Can-Am Maverick X3 X DS

From the April 2017 issue

The list of troubles one forgets when airborne in a Can-Am Maverick X3 is significant. You’ll not give a second thought to your cross-threaded relationships with the in-laws. Your latest flurry of poor life choices will fade to insignificance. You’ll even dismiss the single inevitable event that accompanies every human flight: returning to Earth. Because, unlike as in any other vehicle, landing in this one utterly lacks consequence. Touching down in the X3 is a thing that happens in a heaven ruled by different physical laws. It’s a perfect blue morning in the Dolomites, a lungful of crisp Yosemite Valley air, a freshly cut alfalfa field in southern Michigan.

We “tested” the $25,749 X3 DS—yes, it’s this or a new Mazda MX-5 Miata—in just such a field, airing out and pillowing in, scattering the moist terra firma wide and far with every shot at the throttle and filtering the grass through a toothy smile. The X3 is to Michigan loam what Kilauea is to Hawaiian magma. Big, heavy clumps of the stuff tore from the ground and ­showered down like sandbags filled with brownie mix. Bystanders beware.

Because side-by-side utility task vehicles (UTVs) have a justified reputation for sudden high-energy inversion, we tried mightily to keep the X3 upright. Go in with the notion that rolling is easy, and you’ll be fine. Keeping the (slightly) cleaner side up is an exercise that turns enjoyable when one stops being afraid and learns the X3’s nuances. You’re quickest driving it in deep on the brakes. Trophy-truck-like internally bypassed dampers keep the wheels on the ground, even through a moonscape of ­braking bumps. But lift off the brakes completely before turning. This isn’t a car, and it doesn’t slide like one. Ask too much of it at once, and it’ll trip and tip. Separate, deliberate inputs and unloading the suspension at the right time are the keys to all-day alfalfa shredding.

The $27,449 top-of-the-line X RS trim offers a more tip-resistant 72-inch width, with 22 inches of front- and 24 inches of rear-wheel travel. Our X DS mid-level rig was less radical at 64 inches wide, with 20 inches of travel, front and rear. Preload-adjustable, external-reservoir Fox shocks provide enough tuning knobs to easily screw up its factory-tuned perfection.

Fortunately for us, Can-Am took great measures to better X3 drivers’ odds of staying upright. Relatively long and wide, with its seats placed low and semi-reclined in its tubular steel chassis, the buggy speaks with reasonable clarity through its electrically assisted three-mode power steering. Mostly it just grunts, saying things like, “Hang on, brother, I got this,” while indiscriminately swallowing foot-deep holes and razing saplings mid-slide. A wheelbase longer than a Subaru BRZ’s doesn’t hurt.

And the power. Oh, the power. A turbocharged 899-cc Rotax three-cylinder whistles out 154 dirt-murdering horses through a CVT. It’s a potent combo providing both quick response and uninterrupted thrust. There’s no rear differential, ensuring that the rear wheels are always trying to pass the fronts. Should you prefer harder launches and quicker corner exits, a flick of a dash-mounted switch sends torque forward in a fixed 1:1 ratio with the rear axle. A hydraulically actuated clutch-type differential limits slip between the front wheels. In four-wheel drive, the 1597-pound X3 launches to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds on dirt and in a slightly faster 4.8 on the road.

The DS trim tested here costs enough to buy responsible, reliable transportation with a roof, climate control, and airbags. But when was the last time one of those made you contemplate a place where the skies are wild and blue, the air is from heaven, and the landings never hurt?

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, rear-/4-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door UTV

PRICE AS TESTED: $25,749 (base price: $25,749)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 12-valve inline-3, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection

Displacement: 55 cu in, 899 cc
Power: 154 hp @ 7250 rpm
Torque: 112 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm

TRANSMISSION: continuously variable automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 102.0 in
Length: 131.0 in
Width: 64.0 in Height: 66.0 in
Curb weight: 1597 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph (pavement/dirt): 4.8/5.0 sec
Top speed (governor limited): 84 mph