We were finally able to get our hands on Polaris's ultra plush and powerful RZR XP 1000 4-seater, and we have quite a bit to talk about!  First, Polaris did an excellent job of creating a 4-seat UTV that doesn't really feel like a 4-seater when you are carving bowls in the sand dunes or ripping through the desert!  One would think that with its longer wheelbase and the added weight of 4 occupants that the XP would feel sluggish or difficult to handle, but that is definitely not the case.


 We are getting a little ahead of ourselves, however, so let's back up a bit and start with the basics.

OVERVIEW

Our test unit was a 2014 Polaris RZR XP 4 1000 EPS "White Lightning" model, boasting 107hp from Polaris's all new Prostar 1000 engine, which conveniently (and affordably!) runs on 87 octane pump gas.  Key features of the XP include Electric Power Steering, 2" Walker Evans anti-bottoming needle shocks on the front (giving it 16" of front wheel travel) and larger, even more impressive 2.5" Walker Evans shocks on the rear trailing-arm set-up (allowing for a full 18" of wheel travel)!  With 16-position adjustors, it's easy to dial in the perfect setup on the shocks for your current riding terrain.

Polaris mounted the seats in the XP low to the floor for an excellent center of gravity, giving the XP a very stable feel in any situation.  The new high performance, on-demand AWD system seemlessly engages both front wheels with all available torque to aid in pulling the XP over rough roads, through whoops, and in and out of corners.

 With its all-new tubular chassis ( reducing flex by 20%), the tires stay planted and the machine feels more responsive to driver input.

Moving into the cab and passenger areas, we noticed the adjustable steering wheel, the handy new center storage box with a cell-phone holder (a sealed compartment that came in handy often), very cool LED interior lighting and driver and passenger seat sliders, which make adjusting the front seats forward or back possible for occupants of different heights. 

The rear seating area feels a bit cramped compared to being in an automobile, but for a UTV that still needs to be careful of having too long of a wheelbase, we feel Polaris did a good job of giving the rear passengers enough space while keeping the XP from being just too big.  There are handholds for the rear passengers, as well as cupholders and a slanted floorboard to aid in passenger comfort and stability. 

The doors on the XP open and close with ease, and they are at just the right height to give the occupants protection as well as a sense of security.  There were times when we wished the doors were full doors, without the opening at the bottom so that we could put items on the floor without worrying about them bouncing out, but Polaris offers a door insert that will do just that. 

The 29" Maxxis Big Horns and aluminum wheels that come standard on the RZR XP 4 1000 are an excellent choice, and should last for hundreds of miles of hard riding in just about any terrain.  For our test, however, we swapped out the stock wheels and tires and opted for front smoothies and Sand Stripper paddle tires in the rear, since our test would take place at the dunes at Glamis, in Southern California.

RIDE REPORT

In a nutshell, the XP is FUN!  We spent a couple of days in the huge sand dunes ripping around, getting the feel of the XP with one passenger, no passengers, and fully loaded.  Polaris must have tuned the XP from the factory for a full load, because it actually felt the best when all four seats were occupied, which was a pleasant surprise.

The Prostar motor puts out plenty of power to turn the paddle tires we were running and the CVT trasmission was smooth and effective in any situation we found ourselves in.  The power keeps on coming as you press the accelerator pedal, and just when you think you have topped out, there is still more there.  As any duner knows, power is your friend, and the XP is very friendly!

The Electric Power Steering made turning the XP easy and fun to drive, aiding in the surprising agility of the 4-seat model.  Twisting and turning through even the smaller, tighter dunes was an easy task  - the only thing we had to be careful of was getting high-centered on a razorback.  Even this is hard to do unless you literally crawl to a stop at the very top of a dune peak - as long as you maintain some type of momentum or cross dune peaks at an angle, getting high centered shouldn't even be an issue.

The length of the XP, along with its trailing arm rear suspension design, really comes into play in the whooped out sections of the dunes that tend to develop due to high traffic. Gone are the days of whiplash and having to take the whoops at a snail's pace to save your neck - the XP cruises through the rough stuff at speed and takes the whoops like a champ. 

