The most unique and perhaps intriguing feature of the Honda Pioneer 500 is the paddle shifters. It is the first SxS to have such a feature so we were very eager to see how this would work out. The 5-speed transmission shifted quite smoothly and on fly and really made it more fun to drive. It does take some getting used to, but after a while we didn’t even have to think about it.
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The 2015 Honda Pioneer 500 is the only SxS available with paddle shifters. With its specially designed fuel injection system, the driver can flip through the five gears without having to let off the gas. This makes for one fun and unique driving experience! |
The engine braking of the Pioneer 500, in first gear, is exceptional. Our course was filled with many steep trails and all we had to do was put it in low (1st) gear and make our way down without having to use any brakes. The low gear, as Honda refers to it, is also well suited for towing as it offers quite a bit of torque. In fact it is actually easier to start out in second gear if you are not loaded down. As we mentioned, our course featured many hills and tight trails, but we did manage to hit the machine’s top speed of 40MPH, which is about as fast as you would ever want to go in a UTV of this size and width.
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Although
the Honda Pioneer 500 wasn't build for
speed, but we were still able to get it
up to 40 MPH, which is plenty for the
trail capable 50" wide Honda Pioneer |
The driveline offers full time 2WD and 4WD, which is easy to change with a gate-style shifter just to the right of the steering wheel. Reverse is also included and getting there is as simple as downshifting while pulling out on a panel-mounted lever under the dash. We were actually quite impressed with just how easy it was to use after becoming familiar with its operation.
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Reverse
can be engaged with a pull of a lever
mounted underneath the dash |
The Honda Pioneer 500 comes with 9.6 inches of ground clearance, giving it the ability to travel over more rocky terrain or rutted out trails.
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The Honda Pioneer 500 features 9.6 inches of ground clearance. We used ever inch as we climbed many challenging and rocky hills on our drive |
