Testing the Can-Am Maverick X3 in Baja, Industry News
Testing the Can-Am Maverick X3 in Baja
Can-Am Maverick X3 ds
Story and Photos by Nolen Grogan
Can-Am is violating fresh ground in the side-by-side market with their fresh Maverick X3 platform. Not only is Can-Am raising the bar with this machine but they are also taking unprecedented steps to give the Off-Road media a true test of the before they hit the market this month. Can-Am invited Pirate4x4.com along for a two day, two hundred fifty mile test of their fresh one hundred fifty four horsepower Maverick X3 over some of the roughests trails imaginable in Baja Mexico. Can-Am knows they have a true driver’s machine and they dreamed to get the word out to the broadest audience possible.
Can-Am has a fresh side-by-side and why should the readers of Pirate4x4.com care? After all this is home to garage built Jeeps, Toyotas, Buggies and rock crawlers right? Sure it is, but the cross over into speed, the desert and high-travel suspensions is all over Pirate4x4.com now and Can-Am is stepping into this game BIG TIME with the release of the Maverick X3 platform.
Staging for our journey in Ensenada
When I very first spoke to Jerrod Kelley of Can-Am, he told me that the felt this fresh machine was something that would reach a larger market that they have seen in the past. Can-Am has their glances set dead on consumers that want a quick, reliable and convenient machine to love the outdoors with. Personally, I made the switch from high-end tube buggies to side-by-sides about six years ago to do most of my trail railing so I entirely understand their concentrate on Pirate4x4.com readers.
Hitting the dunes near Punta Cabras in the Maverick three X ds
We arrived in Ensenada Mexico, home of the most famous desert racing series of all time, the Baja 1000. Bruno Anderson and his team of professionals at www.gobajariding.com had the entire excursion planned to perfection. The Can-Am Team gave us a total technical overview of the machines at the San Nichols Hotel that included a detailed walk-around of the machines and an overview of the side-by-side market. Being a die-hard RZR fan, I took in the details of the equipment, but I was pretty skeptical that this car was everything they were telling me it was. I have seen the competition come and go, but the attempted and true RZR platform has always managed to stay on top.
The turbo is instant and a throttle blip in the dunes will get a roost for days
The following morning we got an early begin down the pacific coast beginning outside of Santo Tomas. We all picked a random vehicle and a co-driver and set off down the coast. I embarked off in the drivers seat of the mid-sized model, the Maverick X ds. The X ds is 64” broad has 14” of ground clearance and runs 29” Maxxis Bighorns on each corner. The Fox Two.Five Podium RC2 Piggyback shocks permit for twenty inches of travel both front and rear. All of the fresh Maverick X models have the same one hundred fifty four hp Rotax engine, so power in the same, but each vehicle puts in to the ground in a different way.
This X ds was tooled with LinQ cooler box and LinQ pivoting rack
We spaced out to stay out of the dust and hammered down. Instantly I fell in love with this vehicle. From the instant power of the turbo Rotax to the massive travel of the suspension, I truly felt like a Baja racer from the very first mile in. We pitched this car into corners, hammered it on the straights and aired it out over cattle gaps for the very first few hours as we made our way to San Vicente via the beach at Punta Cabras.
Very first impressions. The power of this vehicle is amazing. With the liberate surfaces we were on, the instant press of the throttle was not the most incredible part, it was from mid-range to broad open throttle that was unbelievable. If you made the decision to launch the Maverick X ds over a hop, you can stab the throttle at 50mph and it will take you and your passenger airborne with amazing power and quickness. The mid-level X ds suspension was flawlessly tuned for the trails we were on.
Pitching the Maverick X3 into a slide is super effortless with the instantaneous throttle response. You can also select the amount of power assist you want on the fly to better treat your conditions
The convenience of the Maverick X3 is amazing for people of all form and size. I eyed 6’ 5” guys sitting without their knees hitting the dash all the way to 5’ 8” guys like me sitting cosily. Can-Am designed a brilliant seat slider for both the driver and the passenger that moves up and it slips forward and down as it glides rearwards. Plain genius that makes this side-by-side a true one size fits all machine. Also, if you truly want to keep your center of gravity low, you can lower the seat slider another 2” in about two minutes. Brilliant.
This slider is genius. Not only does it effortlessly slide forward and back but it rises up as you stir it forward. Also, if you see the fuckholes in the climb on, the entire slider can budge down Two″
After lunch I switched over to the drivers seat of the flagship Maverick X rs. This machine is unspoiled desert brute. Width is a whopping 72” with matching 30x10x14 Maxxis Bighorns on all four corners. With a wheelbase of 102” this 2-seat machine is almost as long as my 4-seat RZR that I love so much for its control, treating and convenience. I was expecting to feel some power loss going to the larger machine, but the way the 10” broad tires and long travel suspension stick to the earth, this machine actually felt more powerful that the X ds I spent the morning in.
These shocks and trailing arms are works of art
The Xrs sports massive Fox Trio.0 PODIUM remote reservoir shocks with bypasses permitting up to 24” of wheel travel. Folks, this is a serious shock on a serious machine. I can’t stress to you enough how effortless this thing is to drive. I literally found myself speeding up into whoops and g-outs that would normally have made me cringe.
Heading up to Mike’s Sky Rancho
At one point, they let us take the Mavericks down a steep hill and back up in low-range to get a feel of its crawling capabilities. Here is where I sniffed out the Maverick’s only weakness for slow-speed rocks, the Visco-Lok X auto locking differential. I had heard about these but had never actually used one until today. I will tell you, for the target audience of this vehicle, the Visco-Lok is spot on. Up to this point I was 100% sold. Climbing this hill however made me realize that for slow speed rock crawling, you will need to invest in an aftermarket solution such as the www.halolocker.com As rock crawlers, we are used to this type of selectable locker and adding it to the X rs platform makes this a winning King of the Hammers platform in my opinion.
Slew of ground clearance
Low range is good on the Maverick X3. This car needs a locker for slow rock crawling but for everything else, the Visco-Lok performs superbly
We ended up at Mike’s Sky Ranch at dusk. This place it so amazing. They had a cold pool, cold beer and one of the best steak dinners I can reminisce ready for us when we arrived. Stories were told and friends were made all while the Can-Am team patiently answered all of our questions until the generator shut off and sent us all to bed without protest.
Crossroads to Mike’s Sky Ranch, about one hundred ten miles into the journey
This place is an oasis from the dusty desert
Mike’s Sky Ranch should be on your bucket list. This place is epic.
The next morning we peeled out north towards Valley de Trinidad over some of the fastest terrain that we had driven yet. I climbed into the drivers seat of the standard Maverick X3 platform to begin the day. This model has its own kind of awesome. It is the same horsepower and wheelbase as the X ds and X rs but on a 64” broad stance and 28” Bighorns. The shocks are Fox Two.Five PODIUM QS3 with compression adjustment. An astounding package for a “base model” Maverick X3.
Rapid. This vehicle is swift.
This particular vehicle had the seat position in the 2” lower spot and it was dialed in flawlessly. The smaller tires and the lower seating position literally made me feel like I was driving a rocket. We spent some time in 2wd at high speeds and the vehicle performed amazingly. We were feeling certain and fresh in the cool clear air and we hit the eighty five mile per hour top speed often. Even with a passenger, the vehicle launched off the rises cleanly and landed vapid every time. I am used to my RZR and its nose low landings and this car makes hopping so much lighter.
Pine trees in Baja?
From Valley de Trinidad we had a sweet section of pavement up to the famous Goat Trail that often causes horrific carnage during SCORE Baja races. I had switched back to the beastly X rs model for this section since it was another chance to test LOW range. I literally attempted to lift a tire on this trail by running up and around every bank and rock I could find but the 30” Bighorns and FOX Trio.O’s just soaked it all up without slipping a tire. This climb reminded me a bit of the Moab Rim climb at made me realize that the Visco-Lok will be fine for most all trail situations that most users will encounter.
I lucked up next being in the flagship X rs for the next section. We headed from the Goat Trail to over to El Alamo following the flagged path of the last Baja 1000. This section was super rapid with gigantic G-outs and massive whoops. I found myself taking the X rs swifter and quicker in these sections to the point I apologized to Josh, by co driver from www.thedrive.com. I just could not make myself slow down. I kept pushing this side-by-side firmer and firmer as the trail got tougher and tougher. It laughed. We didn’t die. Win-win.
We exchanged back into the “medium” X ds for the final section through the famous Baja Pine Forest at Laguna Hanson and down to Ojo Negros. This section was similar to the trail railing I do here in the Southeast and was the most scenic. I was glad to end my tour in the X ds because I began with it and remembered it as my beloved.
The Baja Pine Forest is truly and amazing practice. Call www.gobajariding.com and set up your excursion today
The final section was a 100’ broad washboard road arrow straight and downhill for about fifteen miles. I was behind a Can-Am driver in a X rs and literarily shoved the X ds as hard as I felt comfy to keep up with him and was not able to do so. The broad track Xr s walked away from me every time. Maybe it was just my convenience level and maybe it was the narrower stance but it made me wish for the thicker and badder X rs.
Lunch in Ojos Negros at the end of the excursion was one of the best meals ever
With larger shocks, broader stance, 30” tires, total skid plate and standard roof the $1700 premium is a NO BRAINER to buy the X rs model. At $26,699 the Triple Black Maverick X rs Turbo R is the fresh standard. The side-by-side market has been making puny incremental steps in the last few years adding HP improvements and tweaks but with the release of the Can-Am Maverick X3, the market has taken a generational leap. This vehicle is the next level. A winner. We literally disciplined these vehicles as hard as I have seen vehicles being shoved. One was spinned. One was flopped. All were caned. As for carnage, only one Maverick X3 threw a belt and that belt had about eight hundred miles of “rental car” miles on it. Cool thing is, Can-Am has made the CVT belt switch so effortless, it took the mechanics five minutes to switch the belt. Literally, five minutes.
This brilliant contraption is used to compress the clutch to install a fresh belt. The housing comes off in a minute and the belt in 2-3….even hot. It’s crazy effortless.
We are all looking to love the trail and the rail. Building equipments is joy but so is quality time on the trail. Some of us want a turn-key vehicle that can take us where we want to go in the most convenience with the least amount of headache. Some still want to build. Either way, is good but no OEM vehicle will give you more bang for the buck today that the Maverick X3 platform. Get out and test one out. You will be sold too.
As for why Pirate4x4.com readers should care? During my last tour to King of the Hammers in 2015, I very likely witnessed a thousand side-by-sides on the lakebed. Why? They are comfy, safe, quick and affordable compared to a custom-built built vehicle. The desire to go prompt and cover lots of territory in convenience has boosted the side-by-side market in the last few years. Many side-by-side buyers are moving over from Jeeps and rockcrawlers, not to mention high-end sand rails. These things are awesome. Before you determine you don’t need one, give the Maverick X3 a close look.
Testing the Can-Am Maverick X3 in Baja, Industry News
Testing the Can-Am Maverick X3 in Baja
Can-Am Maverick X3 ds
Story and Photos by Nolen Grogan
Can-Am is cracking fresh ground in the side-by-side market with their fresh Maverick X3 platform. Not only is Can-Am raising the bar with this machine but they are also taking unprecedented steps to give the Off-Road media a true test of the before they hit the market this month. Can-Am invited Pirate4x4.com along for a two day, two hundred fifty mile test of their fresh one hundred fifty four horsepower Maverick X3 over some of the roughests trails imaginable in Baja Mexico. Can-Am knows they have a true driver’s machine and they desired to get the word out to the broadest audience possible.
Can-Am has a fresh side-by-side and why should the readers of Pirate4x4.com care? After all this is home to garage built Jeeps, Toyotas, Buggies and rock crawlers right? Sure it is, but the cross over into speed, the desert and high-travel suspensions is all over Pirate4x4.com now and Can-Am is stepping into this game BIG TIME with the release of the Maverick X3 platform.
Staging for our excursion in Ensenada
When I very first spoke to Jerrod Kelley of Can-Am, he told me that the felt this fresh machine was something that would reach a larger market that they have seen in the past. Can-Am has their glances set dead on consumers that want a rapid, reliable and comfy machine to love the outdoors with. Personally, I made the switch from high-end tube buggies to side-by-sides about six years ago to do most of my trail railing so I downright understand their concentrate on Pirate4x4.com readers.
Hitting the dunes near Punta Cabras in the Maverick three X ds
We arrived in Ensenada Mexico, home of the most famous desert racing series of all time, the Baja 1000. Bruno Anderson and his team of professionals at www.gobajariding.com had the entire excursion planned to perfection. The Can-Am Team gave us a utter technical overview of the machines at the San Nichols Hotel that included a detailed walk-around of the machines and an overview of the side-by-side market. Being a die-hard RZR fan, I took in the details of the equipment, but I was pretty skeptical that this car was everything they were telling me it was. I have seen the competition come and go, but the attempted and true RZR platform has always managed to stay on top.