The suspension on the XP is excellent right out of the box.  Our XP handled well with one, two or four occupants, but it handled the best when every seat was occupied.  And, this became a common occurance with our XP as the weekend progressed - anytime someone from our group saw an open seat, they asked if they could ride with us.  Yes, it's that fun!  We did find that, fully loaded and with the compression maxed out, our front suspension would bottom out occasionally on g-outs (deep dips just before a dune face) if we didn't slow down a bit for them.  On the flip side, the front felt great over all of the "chatter" (smaller tire tracks and bumps), so it was a good compromise. The rear never bottomed out, which gave our passengers confidence throughout the weekend that they wouldn't have a sore back or neck after even the fastest rides.  

The factory LED headlights also work very well.  Every thorough test has to include a night ride, and we had a number of them during our stay in Glamis.  The headlights were bright and clear, and they lit up the night very well for being stock.  When duning, however, it's always good to have plenty of "side lighting", so we installed two small LED spotlights on each side of our XP that angled forward and to the side a bit, so that we could see the dunes to the right and left of us before we actually turned our vehicle.  With just these two small additions, we duned all through the big bowls at night with no issues.  If lighting is your thing, Polaris has plenty of lighting options available and can include them in various packages purchased from the dealer.

SUMMARY

Polaris hit the nail on the head when designing the RZR XP 4 1000 EPS.  This is the UTV that people will ditch their other rides for.  This is the UTV that people will take their families and friends out in.  This is the UTV that makes duning enjoyable for families who can't spend the big bucks on a 4-seat sand rail that could cost upwards of $40-$100K.  Yes, there is always room for improvement, and yes, some parts could use some beefing up if you will be driving your RZR harder than the average consumer - but, overall this is a fun, fast, capable UTV that will put a smile on your face every time you drive it, and you will probably drive it a lot!

MSRP: $21,999.00

 

SPECS

 

ENGINE

Engine Type	4-Stroke DOHC Twin Cylinder
Displacement	999cc
Fuel System	Electronic Fuel Injection

 

DRIVETRAIN

Transmission/Final Drive	Automatic PVT P/R/N/L/H
Drive System	On-Demand True AWD/2WD

SUSPENSION

Front Suspension	Dual A-Arm with 2" Walker Evans Needle Shocks (compression adjustable.) 16" (40.6 cm) Travel
Rear Suspension	Trailing Arm with 2.5" Walker Evans Needle Shocks (compression adjustable with remote reservoir) 18" (45.7 cm) Travel

BRAKES

Front/Rear Brakes	4-Wheel Hydraulic Disc with Dual-Bore Front and Rear Calipers
Parking Brake	Park In-Transmission

 

TIRES / WHEELS

Front Tires	29 x 9-14; Maxxis Bighorn
Rear Tires	29 x 11-14; Maxxis Bighorn
Wheels	Cast Aluminum

 

DIMENSIONS / CAPACITIES

Wheelbase	117.0" (297.2 cm)
Dry Weight	1,596 lbs (723.9 kg)
Overall Vehicle Size (L x W x H)	146" x 64" x 73.75" (370.8 x 162.6 x 187.3 cm)
Ground Clearance	13.5" (34.3 cm)
Fuel Capacity	9.5 gal (36.0 L)
Bed Box Dimensions (L x W x H)	28 x 41 x 2.8", Main box size: 28 x 22 x 7"
Front/Rear Rack	N.A./300 lb (136.1 kg)
Payload Capacity	900 lb (408.2 kg)
Hitch Towing Rating	N.A.
Cooling System	Liquid

 

FEATURES

Cargo System	Lock & Ride
Lighting	White LED, High/Low & Red LED Tail / Brake Lights
Electronic Power Steering	Standard
Instrumentation	Digital Gauge, Speedometer, Odometer, Tripmeter, Tachometer, Coolant Temperature, Volt Meter, Hour Meter, Service Indicator, Clock, Gear Indicator, Fuel Gauge, Hi-Temp Light, Seatbelt Reminder Light, 2 DC Outlets (front and rear)