The Polaris Ranger has been around since the dawn of time, and they were made to do one thing: work. But how does a Ranger that rolled off the assembly line ten years ago compare to a brand-new unit? Is it still the Ranger we know and love? We compare a 2014 Ranger XP 900 to a 2024 Ranger XP 1000 to find out.
For more stories, reviews, and first-looks check out https://www.utvdriver.com/
Want to see even more shenanigans from the UTV Driver team? Give us a like and follow:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UTVdriver/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utvdrivermagazine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/utvdriver/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@utvdriver
For more stories, reviews, and first-looks check out https://www.utvdriver.com/
Want to see even more shenanigans from the UTV Driver team? Give us a like and follow:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UTVdriver/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utvdrivermagazine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/utvdriver/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@utvdriver
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 10 years of evolution for losing a drag race.
00:03 Hilarious.
00:04 On a geologic time scale, a decade isn't even the blink of an eye.
00:08 But side-by-sides tend to age like fruit flies.
00:11 Over the last decade, the Polaris Ranger has gone from a roided-up golf cart
00:15 to an honest-to-goodness trophy truck fighter.
00:18 But not every machine has evolved from crawling on all fours
00:21 to walking fully erect in the long decade since 2014.
00:25 Some emerged fully formed,
00:26 while others were still figuring out the intricacies of multicellular life.
00:30 Such a machine is the Polaris Ranger.
00:32 This is a 2014 Polaris Ranger XP900,
00:36 and this is a 2024 Polaris Ranger XP1000.
00:41 Except for a few cosmetic details,
00:43 they're pretty hard to distinguish from each other.
00:45 And that's because the Ranger was ahead of its time when it debuted,
00:48 and it was so stout that over the last decade, it hasn't needed much updating.
00:52 This 2024 Ranger looks a little bit more purposeful than its older cousin,
00:56 and it also has power steering, which was an option on the XP900.
01:01 It also has another 100ccs and another 20-odd horsepower over the older machine.
01:06 But the dimensions are almost indistinguishable from each other,
01:09 and the load and towing capacities are so close as to be almost the same.
01:12 The 2024 will haul 1,000 pounds in the bed. So will the 14.
01:16 The 24 will also tow 2,500 pounds.
01:19 The 14 is 500 pounds below its younger sibling at 2,000.
01:24 Even the drivetrain is pretty much the same.
01:26 Both of these rigs have Polaris's PVT,
01:29 continuously variable automatic transmission,
01:32 with high, low, park, and reverse.
01:34 They both have dual-range transfer cases,
01:36 and they both have turf mode so you won't tear up your grass.
01:39 So this 2014 Polaris Ranger XP900HO
01:44 has had a life that most side-by-sides can only dream of.
01:47 Side-by-sides tend to have the lifespan of a goldfish.
01:50 Between hard use, deferred maintenance,
01:53 and the calamity that comes with use on the trail,
01:55 UTVs tend to go through the ringer.
01:57 And this one's no exception.
01:59 It has been beaten down once,
02:01 but has ended up in the care of a fastidious owner
02:04 who gave it a full mechanical restoration.
02:06 Both differentials, the axles, the transmission, and the suspension
02:09 have all been sorted on this rig.
02:11 Everything underneath it, except the engine, is new.
02:14 When the current owner got this machine, it wasn't running,
02:16 and it was carrying around enough Virginia red clay to pave a dirt track.
02:20 The axle spindles were almost worn off,
02:23 and the differentials were making more noise than a philharmonic orchestra.
02:26 So it got taken all the way down to the bare frame
02:29 and rebuilt with about $4,500 worth of new parts.
02:33 This thing is as close to a brand new 2014 Polaris Ranger as you can get.
02:38 Today, we're going to drive both machines,
02:40 we're gonna go over the differences between the two,
02:42 and then we're gonna go over our five favorite things about each one.
02:45 Getting ready to take the 2014 Polaris Ranger XP900HO out on the trail.
02:51 First of all, there's that aftermarket cab situation on it now,
02:54 but it is $250 compared to almost $5,000 for the hard cab that you can get for these things.
02:59 The doors are zip up, and the windshield is a little piece of Lexan or plexiglass.
03:03 As you can see, the interior is a lot more spartan than what you get in a 2024.
03:09 You have an analog gauge, there's a very tiny digital readout,
03:12 some very basic speed and RPM and engine temperature.
03:16 The shifter's gonna look familiar to anyone who knows their way around a Polaris.
03:19 It is the traditional Polaris shifter, and it feels the same.
03:22 You have turf mode, two-wheel drive lock, four-wheel drive lock, your headlights, all of that is familiar.
03:27 Now, this one does have an Inferno in-cab heater on it.