The turbo is instant and a throttle blip in the dunes will get a roost for days
The following morning we got an early commence down the pacific coast beginning outside of Santo Tomas. We all picked a random vehicle and a co-driver and set off down the coast. I commenced off in the drivers seat of the mid-sized model, the Maverick X ds. The X ds is 64” broad has 14” of ground clearance and runs 29” Maxxis Bighorns on each corner. The Fox Two.Five Podium RC2 Piggyback shocks permit for twenty inches of travel both front and rear. All of the fresh Maverick X models have the same one hundred fifty four hp Rotax engine, so power in the same, but each vehicle puts in to the ground in a different way.
This X ds was tooled with LinQ cooler box and LinQ pivoting rack
We spaced out to stay out of the dust and hammered down. Instantly I fell in love with this vehicle. From the instant power of the turbo Rotax to the massive travel of the suspension, I truly felt like a Baja racer from the very first mile in. We pitched this car into corners, hammered it on the straights and aired it out over cattle gaps for the very first few hours as we made our way to San Vicente via the beach at Punta Cabras.
Very first impressions. The power of this vehicle is amazing. With the liberate surfaces we were on, the instant press of the throttle was not the most astounding part, it was from mid-range to broad open throttle that was unbelievable. If you made the decision to launch the Maverick X ds over a hop, you can stab the throttle at 50mph and it will take you and your passenger airborne with amazing power and quickness. The mid-level X ds suspension was flawlessly tuned for the trails we were on.
Pitching the Maverick X3 into a slide is super effortless with the instant throttle response. You can also select the amount of power assist you want on the fly to better treat your conditions
The convenience of the Maverick X3 is amazing for people of all form and size. I witnessed 6’ 5” guys sitting without their knees hitting the dash all the way to 5’ 8” guys like me sitting conveniently. Can-Am designed a brilliant seat slider for both the driver and the passenger that moves up and it glides forward and down as it glides rearwards. Elementary genius that makes this side-by-side a true one size fits all machine. Also, if you indeed want to keep your center of gravity low, you can lower the seat slider another 2” in about two minutes. Brilliant.
This slider is genius. Not only does it effortlessly slide forward and back but it rises up as you stir it forward. Also, if you see the fuckholes in the climb on, the entire slider can stir down Two″
After lunch I switched over to the drivers seat of the flagship Maverick X rs. This machine is unspoiled desert animal. Width is a whopping 72” with matching 30x10x14 Maxxis Bighorns on all four corners. With a wheelbase of 102” this 2-seat machine is almost as long as my 4-seat RZR that I love so much for its control, treating and convenience. I was expecting to feel some power loss going to the larger machine, but the way the 10” broad tires and long travel suspension stick to the earth, this machine actually felt more powerful that the X ds I spent the morning in.
These shocks and trailing arms are works of art
The Xrs sports massive Fox Trio.0 PODIUM remote reservoir shocks with bypasses permitting up to 24” of wheel travel. Folks, this is a serious shock on a serious machine. I can’t stress to you enough how effortless this thing is to drive. I literally found myself speeding up into whoops and g-outs that would normally have made me cringe.
Heading up to Mike’s Sky Rancho
At one point, they let us take the Mavericks down a steep hill and back up in low-range to get a feel of its crawling capabilities. Here is where I sniffed out the Maverick’s only weakness for slow-speed rocks, the Visco-Lok X auto locking differential. I had heard about these but had never actually used one until today. I will tell you, for the target audience of this vehicle, the Visco-Lok is spot on. Up to this point I was 100% sold. Climbing this hill tho’ made me realize that for slow speed rock crawling, you will need to invest in an aftermarket solution such as the www.halolocker.com As rock crawlers, we are used to this type of selectable locker and adding it to the X rs platform makes this a winning King of the Hammers platform in my opinion.
Slew of ground clearance
Low range is good on the Maverick X3. This car needs a locker for slow rock crawling but for everything else, the Visco-Lok performs superbly
We ended up at Mike’s Sky Ranch at dusk. This place it so amazing. They had a cold pool, cold beer and one of the best steak dinners I can reminisce ready for us when we arrived. Stories were told and friends were made all while the Can-Am team patiently answered all of our questions until the generator shut off and sent us all to bed without protest.
Crossroads to Mike’s Sky Ranch, about one hundred ten miles into the excursion
This place is an oasis from the dusty desert
Mike’s Sky Ranch should be on your bucket list. This place is epic.
