It was shortly after I’d slid off a rock and came too close to some birch trees for comfort that our group, which was in northern Utah to test Can-Am Defender side-by-sides, took a break while a photographer riding along set up his next shot. While we stopped, our local guide wandered over, grinned at me, and, referring to the slide that nearly, but not quite, ended with me in trees, said “Puckered your butt, didn’t it?”
I knew that grin. I’ve seen it a ton on the faces of professional driving instructors. I’d seen it on the farmer’s face the first time I ever went horseback riding, many moons ago deep in the heart of Texas. It’s the look of a veteran watching a rookie make a harmless mistake — the type of mistake that won’t end in disaster but will end with a raised heart rate for the inexperienced. The veteran knows all will be well, but the rookie doesn’t.
This was my second time piloting a Can-Am side-by-side, and I am starting to learn — I might be worried, but the machines are far more unflappable.
(Full disclosure: Can-Am and its parent company, BRP, flew me to Utah and fed and housed me for two nights so that I could test the new Defenders and also test a Sea-Doo GTX Pro personal watercraft.)
The Defenders I was testing have a different mission than the Can-Am Maverick I sampled in the Nevada desert last year. The Maverick is meant for blasting desert trails and doing serious rock-crawling, the Defenders are more utilitarian in nature. In fact, most of the ones we tested had rear seats and cargo beds — and one appeared to have a baby seat. Only the 2026 Defender Limited on hand was without a rear seat, but it also had a cargo bed.
In other words, the Maverick is an off-road toy. The Defender is aimed at the farmer who needs to tackle tough terrain to get from field A to field B.
With that in mind, these side-by-sides were better set up to make occupants comfortable. Yes, Mavericks also offer some creature comforts, but the Defender sacrifices less.
Depending on trim, the Defender can be had with a windshield, radio, air conditioning and heating, navigation, digital screens, and more.
Side-by-sides are not particularly difficult to drive — or, at least, these aren’t. Hop in, buckle up, and start it just like you would start a car. The transmissions across our test-rig board were continously-variable automatics, and acceleration and braking was performed via foot pedal. Again, just like a car.
There are still some safety things to keep in mind — the short wheelbases make these tippy, so don’t do donuts or turn too sharply. If your rig has no windshield, be aware of stray branches. Even with glass in front of you, you still need a helmet and googles, and gloves are recommended.
We did get a brief reminder of when to use high and when to use low gear, and when to switch into and out of four-wheel drive, and then we were off.
Because the Defenders are meant for utility, they aren’t particularly swift. The Max Lone Star with a cab will serve up 82 horsepower and 69 lb-ft of torque via 976 cc motor, whereas the Max XT either has that same motor or a less-powerful one that makes up 65 horsepower and 59 lb-ft.
We started our day on highway U.S. 89 — these bad boys are street-legal in Utah, when equipped with the usual safety gear (mirrors, turn signals, et cetera) — moving up mountain. The Defender needed its spurs kicked hard to get properly motivated.
Things were less stressful on the gravel side roads — the Defender felt a little peppier and you could even slide the tail a bit. This was the rig’s element — picture some Western rancher shuttling between barns via tree-lined gravel roads.
While the Defender isn’t meant for play, that doesn’t mean it’s not capable when the terrain gets truly tricky. The rigs I tested handled rock piles, water fords, and uneven ruts just fine. Double-A arm front suspensions, front and rear sway bars, and twin-tube gas shocks at all corners help here.
Ride-wise, you’re still going to get bounced around when you’re off-road, but on pavement, the Defender was surprisingly smooth. Take note, large-venue operators who are looking to buy a Defender to patrol a parking lot.
Both 2025 Defenders I drove were quieter than the Maverick, too, albeit we were driving more slowly. Conversation only rarely required raised voices.
The CVT allows for a good bit of engine braking in both models.
I drove both a Max XT and Max Lone Star with cab. Outside of the fact that the Max XT was sans windshield, the Lone Star generally had nicer creature comforts, including a digital screen and LED headlamps. I am intentionally being a bit vague when it comes to options, since these are highly customizable, and many options, though not all, can be had on the lower-trim models.
I liked the Lone Star better, mostly because a windshield and roof take a lot of discomfort out of the proceedings. Feel free to call me a wimpy city boy, but bopping about in the XT means you’re gonna be dusty by day’s end. That’s not so bad when desert running, but those who work on a farm or a construction crew or what not might want to splurge on having glass in front.
I also got a short stint in the 2026 Defender Limited. This example was loaded down with just about every option, but that’s not the story here — the story is that for ’26, the rig gets quieter and a bit more powerful. There’s also LED lighting all around, power steering, and a “smart” front differential.
This one has a 999 cc motor that makes 95 ponies and 70 lb-ft of twist. On the road — well, really off of it — I did notice the lower volume of engine noise but not the extra power. Conversations are easier in this one, and the amount of creature comforts on hand (some of which were options) made the experience a lot more pleasant.
If you need a side by side but don’t want to feel like you’re in a penalty box, or you need to convince a skeptical family member (particularly one who is better suited to the indoors), this is the one to get. Same goes if you need to be able to hear coworkers easily.
Pricing for the lower-trim Defender XT would be about $21K, the Lone Star about $40K, and the 2026 Limited around $38K.
Powersports vehicles are often wants instead of needs. But side-by-sides are unique, because they could be either one. An off-road toy like the Maverick is more or less a want. But the Defender series is aimed at those who need something like this to navigate the backcountry as part of their employment. Or maybe it’s a farm. Or a large parking lot surrounding an arena. Or a large city park. Or a ranch. You get the idea.
I still don’t have the frame of reference to compare these vehicles to competitors such as Polaris. I can’t tell you if the Defender is better than its opposite number. What I can tell you is that the Defender will get you from point A to point B in the middle of nowhere with aplomb, and it can even tackle terrain that I thought would’ve best been handled by something like the Maverick.
I can also tell you that it forgives rookie mistakes. Though you’re on your own for any comeback to your seasoned guide’s teasing.
[Images © 2025 Tim Healey/TTAC.com, Ben Dann]
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