Thread: 2017 Tuatara UTV - Any feedback

Hi team,

Folks are needing a decent farm vehicle for feeding out etc. Got one of these at the local available. Look solid as after having a nosey at it this morning.

Any feedback good or bad greatly received.

Animal on the hill. Low centre of gravity keeps them planted. @Husky1600#2 will be able to add more to the story. We both know a farmer/ hunting outfitter with a couple.

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Looks interesting!

Similar to a Kubota from the basic look of it - the Kubota design is pretty bloody good, stable, good load not hard on fuel but what I feel lets it down is the noise (the Kubota diesel is knocking on the edge of requiring earplugs or earmuffs) and the open cab ends up being a pain in the arse and looking really tatty quite early on in the piece (the squabs and seat backs fell apart on them from never drying out - open to the elements you just couldn't keep the water and mud off them).

The Tuatara with the optional better sealed cab looks like a vast improvement on the second gripe, and the fact that it's petrol and not diesel should probably make it a lot quieter (which the sealed cab option would help as well).

The Tuatara is also available as an EV.
Mate near Fairlie uses a petrol one for his hunting operation. Carries a good load on the back. But I suspect you may need a heavy duty trailer to transport about unless it will live on the farm?

Those things will go places some people wont even walk! Excellent vehicle, designed by a bunch of Kiwis right here in NZ, and they got it right. Low centre of gravity, climb like a mother, sidle on hills so steep you will crap yourself. And the can carry big loads, seen one carry 3 stags on the back, one on the front, plus 5 guys. They appear to be a bit basic, but have all the features and get that look cos they are rugged. Can be licensed for on road use and from memory can do 70kph on the road.

Originally Posted by Hunteast

The Tuatara is also available as an EV.
Mate near Fairlie uses a petrol one for his hunting operation. Carries a good load on the back. But I suspect you may need a heavy duty trailer to transport about unless it will live on the farm?

Farm only

Originally Posted by Husky1600#2

Those things will go places some people wont even walk! Excellent vehicle, designed by a bunch of Kiwis right here in NZ, and they got it right. Low centre of gravity, climb like a mother, sidle on hills so steep you will crap yourself. And the can carry big loads, seen one carry 3 stags on the back, one on the front, plus 5 guys. They appear to be a bit basic, but have all the features and get that look cos they are rugged. Can be licensed for on road use and from memory can do 70kph on the road.

Awesome, any mechanical issues that you now of?

Originally Posted by Gibo

Awesome, any mechanical issues that you now of?

look the business whats the price

The news ones are 42K +
Being second hand and 2017 its well south of half that

They are shit

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

They are shit

Can you elaborate Ryan? With a budget of around 15k what would you get.

Originally Posted by Gibo

Can you elaborate Ryan? With a budget of around 15k what would you get.

I just know of a few guys that got them and had no end of problems with them and then very little backup when it came to getting them sorted. There's one that was parked very prominently in a small rural town for several years, was parked there by the disgruntled owner who had a gutsful of it and the poor backup as a warning to others.
To be honest if you're looking at a larger side by side I wouldn't buy any of them for 15k because you can very easily clock up a $7k+ bill if a gearbox or something major goes in one and that's not an uncommon occurrence.
The only sxs I would possibly look at around that money second hand would be a pioneer 500/520, great little units that are reliable as most Hondas are and a proper gearbox

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

I just know of a few guys that got them and had no end of problems with them and then very little backup when it came to getting them sorted. There's one that was parked very prominently in a small rural town for several years, was parked there by the disgruntled owner who had a gutsful of it and the poor backup as a warning to others.
To be honest if you're looking at a larger side by side I wouldn't buy any of them for 15k because you can very easily clock up a $7k+ bill if a gearbox or something major goes in one and that's not an uncommon occurrence.
The only sxs I would possibly look at around that money second hand would be a pioneer 500/520, great little units that are reliable as most Hondas are and a proper gearbox

Yeah same experience I've heard nothing good about them
I'd go a new can am, we've used for years and no issues at all.


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As @Gibo has pointed out, they are BIG coin for a Chinese manufactured sidexside.

They are very heavy. A tonne for the petrol and over 1100kgs for the EV

Honda pioneer is 650 ishkgs, sameish as farm versions of Canam and Polaris side x sides

Yes, the Tuatara will go places due to their dimensions,gearbox etc etc. But so will the others if driven by someone competent.

Honda has a name for reliability, and well deserved I must say.
Canam is OK, bloody comfortable and quiet compared to its competitors
Polaris takes the pip for performance, but at a lesser reliability rating.

Diesels in something that small and you can guarantee needing earmuffs if using it all day.

Backup is important. Something the Chinese could learn from the West...

The 520 is 480kg?


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