Picked up 2015 Kawasaki Mule 610 XC on Saturday & My Review

I use to own a Rhino 450 and bought this to go in a different direction. Thoughts after putting 3 hours on it on Saturday and Sunday:

Pros
1. Great value for the money. Only cost about $1k - $1.5K more than the ATV I was going to buy and comfortably carries 2 grown adults.
2. Dump bed is steel!
3. Appeared to really use minimal gasoline.
4. Climbs big hills easy in 2x or 4x.
5. Lots of storage space. Easily fits 2 backpacks and a couple of jackets in front storage compartment
6. Much quieter than the Rhino and about the same noise level as the Ranger maybe a little less
7. Comfortable seat and cab with steel plate bottom.
8. Maxed it out and plenty fast unless you have fantastic roads I can't imagine needing to go faster than 25 mph
9. Everything appears very easy to access for maintenance
10. Built strong except hood which is plastic like most
11. No Exhaust odor in the Cab. (Note: I experienced this bad with the Ranger 500 I believe.)
12. No hot seat (Note: I experienced this in a Ranger 500. Nice in the Winter but not so nice in the Summer)
13. Like having no doors to get in and out of.
14. Easy to maneuver in tight places. Took this in places I take my ATV but would not take my truck!
15. Great steel belted tires and good clearance. Never hit anything on the bottom.

Cons
1. No inside light in the cab. Can't see gauges in the dark. Easy fix to add a LED flashlight strapped to roll bar
2. A little bumpy when you take it off the main trail but not near as bumpy as a jacked up golf cart! Rhino was smoother here.
3. Didn't come with a rear hitch which is an easy add on
4. Could use another handle or two on the roll bar for the bumpy stuff
5. Tilt-steering would be nice.

Hope this helps someone. I can't imagine getting an ATV when you can spend a little more and get this! I didn't find too many reviews by people who had owned something else before to compare it too.

I think I saw you driving it.

I remember you!

Mules are nice and built well. They just do not have the ride that the Ranger or Rhino will give you. Unless they really upgraded that seat then that comfort you feel won't be there after you spend a lot of hours sitting on it. If your roads are smooth then not really an issue but if they are rough then you will notice it quicker. I hope the gas mileage improved since the last Mule I worked out of got horrible mileage. If you add extra lights or electronics you might want to upgrade the battery to a larger size. They will last a very long time with the proper maintenance schedules being followed. Filters and oil can be cheap in the long run. The size you bought is nice since it will fit in the bed of a truck. I put around 100 hrs more or less per month on a 3010 and a 4010 for almost 6 years working out of one daily. I will still take my Ranger over a Mule for where I use it now. A Mule would beat me to death hunting in West Texas.

Nice review. The Mule 610 is a nice-sized machine. Heavily considered it before building an electric.

Closest Ranger in the same price range (But higher) was the Ranger ETX 4 x 4. I read about it being a new model and new engine and typically I stay away from unproven equipment. If it had been around for 3+ years and had great reviews I would have paid more for it due to the smoother ride. Unfortunately, very little info on the ETX and where I am taking this machine I don't want to haul it back and fourth for repairs. Easier just to drive a little slower on bumpy roads....