The next morning we peeled out north towards Valley de Trinidad over some of the fastest terrain that we had driven yet. I climbed into the drivers seat of the standard Maverick X3 platform to begin the day. This model has its own kind of awesome. It is the same horsepower and wheelbase as the X ds and X rs but on a 64” broad stance and 28” Bighorns. The shocks are Fox Two.Five PODIUM QS3 with compression adjustment. An astounding package for a “base model” Maverick X3.
Swift. This vehicle is swift.
This particular vehicle had the seat position in the 2” lower spot and it was dialed in flawlessly. The smaller tires and the lower seating position literally made me feel like I was driving a rocket. We spent some time in 2wd at high speeds and the vehicle performed amazingly. We were feeling certain and fresh in the cool clear air and we hit the eighty five mile per hour top speed often. Even with a passenger, the vehicle launched off the rises cleanly and landed plane every time. I am used to my RZR and its nose low landings and this car makes leaping so much lighter.
Pine trees in Baja?
From Valley de Trinidad we had a sweet section of pavement up to the famous Goat Trail that often causes horrific carnage during SCORE Baja races. I had switched back to the beastly X rs model for this section since it was another chance to test LOW range. I literally attempted to lift a tire on this trail by running up and around every bank and rock I could find but the 30” Bighorns and FOX Three.O’s just soaked it all up without slipping a tire. This climb reminded me a bit of the Moab Rim climb at made me realize that the Visco-Lok will be fine for most all trail situations that most users will encounter.
I lucked up next being in the flagship X rs for the next section. We headed from the Goat Trail to over to El Alamo following the flagged path of the last Baja 1000. This section was super rapid with hefty G-outs and massive whoops. I found myself taking the X rs swifter and swifter in these sections to the point I apologized to Josh, by co driver from www.thedrive.com. I just could not make myself slow down. I kept pushing this side-by-side stiffer and tighter as the trail got harsher and harsher. It laughed. We didn’t die. Win-win.
We interchanged back into the “medium” X ds for the final section through the famous Baja Pine Forest at Laguna Hanson and down to Ojo Negros. This section was similar to the trail railing I do here in the Southeast and was the most scenic. I was glad to end my excursion in the X ds because I embarked with it and remembered it as my dearest.
The Baja Pine Forest is truly and amazing practice. Call www.gobajariding.com and set up your excursion today
The final section was a 100’ broad washboard road arrow straight and downhill for about fifteen miles. I was behind a Can-Am driver in a X rs and literarily shoved the X ds as hard as I felt comfy to keep up with him and was not able to do so. The broad track Xr s walked away from me every time. Maybe it was just my convenience level and maybe it was the narrower stance but it made me wish for the thicker and badder X rs.
Lunch in Ojos Negros at the end of the journey was one of the best meals ever
With larger shocks, broader stance, 30” tires, utter skid plate and standard roof the $1700 premium is a NO BRAINER to buy the X rs model. At $26,699 the Triple Black Maverick X rs Turbo R is the fresh standard. The side-by-side market has been making puny incremental steps in the last few years adding HP improvements and tweaks but with the release of the Can-Am Maverick X3, the market has taken a generational leap. This vehicle is the next level. A winner. We literally penalized these vehicles as hard as I have seen vehicles being shoved. One was flipped. One was flopped. All were lashed. As for carnage, only one Maverick X3 threw a belt and that belt had about eight hundred miles of “rental car” miles on it. Cool thing is, Can-Am has made the CVT belt switch so effortless, it took the mechanics five minutes to switch the belt. Literally, five minutes.
This brilliant instrument is used to compress the clutch to install a fresh belt. The housing comes off in a minute and the belt in 2-3….even hot. It’s crazy effortless.
We are all looking to love the trail and the rail. Building equipments is joy but so is quality time on the trail. Some of us want a turn-key vehicle that can take us where we want to go in the most convenience with the least amount of headache. Some still want to build. Either way, is superb but no OEM vehicle will give you more bang for the buck today that the Maverick X3 platform. Get out and test one out. You will be sold too.
As for why Pirate4x4.com readers should care? During my last journey to King of the Hammers in 2015, I very likely witnessed a thousand side-by-sides on the lakebed. Why? They are convenient, safe, quick and affordable compared to a custom-made built vehicle. The desire to go swift and cover lots of territory in convenience has boosted the side-by-side market in the last few years. Many side-by-side buyers are moving over from Jeeps and rockcrawlers, not to mention high-end sand rails. These things are awesome. Before you determine you don’t need one, give the Maverick X3 a close look.