P1000 P1000 LE or Wolverine R Spec EPS SE

[CumminsPusher]

I can't compare to the wolverine as the Honda is the first SxS I have owned. I can tell you that while I have a 1k-5 my son who is 7 will ride in the middle i between me and my wife and we are plenty comfortable. I did a under hood snorkel for less than $25 for piece of mind and I also was able to resolve any heat issue in the summer by adding a underseat reflector - one that can be removed so that I can omplain about not enough heat in the winter.

You already know that the Honda or wolverine does not have the suspension a rzr has but I definitely have ridden mine on some rocky as heck trails with no issues other than the normal occasional cut tires and banged up rims.

I have never felt the need for more power and I have been up some inclines that I would not have gone up except I watched a Honda in front of me go up and I have been up inclines that guys in other machines would not go up.

Every machine is a compromise it is just where you decided to put weight on which pros and cons. I will warn you that if you go test drive a Honda do not be alarmed by the loud clicking you hear - the machine really quiets down after the first oil change/service. I will say don't underestimate the impact of a good dealer as well. A lot of little issues are solved or created by the dealer

Actually the Wolverine has better rated ride then same class RZR in most comparisons. If it has one awesome thing it is that. Not same league as Pioneer with any suspension but it is a different machine with limited capabilities.
But very true on compromises. Every machine has its pos and neg.

 

[0860silverado]

As close as you are to Sept/Oct, I personally would wait and see what is coming. Yamaha did not release info on the 2018 Wolverine and is supposed to be making an announcement of some importance in Sept (Bigger engine or more seats or both) and Honda should have clutch fixes in place in the 2018 Pioneers coming to dealers maybe October ish. I would at least wait and see what Yamaha has in store. Might fix your conundrum.

That being said:

You are coming from a CVT, the Pioneer feels nothing like a CVT and if you like that feeling - Point Wolverine

The Pioneer has manual shifting and higher speeds it is a blast - Point Pioneer

The Pioneer has a lot of seat heat that bothers some - Point Wolverine

The Pioneer has a pretty noisy driveline - Point Wolverine

The Pioneer has a dumping bed - Point Pioneer

The Pioneer has a bench seat - Point Pioneer

The Wolverine has lots more onboard storage - Point Wolverine

The Wolverine has better shocks/suspension - Point Wolverine

The Can Am Defender is better than both of them - +100 Points Defender.

Personally, the Wolverine was my first choice until my wife tilted the decision to the Pioneer (dumping bed). I did not like my Pioneer at all but I loved having the dumping bed (as did my wife). I purchased a Can Am Defender and I love it. Just to throw another variable into your thought process.

For reference my review/comparison:

My new Canned Ham!

So the Wolverine doesn't have a dumping bed? Surprising. What does the bed do? Fixed? The Pioneer doesn't have a "dumping" bed either. The Pioneer has a "tilt" bed... only to be used for checking oil level. 300 lbs of gravel in a Pioneer bed and you'd better have a helper to lift the passenger side of the bed. Otherwise you'll tweak the bed frame lifting from one side (Happened to me in a temper tantrum while trying to unload 300 lbs of limestone). Can Am Defender looks really really good as does the the 2018 Polaris Ranger 1000 XP. Honda just needs a few more years in this segment. There's no question Honda owns ATV market. But SXS? They missed the mark. The Pioneer 1000 is 10 years outdated from its release.

 

[JTW]

So the Wolverine doesn't have a dumping bed? Surprising. What does the bed do? Fixed? The Pioneer doesn't have a "dumping" bed either. The Pioneer has a "tilt" bed... only to be used for checking oil level. 300 lbs of gravel in a Pioneer bed and you'd better have a helper to lift the passenger side of the bed. Otherwise you'll tweak the bed frame lifting from one side (Happened to me in a temper tantrum while trying to unload 300 lbs of limestone). Can Am Defender looks really really good as does the the 2018 Polaris Ranger 1000 XP. Honda just needs a few more years in this segment. There's no question Honda owns ATV market. But SXS? They missed the mark. The Pioneer 1000 is 10 years outdated from its release.

One would expect it to be more refined considering how long it took before they came into the sxs market... I love the platform. I think it's obvious we all do.. otherwise we wouldn't have bought them! But the execution on some aspects sure makes you wonder!

 

[Delton]

Another member and I went riding with a guy in a 2 month old Ranger. Other than storage space, the Ranger failed miserably. This guy runs highly modified Jeeps and is no slouch driving. Towards the end he just started avoiding stuff we were having a blast doing. Finally a mud puddle and hill took it out. We took turns dragging it back to trailer (which is a testament to the durability and capability of the p1k by itself considering the extreme terrain). Add to that the list of manufacturer failures causing recalls and Polaris isn't even in the game in my book.
I'll be glad to pm you my address. Come ride when you get the chance. See what we put them through and how well it handles it. Parking lot test drives are useless as mentioned.

