When winter hits and stays around like a party guest that doesn’t quite know when to leave, you need to be able to clear out enough of the driveway to get yourself out into the world for things like groceries, a paycheck or human companionship. If you’re like many of us, you already have an ATV or a UTV in the garage that could pull snowplowing duty if you just had a plow setup. Here is our list of the best snow plows for your ATV or UTV – each one just waiting for you to put it on your machine and get to work.

An ATV winch can be the difference between making it back at the end of the ride, or taking the long walk back and thinking over and over again, “How am I going to solve this one?” Putting a winch on your ATV is cheap insurance and you’ll find you have more uses for it that you initially think. They are great tools to have.

We find it hard to believe that an entire year has passed us by and we are already looking for a whole new year of incredible off-road machines and products. The last thing we ever expected to catch us off guard was the industry that we love so much, but in 2012 we lost our breath more than once – especially on the UTV side of things. The trend setters brought out off-road rigs that made the entire community do a double take.

With a new year upon us, we decided to highlight a handful of our favorite ATVs and UTVs that, in our humble opinion, stepped above grade or helpe elevate the off-road market. Though it was hard to choose just one machine as an overall winner, we managed to pick out what we thing are the best machines in each class for 2012.

ATV/UTV of the Year
Polaris RZR XP 900

Getting out on the trail is a concern for many this summer and with weekends not being nearly long enough for us it seems we will just have to ride all summer and into the fall to get our ATV fix. But before squeezing the throttle you’ll want to make sure your ATV is as ready to ride as you are.

Without proper maintenance your ATV will turn from trusted friend to a ticked off nuisance. We want to take just a brief look at some things to consider before heading out on the trail.

Fuel

We may still be mired in a sluggish economy, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it if you looked at what the ATV and UTV manufacturers introduced in 2011.

It really was an interesting year. Not only did 2011 reveal the most expensive and wildest machines ever produced by major ATV/UTV manufacturers, but we also saw some machines that were specifically targeting those a little lighter in the wallet. If the past 12 months taught us anything it’s that there really is something for everybody.

Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000i

We can’t think of a single instance in our years of covering the off-road universe where a manufacturer did as good a job of building up suspense and anticipation of a new product like Arctic Cat did with the Wildcat 1000i.

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It all started in March, 2011 with a leaked video from an Arctic Cat dealer event that gave everybody a glimpse of what was to come. No details were revealed – just a quick look at what Arctic Cat had in mind. Cat followed that up a few weeks later with just a few vague details when CEO Claude Jordan said the machine was inspired by race bred and race proven designs and would feature an extremely capable suspension.

This is the place to learn about some of the wildest off-road events, find out who won the latest race, and enjoy some off-road stories and advice from our veteran riders and writers.

While it looks as though the economy is beginning to rebound, most of us don’t have a lot of extra money lying around to pick up a new off-road funster. To help ease your financial burden but still keep you on the trails, we’ve put together a list of five ATVs you can pick up for under $5,000.

Of course, these aren’t the most powerful, accessory-clad four-wheelers available – you’ll still have to pony up big bucks for those – but these are fun, functional ATVs from major manufacturers with strong dealer networks.

Keep in mind that all of these prices are 2010 MSRPs. If you shop around you’ll find that you can save some significant money off the MSRP, especially if you’ve got cash in hand or are looking at a model that’s been sitting on the showroom floor for quite a while. This is still very much a buyer’s market!

Arctic Cat 300 DVX – $3,999 (2010 pricing)
Specs

Electrical systems have historically been treated as many things by powersports manufacturers—a red-headed step-child, an elephant in the corner or even an afterthought. This is changing. In the 21st century, the one thing OEMs cannot afford to do is treat electrical systems as unimportant, and those that don’t will have a competitive advantage.

The following are some of the most common mistakes powersports companies make with their electronics development.

1. Insufficient charging system power.