Published on March 11th, 2025 | by Joe
NEW 2025 Yamaha RMAX4 1000 Test Review: With Video
2025 Yamaha RMAX4 1000 Ratings
Summary: It will be a little more difficult to negotiate the tightest trails compared to the RMAX4 Compact. However, anytime the trail opens up, the new RMAX4’s capability increases with speed. If you were wishing Yamaha would build a full-size 4-seater with the features of RMAX2 plus the capability to bring two full-size friends with greater comfort, Yamaha has delivered with the outstanding, new, RMAX4.
4.6
1 Day Test
Yamaha took the lead in the one-liter sport/utility SXS segment with their RMAX2, winner of our 2022 Sport Utility SXS Shootout. They also managed to carve out a niche for themselves with the original RMAX4, and rebranded the RMAX4 Compact for 2025. It set itself apart from the 4-seat models from Polaris and Can-Am due to its more compact dimensions. This helps its performance in tighter terrain and makes storage and transport a bit easier. The trade outs are compromises in performance in more wide-open terrain and utility capability, due, in part, to the lack of a dumping cargo bed.
For 2025, Yamaha has added the new, full-size RMAX4 to go head to head with the longer wheelbase, 4 -seat models in the class. Featuring the class leading engine, suspension travel, and utility features of the RMAX2, with increased interior occupant space and storage over the RMAX4 Compact, the 2025 RMAX4 certainly looks promising.
To find out if the new 4-seat stretch version of the RMAX2 lives up to our high expectations, we sent former Pro ATV MX racer, and long-time RMAX2 and RMAX4 Compact owner, Kory Ellis, to Yamaha’s press ride at San Rafael Swell near Green River, Utah to give us his opinion on how the new 2025 Yamaha RMAX4 performs.
Trim Packages
The new RMAX4 is available in Yamaha’s top two trim packages, XT-R and Limited. The XT-R features a WARN VRX4500 winch, 14” aluminum beadlock wheels. Yamaha’s new Adventure Pro, GPS Infotainment system, MTX audio system with front door speakers come standard as well as a roof. Speaker pods in the rear doors are pre-wired for easy speaker installation. The car is also prewired for the addition of a rear facing camera. It’s well appointed for its $27,999 MSRP.
Aside from its unique paint color and graphics, the Limited Edition features Fox IQS suspension, allowing you to switch between their soft, medium, and firm settings via a switch on the dash. Other added features include rear door speakers, a rear facing camera, and a new TFT display. Unfortunately, it foregoes the added security of beadlock wheels. Retailing for $29,199, pricing is competitive with its included features.
Interior and Styling
The new RMAX4 shares its design with the RMAX2 front to rear, with more machinery added to the middle. Head, tail, and brake lights are all LED. Getting in and out of the front is virtually identical to the RMAX2 with expanded ingress and egress room for the rear occupants. Handles for opening the doors are mounted on the inside where they’ll stay cleaner.
Interior front is nearly identical to the class leading RMAX2’s, including available room, and the entire dash layout, controls, switches, and numerous cut outs for easy accessory switch installation. The driver’s seat is slider adjustable. The soft touch steering wheel offers tilt adjustment. The passenger side t-handle grab bar is reach adjustable and the seat belts are height adjustable. Soft touch points on the doors and center console were made a bit thicker and softer on all models for 2025. Blue interior LED lighting and backlit switches help when the sun goes down.
The driver’s display tilts with the steering wheel for easy viewing. The original LED display is found on the XT-R model with the Limited gaining a new, full color TFT display. It offers increased brightness and contrast for easier viewing. Three display modes: Classic, Adventure, and Sport show the most relevant information for each. The display’s functions are also customizable.
Linked to the TFT display and displaying the view from the rear facing camera on LE models, Yamaha’s Adventure Pro GPS infotainment system is all new for 2025. It’s now built into the dash and features a ton of updates and improvements. The 7” screen is brighter with greater contrast. With control of the new MTX audio system integrated into it, there’s no longer a need for a separate head unit. The navigation has been completely updated along with geofencing and driver notification. A new drive mode screen features pitch and tilt gauges. The info displayed is very customizable and Adventure Pro can connect with your phone via Bluetooth for displaying messages or playing music. It’s a feature deserving of its own video.
Front interior storage includes a 5.8L passenger side glove box. A soft top, 2.7L center console features a rubber seal with a pass through for phone charging. Ahead of it are Dual cup holders.
Compared to the RMAX4 Compact, rear seat occupants enjoy 40% more leg room, angled up at the front for bolstering. Rear seats are identical to the front. They, too, feature height adjustable seat belts. Soft touch points are found on the doors and center console. Grab handles are similar in shape to the front.
