UTVs Are Hot Summer Fun!

by Ian Harwood on Thursday, July 3rd, 2014

Watch out for local ride-and-drive events… you may just find out how much fun life can be! 

 

 

The explosion of utility terrain vehicles on the market the last five years has been incredible.

Popularity has never been this high. The 2014 Polaris RZR XP 1000 is at the top of its class. Rarely do you see a UTV like this offered to the public. Often you would have to go to a Baja race to see these machines perform. 0-30 in 2.26 seconds and 0-50 in 5.33 seconds without any aftermarket add-ons. Wow.

The XP delivers excitement at any speed. The on demand AWD system makes cornering at high speeds incredibly easy. The long travel suspension makes the bumps feel like pebbles on a highway. All the instruments are conveniently located so you can access them quickly without losing site of the trail ahead of you. I noticed how much leg room the XP has leg. After having driven an earlier model that was always a concern.

Interior

The interior features a high performance tilt able steering wheel that is easy to grip and performs very well at high speeds. LED interior lights and very comfortable seats that have being beefed up to hold you in position and feature a new dry seat technology the resists moisture. They also have sliders on them to adjust for legroom. The factory installed doors have an easy one handed security latch and offer an optional accessory lower door section which I recommend to purchase right away. This keeps a lot of debris of your legs.

Having driven many off-road vehicles in my career and in many challenging conditions, I found UTVs to be an extension to the off-road experience. You can go places that you would not normally attempt because of road conditions or overgrown vegetation that limits most vehicles without extensive body damage.

The fact you can take a partner along with you in an open-air cockpit is a big plus and really adds another dimension to 4 wheeling. Although this model is a high-end machine there are plenty of other makes a models at reasonable prices that you can check out at your local ATV shop. Watch out for local ride-and-drive events then go out and experience one for yourself. You may just find out how much fun life can be!

Engine

Type: 4-stroke, DOHC, twin-cylinder

Displacement: 999cc

Liquid cooled

Fuel system: Electronic fuel injections w/ dual 48mm throttle bodies, which respond very quickly. The engine runs on 87-octane fuel without the need for premium.

Starting system is electric

Drivetrain

Drive system: On-Demand AWD/2WD

Transmission: Automatic PVT w/ high/low range, and reverse

Price as tested $22,699

Contact: ian [dot] harwood [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca