-stroke, parallel twin-powered side-by-side boasts a new feature this model year with Kawasaki’s Electronic Control Suspension (KECS). The KECS high-performance suspension system provides the ability to adapt to a wide range of terrain in real time, granting the driver and passengers a much more comfortable ride over harsh terrain.

The four-passenger side-by-side’s suspension has different firmness levels, allowing for it to adjust from a soft mode suitable for choppy terrain or a more standard mode fit for a sportier ride and stiff turns through cornering. Paired with a 15.2-inch ground clearance, dual hydraulic disc brakes (two-piston calipers in front, single in back) and MAXXIS Carnivore 31 x 10.00R15 8PR tires, the TERYX KRX4 1000 eS is more than capable of handling rough terrain.

Read more: 2023 Kawasaki Teryx KRX4 1000 eS

Last week, Polaris invited me to come out to Road America in Wisconsin to test drive the all-new, all-electric Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic side-by-side UTV. After months of speculation about the brand’s first-ever flagship EV, I couldn’t turn them down.

Why did Polaris invite little ol’ Jo Borrás out to drive their new, 110 HP UTV? While it probably had more to do with me being the closest CleanTechnica writer available, I’m also smack-dab in the heart of the Polaris’ target market – or near enough, anyway, that our family recently picked up a new side-by-side of our own earlier this summer. What’s more, as a former sales manager at a Honda power sports store, I’ve ridden the comparable Pioneer and Talon models, and even sampled a Yamaha or two along the way.

I have also sampled Polaris’ first electric effort, the Polaris Ranger EV UTV. That vehicle – which developed prior to the Polaris/Zero motorcycle marriage – was powered by lead-acid batteries and had more in common with an E-Z-Go golf cart than a high-performance SxS. To someone who associates electric power with a gut-punch of off-the-line acceleration, it was disappointing … if not downright boring.

While the little Polaris Ranger EV UTV is capable enough to haul hay and hand tools around a small farm, I wasn’t convinced it merited its price tag, regardless of its electrified benefits. As such, I wasn’t entirely sure I’d be able to come at this new Polaris with the sort of clean-slate objectivity that the company probably would have liked. To be extra, doubly sure that I gave the Kinetic a fair shake, I brought backup.

Read more: CLEAN TRANSPORT Tested: 110 HP, All Electric Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic UTV

Side-by-sides are one of the phenomena of the last few years. They’re more accessible to most folks than quads and especially dirt bikes, you can bring the whole family along to justify some of the cost, and they’re also insanely capable on all kinds of trails. The Polaris RZR Pro R is the ultimate version of the side-by-side.

I’ve been riding dirt bikes and quads for 15 years now, and the massive proliferation of side-by-sides in the last seven years has been disorienting. It used to be quad gangs and small packs of dirt bikes in SoCal OHV parks. Now, it’s chock-full of Polaris RZRs and similar kinds of vehicles. The proof is in the pudding: they’re nuts to drive and also very social compared to the solitary experience of bikes and quads.

This RZR Pro R Special Edition is largely like the standard, insane Pro R but with a livery from legendary designer Troy Lee Designs. It’s aggressively blue and orange, with even the suspension control arms painted the signature blue. Beadlock wheels trimmed in orange complete the Fanta-like effect.

Equipment-wise, it is largely unchanged from the standard RZR Pro R. Thus, it has that high-strung 225 horsepower 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-four that revs to 8,500 rpm, which is incredibly stout in a road car, let alone a skeletal side-by-side. It doesn’t come with the higher-trim active suspension setup, but it still gets advanced dampers and a full Rockford Fosgate sound system. The Special Edition gets Pro Armor tires and a Rigid Industries light bar.

Only 1,000 units will be sold worldwide, making it a little rarer than your average Polaris RZR. If you’re looking for the ultimate in four-wheeled off-road performance potential, it is not a Ford Raptor or Ram TRX. It’s one of these.

Read more: This 2023 Polaris RZR Pro R Special Edition Is a Wicked $50,000 UTV

Much as I love off-roading, I’ve never really been a fan of side-by-sides. You know, those little souped-up, golf-cart-dune-buggy-like things you see zipping around the desert and sailing off into the dunes. The truth is, my hate is a product of jealousy; right off the showroom floor, a side-by-side is faster and more capable than any off-road rig I could build myself. But a recent day with the Can-Am Maverick helped me see the light.

Actually, it was two days, and for the first, I only rode shotgun. Can-Am let me tag along with professional UTV driver Hunter Miller as he prepared for the infamous King of the Hammers race in Johnson Valley, California — a week-long event where every kind of off-road vehicle you can imagine gets its turn in the spotlight.

With 16 inches of ground clearance, up to 24 inches of suspension travel, a short wheelbase, 200 horsepower and low gearing, UTVs like the Maverick are nimble and pretty much unstoppable. Miller’s race rig wears 35-inch tires, meaning it has no problem climbing up over rocks that are legitimately taller than I am. Miller’s race line choice is precise, putting the Can-Am on two wheels more than once, and often pointing us straight up at the sky, straight down at the ground or sideways to the point where rocks are 3 inches from my helmeted head. This is some next-level capability.

Read more: 2022 Can-Am Maverick First Drive Review: Finding My Feelings