The phone is ringing. Can-Am is on the line. “Do you want to try out the new Maverick R Max? It’s the same thing you had last year, now with back seats.” Do not threaten us with a good time.
When we last visited the two-seat Can-Am Maverick R, it recalibrated our off-road senses. Forget about Raptors, Rubicons, and TRXs. This long-suspension-travel freak floated over rough terrain like Aladdin on his magic carpet. And with a 240-hp turbocharged 1.0-liter inline-three and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, that Can-Am was also properly quick, needing just 4.2 seconds to reach 60 mph on the pavement and 5.1 in the dirt.
Uncooperative weather kept us from performance testing Can-Am’s newest four-seat version, the Maverick R Max, at our rogue northern Michigan proving grounds. We estimate the four-seat version to weigh about 2750 pounds, or nearly 400 more than the two-seater. With the same 240 horses out back, you can probably add 0.4 second to its 60-mph time. Still, that’s plenty quick.
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But what about those extra 400 pounds, you say? That’s the byproduct of stretching the wheelbase nearly three feet, for a total of 143.7 inches. To put that into perspective, that’s just 0.9 inch shorter than the wheelbase of our long-term Ram 1500. In fact, the R Max’s wheelbase exceeds the overall length of the two-seat Maverick R.
The magic in the four-seat Maverick’s recipe is the same wild suspension geometry as before, but with 24.0 inches of suspension travel in both front and rear (slightly less than the two-seater), supported by dampers seemingly longer than an NBA player’s leg. Our last buggy was fitted with Fox’s Live Valve adaptive dampers. This time, we went with Fox Podium RC2 passive units with manual compression and rebound adjustment clickers.
We did ask for some accessories this go-around. You’d think a rig that starts at $46,099 would come with a windshield or even speakers for the 10.3-inch infotainment system, but it does not. So, Can-Am installed a powered flip-out windshield ($1800) and wiring harness ($139), a windshield-wiper kit ($749), a JL Audio stereo roof ($5667), and a cargo box ($426). Because the engine air intakes are between the rear occupants’ heads, and the windshield restricts air flow to them, the cold-air roof scoop ($749) is mandatory with any windshield installation. In all, the Maverick R Max rang in at $55,629.
To experience the bandwidth of the Maverick R Max, four different staffers hauled it all over Michigan to exploit its funness—this time, with more passengers.
The Bachelor Weekend
Being the only one to pilot the previous two-seat version that we tested, I felt obligated to log the first miles in the four-seat Maverick R Max. A good friend was hosting his bachelor party in northern Michigan near the location where I drove the last one. And really, there’s no place better for an apples-to-apples comparison.
First off, it’s difficult to ignore the sheer size of the Maverick R Max. Even when towed behind a Ram 2500 with an eight-foot bed, the Can-Am looks massive. It also looks menacing; its showroom cleanliness was begging to be muddied up. That 143.7-inch wheelbase makes for a turning circle about as big as the circumference of the moon, and the permanently locked rear differential doesn’t help the cause. Lawn aerations provided by the 32-inch ITP XNR Tenacity tires come free of charge.
Out on the trails, the long-wheelbase version is not as nimble as the two-seater. Not only does the buggy weigh an extra 400-0r-so pounds, but there was also a similar amount of meat in the back seat, dressed as WWE superstars. The brakes have to work a little harder, and the acceleration isn’t as snappy. There are still endless drifting opportunities to put the fear into unsuspecting passengers, and the burps and chirps from the turbo’s anti-lag system still sound great. Like its smaller sibling, the four-seater is an absolute animal, its wild suspension shrugging off nearly any bump and lump we could find. And that stereo roof, while ridiculously expensive, cranks out WWE entrance songs loud and clear.
The two-seater is clearly the more dynamic choice. But despite the weight penalty, the four-seater brings a few more smiles, more Macho Man “Oh yeahs!” and Ric Flair “Wooooos!” It gets more friends and family into the woods to introduce them to the insanity of the modern side-by-side. —David Beard
Kills Tires Fast
Most of my time behind the wheel of the Maverick was an exercise in awesome. But good weather and happiness make for a boring story, and mine didn’t stay that way for long. I burned a four-day weekend trailering this monster from our Ann Arbor HQ to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. There’s no shortage of fun trails up in da Yoop, eh, but as luck would have it, a flat tire had us back at the campfire early.
Two miles into our home-brewed “Bridge to Bridge” trail run from the Straits of Mackinac to the Soo Locks just below Canada, fate burned a hole through our plans. We suspect an errant snowmobile stud caused the puncture. Without a spare or even a patch kit, we were forced to limp the Maverick out of the way of other ORV traffic, which took a few miles given the girth of this thing. By the time we muscled all 78.1 inches of Can-Am width off the trail, the tire was completely obliterated.
We called every tire and powersports shop in an expanding radius until finally reaching a Can-Am dealer, who gave us the bad news: “There’s only one in the country, and it won’t be here for a week. Sorry.” The Maverick’s wacky 32X10-16 tire size meant we couldn’t even scavenge a temporary set of rubber from a Jeep Wrangler or a Ford Bronco. Tires go flat; it can happen. And better planning would’ve gotten us out of that pinch. We now know that when we’re out wheelin’ in the middle of nowhere, we need a tire-plug kit and an inflator, if not a full-size spare. Maybe these things should come standard with a $46K buggy. In any event, back onto the trailer it went, and into the beer cooler fell our tears.
It’s not all bad, though. Before the misadventure, I had the chance to scare the absolute bejesus out of my family. Did you know this thing will chirp, whistle, and slide sideways between two American elm trees like it’s fighting for a Group B rally championship? My dad didn’t. He told me that after the first 70-mph sweeper, he elected to keep his eyes closed for the rest.
A small off-road loop in the Huron-Manistee National Forest was the perfect spot for the Maverick to stretch its legs. There’s no stopwatch on the dash, so we used Smash Mouth’s “Walkin’ on the Sun” as our unofficial timing device—a 3:27 lap through the woods. The only thing louder than the JL Audio stereo roof and the Maverick’s exhaust is the shrieks of laughter from its rear passengers. I’m pretty sure my parents hated every minute of the loud music and chaos, but my nieces and nephews never turned down another lap. —Austin Irwin
A Day in the Dunes
Anyone who’s been to the Silver Lake Dunes in western Michigan is familiar with Test Hill, the formidable climb that awaits just after entering the roughly 450-acre sand playground. There’s typically a crowd of spectators at the bottom observing others trying to crest the summit. People get stuck at various places and have to back down for another attempt, or sometimes they even high-side their vehicle by not carrying enough speed over the often-sharp point of the summit (I’ve done it before). At the bottom are some gnarly whoop-de-doos that prevent many vehicles from carrying a lot of speed up the approach. Plenty of people try and try and never make it to the top.
To test the Maverick, I pointed it up Test Hill in two-wheel drive, which, remarkably, got me about three-quarters of the way up. I then switched it into four-wheel drive, thinking there was no way it would be able to make it the rest of the way, starting from a dead stop. But, sure enough, it clawed up and over the top. No problem.
That was just the start of the Maverick completely blowing me away. And it’s completely ruined me for extremely capable street vehicles, such as the Ford F-150 Raptors and Broncos, Ram TRXs, and Jeep Wranglers I’ve driven around on these dunes in the past.
Buckling into the Maverick’s harness is the closest thing I’ve experienced to donning a suit of invincibility. I’d point it at what I used to think was a formidable hole, something that could rip the bumper off a Raptor, and the Can-Am would swallow it whole. So, I kept throwing it into bigger voids at higher speeds; it kept shrugging them off, and my mind continued to boggle.
