Thinking about buying a Can-Am Maverick? Read our expert review to get a better idea of why the Can-Am Maverick is one of the most coveted side-by-sides in motorsports.

Can-Am Side-by-sides are some of the favorites for racing in the Baja, rock crawling in Moab, and cruising on dirt roads for miles. Even Pastranaland has a track for jumping these around!

The 3-cylinder Rotax Ace engine in the Can-Am Maverick is beyond what any other side-by-side manufacturer has produced. I highly recommend you go spin one of these around the block—but carefully, this is a machine that deserves respect!

There are a lot of different sub models of the Can-Am Maverick, the main ones being:

Maverick X3

The Maverick X3 is by far the most popular (and most expensive) sub model due to its turbocharged tri-cylinder engine. Here are some sub models you might see for sale on the site:

->Maverick X3 X RS TURBO RR

->Maverick X3 Max X

->Maverick X3 X MR TURBO RR 64

->Maverick X DS Turbo RR 64

->Maverick X3 X RC TURBO RR 64

Maverick Sport

The Maverick Sport features the Rotax 1000R V-Twin engine with 100 horsepower and plenty of options. You might see models like:

-> Maverick Sport DPS

->Maverick Sport X XC

-> etc.

Maverick Trail

The trail features a 75-horsepower engine that can reach up to 70 mph. Don’t bash the lowest-tier model before you try it.

Rating 0-100: 90/100

Star rating: 4.5

Utility rating: 80

Offroad Rating: 95

The Can-Am Maverick is a boss at rock crawling, floating over the sand dunes, etc., and the best part is that you don’t have to add any upgrades—the Maverick is a side-by-side vehicle that provides top performance right off of the showroom floor. Here are some of the impressive stock components of the Maverick that blow most of the competition out of the water:

Suspension/Chassis

You’d better be ready to reach locations you’ve never been before when driving in a Can-Am Maverick. With double-arm sway bars inspired by trophy truck design, these UTVs are a step up from an ATV. The Maverick also comes with selectable driving modes, including comfort mode, sport mode, and sport plus mode.

The chassis of the Maverick is made of Dual-Phase 980 steel that is torsionally stiff and lighter weight than the competition. Here are a few more suspension parts/facts you might find on this particular SxS:

->16-inches of ground clearance

->18-24 inches of suspension travel

->FOX PODIUM Front shocks with Dynamic Damping Adjustment (DDA)

->FOX PODIUM Rear shocks

->FOX Piggyback shocks

->Front and Rear suspension arms

->Arched double A-Arms

->4-link torsional trailing arm

->HMWPE full skid plate

->High torque Tri-Mode Dynamic Power Steering (DPS™)

…you get the picture. These machines are built to take on the gnarliest of terrain. Now let’s talk more about the famous Fox Smart-Shox suspension that has permanently changed power sports for the better.

Fox Smart-Shox Suspension

The Smart-Shox self-adjustable suspension technology featured on the Can-Am Maverick is one of the main features that sets it apart from the rest. These shocks are completely responsive to both compression and rebound forces by using computer data in real-time to make on-the-fly suspension adjustments for ridiculous control. In short, the Smart-Shox measure wheel position and velocity and adjust accordingly.

Check out Can-Am’s video explaining Smart-Shox technology below:

Granted, you might have to change the suspension after a while depending on how hard you drive. Yeah, that’s right, if you’re gonna ride it rough don’t expect to be a cheapo. You’re going to be replacing parts on any vehicle that gets rocked hard.

Performance

To say that the Can-Am Maverick is high-performance is an understatement. An offroading vehicle that hits upwards of 90 mph? Now that‘s what I‘m talking about. The displacement of these cylinders is ridiculous. You’ll know what I mean once you get behind the wheel. In the meantime, below are the horsepower stats for each model:

Horsepower

Maverick Trail: 52 HP

52 HP is a generous amount for any rider looking to cover ground and let’s just clarify that less power means more fuel efficiency.

Maverick Sport: 100 HP

100 HP is the bomb for whipping trails and whatnot. Considering a Yamaha Grizzly only has 50 horsepower, you do the math at how fast you’re going to drive in the middle-tier sport model of the Mav.

Maverick X3: 200 HP

200 HP for a UTV?! Geez, the Volkswagen 1.8 liter turbo engine only pushes out 170 horsepower of force. And the Maverick is only a 900 CC engine! That’s .9 liters for all of you foreign to the metric system (LOL).

Upgrades

Upgrades are the most fun part of having a side-by-side, and the options are literally countless. Here are some must-have upgrades for the Can-Am Maverick:

Door handles

Straps for door handles? That’s a makeshift repair for a broken door lever, right? Wrong. For some strange reason, the designers of the Maverick used straps instead of door handles. We personally like that detail, but many drivers prefer a handle to reduce confusion when getting in and out.

Here are some door handle ideas for if you want to switch out those straps:

Steering wheel

Taller drivers sometimes say that the steering wheel is too far away once the seat is adjusted all the way back.

Stereo system

Jamming the tunes is essential on road trips. That’s why one of the most popular UTV upgrades is the stereo system. Below are some stereo systems you might want to add to your Can-Am Maverick:

Windshields

You’ll notice on Can-Am’s website that they offer a windshield kit for the Maverick.

You might also need a mounting clamp kit for the windshield depending on what’s included.