03:30 You do have 12-volt adapters, and you've got a little glove box.
03:34 Same tilting bed arrangement.
03:37 Engine looks exactly the same, even though it's a little bit smaller and has a little bit less horsepower.
03:41 This one has the original Maxxis big horns on it.
03:44 They are 27s front and 27s rear.
03:47 The wheel and tire package is not as nice on the 900 as it is on the 1000.
03:51 Let's get in it and go for a rip.
03:54 That should be a familiar sound to anyone who's ever driven a Polaris.
03:59 [imitates engine revving]
04:00 Yep, sounds the same.
04:02 [engine revving]
04:04 Wow, the mirror just fell off. Huh.
04:06 [engine revving]
04:08 So right away, I can tell you that the suspension is a whole lot stiffer than it is in the XP1000.
04:15 The brakes are excellent, I must say.
04:17 I just stood on the brakes a little bit, and they are fantastic.
04:21 [engine revving]
04:22 It's plenty responsive, but it's also plenty smooth for work.
04:25 This is a bumpier section of track than we had up the way, and you really feel it.
04:30 This suspension setup is not nearly as refined as the more modern machine.
04:36 You know that this rig doesn't have power steering.
04:39 I mean, there's a lot more steering effort.
04:40 And the engine...
04:41 [engine revving]
04:44 Yeah, although the engine only has 60 horsepower as opposed to the new machine's 82,
04:50 it's still got that very kind of spunky, playful character.
04:53 One of our favorite things about Rangers has always been their engine.
04:57 The sound can get a little old after a while, but they are fun.
05:00 They're more fun than utility rigs really have any right to be.
05:03 The interior comfort is really excellent.
05:06 This seat is a touch more upright.
05:09 I know that I could sit here all day and be perfectly comfortable.
05:11 It's really bare bones.
05:13 This machine is for work.
05:15 We're on a thousand acres out here.
05:17 The owner told me it rarely goes into four-wheel drive.
05:20 If ever, it's usually in two-wheel lock.
05:22 Ah, steering effort is reasonably high when you get down to slow speeds like that.
05:26 But boy, is it peppy.
05:28 It's just super happy to...
05:30 Really gonna go pretty quick.
05:32 [laughs]
05:33 Oh, I love it.
05:34 No frills, and it's the better for it.
05:36 And even though it's got non-power steering, it's still very intuitive, very linear.
05:41 It's just well-sorted, well-realized.
05:44 It's a nice machine.
05:45 It's true, 'cause you don't have to be a well-off rancher to afford one.
05:49 Good stuff, little machine.
05:52 The 2024 Polaris Ranger XP1000s.
05:56 We've got a Rhino-Rack bedrack.
05:58 We've got hold-downs for all the accoutrements you could want.
06:01 We've got a winch.
06:02 14-inch alloy wheels with 27-inch ProArmor tires.
06:06 Power steering.
06:07 Hard doors as opposed to the zip-out aftermarket doors that were on the other one.
06:12 A much less spartan interior.
06:14 Dare I say truckish.
06:16 Switches are in the same place.
06:17 You still have your 12-volt adapters down here, which are nice and easy to reach.
06:21 There's more storage.
06:22 There's a little bit more contour to these seats.
06:24 And they've got Polaris embroidered in them, which is for more luxury.
06:28 Ah, comfort levels are about the same.
06:30 [car door closes]
06:30 [engine starts]
06:32 Again, the exact same sound in both of these machines.
06:36 So this one has TAC and Speedo and a much bigger digital readout.
06:40 We're gonna go in two-wheel drive lock.
06:42 You have throttle modes.
06:44 So these are gonna be gentle throttle response, normal throttle response,
06:48 and your sport, sort of more snappy performance throttle response.
06:51 The throttle response honestly was fine on the 2014,
06:53 and if you didn't know you wanted this, you wouldn't know you were missing it.
06:56 The other thing that this one has is a true glass windshield.
07:00 This is a Polaris factory accessory.
07:02 Not inexpensive.
07:04 High gear.
07:05 Off we go!
07:06 [engine starts]
07:10 Right off, the throttle response is a little bit smoother,
07:14 and everything feels just a little bit tighter and a little bit better controlled
07:17 because the suspension is more compliant in this one,
07:20 and that electronic power steering sure is nice, boy.
07:24 You don't need it in the 2014,
07:26 but I think if you were working a nine-hour day out in the field,
07:30 you would want that EPS.
07:31 In a utility machine, when it's loaded down or when it's unloaded,
07:35 if you go to use the brakes and they work,
07:37 and you go to use the steering wheel and it works,
07:39 then you never have to think about it again.
07:41 That's an attribute you want.
07:42 [engine revs]
07:44 All right, some of this is probably tire-related.