There’s a ton of rear storage with the same center console box found up front located in the back. Dual cup holders are found in front of it with a massive 6 gal. sealed box in front of them. It features a USB charger, drain plug, and its own interior LED light.
Getting in and out is vastly improved in the rear, remaining as easy as ever up front. Some riders complain a bit about the shoulder bolsters when getting in and out, but you get used to them. Some larger drivers also complain of them crowding their left shoulder a bit.
Seats are comfortable, but feel a bit upright and jeep-like for the RMAX4’s performance. A touch more bolstering on the seats would be nice. The rest of the interior is the most modern and refined in the class. Everything you touch from the steering wheel to the switches to the soft touch points feel high quality.
Rear occupant space is noticeably improved over the RMAX4 Compact. It’s especially noticeable for full-grown adults. We must say that Yamaha did a good job of carrying the refined feel of the front end to the backseat occupants.
Work Capability
In addition to its abundant interior storage, the RMAX4 features the hydraulically assisted dumping cargo bed from the RMAX2. With steel tie-down hooks on the bottom and slots in the sides for easy partitioning, it can carry up to 600lbs. A two-inch hitch receiver can tow loads up to a full ton. Add in a few new drivetrain features and the RMAX4 is ready to work as hard as it plays.
Engine Performance
Producing 108HP, the RMAX4 produces 8hp more than the competition. It’s powered by Yamaha’s proven 999cc, liquid cooled, parallel twin-cylinder engine, with a four-valve, DOHC head design. An 11.2:1 compression ratio is on the sporty side.
Air for the engine and transmission are drawn from high under the hood. There you’ll find the airbox with tool-less access to the engine’s primary foam air filter for easy maintenance. There’s also a secondary paper filter for added filtration. Fuel-injection delivers the air and fuel via dual 48mm throttle bodies with fuel drawn from the RMAX4’S 9.2gal fuel tank.
A drive by wire throttle offers three modes: crawl, trail, and sport. They retard or advance throttle delivery providing different power characteristics. All modes deliver full power at full throttle. The different modes also affect engine braking characteristics. Crawl and trail modes provide maximum braking with reduced engine braking in sport mode. Engine braking is delivered to two, three, or four wheels depending on the drive mode you’re in.
Yamaha’s Ultramatic CVT transmission has a 10-year belt warranty thanks to its primary wet clutch handling engagement and disengagement, allowing the belt to stay under constant tension, reducing wear. A one way bearing in the clutch provides engine braking. Clutch weight was reduced from 18g on the RMAX2 to 16g on the RMAX4 allowing the engine to rev a bit more to maintain performance with the RMAX4 LE’s 419lb weight increase over the RMAX2 LE.
2WD, limited slip 4WD, and 4WD with front differential lock is the setup most drivers prefer. The front differential has been updated on all RMAX models for 2025 in search of quicker engagement and disengagement of the front differential lock. With this, the ignition no longer cuts power during engagement. Our biggest complaint with the RMAX drivetrain, historically, was a lack of turf mode, which compromised its appeal for work somewhat. Yamaha wisely added Turf Mode to all RMAX models for 2025. It allows you to unlock the rear differential to prevent damaging sensitive turf while turning.
Yamaha’s class leading engine continues to impress in the RMAX4. It makes power across the RPM range with strong low-end torque. Midrange and top power class leading are especially beneficial when the trail opens up. Kory could feel the added weight of the RMAX4 compared to the RMAX2, but the fun engine character remains intact. It’s right at home in the wide open spaces; the new RMAX4 was designed for plenty of grunt for low-speed technical stuff.
Power is very manageable at all speeds. The CVT’s primary clutch delivers automotive-like engagement off idle. Combined with the throttle’s Crawl mode and front differential lock, and if there’s any traction to be had, the RMAX will find it. While we still don’t love the gas pedal, Crawl and Trail modes make pedal modulation a non-issue. Spending most of the day in sport mode to maximize power feel, the CVT proved very responsive when getting in and out of the gas, always keeping you in the best part of the power.
Engine braking is well matched with the different throttle modes. It helps keep speeds under control on descents on the big RMAX in Trail and Crawl modes. Sport mode’s reduced engine braking is beneficial when coasting through chop or braking bumps.
Drivetrain upgrades performed as advertised. 2WD is fun for drifting, and 4WD provides the most accurate steering while providing extra grip for obstacles in slippery conditions. Front diff lock engagement and disengagement are now dramatically quicker, so Kory was happier using it more often. He was also excited to get a unit home to do circles in his gravel driveway. Turf mode was a feature RMAX needed and we’re glad Yamaha is paying attention.
