Long Term Review - Polaris RANGER XP900 - Part One

[Zane]

By: Zane & Josh Merva

GM-Trucks.com

 

We all love our pickup trucks. No matter the job, our trusty Sierra has never let us down. Our only complaint is that a full-size truck is, well, full sized. There are some projects that need a smaller set of tools. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a “pickup truck for your property?” We’ve found out, there actually is. The Polaris RANGER.

 

 

A new generation of off-road vehicles

Growing up in New Hampshire we loved riding our 1990’s 300CC Arctic Cat ATV around the numerous logging trails, powerlines, and abandoned roads in the area. Needless to say, we wasted many hours and days beating the absolute heck out of that all terrain vehicle; all of them with a huge smile on our faces.

 

So when we had the opportunity to drive a new generation of Polaris off-road vehicles last September in New York, all those good feelings came rushing back. We also felt a little overwhelmed as these types of machines have come a long way in two decades. Just like today’s automobiles, the days of carbureted engines are over. Today’s all terrain and utility terrain vehicles are computer controlled and more capable than ever.

 

 

After trying out the entire line of Polaris off-road vehicles we instantly fell in love with the company’s lineup of side by side vehicles. Arguably the new hotness in the all-terrain market, side by side all-terrain-vehicles provide the seating, steering and driving experience we all know from driving a car. No more handlebars or saddle-style seating required. In some states you can even drive side by sides on the roads.

 

The company offers three distinct side by side machines; the RZR (pronounced “razer”), the Ace, and the RANGER. While the RZR and Ace are targeted to the sport and trail riding segments, the RANGER is different. It looks like an ATV, drives like a side by side, but also has a dumping cargo box and pickup truck like capabilities. In our mind, that’s a perfect combination and we knew we had to have one.

 

 

Over the winter we made our pitch to Polaris. Send us a RANGER for a few weeks and we’ll give the world our honest opinion. The company did one better and six weeks ago in late May we took delivery of our brand new Long Term 2015 Polaris RANGER XP900 from HK Powersports in Hooksett, New Hampshire. For the next few months we’ll be sharing with your our “ownership” experience.

 

Meet the RANGER

So, what is a Polaris RANGER and what can it do for you? Officially, a RANGER is a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV). It seats three people in a side by side configuration, has a proper steering wheel, and uses a typical gas/brake setup for control. It also has seat belts and features a R.O.P.S compliant safety cage.

 

 

The RANGER XP900 is powered by a 68-horsepower two-cylinder engine and has three mode selectable four-wheel drive. With lugged off-road tires, the RANGER promises the ability to travel and work nearly anywhere. Our long term tester is even equipped with electronic power steering to cut down on fatigue.

 

 

On the trail or at the farm, our RANGER seems ready to work or play. The large cargo box and a real hitch receiver give you the flexibility to haul up to 1,500lbs or tow up to 2,000lbs. We’ve already started to use these abilities on some overdue projects around the house and our neighborhood.

 

 

Ownership So Far

We’ve been riding our RANGER for the last six weeks. What we enjoy the most so far is the absolute versability this vehicle offers. From cleaning up fallen trees to blowing off some steam on the trails, the RANGER has done everything we’ve asked and begged for more.

 

Here’s what we’ve been up to:

• Cleaned up pine logs from fallen trees
• Recreational riding on unimproved open access roads
• Volunteering to rake community beaches with a York Rake
• Commuting to work (yes, we did it!)

 

Over the next few weeks we’re excited to share with you the ways we’re using and owning our Polaris RANGER. That means we’ll cover the good and the bad.

 

As our long term test continues we’ll investigate the true utility capabilities of the RANGER by using it around our property. We’ll then investigate the recreational aspect of RANGER ownership by trailering it to a public ATV park for a fun weekend getaway.

 

 

Stay tuned as part two of our Polaris RANGER Long Term test comes at you soon!

