P500 Pioneer 500 Or Ranger 500

[jwfirebird]

work on all the different kinds of machines, and have had a ton of different ones, many years experience. people buy popo for the price and most ive talked to go to some japaneese brand after putting up with the constant breakdowns and terrible quality after owning it less than a couple years. the electrical system is very poorly engineers and they overheat all the time the ones we still have in our group always stop and let it cool half the time the other ones go its annoying to be the guy you have to wait for all the time but they always say i got a good deal,

i would rather get the 700-2 you can get it most places a 500 will go. had a rhino(same size as the 700-2) for ton of years and all we had forever is quad size trails, just have to get used to it and really doesnt feel much bigger than the 500. was kinda looking at the wolverine 2, p500, and 700 real hard, rhino lasted forever with mowing 30 miles of trail and 10 cord of wood they ride real nice. wolverine does to they have a ton more room for trail stuff, thats where the 500 comes short for me trails has no room for storage, bed is pretty tiny, feel dont really fit and we were real tight in it when me and my daughter got in at the same time. for 2k more the 700 is way bigger inside has a locker,big bed, glove box, nicer ride, more stable too. real best for some one than that is mostly going to do trails would be the wolverine 2, you really just get used to the size and its worth it for the ride and stability and room the wolverine has a ton of inside storage for trail stuff you never think about till you got to find room, drinks, tools, recovery stuff(ropes and pullies,remote for winch) , food, 500 has none of that and you have to pay extra for everything you get on the 700 and wolverine, locker more travel, bags.

just giving the info i was in the same spot and just saying go check them all out before you make the decision. lots of people seem to fit the 500 fine but i didnt and once you start figuring all the trail stuff the 700 is worth it. the 500, 700, or wolverine would all be reliable choices, farmers are cheap, people buy the polaris and most regret it.

 

[MacGyver]

work on all the different kinds of machines, and have had a ton of different ones, many years experience. people buy popo for the price and most ive talked to go to some japaneese brand after putting up with the constant breakdowns and terrible quality after owning it less than a couple years. the electrical system is very poorly engineers and they overheat all the time the ones we still have in our group always stop and let it cool half the time the other ones go its annoying to be the guy you have to wait for all the time but they always say i got a good deal,

i would rather get the 700-2 you can get it 10 most places. had a rhino(same size as the 700-2) for ton of years and all we had forever is quad size trails, just have to get used to it and really doesnt feel much bigger than the 500. was kinda looking at the wolverine 2, p500, and 700 real hard, rhino lasted forever with mowing 30 miles of trail and 10 cord of wood they ride real nice. wolverine does to they have a ton more room for trail stuff, thats where the 500 comes short for me trails has no room for storage, bed is pretty tiny, feel dont really fit and we were real tight in it when me and my daughter got in at the same time. for 2k more the 700 is way bigger inside has a locker,big bed, glove box, nicer ride, more stable too. real best for some one than that is mostly going to do trails would be the wolverine 2, you really just get used to the size and its worth it for the ride and stability and room the wolverine has a ton of inside storage for trail stuff you never think about till you got to find room, drinks, tools, recovery stuff(ropes and pullies,remote for winch) , food, 500 has none of that and you have to pay extra for everything you get on the 700 and wolverine, locker more travel, bags.

just giving the info i was in the same spot and just saying go check them all out before you make the decision. lots of people seem to fit the 500 fine but i didnt and once you start figuring all the trail stuff the 700 is worth it. the 500, 700, or wolverine would all be reliable choices, farmers are cheap, people buy the polaris and most regret it.

My polaris sportsman started over heating with less than 200km on it and it wasn't even warm outside! I took it in to dealer,they said nothing was wrong. They sell Honda, Suzuki and Popo... The only machines in the back shop were popo, about 6 of them, plus mine! Not one Honda Or Suzuki!! Anywho, I went riding again, it continued happening every half hour or so... Yep, I got a great price, it was very comfy and rode nice, it looked pretty good too...Sold it with less than 500kms on it. I don't miss it at all... My new p500 is on its way home this week...

 

[Montecresto]

My polaris sportsman started over heating with less than 200km on it and it wasn't even warm outside! I took it in to dealer,they said nothing was wrong. They sell Honda, Suzuki and Popo... The only machines in the back shop were popo, about 6 of them, plus mine! Not one Honda Or Suzuki!! Anywho, I went riding again, it continued happening every half hour or so... Yep, I got a great price, it was very comfy and rode nice, it looked pretty good too...Sold it with less than 500kms on it. I don't miss it at all... My new p500 is on its way home this week...

Not to diminish the reliability of Honda, I own three of their SXS’s and 8 or so pieces of small equipment with Honda engines. I also own a Polaris that I’ve had for 10 trouble free years.

Not every SXS in the back shop is there because they’re broke down, dealers do routine service work, install accessories and go through trade ins. There’s also magnitudes more Polaris’s on the trail, so it stands to reason that there’s more of them in the service bay.

That said I’m sorry you had problems with yours, particularly that soon out. You will certainly have years and miles of trouble free service out of your P5. Congratulations on the purchase....

 

[jwfirebird]

most people dont take there machines back for oil changes, dealer charges too much, as well polaris customers are price driven not going to be just that. earlier ones were better but last ten years are terrible, a few people have sportsmans and scramblers from before that but people that the new cool looking whatever normally sorry. one guy had the wheels fall off sportsman first trip out to pa park trails he bought two new xps new for the trip. both had catastrophic failures that kicked him and his wife off. three or four that broke frames, as well as axles and crap. newer rangers and rzrs just as bad any time it gets wet it wont start, plus they all over heat. most everyone has got rid of them

 

[Montecresto]

most people dont take there machines back for oil changes, dealer charges too much,

Well, I don’t know that you can authoritatively say that unless you’re basing it upon what you see on this forum, and true, we’re all a bunch of independent minded folks that change our own oil and install our own accessories. But we certainly don’t speak for the whole country and regions vary. My dealership (which sells exclusively Honda) fills a 55 gallon drum of oil a week which is picked up on an F-450 Flat bed with a lift gate. I’ve been at the dealership when that happened and asked them about it. There’s plenty of people that aren’t necessarily handy with mechanical and electrical work that have the dealer install accessories. Otherwise yes, I understand the very real service problems associated with Polaris, and basically agree with you...

 

[MacGyver]

Not to diminish the reliability of Honda, I own three of their SXS’s and 8 or so pieces of small equipment with Honda engines. I also own a Polaris that I’ve had for 10 trouble free years.

Not every SXS in the back shop is there because they’re broke down, dealers do routine service work, install accessories and go through trade ins. There’s also magnitudes more Polaris’s on the trail, so it stands to reason that there’s more of them in the service bay.

That said I’m sorry you had problems with yours, particularly that soon out. You will certainly have years and miles of trouble free service out of your P5. Congratulations on the purchase....

I hear ya. That was just my experience... Of the 3 sportsmans' myself and 2 other friends had, I had the least amount of trouble with mine... None of us have one anymore... Just sayin...

 

[Montecresto]

None of us have one anymore

Yep, I gathered that....

 

[jwfirebird]

might depend too if the place has good techs.maintenance is a pretty common topic, dealers are terrible priced and screw ups work there. 10 percent of the 120 members take there atv back for anything, fluids most do them self. they bring more complicated stuff to me or the other guy in the area

 

[bms]

OK, so here's what I've come up with so far:

• P500 pros:
  • Brand reliability
  • Fun to drive
  • Doors (I like them a lot)
  • Tranny flexibility (AT/MT)
  • More trail-oriented (to me) than a Ranger
  • More model-specific online presence (this forum!)
  • Smaller trailer to purchase, or use pick up truck to transport (although I have a Colorado and would have to borrow my nephew's truck)
  • Dealer was OK and has a good rep, but don't know them as well as Polaris dealer, who's family business been around for 70+ years.
• P500 cons:
  • No dump bed (no pressing need, but I think I'll miss it if I don't have it)
  • Limited susp. travel/rougher ride
  • No front diff. lock
  • No turf mode
  • Some say it's a pain to get into reverse quickly while plowing
• Ranger 500 pros:
  • Dump bed
  • Better susp. travel/smoother ride
  • ADW (lock front diff.)
  • Turf mode (Ranger folks say critical benefit, very important to them)
  • Nice friendly dealer a little closer to home, with a good reputation
  • A little wider/more comfortable for 2, can squeeze 3 for short rides
  • A little more power
• Ranger 500 cons:
  • Questionable brand reliability
  • More utility oriented (not really a priority for me) - seems like a farm/ranch utility vehicle
  • Belt driven (I think that's a con, but many Ranger folks say it's not)
  • Lousy nets/doors, and expensive to upgrade to P500 style 1/2 doors
  • Need bigger trailer

Still not decided. Some days I feel like to P500 is for me, other days the Ranger. My family can attest that I'm very indecisive when making bigger purchases, and obviously they're right. I'll continue to read, maybe drive them again, and follow these posts. Thanks everyone!

