Long Term Review - Polaris RANGER XP900 - Part One

[milligan]

I live in IL and they hate us off roaders here.

 

I'm in the market right now looking at a UTV. I'm all over the place with them right now though. Some days I want a Ranger and some days I want a RZR. The only thing holding me back from a Ranger is the seating position. It is very upright where the RZR sits more like a car with nicely bolstered bucket seats and a lower stance behind the wheel.

[Zane]

I live in IL and they hate us off roaders here.

 

I'm in the market right now looking at a UTV. I'm all over the place with them right now though. Some days I want a Ranger and some days I want a RZR. The only thing holding me back from a Ranger is the seating position. It is very upright where the RZR sits more like a car with nicely bolstered bucket seats and a lower stance behind the wheel.

What would you use it for most? Trail riding or property work? If it's trail riding, get the RZR. If to help for work on your property, get the RANGER.

[the12sid1]

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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 Truck Lettering Bronx. 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.

 

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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 and from Van Lettering Bronx.

 

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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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!)

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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.

 

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

 

As Tested Details - 2015 Polaris RANGER XP900 EPS

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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

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Its really awesome man!

very good review i was looking forward to buy one.

[milligan]

What would you use it for most? Trail riding or property work? If it's trail riding, get the RZR. If to help for work on your property, get the RANGER.

 

Ended up getting a XP 1000 and love it!