Dear Motorhead:
I’m going to be in the market for a utility side-x-side in the next year or so.
I had a Yamaha Rhino 700, but after using it for what my intentions were found it came up really short in the utility field for hauling and towing.
I’ve been leaning towards the Polaris Ranger HD 800 due to the power steering and the auto leveling suspension. Have you had any experience with the Polaris Rangers in general and anything I need to watch out for?
I’m also looking at the Ranger as it seems to be the only model that gives an option to unlock the rear differential for use on turf without destroying it.
Thanks,
William
Thanks for your email!
We have had much experience with Polaris Rangers over the years. I can say with confidence, our experiences have been overwhelmingly positive.
The new Ranger XP 900 is a SXS you should check out. It has 60 HP and can pull over a house. The upgrades and improvements on this vehicle over the 800 XP are huge.
Having said that – Polaris will continue to produce the Ranger 800 as we know it in MY 2013. They also will build the mid-size Ranger with the 800 engine in it for MY 2013.
The unlocking diff feature you mentioned is absolutely the best idea – and we can’t understand why others – (with the exception of Arctic Cat’s Prowlers) have not included this feature. It means you can operate the vehicle on your lawn without any turf damage.
The self-leveling feature comes as a result of the use of Nivomat rear shocks on the HD Ranger XP (My 2012). I am not sure at this writing if those shocks will be available in MY 2013.
In any case, check out our reports on the Rangers on our YouTube page at YouTube.com/dirttraxtv
Thanks,
Motorhead Mark
