UTV Driver
  • 10 months ago
The Maverick X3 Turbo DS is the CHEAPEST X3 you can buy, so how does it compare to the top-of-the-line Maverick R? We RTI tested both sport side-by-sides to see just how flexy they are.

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Transcript
00:00 We put all our rigs through the ramp travel index test.
00:03 The RTI test measures flex and spits out a number that quantifies how much a rig will articulate.
00:08 The higher the number, the flexier a machine is.
00:10 We use this test as a good bellwether of how well a machine will perform out in the rocks.
00:15 So we brought out the most expensive Can-Am Maverick R and the least expensive Can-Am Maverick X3 to see how they do on the ramp.
00:23 Generally, big, fast UTVs like this don't score that well.
00:26 Folks find that surprising given their all-powerful off-road image, but if you stop and think about it, it makes sense.
00:31 These rigs are set up for high-speed stability on open trails.
00:35 They've got beefy control arms and sway bars. All of those things rob flex.
00:39 But the Maverick R features Can-Am's tall knuckle suspension, which adds stability and travel to the front end.
00:45 But all that capability comes with a price, and that's why we've brought out the Maverick X3 DS.
00:51 At $21,999, it is the cheapest X3 on sale.
00:54 But it's still plenty capable, with 135 horsepower from a turbocharged Rotax triple, a 64-inch wide track, and 20 inches of suspension travel from Fox piggyback shocks.
01:05 It's a proper sport machine.
01:06 So, Aaron, what do you think? Do you think the tall knuckle design gives you extra flex and capability?
01:10 If you've seen footage of Kyle Chaney at King of the Hammers this year, signs point to yes.
01:14 It's true.
01:14 But I want to know how close that $22,000 will get you to the top.
01:18 There's only one way to find out.
01:19 So what do you think? Let us know which one of these things you think is going to come out on top in the comments.
01:23 So as a reminder, this is the ramp travel index test.
01:26 You've got a 20-degree ramp.
01:27 This rig will drive up the ramp until it lifts a wheel.
01:30 You'll measure from the base to the top.
01:31 You'll divide that number by the wheelbase, multiply by 1,000.
01:34 That gives you your score.
01:35 Aaron, are you ready?
01:35 I am ready.
01:36 Let's hit it.
01:37 All right, Aaron, come to me. Let's do it.
01:38 Come on, come on.
01:45 Whoa, whoa.
01:46 All right, back a little bit. Back, back.
01:49 Right there.
01:51 Edge of the ramp.
01:53 I'm going to call that 35.
01:55 35 inches.
01:56 So it was 35 inches.
01:57 The X3DS has a 102-inch wheelbase.
02:00 Okay.
02:00 That shakes out to a 343.14.
02:03 343?
02:04 Zach, what's a good score?
02:05 Usually, you know, we hope for something north of 400.
02:08 Okay, this is not that.
02:09 No, no.
02:10 All right, so what's our highest scoring machine?
02:12 One of our highest scoring machines is the Yamaha R-Max 2.
02:16 That's a 706.
02:18 Okay, but that rig is meant for an entirely different purpose.
02:20 Yeah.
02:21 Yeah, it's meant for playing around, slow speed stuff, off on the sticks.
02:24 Right, okay.
02:24 So what I want to know is how well that Maverick R does.
02:27 How much is it going to beat it by?
02:28 I can't wait to find out.
02:29 Let's do it.
02:30 I'll get my helmet.
02:30 So odds are the Maverick R is going to do considerably better,
02:33 and it's not just because of that tall knuckle suspension.
02:36 This thing has 32-inch tires from the factory.
02:38 The DS only has 30s, and as we have shown before,
02:41 we got a whole video on it,
02:42 rolling diameter matters a lot.
02:44 Aaron, you ready?
02:45 I am ready.
02:46 Hit it.
02:46 [engine revving]
02:58 Looking good.
02:59 Come on.
03:00 Holy crap.
03:03 Oh.
03:05 Back just a--
03:07 Oh.
03:07 [laughter]
03:08 That's pretty good.
03:11 Holy smokes, dude.
03:13 [laughter]
03:14 It feels spicy.
03:16 Does it?
03:16 Yeah.
03:17 [laughter]
03:17 I mean, it feels stable, but it feels like a lot of angle.
03:20 And we're going to call that 65.5.
03:22 All right, back her off there.
03:23 All right, 65.5.
03:25 It's got a 108 wheel.
03:26 606.48.
03:29 [laughter]
03:31 Okay.
03:31 So that is very good.
03:33 We went from bottom of the heap to top of the heap.
03:36 Okay, all right.
03:37 Get what you pay for, I guess.
03:38 Yeah, I guess so.
03:39 Okay, so here's the interesting part.
03:41 Right.
03:41 It did not clear the Turbo R.
03:43 So we had a Turbo R Ultimate Dynamics 635.
03:47 It did beat the Pro R considerably.
03:50 Really?
03:50 Yeah, the Pro R that we tested got a 444.98.
03:54 Wow.
03:55 Okay.
03:56 So we're not just imagining things when we say this thing feels considerably flexier.
04:00 Yeah, and I got to say, it felt remarkably stable on the ramp.
04:03 Sometimes that's a little scary, and it wasn't.
04:06 I think if they keep this up, we're going to need a longer ramp.
04:08 Yeah.
04:09 [laughter]
04:10 So that's it for our RTI ramp battle between the Maverick R and the Maverick X3 DS.
04:16 What do you think?
04:16 Does the Maverick R's extra flex make it worth the extra cash,
04:20 or does the DS's bargain basement price outweigh the fact that it's not that flexy?
04:24 Let us know in the comments.
04:25 Be sure to check us out over at UTVDriver.com five days a week for news, reviews, and buyer's guides,
04:32 and then head over to social media.
04:33 We're on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok seven days a week.
04:37 Catch all the nonsense we're doing here in the shop, and we'll see you there.
04:40 [music]
04:47 Check it out, Peeta. I'm wearing fur.
04:48 [laughter]
04:50 That I kilt myself.
04:52 My hands strangled it.
04:53 [laughter]
04:55 'Til it was dead.
04:56 I was naked when I did it.
04:58 [laughter]
04:58 That's why I needed the fur.