i just bought a utv and i considered some of the same routes that you have, so i'll offer my opinions and what i found:
this was for a vehicle mostly for the ball & chain to do yard work. we had a pair of polaris atv's (2000 sportsman 400 & 2001 sportsman 700) that we used to do a lot of trail and mud riding with, but now they only do yard work, and i decided that a newer and more functional vehicle was in order. i didn't have an interest in a trail rider, so i was not willing to pay any premium for suspension and frills, meaning that many of the flashy offerings from polaris, yamaha, kawasaki, and others were not really considered. i also didn't need the top end of the work line, nor did i want to spend upwards of $15000 (or more) on a fully decked out kubota or john deere.
i really didn't want to lay out much cash to do this, so i set my sights on something close to what i could get for the value of the two atvs i wanted to replace. new utvs pretty well run the range from $6000 to $15000, depending on size and features, and i wanted to stay at the low end of the price point. the mule 610 4x4 was the real leader in value for the dollar at around $7000 list. let's face it: kawasaki has been making mules for a long time now, so it's safe to say that these are going to be a good functional piece, otherwise people wouldn't keep buying them. i also looked at the rtv 500, and to be honest, i'd swear that it's a twin to the mule 610. i'd like to see them side by side. there are some horror stories about the rtv 500 on the net, but i think there are as many stories about them just needing a little fine tuning and then you are all set. kubota is in the same category really: they're a proven company, and anything they sell is likely going to be a decent piece of equipment.
since i had set a rough price that i was willing to spend, i did a lot of looking for used machines. sad part is that there aren't often a lot of them to choose from. either 10+ years old and used up, or one year old and still high priced. the local dealer had a pair of used rtv 500's for sale and i was literally a day or so away form buying one of them when i found the machine i did buy: a 2006 john deere gator hpx trail. family members already had a couple gators, so i was familiar with them and knew exactly what i was getting into. the machine already had all the bells and whistles added: electric/hydraulic dump body, bedliner, roof, windshield, cab/body screen divider, and even floormats, lol. it also only had 45 hours on it. new it would cost probably $12000-$14000, and i ended up paying around half that, which was still less than a new mule 610 or the used rtv 500.
i'm pretty happy with what i got, but i would have been equally happy with either the mule or rtv that you were looking at. the one thing i will say is: don't buy a low end and expect it to be everything. a low priced utility is not going to have the weight to handle large loads. another thing to remember is that just because it has suspension, don't expect it to take the bumps out. a ranger, rhino, etc will suck out the bumps, but a utility gator or rtv won't. i could take my sportsman over uneven ground at 50+ mph where my gator would be a challenge at 20 mph.
I can actually stand on this one & trim tree branches, clean the gutters, etc.
