Side Action Magazine has named John Deere’s Gator XUV 850D Model Declared its 2008 ‘Utilty Vehicle of the Year.’ The model won the Side X Side Shoot-Out – a two-day, comprehensive test in Barstow, CA.

John Deere earned the top award in the utility vehicle category going up against ten models from eight other manufacturers. Scoring of the machines was determined by how each model handled different utility tasks such as towing a 1,025 lb loaded trailer, pulling a rake attachment and driving with cargo box at half and full capacities. The XUV 850D was also rated on other attributes and received maximum ratings (5 stars) on turning, room (2 people), ease of getting in and fabrication quality.