S
Got my P2 3 weeks ago & now have 75 mi on it. 1st Honda I've had since the mid 90's. I let the flashiness of others: ie Yam Griz, Kawa Prairie, Pol Ranger lure me away for a few yrs. Good machines, but didn't seem to last as long as I thought they should. Meanwhile, my hunting buddies were still riding their late 80's, early 90's Honda's because they simply would not die. I have some friends that have a large cattle farm. Honda should do a documentary on what these guys do w/ their old Honda's. It is unreal.
When I decided to get a sxs 4 yrs ago I gave the Big Red a look. Didn't like it. Mainly because of the looks. I thought the Polaris Ranger (PR) was worlds better @ the time, so I bought an 800xp. I'm not going to bash PR because it was a good machine for me. I had always worried about the durability of the PR over the long haul. When it got about 3700 mi on it, it started having some problems & I had to make the decision to spend some $ & fix some things or just get something new.
The Pioneer came about this time. Thanks to the reviews on this site & the better $ of the P2, I made the move. I will be comparing my P2 to my old PR since it's the only sxs I have experience with. I use mine to hunt & work on my small farm. I don't take mine to the mud bogs or try to swim rivers w/ it. I got it @ Pensacola Motorsports & can't say enough good things about them. They were also the only dealer that had 1 within 200 mi of me. These are the 1st things I noticed.
Quality. When you sit down you feel like you are in a well built machine. P2 seems smaller than the PR. There seemed to be a noticeable amount of room left on the trailer after I loaded it. It also seems to sit higher @ seat level that the PR. It is quieter than the PR, both engine & especially the transmission. No more high rpm belt whine. I have had friends tell me this also. PR rides better, but P2 is not a bad ride @ all. I haven't checked the shock settings or even the air in the tires. Changing these might equal out the ride. P2 seems to get much better gas mileage than PR & should get better over the coming weeks.
P2 engine is much lower powered than PR. 36hp vs 55hp. P2 will not have that "seat of the pants, blow your hat off" type of acceleration as the PR. That doesn't mean the P2 is weak though. Haven't really loaded it down yet or pulled a real heavy load, but I have no doubt it will handle what I want it to do. Best way I can describe it is it is a "torquey" machine. Best woods/mud truck I was ever in was a 1976 F-250 w/ a straight 6, 38" buckshots, & 4 speed granny low. Not a strong truck @ all hp-wise, but was about unstoppable w/ the right transmission. Kind of reminds me of the P2. Not a ton of hp, but it will go w/ the transmission setup. It seems to be what makes it work. Love it.
Shifts quietly, smoothly, & @ the right time. Engine braking is good also. P2 seems to hook up quicker than PR. No spooling up. You touch the gas & you are moving. There is a sweet spot in the gas pedal where it seems you can hold the shift points out longer. One more gear would make this setup out of this world. I haven't climbed any mountains, but have been up some good hills & it did fine. Haven't been throught any deep deep soupy stuff, but have been in the mud & it did fine. 1st time I crossed a steep creek I was disappointed. 2nd time I crossed it I paid more attention & noticed that I was barely giving it any gas & it just creeped on up w/ no problem. I guess that old high rpm of the PR had me thrown off because it climbed it as well as the PR.
The gear shifter is bass ackwards from the PR & has taken some getting used to. Fastest I've had the P2 is 40 mph, but had plenty of pedal left. Most people are saying 45 is top speed though. PR will probably beat P2 in a sprint, but I can live w/ that. Steering is not a problem in 2 or 4wd, but you better have both hands on the wheel w/ the diff locked. It has only 1 direction it wants to go & that is straight. I really haven't needed to put it in that mode so it hasn't been a problem. Power steering would be nice for that.
P2 will turf up your yard, unlike the 1wd mode on the PR. I live in a pasture so it doesn't bother me, but I can see where it might be an issue for some. I love the doors. Dogs jumping in & out of the PR ruined my seat, so the doors should eliminate that on the P2. Really really miss the tilt steering of the PR bad. Not that it's hard getting in the P2, but it would be nice to have, especially when you have tons of hunting clothes on. PR had more leg room. I'm 6'1" 235lbs. I'm not cramped or uncomfortable by any means, but a little more leg room would be nice.
Really miss the storage under the dash on the PR. I will be getting one of the storage bags for the rear rack asap. I will also be getting 1 of the switch brackets asap. It looks good & will get rid of some of that God awful safety warning space. P2 seat is very comfortable & seems easier to remove than the PR. P2 has an intermittent bed rattle & squeak. Latch probably needs adjusting. Other than that it is rattle free. CV boot/a-arm guards are small & will need upgrading quickly. The tires grip well & ride smooth, but I have read accounts where several have been punctured by sticks due to being 4 ply. My biggest gripe is that the tires, especially the front, stick out past the fender wells & will coat you, the cab, the bed, everything in mud. I don't mind that goofing off in the summer, but don't want it in the winter. I don't have a windshield or roof yet, so they will remedy some of that. If there is a fender flare kit offered, I will be buying. I haven't read anyone else complaining of this, so maybe it's just the type of red clay mud I'm in. The kind you're not gonna get stuck in, but you will clean out both ditches.
Overall, I'm very pleased. Adequate power, awesome transmission, good steering, great looks, & HONDA QUALITY!
