The best 2011 side-by-side ATVs

MSRP: $10,611

Available with either a gasoline or diesel power house, the 3400 is shorter than its predecessors in the 2000 series. It’s also somewhat higher off the ground and, with adjustable shocks on the back end, it has all the manoeuvrability you’d need on a rutted, greasy, boulder-strewn trail. If that sounds as if the 3400 might lag behind the pack on level ground, think again—this baby will eat up the distance at an entirely respectable 50 kilometres per hour. What I really like about the 3400, along with its multi-passenger XL counterpart, is the level of protection built into its soft belly, complete with guards on the radiators, grease boots on the shaft and, of course, a skid plate running the length to prevent damage to the engine and transmission. This is how a backcountry ute should be built.

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