 

[0860silverado]

I have to agree with you. The noise my p1000 makes takes away the enjoyment of driving it. I feel like I am sitting on a piece of plywood. Think there was not enough r and d on the machine and Honda is sitting on there hands instead of solving the problems. I have a ridgline,350 rancher,250 sportrax, 80 cc dirt bike, 250 xl and Honda mower. And think they are pretty much bullet proof. My 1000 not that empressed with it maybe with time it will prove its self. My suggestion for anyone wanting to buy one is to drive one for an hour or two which more then likely you will have to find someone who has one and will take you out so I guess ride in one. Do more than a dealer parking lot drive like I did. If I had listened to my above advice I would have 16,000 in my bank account now and not have to solve issues that Honda should hav ironed out before they ever released it.

Like x 10 brother. I bought my P1K sight unseen and regretted it from the time I had to stop on the side of the road and Loctite my windshield fasteners to keep them from falling apart. If I'd known how many fasteners would've fallen off of this pig, I'd have bought stock in Loctite!!!

 

[Delton]

One would expect it to be more refined considering how long it took before they came into the sxs market... I love the platform. I think it's obvious we all do.. otherwise we wouldn't have bought them! But the execution on some aspects sure makes you wonder!

Another side to that is....this is their first attempt at actually selling them. Pretty dang good first attempt.

 

[JTW]

Another side to that is....this is their first attempt at actually selling them. Pretty dang good first attempt.

Mine's not for sale!

 

[JM10614]

Another member and I went riding with a guy in a 2 month old Ranger. Other than storage space, the Ranger failed miserably. This guy runs highly modified Jeeps and is no slouch driving. Towards the end he just started avoiding stuff we were having a blast doing. Finally a mud puddle and hill took it out. We took turns dragging it back to trailer (which is a testament to the durability and capability of the p1k by itself considering the extreme terrain). Add to that the list of manufacturer failures causing recalls and Polaris isn't even in the game in my book.
I'll be glad to pm you my address. Come ride when you get the chance. See what we put them through and how well it handles it. Parking lot test drives are useless as mentioned.

If I hadn't gotten such a good deal on my 800 I would have never bought a Polaris. I try to avoid mud and water crossings like the plague. Didn't matter because I still managed to get water past the water pump seal thus destroying it. Not to mention Polaris decided to mount the fan relays directly on top of the skid plate. Within the first couple hundred miles they had corroded bad enough to keep the fan from kicking therefore causing me to overheat and destroy my thermistor connection in the process. And how could I forget about the loose pinion nut that occurs in probably 95% of all 800 Rzrs. When it comes loose it destroys your rear differential. As soon as I borrow the specialty tools needed to do the repair, I'll be checking mine. I can almost guarantee that it will be loose as well. In the grand scheme of things these repairs aren't that difficult to make but it opens your eyes to the obvious design flaws that are present and it causes you to wonder where else they've skimped. Long story short all manufacturers have their problems. I'm just trying to gauge which brand will have the least amount of problems and get my family and I out on the trails and back.

 

[Delton]

Mine's not for sale!

I know I'm just saying....it's a first year model. Compare it to other makes first year models.

 

[Delton]

If I hadn't gotten such a good deal on my 800 I would have never bought a Polaris. I try to avoid mud and water crossings like the plague. Didn't matter because I still managed to get water past the water pump seal thus destroying it. Not to mention Polaris decided to mount the fan relays directly on top of the skid plate. Within the first couple hundred miles they had corroded bad enough to keep the fan from kicking therefore causing me to overheat and destroy my thermistor connection in the process. And how could I forget about the loose pinion nut that occurs in probably 95% of all 800 Rzrs. When it comes loose it destroys your rear differential. As soon as I borrow the specialty tools needed to do the repair, I'll be checking mine. I can almost guarantee that it will be loose as well. In the grand scheme of things these repairs aren't that difficult to make but it opens your eyes to the obvious design flaws that are present and it causes you to wonder where else they've skimped. Long story short all manufacturers have their problems. I'm just trying to gauge which brand will have the least amount of problems and get my family and I out on the trails and back.

To be fair my p1k has been acting up when wet too from loose connector. Dielectric grease should take care of it.

 

[JM10614]

I know I'm just saying....it's a first year model. Compare it to other makes first year models.

Youre right, first year models always tend to have more problems. I work at the Toyota plant that builds the Camry and Avalon and the same can be said for them after we do a redesign. But I also know that when you post a question like I did you will tend to hear the people who have had problems speak up more than those who havent. So who really knows? You may have a 100 Pioneers built with no problems for every one built that does have a defect. Basically youre just left with something else to consider, do the pros outweigh the cons. This can be said for all brands and models

 

[JM10614]

To be fair my p1k has been acting up when wet too from loose connector. Dielectric grease should take care of it.

