Are Side-by-Side Utility Vehicles Right for You?

May 15, 2015 | Published by

Side-by-sides are becoming an increasingly popular niche of the utility vehicle community and for good reason: these vehicles are capable of just about anything you might need them for in an all-terrain setting! While we use pickup trucks to carry the burden of heavy loads and ATVs to navigate the ruggedness of the path less taken, side-by-sides marry these two concepts to truly provide a utility vehicle solution that’s exceptionally useful and tremendously easy to use!

But, all of this being said, side-by-sides aren’t the end-all be-all of utility vehicles in treasure Coast, FL. In fact, outside of a practical application, side-by-sides might not be what you’re looking for at all! Take a look at some of the essential questions you should be asking yourself before investing in a side-by-side utility vehicle:

What will I be using this for?

If you’re looking to blaze the trails and feel the wind on your face, you might be better off with an ATV or even a dirt bike. Side-by-sides come with their own share of power capabilities, but they’re traditionally not going to be your best option for scorching trails or powering through the wilderness over an afternoon. Now, if you’re looking to traverse your property, haul a hefty load or transport people and products to a location that’s off the beaten path, side-by-sides are right up your alley!

How much am I looking to spend?

While every class of utility vehicles in treasure Coast, FL is going to have its own spectrum of prices and performance tiers, it’s worth noting that what you’ll pay for side-by-sides is going to be a bit higher than what you’d pay for a comparable ATV. If your budget is limited and the difference between an ATV and a UTV is negligible, it’s important to consider that the cost of the UTV is going to be more—granted, you’re also going to get more out of it in terms of functionality as well.

Who’s going to be using it?

Again, this question is one that can easily boil down to your need for functional capacity. Most ATVs can fit a passenger on them, however UTVs and side-by-sides go above and beyond, sometimes fitting as many as four or six passengers! If you’re going to be toting around a few people when you fire up your engine, UTVs are absolutely going to be what you’re looking for.

What type of terrain will you be traversing?

Terrain is important to consider because, even though ATVs and UTVs are both utility vehicles in Treasure Coast, FL, the types of terrain they’re rated for can vary across make a model. Your ATV might have a higher clearance or better suspension as compared to side-by-sides, whereas your UTV might offer more weight capacity and better handling on inclined surfaces.

Keep in mind these are just several questions to ask yourself when it comes to whether or not you should be investing in side-by-sides over another type of utility vehicle—it all comes down to your unique needs and personal situation.