 

As Tested Details - 2015 Polaris RANGER XP900 EPS

Manufacturer Website

Price: $15,299

Color: Sunset Red w/upgrade package

Engine Type: 4-stroke Prostar twin cylinder producing 68-horsepower

Displacement: 875cc

Transmission: Automatic PTV with High, Low, Neutral, Reverse, Park

Drive System: On-Demand all-wheel-drive, 2WD, and 1WD VersaTrac Turf Mode

 

Front/Rear Suspension: Dual A-Arm with 10-inches of travel

Front Tires: 25 x 10-12; 489

Rear Tires: 25 x 11-12; 489

 

Wheelbase: 81-inches

Dry Weight: 1,325 lbs

Overall Size: 116.5-inches x 60-inches x 72-inches (L X W X H)

Ground Clearance: 12-inches

Cargo Box Size: 36.5-inches x 54-inches x 11.5-inches (L X W X H)

 

Fuel Capacity: 10 gallons

Total Payload: 1,500lbs

Cargo Box Capacity: 1,000 lbs

Hitch Towing Rating: 2,000lbs

Other notable features: Digital gauge cluster, speedometer, odometer, tachometer, trip meter, hour meter, clock, two 12-volt DC power outlets, waterproof storage, adjustable steering wheel, sliding driver's seat, dump cargo box

[99silveradoz71]

Very cool.

[hollis092]

Always loved Rangers, this is a very good review!

[kstruckcountry]

Looking forward to seeing what y'all think, I've been wanting a RZR for driving out in the country.

[okfoz]

Put a hydrolic bucket on the front of one of one of those and it would be perfect...

[chevy529]

All of these 4 wheel ATV\UTV's lack the same thing. A snorkel style air intake up high. Drive a little on dusty roads\trails and then check the air cleaner.

 

 

 

Put a hydrolic bucket on the front of one of one of those and it would be perfect

Just out of curiosity. Where would you get your hydraulic power from exactly?

[kstruckcountry]

Do you know where the UTVs pull from? We did air filters on our work quads and they were very clean for 300 hours.

[Monsta 99]

if you ride hard or have to go through a lot of water don't get one of these Rangers. My Ridin buddy got one and soaked air filter filled belt case just by driving through puddles fast. he put a snorkel kit on and it overheated like a big dog all day. Good for work stuff though if you keep it stock. If you ride in mountains it's kinda lame. Because there is no downhill desent control clutch disengages and you got brakes only. Just my two cents. (Buddy sold it last week. )

[Zane]

I must say, so far we've had no troubles. The belt only slipped once, after I had washed the machine and accidentally sprayed water directly on the belt housing.

We've been riding the RANGER through water and mud, yet so far no slippage on the trail. We've bombed some big puddles so far, too.

 

Here's a photo that shows the location of the air intake. There is one on each side. One is for the engine the other is for the transmission (AFAIK). It's pretty high and has frogskin covering the opening.

[okfoz]

All of these 4 wheel ATV\UTV's lack the same thing. A snorkel style air intake up high. Drive a little on dusty roads\trails and then check the air cleaner.

 

Just out of curiosity. Where would you get your hydraulic power from exactly?

You would have to have a hydraulic pump run off the engine... of course it would not be practical on a vehicle like this, Honestly I was a bit off the cuff as I was looking for a tractor with a small bucket when I wrote it...

[Cap'n Hook]

If only they were road legal, they'd be an all-use vehicle. But for now, I'll settle for a $3500 Jeep or a '89-'94 Toyota 4x4. And invest the other $12K!

[Zane]

If only they were road legal, they'd be an all-use vehicle. But for now, I'll settle for a $3500 Jeep or a '89-'94 Toyota 4x4. And invest the other $12K!

In many states and towns they are. In fact, where we live and work in New Hampshire it is perfectly legal to drive them on roads posted at 40mph and under. In fact, I drove the RANGER to work today

 

On my way home, I'll take trails and dirt roads to get back.

[CatRacer213]

I live 20 miles from the Polaris factory, in our area there are more rangers on city streets than bicycles! The local law enforcement is very good to us about it and Polaris even has clearance to test the Rangers and RZR's on the highway. Its not uncommon to meet a RZR going 60+ on a county hwy. Street legal in town as long as the driver is old enough and seat belts are worn properly

[NEFisher11]

In many states and towns they are. In fact, where we live and work in New Hampshire it is perfectly legal to drive them on roads posted at 40mph and under. In fact, I drove the RANGER to work today

2015-07-07 11.59.10.jpg

 

On my way home, I'll take trails and dirt roads to get back.

 

Zane you must live up in the north country of our fine state to beable to drive it on the streets legally.

[Zane]

 

Zane you must live up in the north country of our fine state to beable to drive it on the streets legally.

We're in Henniker, in the Southwest part of the state. This is the first year they are trying out the new ATV rules and we are very thankful.