07:47 This one is a little bit quicker.
07:49 It's noticeably quicker, I would say.
07:52 Especially right off the hit, it's a little torquier.
07:54 You don't need 82 horsepower.
07:56 This has 82 horsepower, which is hilarious.
08:00 It's great, it's fun.
08:01 You don't need it.
08:02 Through here is where you really notice the difference.
08:05 There's a lot of pine roots and just water washouts and stuff through here,
08:08 so it's a really chunky, bumpy section.
08:11 I'm not getting hit in the back of the head with the headrest in this one
08:14 the way I was in the '14.
08:16 [engine revs]
08:18 Put it in performance.
08:19 Performance.
08:21 [engine revs]
08:23 Yes, you really feel that extra throttle response
08:27 when you've got it in performance.
08:28 And the most surprising thing about that drive
08:32 was how unsurprising it was.
08:33 A 2014 Polaris Ranger and a 2024 Polaris Ranger aren't that far apart.
08:39 You can spend all day in both machines,
08:42 and you're going to get the same work out of each machine.
08:45 It's just how much money you want to spend and how comfortable you want to be.
08:49 Let's take a look at each machine and go over five things we love about them
08:52 and five things we'd change about them.
08:53 So the number one thing that we love about the 2014 Polaris Ranger XP900HO
08:59 is just how simple it is.
09:01 No frills is a wonderful thing if you're doing work,
09:04 and this machine is going to be reliable,
09:06 it's going to start every time,
09:08 and it's going to be rugged because there is very little to break.
09:11 Number two, the engine.
09:13 It's a Polaris parallel twin.
09:15 It's a 900cc.
09:16 It has 60-ish horsepower.
09:19 It sounds, it behaves, and it feels pretty close to the brand new
09:23 1,000cc Polaris parallel twin that's in the XP.
09:27 Number three, capability.
09:29 This 2014 Polaris Ranger carries 1,000 pounds in the bed,
09:32 the same as the 2024 Polaris Ranger,
09:35 and it will tow one ton,
09:37 which is just 500 pounds less than its modern counterpart.
09:40 Number four, the interior.
09:43 It's very Spartan in here.
09:45 It's a lot of hard plastic.
09:46 It's very basic, and that's exactly what you want
09:48 because you could get a day's worth of mud,
09:50 or a week's worth of mud,
09:51 or 10 years worth of mud in here.
09:53 Get out your hose, spray it out, and nothing gets hurt.
09:56 Number five, not this bumper specifically,
10:00 but there are spaces to bolt on all of the standard Polaris accessories
10:04 that you get on the 2024.
10:05 So this one doesn't have a winch,
10:07 but it's easy to bolt one up to there,
10:08 and you can go right on Polaris' website and buy one.
10:10 What are five things we'd change about it?
10:12 Well, number one, this is not a knock on Polaris
10:14 or anyone in particular.
10:16 I personally would change this cab.
10:17 Now, this cab works great as a budget accessory,
10:20 but hard cabs are better,
10:22 and having to zip and unzip your doors
10:24 every time you want to get in and out, not ideal.
10:26 Number two, these wheels and tires.
10:28 Now, these are old Maxxis Bighorns.
10:30 They came from a different machine.
10:32 They're okay, but I think I would go for more modern rubber.
10:35 Number three, the steering.
10:37 This doesn't have power steering.
10:39 It was an option in 2014,
10:40 and it would be great if this rig had it.
10:42 It's a fun novelty to think,
10:44 "Oh, it's simple, there's less to break."
10:45 It's going to get tiring over a day's drive
10:48 to not have power steering.
10:49 Fourth thing we would change, these gauges.
10:52 You've got a speedometer,
10:53 and then a very rudimentary fuel
10:55 and engine temperature readout down here.
10:57 I want to know more information when I'm driving around.
11:00 I want to know RPMs and a couple other things.
11:02 Would love to see more information on the dash.
11:04 And number five, staying in the interior.
11:06 This 2014 does not have power modes.
11:09 The 2024 does.
11:11 It makes a huge difference.
11:12 The throttle response in this machine is great as it is,
11:14 but you only get one way.
11:16 It's either on or off.
11:17 Having work, standard,
11:19 and performance power delivery modes is a nice feature.
11:21 We'd love to see it here.
11:22 What are five things we love about the 2024?
11:24 Let's take a look.
11:25 Number one, you knew it had to be this.
11:27 The first thing we love about the 2024 Polaris Ranger XP1000
11:31 is the power steering.
11:33 EPS was an option on the old rig.
11:35 It comes standard on this one,
11:37 and we think it makes a huge difference.
11:39 Driving these two around,
11:40 this one's going to be less tiring over a day,
11:42 and when you're working hard, that's important.
11:44 Number two, throttle mode.