I moved mine up and out of the way of harm. It's now located inside a waterproof housing that I mounted onto the plastic panel that covers the engine and tranny. Directly between and behind my two front seats. I haven't had any problems since.

 

[Delton]

Youre right, first year models always tend to have more problems. I work at the Toyota plant that builds the Camry and Avalon and the same can be said for them after we do a redesign. But I also know that when you post a question like I did you will tend to hear the people who have had problems speak up more than those who havent. So who really knows? You may have a 100 Pioneers built with no problems for every one built that does have a defect. Basically youre just left with something else to consider, do the pros outweigh the cons. This can be said for all brands and models

Absolutely agree with all of that. I work at Nissan powertrain plant. Don't own a Nissan (wife does. It's sitting in the weeds with blown trans).

 

[0860silverado]

Well one thing is for sure....You will get the most unbiased opinions of any forum on the net! Hope you like it!!!

 

[JM10614]

Absolutely agree with all of that. I work at Nissan powertrain plant. Don't own a Nissan (wife does. It's sitting in the weeds with blown trans).

I drive a 89 Gmc and a rebuilt title Sonata. People say why don't you drive a new Toyota to me all the time. If I did that I wouldn't be able to buy my toys, is always my response. Lol.

 

[JTW]

If I hadn't gotten such a good deal on my 800 I would have never bought a Polaris. I try to avoid mud and water crossings like the plague. Didn't matter because I still managed to get water past the water pump seal thus destroying it. Not to mention Polaris decided to mount the fan relays directly on top of the skid plate. Within the first couple hundred miles they had corroded bad enough to keep the fan from kicking therefore causing me to overheat and destroy my thermistor connection in the process. And how could I forget about the loose pinion nut that occurs in probably 95% of all 800 Rzrs. When it comes loose it destroys your rear differential. As soon as I borrow the specialty tools needed to do the repair, I'll be checking mine. I can almost guarantee that it will be loose as well. In the grand scheme of things these repairs aren't that difficult to make but it opens your eyes to the obvious design flaws that are present and it causes you to wonder where else they've skimped. Long story short all manufacturers have their problems. I'm just trying to gauge which brand will have the least amount of problems and get my family and I out on the trails and back.

Absolutly!! I'm not a fan boy of Honda by any stretch.. Hell, I've had clutches replaced and fixed all the "issues" myself.. Honestly, the clutches are the only big concern I have with the 1000. They'll eventually get it worked out, which is why I suggest waiting for the 18's! But it's hard to compare a wolverine to a PK5 because they're such different platforms.

 

[JM10614]

Absolutly!! I'm not a fan boy of Honda by any stretch.. Hell, I've had clutches replaced and fixed all the "issues" myself.. Honestly, the clutches are the only big concern I have with the 1000. They'll eventually get it worked out, which is why I suggest waiting for the 18's! But it's hard to compare a wolverine to a PK5 because they're such different platforms.

I noticed on the Honda website that they have the 2018 Pioneers listed for sale. When you say to wait on the 18's are you saying to wait until someone on the forum buys one and reports back on the clutches. Or are you saying to wait till next year to see if they get fixed by Honda?

 

[Landman]

I researched and knew the issues before buying my LE... and don't regret it one bit. I had almost decided on a can-am commander, but really wanted something I could take my daughter and son-in-law riding with us, but I didn't want something as long as a standard 4 seater. Coming from riding a 700 rhino years back, heat wasn't anything new, and $40 for a heat shield was an easy fix. I do worry a bit about the transmission, but not enough that it kept me from buying it. It was the platform that did it for me - perfect mix of utility/sport/size. Needed something that I could throw a chainsaw/sprayer/etc to work on our 40 acre lot, yet still go have fun in.

 

[JM10614]

I researched and knew the issues before buying my LE... and don't regret it one bit. I had almost decided on a can-am commander, but really wanted something I could take my daughter and son-in-law riding with us, but I didn't want something as long as a standard 4 seater. Coming from riding a 700 rhino years back, heat wasn't anything new, and $40 for a heat shield was an easy fix. I do worry a bit about the transmission, but not enough that it kept me from buying it. It was the platform that did it for me - perfect mix of utility/sport/size. Needed something that I could throw a chainsaw/sprayer/etc to work on our 40 acre lot, yet still go have fun in.

I too love the fact it can carry multiple passengers without the added length or gawdy look of a traditional 4 seater. This to me helps to negate some of the price difference it has over the Wolverine.

 

[Delton]

I drive a 89 Gmc and a rebuilt title Sonata. People say why don't you drive a new Toyota to me all the time. If I did that I wouldn't be able to buy my toys, is always my response. Lol.

This is my usual ride to work. In last month it only stayed home 2 days. My other vehicles all have over 200k miles on them with the newest being a 99. I don't care for new/nice. I find what I like and keep it. Maybe that's why the small complaints with the p1k don't bother me. It's just an excuse to modify it to suit me better lol.