Red2
I would agree with some, but not all, of your thoughts. I have both an XUV Gator and a Polaris Ranger. My Gator is a favorite to use. It is really stout and bulletproof. I have the 850d and it is made to work. It is not quite as heavy as the Kubota RTV but offers better suspension travel and a better MFWD system, making it a better overall off-roader in the challenging terrain I frequent. The Ranger I just bought is not quite as heavy duty but will haul 600-800# in the bed without trouble and is super fast. For my daily use, I prefer it, but not in every way. As I noted in a previous response once, a lot of how these machines perform and service is how they are driven and maintained. I use my machinery a lot and I use it hard, but I am very picky about cleanliness and keeping it serviced. I also avoid situations which are beyond the machine's ability to handle without breaking something. My dad, on the other hand, is the opposite. I am letting him borrow my Gator through the winter as I have two UTV's with snow removal tools. I have run my Gator over 300 hours without any trouble and my father has already damaged the parking brake and broken a winch cable in less than 4 hours use. Goes to show.....
John M