Handling and Suspension
Built on a stretch version of the RMAX2’s steel chassis, Yamaha added 31.4” for the back seat occupants. The RMAX4 features the same suspension components and travel as the RMAX2, although a rear sway bar was added to the RMAX4. Double wishbone suspension is used at both ends. The front end has high-clearance lower arms, 14.2” of travel. Rear suspension travel has increased 3.6” from the RMAX4 Compact to 16.9” on the new RMAX4. Suspension travel is class leading.
Yamaha reworked the entire line’s shock tune in search of increased low-speed plushness, improved ground contact, and reduced harshness when bottoming. Both the XT-R and Limited use Fox shocks feature threaded preload adjustment. The XT-R uses Fox QS3 shocks with three-way compression damping settings on the shock. The Limited uses Fox’ IQS shocks with essentially the same three compression tunes that can be selected from inside the cab with the flip of a switch. Of course, the RMAX4’s shocks are uniquely tuned for its added 419 lb weight compared to the RMAX2.
Already arguably the best in the business, Yamaha introduced an all-new power steering system across the RMAX line for 2025. Selected by a switch on the dash, it now offers three modes: high, standard, and low assist. Power has been increased from 40A to 60A. This results in a 62% increase in electrical power and a 121% increase in available torque assist, offering maximum assist with the front differential engaged.
The RMAX4 rides on 30×10-14” Maxxis Carnivore, 8-ply, radial tires on 14” alloy wheels with beadlocks on the XT-R edition, the same size and square setup as the RMAX2.
Comparing dimensions between the RMAX4 Compact and RMAX4, both share identical widths of 64”. Ground clearance increased from 13.4 to 13.8”, which is class leading. Wheelbase stretched from 90.2” to 118.1”. Overall length increased from 128.1” to 150.8”. Overall height went down 83.1” to 82.7”. At 2,315 lbs wet, beadlock wheels add 11 lbs to the RMAX4 XT-R compared to the Limited.
If the ride of the RMAX4 is any indication of what Yamaha’s done with the rest of the RMAX lineup, we’re very happy with the suspension upgrades. The shocks seemed more sensitive to small bumps in the trail at all speeds. Bottoming resistance on large, abrupt, square edge hits was decent, but has been noticeably improved on the RMAX4. On G outs and rollers, the rear shocks do better at staying off the bottom out bumper with improved rebound control. Sure the added wheelbase will help the machine track better in whoops, but the shocks are clearly improved.
RMAX2 is the best technical crawler in its class due to its long rear wheel travel and lack of a rear sway bar. Adding a sway bar to the RMAX4’s long-travel rear end reduced its articulation a bit without having an overly adverse effect on stability in technical chunk. Compared to the RMAX4 Compact, the new RMAX4 feels more planted and confidence inspiring in the rocks.
The 3-mode EPS system did everything we hoped. Low assist added stability at high speeds by making the steering wheel less sensitive to steering wheel inputs. High assist was advantageous on tight, twisty trails and technical crawling situations. Steering with the front differential locked in remains nearly as light as steering in 2WD. The middle setting delivered the power steering performance we’re accustomed to on RMAX models, which is perfect for all-around driving, relatively light with great damping of unwanted steering feedback.
Steering is very accurate up front, although Kory felt the Carnivore tires were a little unpredictable when sliding and had a tendency to break loose unexpectedly in dry, loose terrain. A simple tire swap would help, and the Carnivores are a good East Coast tire. Cornering and sidehill stability are very good with little body roll attacking corners hard.
Brakes
In 2021, we applauded the RMAX2’s braking power, but felt the pedal took a little more pressure than we expected. The RMAX line gets updated brakes for 2025. The new Hayes calipers and knuckles are more rigid. Yamaha’s goal increased initial bite and more solid feel through the pedal.
Braking power felt on par with previous models. As advertised, engagement felt more solid through the pedal requiring a bit less pedal pressure and movement.
Conclusion
Yamaha has done an outstanding job of bringing the shootout winning performance of the RMAX2 to the new RMAX4. Their updates to suspension, power steering, Adventure Pro, and the new display on the LE model left us not only excited about the new RMAX4, it’s got us stoked on how these updates will benefit potential RMAX2 and RMAX4 Compact buyers as well.
With increased rear occupant space and storage, a full-size, dumping cargo bed, and turf mode to mitigate ground damage, Yamaha has delivered a machine with next level appeal for camping, hunting, and getting work done that the RMAX4 Compact can’t match and its competitors should take very seriously.
It will be a little more difficult to negotiate the tightest trails compared to the RMAX4 Compact. However, anytime the trail opens up, the new RMAX4’s capability increases with speed. If you were wishing Yamaha would build a full-size 4-seater with the features of RMAX2 plus the capability to bring two full-size friends with greater comfort, Yamaha has delivered with the outstanding, new, RMAX4
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