We round up the best five farm UTVs for rural estates and also list the five safest ways to keep your vehicle secure and prevent theft.

Best 5 UTVs for rural estates

1. POLARIS XP1000 EPS HUNTER EDITION

A camo version of this American high-spec favourite. Don’t forget where you parked it when up in the woods. Definitely earns a place on our list of the best UTVs for rural estates. 

• Engine 999cc 2-cylinder petrol/82hp
• Driveline 2f/1r CVT
• Cargo capacity 569kg
• Towing (braked) 1,134kg
• Ground clearance 330mm
• Price (ex VAT) £18,099

 

2. CORVUS TERRAIN DX4 PRO

Untroubled by the stylist’s pen, a rugged military-style machine from Spain. Good value, too.

• Engine 993cc 3-cylinder diesel/24hp
• Driveline 2f/1r CVT
• Cargo capacity 470kg
• Towing (braked) 907kg
• Ground clearance 309mm
• Price (ex VAT) £16,199

 

3. KAWASAKI MULE PRO-DX

Another no-nonsense machine from the original UTV napkin sketchers. Also available as a four-seater.

• Engine 993cc 3-cylinder diesel/24hp
• Driveline 2f/1r CVT
• Cargo capacity 453kg
• Towing (braked) 907kg
• Ground clearance 265mm
• Price (ex VAT) £12,549

 

4. KUBOTA RTV-X1140

A four-seater version of the UTV from the company that had grand designs in the world of farm machinery.

• Engine 1,123cc diesel/24hp
• Driveline Two-speed variable hydrostatic
• Cargo capacity 300kg/500kg
• Towing (braked) 1,000kg
• Ground clearance 259mm
• Price (ex VAT) £16,296

 

5. JOHN DEERE GATOR XUV865R FULL CAB

The ‘all bells and whistles’ choice – every luxury and convenience you could wish for. The nearest thing to car comfort, but still a UTV at heart.

• Engine 854cc diesel/23hp
• Driveline 2f/1r CVT
• Cargo capacity 454kg
• Towing (braked) 907kg
• Ground clearance 284mm
• Price (ex VAT) £32,397

 

FIVE BEST SECURITY OPTIONS FOR THE BEST UTVs

UTVs are among the most popular targets for rural thieves. In many ways, they are like springer spaniels; they are compact and valuable, and – it has to be said – farmers and keepers aren’t often as sensible as they should be when it comes to keeping them locked away safely. 

I had the rep from the insurance company reviewing our premiums the other day and he went off on a rant about keys being left in the ignition – not just UTVs, but cars and tractors, too – and how it was about time insurance payouts were limited under those circumstances. For those of us who prefer to take responsibility for our toys’ security, what’s on the market? Here are five of the best ideas that should keep your – and my – premiums down and protect the best UTVs we’ve listed above.

1. BIG CHAIN AND PADLOCK 

As simple and as old-fashioned as you like. A 2m length of chain with 12mm forged links. Thatcham approved. Thread it through wheels, secure it to the wall or something immobile, fix it to an anchor in the floor.

Chain £85, anchor £55 Visit Logic Today

2. RETRACTABLE BOLLARD 

A 100mm by 100mm metal post that slides up and down out of its underground sleeve, and stands 540mm above ground when it is in operation. When locked in place, the shackle of the disc lock is inside the post, adding to the security.

Bollard £156.76 Visit Barriers Direct 

3. A WRAP-AROUND CAGE 

These vary in sophistication from a cage in two halves that clamp together, to a drive-in cradle that clamps and locks the rear wheels of your machine using an ingenious rolling-road concept.

Quad Safe £1,420.65 Visit Horse Jumps for Sale 

Quadvice £1,400 Visit Bison Security 

4. TRACKING 

If the last thing you saw speeding off down the farm lane was a white van with your ATV in it, you’ll be mighty relieved if you fitted a tracking device. These now come in all shapes and sizes, with varying degrees of sophistication and therefore expense. Because they use SIM cards, there’s usually a subscription fee as well as the initial purchase and installation – but if you fell for the Deere salesman’s patter, you know you’ll need one of these fitted. So why not go the whole hog and get one that not only tracks your machine, but also spots if an unauthorised rider gets on board, and can sound the alarm in the event of a rollover?