11:46 You got work, standard, and performance.
11:48 They all change throttle response to match the situation.
11:51 We wish every side-by-side on earth had this feature.
11:54 Number three, it's got a winch.
11:57 That's not any more complicated than that.
11:58 Fourth thing I love about the 2024 Polaris Ranger XP1000,
12:02 these Rhino racks.
12:03 Now, that is not a standard feature.
12:05 That is very much something from the catalog.
12:07 We love that this rig has it,
12:08 and we would put it on one that we owned ourselves.
12:11 And number five, hard doors that open and close
12:16 like a car's doors.
12:17 It's kind of cheating.
12:18 The other one doesn't have it.
12:19 Maybe it came with them, maybe it didn't.
12:21 The 2024 has them, and they're great.
12:23 Five things we'd change on the new Polaris Ranger.
12:26 Number one, the suspension.
12:28 It is smoother than that on the 2014,
12:31 but the 2014 has aftermarket shocks on it,
12:33 and it's not saying much to say
12:35 that a 2024 has smoother suspension than a 10-year-old rig.
12:38 Both of them, we'd like to see changed.
12:40 We'd like a little bit more comfort,
12:41 and more than that, a little bit more adjustability
12:44 out of the new stuff.
12:44 Number two, we'd love to see this thing
12:47 have a fully enclosed cab.
12:48 These machines are getting to where
12:50 they're not cheap anymore,
12:51 and it would be great to at least have glass
12:53 all the way around, and better yet, we'd love to see HVAC.
12:57 Number three, this wouldn't be a Polaris review
12:59 if we didn't say it.
13:01 Change the shifter.
13:02 This shifter feels the same as the one in the 2014.
13:06 That may be okay for a rig that's 10 years old,
13:08 but it is becoming unacceptable in a rig that's this new.
13:11 The Ranger XD 1500 proves that you make a better one,
13:14 so put it in here.
13:15 Number four, give me an automatic dump bed.
13:19 The Ranger XD 1500 has it.
13:21 I wanna see it on the XP 1000.
13:23 Number five, put a turbo on it.
13:26 Just put a turbo on it.
13:27 We're not saying you should go out
13:29 and buy a 2014 Polaris Ranger,
13:31 but we came here to show how good
13:33 the Polaris Ranger platform has been since it was born.
13:36 I cannot stress enough how long ago 2014 was
13:40 in terms of side-by-sides,
13:42 and the Polaris Ranger has soldiered on
13:44 as a stalwart utility rig that entire time.
13:48 Finding one this nice in this day and age
13:50 is going to be rare.
13:51 This one had to be restored to be as competent
13:53 as it is today.
13:54 So it's probably worth your time and money
13:57 to go out and buy a new Polaris Ranger XP 1000
14:00 if you're seriously in the market
14:02 for a bare-bones utility rig.
14:04 You won't find a better one,
14:05 and we think the history is testament enough.
14:07 All right, so we didn't intend to do another shoot today,
14:10 but I have to stop and marvel
14:12 at the 2014 Polaris Ranger XP 900.
14:15 We did a drag race thinking that we would get B-roll
14:18 to show the difference between the horsepower
14:19 of these things, and the XP 900 smoked the XP 1000.
14:23 There were a couple times where the older tires
14:25 on the XP 900 saw it lose out to the XP 1000,
14:28 but in about three of five drag races,
14:31 the older rig won.
14:32 I'm flabbergasted, but if you think about it,
14:35 it kind of makes sense.
14:36 This rig was quoted at weighing about 13 or 1400 pounds
14:39 from the factory, and the XP 1000 is quoted at 1800,
14:43 and that's before you account
14:44 for the glass windshields front and rear,
14:46 the Rhino racks on it, the hard doors,
14:49 the bumper, the winch.
14:50 So there's another extra couple hundred pounds
14:52 of stuff going on here.
14:53 This rig is probably in the neighborhood of 2000 pounds,
14:56 700 pound difference between the two of these.
14:59 And this rig may have a hundred more CCs,
15:01 and it may have 20 more horsepower,
15:03 but 700 pounds is a lot to contend with.
15:06 Both rigs were in two wheel drive with the diffs locked.
15:08 Everything was the same.
15:10 Both drivers had their foot completely on the floor,
15:12 so nobody was chicken footing.
15:14 That's just how it came out.
15:15 So there you have it, 10 years of evolution
15:17 for losing a drag race.
15:20 Hilarious.
15:21 Thanks for watching.
15:22 And you can find us on all of the social media channels,
15:25 Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, seven days a week.
15:28 We're on YouTube every week, and five days a week,
15:30 head over to utvdriver.com,
15:32 where we've got news, reviews, buyer's guides.
15:35 We will see you there.