Can-Am has the lower starting price in 10 of the 12 classes compared here, but in seven of those ten the smallest engine Can-Am lists makes less power than the Polaris. Polaris has the lower entry price for a utility side-by-side, $9,999 for the Ranger 500 against $12,999 for the base Can-Am Defender. Both brands list a one-year factory warranty on every side-by-side and adult-size ATV compared.
Specifications and starting prices were read from polaris.com and can-am.brp.com on 8 October 2026.
This comparison comes from published data, not test drives. Each brand's lines were paired by the job they do, then compared on what a shopper can check before visiting a dealer: starting price, engine power, towing capacity, and factory warranty. Specifications and starting prices come from each manufacturer's own website.
Horsepower and towing figures are the manufacturers' own claims. Models are 2027 unless a year is given. Suspension travel is left out because Polaris quotes usable travel on some models, such as the RZR XP and the RZR Pro R, and Can-Am quotes suspension travel.
| Class |
Polaris |
Can-Am |
| Entry utility side-by-side |
Ranger 500: 28 hp, $9,999 |
Defender: 52 hp, $12,999 |
| Utility side-by-side, 80 hp or more |
Ranger XP 1000: 82 hp, $21,799 |
Defender HD10/HD11: 80 or 95 hp, $19,799 |
| Crossover side-by-side |
General 1000: 100 hp, $16,999 |
Commander: 52 or 100 hp, $14,199 |
| 50-inch sport side-by-side |
RZR Trail: 75 hp, $16,999 |
Maverick Trail: 52 or 75 hp, $15,499 |
| 64-inch sport side-by-side |
RZR XP: 114 hp, $19,999 |
Maverick Sport: 100 hp, $18,499 |
| Turbo sport side-by-side |
RZR Pro XP: 181 hp, $24,499 |
Maverick X3: 135 or 200 hp, $19,999 |
| Sport side-by-side, 225 hp or more |
RZR Pro R: 225 hp, $43,999 |
Maverick R: 240 hp, $39,699 |
| Entry utility ATV |
Sportsman 500: 33 hp, $6,999 |
Outlander 500 2WD: 40 hp, $6,999 |
| 1000-class utility ATV |
Sportsman XP 1000 Ultimate: 90 hp, $15,999 |
Outlander DPS 1000: 82 hp, $12,999 |
| Sport ATV |
Scrambler XP 1000 S: 89 hp, $16,499 |
2026 Renegade: 62 or 91 hp, $14,149 |
| Six-wheel ATV |
Sportsman 6x6 600: 44 hp, $14,999 |
Outlander MAX 6x6: 50, 82 or 101 hp, $14,499 |
| Youth ATV, ages 6 and up |
2026 Outlaw 70 EFI: $3,399 |
Renegade 70 EFI: $3,299 |
Each price is the manufacturer's starting price for the model or line named. Two rows set a 2026 model against a 2027 model, as marked. Where a line has more than one engine, ask the dealer which engine a quoted price applies to. Polaris prices exclude destination and handling fees, tax, title, license and registration. Can-Am prices exclude transport and preparation.
See Polaris and Can-Am ATVs and side-by-sides for sale on Searchshop.
The Ranger 1000, the Ranger XP 1000 and the Defender are all rated to tow 2,500 lb and to carry 1,000 lb in the cargo box. Both brands list 600 lb for the box on California models. The differences are in price and power.
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Polaris Ranger 500: 28 hp, two seats, a 58.5-inch width and 1,500 lb of towing, from $9,999.
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Polaris Ranger 1000: 61 hp, three seats or six in the Crew, 2,500 lb of towing and a 1,000 lb box, from $14,499.
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Polaris Ranger XP 1000: 82 hp, 2,500 lb of towing and a 1,000 lb box, from $21,799.
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Can-Am Defender HD7/HD9/HD10: 52, 65 or 82 hp, three seats or six in the MAX, 2,500 lb of towing and a 1,000 lb cargo box. The base Defender has the 52 hp engine and starts at $12,999.
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Can-Am Defender HD10/HD11: 80 or 95 hp, 2,500 lb of towing and a 1,000 lb cargo box, from $19,799.
The Ranger 500 suits the buyer who wants the lowest price and a narrow machine, and can live with 1,500 lb of towing. Of the models compared here, the base Defender is the lowest-priced with a 2,500 lb tow rating: $12,999 against $14,499 for the Ranger 1000, which has 9 more horsepower. The Defender HD11 engine is rated at 95 hp against 82 hp for the Ranger XP 1000.
This guide pairs the General with the Commander: both have a 600 lb cargo box and are offered with 100 hp. The Polaris General 1000 has 100 hp, a 62.5-inch width, two seats, 1,500 lb of towing and a 600 lb dump box, from $16,999. The General XP 1000 has the same 100 hp and 1,500 lb tow rating with a 64-inch width, 13.5 inches of ground clearance and two or four seats, from $22,999.
The Can-Am Commander starts at $14,199 and is listed with a 52 hp or a 100 hp engine. It is rated to tow 2,000 lb and to carry 600 lb in the cargo box. It seats two, or four in the MAX versions, which start at $21,999.
The Commander suits the buyer who tows: its rating is 500 lb higher than the General's. The General suits the buyer who wants 100 hp without checking the engine: both General models above have it, while the Commander line also includes the 52 hp engine.
The two sport lines pair off as follows.
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50-inch trails: the Polaris RZR Trail has 75 hp and starts at $16,999. The Can-Am Maverick Trail is 50 inches wide, is listed with a 52 hp or a 75 hp engine and starts at $15,499.
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64-inch all-rounders: the Polaris RZR XP has 114 hp and starts at $19,999. The Can-Am Maverick Sport has 100 hp and starts at $18,499.
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Turbo models: the Polaris RZR Pro XP has 181 hp in a 64-inch width and starts at $24,499. The Can-Am Maverick X3 starts at $19,999 and is listed with 135 hp or 200 hp. Its 64-inch, 200 hp X ds version starts at $29,999.
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225 hp or more: the Polaris RZR Pro R has 225 hp and starts at $43,999. The Can-Am Maverick R has 240 hp, a 78.1-inch width and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and starts at $39,699.
At 64 inches the choice is between price and power: the Maverick Sport costs $1,500 less than the RZR XP and has 14 fewer horsepower. Against the RZR Pro R, the Maverick R has both the lower starting price and the higher power figure. Polaris also lists a RZR Pro R Boost from $49,999.
Both entry ATVs start at $6,999. The Polaris Sportsman 500 has 33 hp and is rated to tow 1,350 lb. The Can-Am Outlander 500 has 40 hp and the Outlander 700 has 50 hp, and both are rated to tow 1,830 lb. Can-Am's $6,999 price is for the two-wheel-drive Outlander 500. The next Outlander package starts at $7,749.
Higher up, the Polaris Sportsman 850 has 78 hp and starts at $11,799, and the Sportsman XP 1000 Ultimate has 90 hp and starts at $15,999. Both are rated to tow 1,500 lb. The Can-Am Outlander DPS 1000 has 82 hp and starts at $12,999, and Can-Am also lists a 101 hp Outlander 1000R engine. These Outlanders are rated to tow 1,830 lb.
For sport riding, the Polaris Scrambler XP 1000 S has 89 hp and starts at $16,499. The Can-Am Renegade is listed as a 2026 model: the X mr 650 has 62 hp and starts at $14,149, and the X xc 1000R has 91 hp and starts at $16,249.
On these figures the Outlander suits the ATV buyer who tows: its 1,830 lb rating compares with 1,350 lb for the Sportsman 500 and 1,500 lb for the Sportsman 850 and XP 1000 Ultimate. The Outlander DPS 1000 starts $3,000 below the Sportsman XP 1000 Ultimate with 8 fewer horsepower.
Both brands list the same one-year term. Polaris shows a factory one-year limited warranty on the Ranger, General, RZR, Sportsman and Scrambler pages read for this article. Can-Am lists a one-year BRP limited warranty on the Defender, Commander, Maverick, Outlander and Renegade pages. What each warranty covers was not compared here, so read the terms for the exact model.
Fees are shown differently. Polaris lists a destination charge on most of the model pages read: $700 on the Sportsman and Scrambler models above, $1,195 on the Ranger 1000 and Ranger XP 1000, $1,295 on the General, and $1,145 to $1,995 on the RZR models above. Can-Am's pages say transport and preparation are not included and that those fees may vary. Ask every dealer for a written out-the-door price before comparing.
A dealer's asking price covers one exact unit: its trim, engine, seat count and model year. Compare it with the manufacturer's starting price for the same trim and year, not the base price for the family.
Check the model year on any new unit. The manufacturer prices in this guide are for 2027 models, and dealer stock can include 2026 models.
Compare today's asking prices on ATVs and side-by-sides for sale.
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Lower entry price for a utility side-by-side: Polaris, with the Ranger 500 at $9,999 against $12,999 for the base Defender.
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Lower price for 2,500 lb of towing: Can-Am, with the base Defender at $12,999 against $14,499 for the Ranger 1000.
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A crossover that tows more: Can-Am, with the Commander's 2,000 lb rating against 1,500 lb for the General.
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A 64-inch sport machine with more power: Polaris, with the 114 hp RZR XP against the 100 hp Maverick Sport.
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More power for less than the RZR Pro R: Can-Am, with the 240 hp Maverick R from $39,699 against the 225 hp RZR Pro R from $43,999.
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An ATV that tows more: Can-Am, with the Outlander's 1,830 lb rating against 1,350 lb for the Sportsman 500 and 1,500 lb for the Sportsman 850 and XP 1000 Ultimate.
Browse ATVs and side-by-sides for sale on Searchshop to see both brands at dealers now. For more help, read the side-by-side buying guide, the Can-Am buying guide and the ATV vs UTV guide, or use Searchshop's ATV pricing tools.
On starting price, Can-Am is lower in 10 of the 12 classes compared in this guide, Polaris is lower in one and the entry utility ATVs are tied at $6,999. In seven of the ten classes where Can-Am starts lower, the smallest engine Can-Am lists has less power than the Polaris, so check which engine a price applies to. The one class where Polaris starts lower is the entry utility side-by-side: $9,999 for the Ranger 500 against $12,999 for the base Defender.
The length is the same: both brands list a one-year factory warranty on the side-by-sides and adult-size ATVs in this guide. Polaris calls it a factory one-year limited warranty and Can-Am calls it a one-year BRP limited warranty. What each one covers was not compared here, so read the warranty terms for the exact model before you buy.
They are rated the same. Polaris lists 2,500 lb of towing for the Ranger 1000 and Ranger XP 1000, and Can-Am lists 2,500 lb for the Defender. The cargo box rating on those models is also the same: 1,000 lb, or 600 lb on California models. The smaller Ranger 500 is rated to tow 1,500 lb.
No. Can-Am is a brand of BRP, which is headquartered in Valcourt, Quebec. Polaris is a separate company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange as PII, with its headquarters in Medina, Minnesota.
