How Much Does a Side-by-Side Cost? A 2026 UTV Price Guide
- on September 02, 2026
- Categories: Articles
A new side-by-side runs $3,299 to $14,999 at Motobuys as of September 2, 2026. Under $5,000 buys a 169cc to 232cc two- or four-seater. Around $9,000 gets a 390cc 4x4 with high/low range and a dump bed. The $15,000 industry average you keep reading reflects Polaris and Can-Am, not this shelf.
Ask the internet what a side-by-side costs and you get one answer: five figures. That answer is accurate for one part of the market and useless for the rest of it. Here is what the machines actually list for, band by band, and what changes as you move up.
Side-by-side prices by band
| Price band | Models listed | Engine | Seats | What the money buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,299 – $4,999 | 9 | 168.9–232cc gas | 2 or 4 | CVT automatic with reverse, 2WD, live rear axle, roll cage, harnesses, speed limiter |
| $5,199 – $6,699 | 11 | 168.9–311cc gas | 2 or 4 | Fuel injection on most, independent rear on some, windshield, light bar, cargo rack or dump bed |
| $8,349 – $9,699 | 4 | 390.8cc gas, or 48–60V electric | 2 or 4 | Selectable four-wheel drive, high/low range, shaft drive, front and rear diff lock |
| $10,099 – $14,999 | 8 | 390.8–1,000cc gas, or 72V electric | 4 or 6 | Power steering, fully independent suspension, six-seat layouts, some arrive assembled |
Read from the live Motobuys catalog on September 2, 2026 — the 32 side-by-sides currently listed in the UTV & side-by-side collection. Engine displacement comes from each listing’s own spec sheet. Prices move; the product page is always the current number.
Why every price guide starts around $8,000
The article that ranks first for this question is SuperATV’s. It puts a new side-by-side at $5,000 to $30,000 with an average near $15,000. It was published in November 2020, and its budget picks are 2019 and 2020 model years — a Kawasaki Mule SX at $6,699, a Polaris ACE 500 at $7,299.
CFMOTO published a fresher one in December 2025 covering the most affordable utility side-by-sides for the 2026 model year. Every machine on that list starts under $15,000 MSRP. The cheapest one named is the Kawasaki Mule SX at $8,749, then the Polaris Ranger 500 at $9,999 and the Honda Pioneer 520 at $10,499.
Those numbers are right. They describe 400cc to 1,000cc machines with 30 to 70 horsepower, electronic power steering, a winch and 1,000 to 2,500 pounds of towing capacity. What nobody writes about is the shelf underneath, where a two-seat side-by-side with a roll cage and a real CVT transmission starts at $3,299. It exists, people buy it, and it is a different machine.
What under $5,000 actually gets you
Nine of the machines we list sit here. The entry point is the TrailMaster Challenger 200 at $3,299, down from $3,599: a 168.9cc single-cylinder engine, CVT automatic with reverse, live rear axle, over-the-shoulder harnesses, a full roll cage and a speed limiter. It carries a 4.56 rating from 9 reviews.
Be clear about what is missing. Two-wheel drive. No power steering. No winch. A live rear axle rather than independent suspension, so rough ground comes through the seat. These are trail and property machines for open land, not work trucks. If you need to pull a loaded trailer up a wet hill, this is the wrong band and no amount of good intentions fixes that.
One thing buyers get wrong: a four-seat model is not a bigger machine. The four-seat Challenger 4-200EX runs the same 168.9cc engine as the two-seat Challenger 200. You are paying for a longer chassis and two more seats, not more power. Load it with four adults and it will feel exactly as slow as that sounds.
$5,000 to $7,000, where most of the range sits
Eleven of the 32 listings land in this band, and the money goes to three things: fuel injection instead of a carburetor, larger displacement, and body work.
The Challenger 300EX EFI at $5,599 moves to 276cc with independent rear axles. The Challenger 4-300 EFI is a fuel-injected, water-cooled 275.6cc four-seater at $5,799. The Vitacci Predator FX400 is the largest single-cylinder in the band at 311cc.