If there’s a downside to all of this capability and suspension travel, it’s that spots where getting air in a F-150 Raptor might require 40 or 50 mph, you have to be going 70-plus mph in the Maverick. It’s great fun to rip through the paddle-shifted gears and listen to the 240-hp three-cylinder make high-boost turbo noises, but you’ll want to be at the dunes on days with almost no traffic, because things can go bad quickly out here, and the visibility is limited for running that fast.
It’s not just the capability, but the comfort with which the Maverick dispenses with the obstacles out here. I even dragged along my parents, who are in their mid-70s, and they couldn’t believe how cushioned and gentle the Can-Am’s long-travel suspension is on the dunes. About the R Max’s only weakness was that its extra-long wheelbase caused its underside to drag over small, sharp mounds.
In this line of work, I often get asked what’s the most impressive vehicle I’ve driven lately. For 2025, this Maverick R Max is right up there with the Corvette ZR1. —Dave VanderWerp
Home on the Range
When we moved out to the countryside eight years ago, we gained one undeniable luxury: space—acres of it. My beloved and I spent countless weekends grooming trails and carving paths through the trees, convinced the kids would one day fall in love with dirt bikes and four-wheelers. They did not. Not even a little.
When the opportunity arose to borrow the Can-Am Maverick R Max for the weekend, I treated it as my grand attempt to rekindle their curiosity for the outdoors. Fortunately, my youngest had friends visiting, and they were far more captivated by the bright-yellow machine perched on the trailer than she was.
With everyone buckled in, I eased us into a leisurely warm-up lap around my self-created kingdom. It didn’t take long to notice just how wide this Maverick was on our narrow trails. Our Polaris Sportsman had always slipped through with ease, but the 78.1-inch-wide Maverick demanded precision, almost uncomfortably so on the tight, wooded paths. Yet the moment we broke onto the straights, the machine came alive. The turbocharged 1.0-liter inline-three tore through lowlands and gravel with effortless power, practically inviting me to open it up.
I might have accepted that invitation, too, if not for the chorus of screams behind me. At first, I assumed it was just sheer terror. As it turns out, the girls were being liberally splattered with mud. A slight miscalculation on my part. By the time we stopped, they were muddy, breathless, and somewhere between exhilarated and horrified.
The Maverick itself proved to be an outstanding machine—agile, powerful, and undeniably fun—but perhaps better suited to more open terrain. And passengers who don’t mind getting dirty. —Christi VanSyckle
Verdict
Can-Am’s Maverick R and Maverick R Max can tackle nearly any off-road scenario. Come to think of it, however, we haven’t tried rock crawling. And wouldn’t you know, Can-Am now offers a rock-crawling version that’s equipped with 35-inch tires, skid plates, and other goodies. Twist our arm, Can-Am. We dare you.
Specifications
Specifications
2025 Can-Am Maverick R Max X-RS
Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4-door buggy
PRICE
Base: $46,099
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 12-valve inline-3, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 61 in3, 999 cm3
Power: 240 hp @ 8000 rpm
Torque: 170 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 143.7 in
Length: 175.1 in
Width: 78.1 in
Height: 69.2 in
Curb Weight (C/D est): 2750 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.6 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.8 sec
Top Speed: 93 mph
Austin Irwin has worked for Car and Driver for over 10 years in various roles. He’s steadily worked his way from an entry-level data entry position into driving vehicles for photography and video, and is now reviewing and testing cars. What will he do next? Who knows, but he better be fast.
Christi worked for a decade in the toxicology field and then transitioned to the C/D testing team based on a serendipitous alignment of the cosmos. Growing up, she’d go to work with her father on non-school days at (the alleged) chop shop he ran in Detroit in the ’80s and ’90s. She was never allowed to pet the dogs that lived in the shop garage, but the smell of mechanic perfume and the feel of lava soap is pure childhood nostalgia. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her created family, cooking, gardening, and silently plotting revenge on her mortal enemies.
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