Datatool Stealth S5 £359, plus subscription Visit Datatool 

5. SECURITY MARKING 

The grim truth is that a determined gang armed with cordless grinders and enough time can make off with your ATV or UTV with unnerving ease. All is not lost, however. One of the simplest forms of post-theft deterrence is CESAR – the Construction Equipment Security and Registration Scheme. There’s hardly a tractor in the country that doesn’t feature the distinctive CESAR triangular sticker – and it’s the first question the insurance company will ask when you ring up to insure a new vehicle. A one-off fee on your new machine gets you overt and covert stickers, ‘microdot’ markings and grain-sized transponders. If your machine is found, it takes only a moment to prove it’s yours – even if it is wrapped in cling film.

CESAR compact system £134 Visit Cesar

The rise of the UTV

It seems hard to believe that there was a time when the countryside ran without either a UTV. But it’s true. Not many years ago, no one had heard of such a thing. The countryside didn’t run terribly well, of course, as the vehicle of choice for keepers and farmers was usually a beaten-up Land Rover – and these were the days when the Land Rover range consisted of a ‘Land Rover’ and nothing else. In my childhood on this farm, back when the estate was privately owned, there was a keeper whose daily route round the farm and woods could be followed using the ruts he left in his barely roadworthy 109. 

The UTV had already been in preparation for some years. The rural myth says that a team at Kawasaki were trying to address the ATV’s shortcomings and sketched a new type of vehicle on a napkin. (Funny how napkins feature so heavily in the world of inspiration.) It had a roll bar, side-by-side seats (leading to one of its many names) and a handy work bed. Crucially, it had all the traction and go-anywhere ability of an ATV. Not surprisingly, the idea took off. You can specify a cab, a heater and thousands of accessories – many of them user-developed. 

We bought a Kubota UTV – one of the most basic available – seven years ago, and it quickly turned into the most useful bit of kit on the farm. Those of us with resurfaced hips haven’t got to throw a leg over anything, it steers with a steering wheel, tows a trailer containing a couple of sheep and half a dozen lambs (the trailer is now known as the ‘Ewe-ber’), spins on cover crops and sprays off footpaths. On shoot days it hosts drinks and collects empty cartridges, and when the Malinois needs a kip while the sheep are being vaccinated, she fits perfectly in the back. The Kubota, inevitably, has earned a name: Pig. After an hour darting round the field in it, rounding up the sheep, my son said, “That’ll do, Pig; that’ll do.” It stuck. 

UTVs and ATVs have coexisted happily, and have evolved to have many identical driveline features. Engines range from around 500cc to 1,000cc and come in petrol or diesel (the first of the electrics are beginning to arrive – their relative silence would be welcome). Separate gears are all but gone, replaced with continuously variable transmission, and four-wheel drive (with diff locks/LSDs and two ranges) is almost ubiquitous. Power steering features on many models, which makes life easier for non-bodybuilders – especially on ATVs. 

A word of caution, though. These machines aren’t as cheap as they used to be. You’ll only find a handful of UTVs coming in at under five figures. At the top of the price lists, it has all become a bit silly. You can part with £20,000 for a bells-and-whistles UTV from big names like Yamaha, Polaris and Kawasaki. A smooth-talking John Deere salesman (is there any other type?) might prise over £32,000 out of you for a Gator XUV865R Full Cab HVAC. I thought of these prices the other day when my neighbour called in for a cuppa. He arrived in a very well-worn white Toyota RAV4. I had already dialled the second 9 of 999 when I realised who it was. I quizzed him about his ‘new’ farm vehicle. “£1,500 on eBay, new MOT,” he proudly announced. “Goes anywhere, carries anything.” Fifty years on, we’ve gone full circle.

You might like to read our top 5 farm ATVs for the field and farmyard too.

This article was originally published in 2015 and has been updated.