A second family lives at the same prices and does a completely different job. The Taurus 200 series — the Taurus 200GX and Taurus 200E-U at $5,899 to $5,999 — are 177.3cc golf-cart-style machines with full-length roofs, DOT light packages and cargo beds. Same price, low-speed utility mission. Shoppers working from price alone cross-shop these against trail machines and are surprised when the thing they bought is not built to be thrown around.
$8,000 and up, where four-wheel drive shows up
This is the first band with a genuinely different drivetrain. The Taurus 450-U at $8,699, down from $10,439, brings a 390.8cc engine, selectable four-wheel drive with high and low range, shaft drive, front and rear differential lock, and a 200-pound dump bed. It rates 4.8 from 5 reviews. The four-seat Taurus 450-GX is $9,199 on the same platform.
Above $10,000 the machines change character again. The Panther 550 is a 498.6cc EFI four-wheel drive rated at 34 horsepower with a high/low automatic. At $14,999 the Sports Cross 1000 adds a 1,000cc engine, fully independent suspension and power steering. That is the top of our range, and roughly where the mainstream brands’ recreation models begin.
The costs that are not on the price tag
- •MCO and title processing. Registering or titling a side-by-side, where your state permits it, needs a dealer-endorsed MCO document. That is a separate $39 line item at checkout on most of our machines, not part of the sticker.
- •Assembly. These arrive crated and partly built. You can finish the job with hand tools, or add our assembly option at checkout and skip it.
- •Helmets and gear. Budget for them from day one rather than after the first ride.
- •Registration and insurance. Off-highway vehicle rules are set state by state and change more often than you would expect. Check your own state’s parks or motor vehicle agency before you buy — do not take a blog’s word for it, including this one.
- •Consumables. Belts, tires, oil, and a battery tender if the machine sits over winter.
Two seats or four?
Four-seat models cost roughly $900 to $1,150 more than the two-seat version of the same platform — $5,499 for the Challenger 4-200EX against $4,599 for the two-seat 200EX EFI. The extra length is the real decision. Measure your gate, your trailer and wherever the machine will live before you order, because a four-seat chassis is noticeably longer.
Buying for a young rider changes the math again, and fit matters more than price. We wrote that up separately in what age a kid can drive a side-by-side. If you are cross-shopping four-wheelers, the same exercise for ATVs is in our four-wheeler price guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a side-by-side?
New side-by-sides at Motobuys list from $3,299 to $14,999 as of September 2, 2026. Mainstream brands such as Polaris, Honda and Can-Am generally start closer to $9,000 and run past $30,000 for sport models, which is where the widely quoted $15,000 average comes from.
What is the cheapest side-by-side you can buy new?
The least expensive one we list is the TrailMaster Challenger 200 at $3,299. It is a 168.9cc two-seater with a CVT automatic, reverse, a full roll cage, harnesses and a speed limiter. Published buyer guides usually put the cheapest new side-by-side around $8,749, because they only count the major brands.
How much does a 4-seater side-by-side cost?
Four-seat models here run $4,599 to $12,999. The four-seat version of a platform typically costs $900 to $1,150 more than the two-seat version and uses the same engine, so it is more room rather than more power.
Are cheap side-by-sides worth it?
They are worth it when the job matches the machine. Under $5,000 you get two-wheel drive, a smaller single-cylinder engine and no power steering, which is fine for trail riding and light property use. For towing, plowing or steep wet ground, spend into the 390cc four-wheel-drive band at $8,699 and up.
What is the difference between a UTV and a side-by-side?
Nothing. UTV, SxS and side-by-side all describe the same vehicle: a roll-caged off-road machine with seats beside each other, a steering wheel and pedals. The ATV is the one that differs — those have a straddle seat and handlebars.
Does the listed price include assembly and paperwork?
The listed price is for the machine. Dealer-endorsed MCO and title processing is a separate $39 item on most listings, and assembly is an option you choose at checkout. Call 877-667-6289 if you want the full out-the-door figure for a specific model before ordering.
Three machines that show the range
TrailMaster Challenger 4-200EX
168.9cc · 4 seats · adjustable seat and steering wheel · 4.6★ from 5 reviews
$5,499$5,899
View
Browse the full UTV and side-by-side range, or the kids and teens line-up if you are buying for a younger rider. Everything comes out of our own warehouse in Garland, Texas, and if you would rather talk it through than click through, call 877-667-6289 and ask for the model by name.
