2008 Polaris Ranger Rzr 800 Press
Intro - Continued
On our ride we covered a wide range of terrain so
we could test the Ranger RZR in a variety of situations.
The handling was very sharp and predictable giving
us immediate confidence in the vehicle. This rapid
feeling of control however also landed us in a bit
of trouble as we did roll the RZR on its side while
trying to take a corner to fast. With Harlen driving
and myself in the passenger seat, the vehicle flipped
on to the passenger side and slide along the dirt.
Thanks to Polaris for the many incorporated safety
features we both walked away without a scratch, but
a stern, and well deserved warning from Polaris to
slow it down. I do feel the track width of this vehicle
may have played a small role in it, but ultimately
we were at fault for pushing the vehicle beyond our
driving limits. With Harlen out of the drivers seat,
I continued to put the RZR to the test.
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Rzr safety features were put to the test when
we flipped it on its side, which left the Rzr
with some scratches, but fortunately, we walked
away without a scratch
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Front
Sway Bars keep the body roll to a minimum for
improved handling |
Into the second lap, and I was more and more confident
in pushing it to its limits, which I did. While driving
it escorted by a Polaris technician on one of their
Sportman ATV’s, I really wanted to open the RZR
up, so I did just that. Taking off was nothing but pure
wheel spin and adrenaline rushing through my veins as
I quickly caught another test driver on the stock Rhino
we used for comparisons. Passing him like he was parked,
I slammed it through a small section of whoops, only
skimming the top of them and the machine and I were
in sync. Quickly drifting it around the corner, I could
feel the front sway bar taking affect as the RZR leveled
out and allowed me to stay floored down into the sand
wash. By this time, I have totally forgotten about my
chaperone and continued through the sandy washes, and
whooped out trails. Wide open through the two feet deep
whoops, with out an ounce of bottoming out. I was grinning
ear to ear, which also led me to a mouth full of dirt,
but I didn’t care. Now that I was about a mile
away from the base camp, I remembered about the technician
on the ATV that was supposed to be following me. I pulled
of the side of the trail, and a few minutes later the
guy pulls in behind me and in a distressed manner told
me to slow down and take it back. Was I thrilled with
the performance? YES.
After returning with the RZR, I next drove the Artic
Cat Prowler. What a difference. As I drove the Prowler
down the same trail, I had to ask myself how could I
easily differentiate the two? Well if the RZR was the
latest sports car, then driving the Prowler would be
like taking the U.P.S truck out for a spin. A severe
lack in power accompanied the Prowler along with only
a lap belt, and no side safety features. These are clearly
two different vehicles. While the Prowler maybe better
suited for farm and utility work, the RZR was at home
in the recreational arena. As I pushed the Prowler through
the whoops, it spent more time bouncing in the air than
the on the ground. How ever one thing I did like about
the Prowler was the plush ride it had while just cruising
around. Also the wider stance made the cab room for
comfortable between the driver and passenger, but surprisingly
the RZR had a lot more leg room.
Returning with the Prowler, I jumped into the Yamaha
Rhino and headed back out. I am naturally at home
in the Rhino, so adapting to it was not an issue.
But with this Rhino being completely stock I felt
a huge lack of power as I instantly hit the rev limiter
at a blistering 38 mph. However I did feel the suspension
in the Rhino soak up the small whoops better than
both the RZR and the Prowler, while cruising around.
As soon as I hit the whoops at full speed though,
the Rhino would completely bottom out sending the
rear end skyward as it continued to bounce through
the remaining whoops leaving me to try and regain
some control. Also our test Rhino had a small issue
with shifting in and out of gears, and the CVT lunging
when I would put it into gear.
I am happy to report that the Ranger RZR had no issues
all day with shifting in an out of gear. As for the
AWD system on the RZR, it too ran flawlessly. When on
the trail, I pushed the AWD system in and out with out
having to come to a stop like I am use to with the Rhino.
The AWD would engage quickly and smoothly just as I
needed it to with out any problems and perform exactly
as I needed it to.
With the day of testing done I was very pleased with
the end results. Polaris has not only surpassed my
expectations in what a stock UTV should be, but they’ve
set a new industry standard in razor sharp side-x-side
performance.
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