I do wish it had tilt steering, more leg room, more cab storage, better a-arm protection, 1 more gear & fender flares. If you are wanting to run 70mph this is not your machine. If you want a quality machine that will last, this is it. This is the most I have ever typed, but I hope it will help someone w/ their decision. I know the 1's you guys gave helped me. 10k is a lot of $ to me. Glad I made the right decision. God bless!
When I decided to get a sxs 4 yrs ago I gave the Big Red a look. Didn't like it. Mainly because of the looks. I thought the Polaris Ranger (PR) was worlds better @ the time, so I bought an 800xp. I'm not going to bash PR because it was a good machine for me. I had always worried about the durability of the PR over the long haul. When it got about 3700 mi on it, it started having some problems & I had to make the decision to spend some $ & fix some things or just get something new.
The Pioneer came about this time. Thanks to the reviews on this site & the better $ of the P2, I made the move. I will be comparing my P2 to my old PR since it's the only sxs I have experience with. I use mine to hunt & work on my small farm. I don't take mine to the mud bogs or try to swim rivers w/ it. I got it @ Pensacola Motorsports & can't say enough good things about them. They were also the only dealer that had 1 within 200 mi of me. These are the 1st things I noticed.
Quality. When you sit down you feel like you are in a well built machine. P2 seems smaller than the PR. There seemed to be a noticeable amount of room left on the trailer after I loaded it. It also seems to sit higher @ seat level that the PR. It is quieter than the PR, both engine & especially the transmission. No more high rpm belt whine. I have had friends tell me this also. PR rides better, but P2 is not a bad ride @ all. I haven't checked the shock settings or even the air in the tires. Changing these might equal out the ride. P2 seems to get much better gas mileage than PR & should get better over the coming weeks.
P2 engine is much lower powered than PR. 36hp vs 55hp. P2 will not have that "seat of the pants, blow your hat off" type of acceleration as the PR. That doesn't mean the P2 is weak though. Haven't really loaded it down yet or pulled a real heavy load, but I have no doubt it will handle what I want it to do. Best way I can describe it is it is a "torquey" machine. Best woods/mud truck I was ever in was a 1976 F-250 w/ a straight 6, 38" buckshots, & 4 speed granny low. Not a strong truck @ all hp-wise, but was about unstoppable w/ the right transmission. Kind of reminds me of the P2. Not a ton of hp, but it will go w/ the transmission setup. It seems to be what makes it work. Love it.
Shifts quietly, smoothly, & @ the right time. Engine braking is good also. P2 seems to hook up quicker than PR. No spooling up. You touch the gas & you are moving. There is a sweet spot in the gas pedal where it seems you can hold the shift points out longer. One more gear would make this setup out of this world. I haven't climbed any mountains, but have been up some good hills & it did fine. Haven't been throught any deep deep soupy stuff, but have been in the mud & it did fine. 1st time I crossed a steep creek I was disappointed. 2nd time I crossed it I paid more attention & noticed that I was barely giving it any gas & it just creeped on up w/ no problem. I guess that old high rpm of the PR had me thrown off because it climbed it as well as the PR.
The gear shifter is bass ackwards from the PR & has taken some getting used to. Fastest I've had the P2 is 40 mph, but had plenty of pedal left. Most people are saying 45 is top speed though. PR will probably beat P2 in a sprint, but I can live w/ that. Steering is not a problem in 2 or 4wd, but you better have both hands on the wheel w/ the diff locked. It has only 1 direction it wants to go & that is straight. I really haven't needed to put it in that mode so it hasn't been a problem. Power steering would be nice for that.
P2 will turf up your yard, unlike the 1wd mode on the PR. I live in a pasture so it doesn't bother me, but I can see where it might be an issue for some. I love the doors. Dogs jumping in & out of the PR ruined my seat, so the doors should eliminate that on the P2. Really really miss the tilt steering of the PR bad. Not that it's hard getting in the P2, but it would be nice to have, especially when you have tons of hunting clothes on. PR had more leg room. I'm 6'1" 235lbs. I'm not cramped or uncomfortable by any means, but a little more leg room would be nice.
Really miss the storage under the dash on the PR. I will be getting one of the storage bags for the rear rack asap. I will also be getting 1 of the switch brackets asap. It looks good & will get rid of some of that God awful safety warning space. P2 seat is very comfortable & seems easier to remove than the PR. P2 has an intermittent bed rattle & squeak. Latch probably needs adjusting. Other than that it is rattle free. CV boot/a-arm guards are small & will need upgrading quickly. The tires grip well & ride smooth, but I have read accounts where several have been punctured by sticks due to being 4 ply. My biggest gripe is that the tires, especially the front, stick out past the fender wells & will coat you, the cab, the bed, everything in mud. I don't mind that goofing off in the summer, but don't want it in the winter. I don't have a windshield or roof yet, so they will remedy some of that. If there is a fender flare kit offered, I will be buying. I haven't read anyone else complaining of this, so maybe it's just the type of red clay mud I'm in. The kind you're not gonna get stuck in, but you will clean out both ditches.
Overall, I'm very pleased. Adequate power, awesome transmission, good steering, great looks, & HONDA QUALITY!
I do wish it had tilt steering, more leg room, more cab storage, better a-arm protection, 1 more gear & fender flares. If you are wanting to run 70mph this is not your machine. If you want a quality machine that will last, this is it. This is the most I have ever typed, but I hope it will help someone w/ their decision. I know the 1's you guys gave helped me. 10k is a lot of $ to me. Glad I made the right decision. God bless!
