Each year the recreational vehicle market grows. For 8 years in a row, sales have hit records. If you’re starting to wonder about owning a recreational vehicle of your own, you might be wondering how many miles will an ATV last?
The answer to how many miles will an ATV last isn’t as straightforward as you may think. There are some qualifications and considerations that go into an answer. At most, you can expect your ATV to last around 10,000 miles.
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Attend to Maintenance and Care
No recreational vehicle is built with an expiration date. To a certain extent, there’s no way to tell how long your ATV will last. We can make some educated guesses and use averages to fill in a few of the blanks, but you can prolong the life of your recreational vehicle.
Taking proper care of the vehicle is essential to its long-term function. Giving the vehicle maintenance on time and regularly is part of this essential care. The more you take care of the recreational vehicle, the longer it will last.
However, even with the best maintenance and care, all engines will wear out. High mileage for an ATV is considered 10,000 miles. While this doesn’t mean that your recreational vehicle will simply stop working, it is reaching the end of its useful life at this point.
Just how far past 10,000 you can expect it to survive will depend on how it was treated, how hard it was ridden, and maintenance. If it was taken care of and not ridden hard, it could still have quite a bit of life left within it, but this is by no means certain.
It can also be said that many vehicles experience difficulties long before they reach 10,000 miles. The average ATV mileage where you may begin to experience issues varies greatly between manufacturers and models. Sometimes it begins earlier than 3,500 miles, and other times you can have almost 10k without any problems.
Differences in Recreational Vehicles
ATVs aren’t the only recreational vehicles that are growing in popularity, or that you may be considering. UTVs and LUVs are all growing in popularity, and they serve distinct functions for those who use them. For the most part, UTVs are prized for their function, assisting with work tasks and farm life.
Side-by-Side Comparison of UTV vs ATV
When you compare ATVs and UTVs together, one thing you have to take into consideration is how they are treated. This is because 2,000 miles of working on a farm is never going to be as damaging as 2,000 miles of blazing trails in the mountains.
It may also have something to do with the fact that if used as a work vehicle, maintenance is often a lot more routine. If you’re buying used, it’s entirely possible that the previous owner viewed the UTV or ATV in question as a disposable machine. Not all owners are good about maintenance, even simple tasks.
While there are large differences between the function, use, and systems of a UTV and an ATV, a lot of the basics still apply. How far will an ATV go, and how far a UTV will go is largely dependent on the same factors. It is simply that working and operating conditions are often wildly different between the two.
Repair and Rebuild When Needed
Once an ATV or UTV has begun to experience a lot of engine problems, repair is necessary. It can even be possible to rebuild an engine, just like you would in a car or truck. While this will cost you, it can be cheaper than purchasing a brand new vehicle.
Like any repairs, you will have to set aside money for the long-term viability of your recreational vehicle. That is true whether it is a UTV or an ATV. The cost differences between the two don’t begin or end with repairs, there are other factors to consider when money steps into the equation.
Cost Analysis of UTV vs ATV
In addition to wondering how many miles will an ATV go, you might also be wondering, how much will it cost. The fact of the matter is there are a lot of factors to consider when purchasing any vehicle. Longevity, frequency of repair, maintenance, insurance, and the list goes on.
While this cost will increase with ATV mileage, there are some preconditional costs to consider. What kind of insurance will you need, how much medical coverage do you want, what are the liability limits set at? Do you intend to do all the maintenance yourself, or will you require a mechanic?
It can seem daunting, but calculating the cost of a UTV, or an ATV, isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Remember, however, that due to their purpose and the nature in which most are ridden, you can expect that an ATV will cost more on average than a UTV in terms of insurance and operational expenses.
There are sport UTVs, which can be considered more like ATVs with more functionality. These can be more expensive than basic UTVs to own or operate, however, they won’t be any more expensive than an ATV.
How Many Miles Will an ATV Last Depends on You
If you take the time to understand all the variables that come into play, you’ll make a much better choice when deciding what your next recreational vehicle will be. Whether your choose a UTV or an ATV will largely depend on what you intend to do with the vehicle.
So when pondering the question, how many miles will an ATV last, consider always that the answer is up to you. The way you use, operate, and treat your ATV or UTV will decide more about how long it lasts than any other factor. The lifespan of your ATV is up to you.
If you want more UTV or ATV information, articles about current market trends, and a deeper look into the culture of riding, we can help. Get out there and start enjoying the outdoors, we’ll make sure to do the work to get you up to date with any changes or technology that could make your life easier.