 

[Chooglin]

I read your first post again and from what you describe , the Pioneer would serve your purpose. If you plan on taking trips where you will be riding on rougher terrain for long periods of time (4-5 hours) the Pioneer can be rough on older folks like you and I.

In order for the Pioneer to become a good trail worthy , comfortable ride , for those all day rides , you are looking at adding an additional $2,700 to get it there. That would include P.S. $500 , bigger tires $400 , W.E. shocks $1200 , spacers $100 and a locker $429. All of this would setup a Pioneer to be a good all around trail/work machine minus a dump bed.

All of this is just my opinion , others may feel differently. My machine is setup as I described above and it's a comfortable (aside from the leg room) rugged all around rough terrain setup and works for me!

 

[Chooglin]

I also should add , the gear transmission would be a huge part of my decision and the fact that all Honda Pioneer owners have the option to be a member at this great forum.

 

[tomcj2]

I also should add ,

..... and the box doesn't fit the Ranger

 

[Chooglin]

..... and the box doesn't fit the Ranger

Lol very good point , he needs the Pioneer and a box! !!

 

[jwfirebird]

thats the main reason i got the 700, its 2k more and you have to spend 3 or more to get the stability and lockers and its still not as much room or dump bed. they have boxes and room for stuff under the hood, all you need for the 700 is a winch.plowing is better the heavier the machine and it fits some 5x8 trailers if it doesnt have the bars a at 5. it would fit in a full size pickup but neither is going to be good on colorado suspension so its going to be a trailer is best. the turf mode is not that big a deal just basically open mode but its really more about the tires and not driving crazy. the BIG deal is the front locker and weight for winter traction plowing and snow.

 

[trigger]

I looked at the specs on the Ranger and it's kind of apples and oranges. The Ranger is 58" out of the gate and if you're willing to go that wide then the P700 might be the best bang for your buck? There's lots of accessories available for that Ranger too, but plastic half doors are $1600, yikes!
I read through your posts again and you mentioned the P5 being fun to drive? That's because it's so small, it's really a quad with two seats. Like @Chooglin said, it's going to take a couple grand to set it up properly but once you do that there's nothing else like it.

 

[Montecresto]

I looked at the specs on the Ranger and it's kind of apples and oranges. The Ranger is 58" out of the gate and if you're willing to go that wide then the P700 might be the best bang for your buck? There's lots of accessories available for that Ranger too, but plastic half doors are $1600, yikes!
I read through your posts again and you mentioned the P5 being fun to drive? That's because it's so small, it's really a quad with two seats. Like @Chooglin said, it's going to take a couple grand to set it up properly but once you do that there's nothing else like it.

Except that the P7 doesn’t have a low range really limiting its abilities.

 

[DG Rider]

All the mentions of the 700 is why I ask initially. It kinda gives you features if the Ranger and 500.

Its one glaring fault, as @Montecresto said, is that lack of a low range. Being perhaps it's most vocal critic for this, My personal experience was that this was only an issue at higher elevations ( 4000-5000' and up ), so odds are good this won't be an issue.

I have about 1700 on my 500. I like many aspects of it...but that ride is pretty bad. If that could be fixed... most everything else can be fixed.

And yes, shocks and tires will help. I'll eventually do the tires, but with no trail restrictions, dumping $2500 of shocks on it makes no sense for me, when I can just put that money on a bigger machine like the 700, and fix about everything.

 

[jwfirebird]

really never sure why anybody cares that the 700 doesnt have a low range, it will pull a house up a hill. i have loaded it a ton of huge maple chunks and though the swamp and ditch and rocks, ton of snow. never wouldnt go fine. if you look at the vids of the 4 most of the are up some serious hill, havent had time to do that myself yet but we are planning a trip in the spring and i imagine it will do as well as the vids you see.

 

[Backwoods]

My 700 has never been a problem without low range but it would be a plus. I bought it because it solved all the shortcomings of my 500. But I do miss the P5 it was a goat. It would be nice to have both . But 1 is about all I have time for. The biggest thing I miss is I could ride on all trails we have some good ones but they are 50 inch so l cannot ride them now.

 

[Montecresto]

really never sure why anybody cares that the 700 doesnt have a low range, it will pull a house up a hill.

No it won’t at elevation, couldn’t pull me and my passenger up a hill and having to back up and turn around on the side of a steep hill put me in a compromised position several times. It’s why I sold mine.