Yamaha Rhino 700 Review

Posted on October 27, 2015

Overview

Yamaha made some refinements to their incredibly popular Rhino 660 for the 2008 model year.

Our wish list for improving the Rhino 660 was:

More power
Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) – smoother power delivery, easier start, easier to adjust for aftermarket performance products (exhaust, intake, etc.).
More power
Make it quieter (in cab and exhaust)
Better low range performance to handle off-idle climbing in rock-crawling situations
Make the brake squeak/rattle go away.
More top speed – rev limiter at 42 mph is too low.
Unlockable rear differential.

Surprisingly enough, Yamaha delivered on most of these items.

In our testing of a stock 2008 Rhino 700 EFI, we found that:

It was much easier to start and idle in cold conditions.
The in cab noise level has been reduced.
Exhaust noise sounded about the same, but the pipe is held in place much better so you won’t get the rattle of the pipe against the frame.
Power felt very similar to the Rhino 660. Time will tell how much the 686cc EFI will wake up after intake and fuel controller.
Top speed was 42 mph when it hits the rev-limiter. Aftermarket products will fix this, but it would have been nice for Yamaha to move that up to about 50 mph from the factory.
Rear differential is still full-time locked.

The Yamaha Rhino 700 EFI is a very capable vehicle. It is not the fastest, smallest or biggest of sport UTVs, but it handles everything pretty darn well. In our opinion, the Rhino 700 EFI is the best all-around UTV available. Not the best sport UTV, and not the best utility UTV, but is does both things well enough to play in both fields.

Aftermarket support for the Rhino continues to be off-the-charts and this is a big advantage for users that want to take their UTV and modify them for more travel, better suspension, and better performance.

Our biggest disappointment with the Rhino is power. A twin-cylinder, larger cc engine is where it needs to go for serious sport use. The change to the 686cc and EFI are nice upgrades from the 660, but if Yamaha wants to compete with the Polaris RZR and Kawasaki Teryx for best sport UTV, then have some work to do.

New for 2008 Yamaha Rhino 700 EFI models:

All-new 686cc engine puts out plenty of broadband power. New four-valve head with 9.2:1 compression and forged piston bumps power and efficiency.
Electronic fuel injection ensures peak performance in nearly all conditions and elevations, along with instantaneous cold starts.
Tough, rotomolded doors keep mud, water and dirt on the trail where they belong.
New four-wheel disc brakes provide unsurpassed stopping power, and a new parking brake is super convenient.
Cool, comfortable new steering wheel and new passenger grab handles.
Now with two cup holders for even greater creature comfort.
New underhood tool-free air filter is a snap to service.
New Stainless Steel Exhaust with Spherical joints
New front differential
Bigger CV Joints and Axles
CV boot protectors
Larger Radiator (20mm taller and 28mm wider) and Fan with shroud
New Brake Pad Material – Eliminates Squeaks
CVT filter has been redesigned so that the intake/exhaust sit about 5″ higher
Noise reduction – Exhaust mounts, engine mounts new counter balancer, intake is now under hood, and engine area is more sealed off.

The 686cc displacement (26cc increase over the Rhino 660), and Yamaha Fuel Injection (YFI) combine to provide the Rhino 700 with a 20% increase in torque.

Midnight Armor (new color choice)