P1000 Potential owner/new guy with questions

[txmedic]

Hi folks!

New here, just joined but I've been reading this forum for a few days. Me and my boss lady just got back from my yearly trip to Durango/Silverton, Colorado (her first time since we didn't get to go last year due to a surgery I had). We tackled plenty of jeep roads in my F150 FX4 which nearly beat her to death in the process. To say she appreciated the ride quality of my truck on the mountain would be a drastic overstatement. While she was miserable riding shotgun, we were passed by plenty of people on side by sides having the time of their lives. Apparently, a lightbulb went off in her head and she brought up the idea of renting a SxS and "testing it out."

I jumped at this opportunity.

I've been talking about getting one for the last year and every time I've brought it up has resulted in a quick "no" from her. My family has 100 acres that we spend several weekends a month at, my parents also have a Ranger 570 Crew laying around that we can ride so I've never pushed it the subject any further. I've saved plenty of money by just riding theirs when we visit. We rented a Can Am Commander in Silverton and she fell in love with the idea of having one. I was less amused, my knees were in the dash and I had the performance restricted key. Even in 4 low, the tires could barely break loose on the gravel or shale that we were driving on.

While up there that day, I noticed several Hondas. I haven't looked into Honda much in the last couple of years but what really caught my eye was a couple on a P1000. As soon as we got cell service, I went to Hondas website and my jaw hit the floor. It finally looked as if Honda decided to take the Side by Side market seriously. We had gone the day earlier to a dealer in Durango and looked at some Can Am's and Polaris'. If I was buying one, it would have been either one of those. My parents have owned several Rangers which have always been bullet proof and my brother owned one of the original Rzr's which I always had a blast on.

I grew up on Honda's though.. A fourtrax 300 which was solid but since long gone, an recon and rancher which are 15 and 17 years old. Both run as good as the day we bought them. Bullet proof, strong and reliable are a few terms that come to mind when I think of Honda Off Road Vehicles.

After doing some research, the P1000 is the only sxs that I am and will consider unless Honda drops something else new worth considering.

I've read about the seat getting warm and some transmission slippage but other than that, this thing sounds solid. I know some of you are probably biased, but what do you think about your Pioneer? Any issues to be aware of, would you buy again and what did you have before?

We're currently building a new house which is slated to be done by November so I'll have to wait until we close on the new place, so that should give you an idea of my time frame. So I'm in no rush but on the inside, I'm already jumping up and down with a set of pioneer keys like that same 11 year old kid whose parents just surprised him a brand new recon

-Chase

 

[KevinSC]

Hi folks!

New here, just joined but I've been reading this forum for a few days. Me and my boss lady just got back from my yearly trip to Durango/Silverton, Colorado (her first time since we didn't get to go last year due to a surgery I had). We tackled plenty of jeep roads in my F150 FX4 which nearly beat her to death in the process. To say she appreciated the ride quality of my truck on the mountain would be a drastic overstatement. While she was miserable riding shotgun, we were passed by plenty of people on side by sides having the time of their lives. Apparently, a lightbulb went off in her head and she brought up the idea of renting a SxS and "testing it out."

I jumped at this opportunity.

I've been talking about getting one for the last year and every time I've brought it up has resulted in a quick "no" from her. My family has 100 acres that we spend several weekends a month at, my parents also have a Ranger 570 Crew laying around that we can ride so I've never pushed it the subject any further. I've saved plenty of money by just riding theirs when we visit. We rented a Can Am Commander in Silverton and she fell in love with the idea of having one. I was less amused, my knees were in the dash and I had the performance restricted key. Even in 4 low, the tires could barely break loose on the gravel or shale that we were driving on.

While up there that day, I noticed several Hondas. I haven't looked into Honda much in the last couple of years but what really caught my eye was a couple on a P1000. As soon as we got cell service, I went to Hondas website and my jaw hit the floor. It finally looked as if Honda decided to take the Side by Side market seriously. We had gone the day earlier to a dealer in Durango and looked at some Can Am's and Polaris'. If I was buying one, it would have been either one of those. My parents have owned several Rangers which have always been bullet proof and my brother owned one of the original Rzr's which I always had a blast on.

I grew up on Honda's though.. A fourtrax 300 which was solid but since long gone, an rubicon and rancher which are 15 and 17 years old. Both run as good as the day we bought them. Bullet proof, strong and reliable are a few terms that come to mind when I think of Honda Off Road Vehicles.

After doing some research, the P1000 is the only sxs that I am and will consider unless Honda drops something else new worth considering.

I've read about the seat getting warm and some transmission slipping but other than that, this thing sounds solid. I know some of you are probably biased, but what do you think about your Pioneer? Any issues to be aware of, would you buy again and what did you have before?

We're currently building a new house which is slated to be done by November so I'll have to wait until we close on the new place, so that should give you an idea of my time frame. So I'm in no rush but on the inside, I'm already jumping up and down with a set of pioneer keys like that same 11 year old kid whose parents just surprised him a brand new rubicon.

-Chase

Let me say I HAD a can am commander. Loved the power, HATED THE HEAT AND NOISE. Sold for my pioneer and LOVE it. Yes the heat is bad, but it can be fixed. The commander I could never get the heat problem solved or the noisy rear end so I sold it and bought my first Honda. I am truly impressed with mine, and my wife and kids ride it everyday with or without me. Its a race to see who can get home from work first and get the kids loaded for a ride.

 

[sharp]

Welcome to the forum. I had a polaris xp900 I liked it but I've always been a Honda guy so when the p1k came out I knew it was a good fit for me. When comparing the two the Honda by far is better built and higher quality.

 

[Everett]

Hi folks!

New here, just joined but I've been reading this forum for a few days. Me and my boss lady just got back from my yearly trip to Durango/Silverton, Colorado (her first time since we didn't get to go last year due to a surgery I had). We tackled plenty of jeep roads in my F150 FX4 which nearly beat her to death in the process. To say she appreciated the ride quality of my truck on the mountain would be a drastic overstatement. While she was miserable riding shotgun, we were passed by plenty of people on side by sides having the time of their lives. Apparently, a lightbulb went off in her head and she brought up the idea of renting a SxS and "testing it out."

I jumped at this opportunity.

I've been talking about getting one for the last year and every time I've brought it up has resulted in a quick "no" from her. My family has 100 acres that we spend several weekends a month at, my parents also have a Ranger 570 Crew laying around that we can ride so I've never pushed it the subject any further. I've saved plenty of money by just riding theirs when we visit. We rented a Can Am Commander in Silverton and she fell in love with the idea of having one. I was less amused, my knees were in the dash and I had the performance restricted key. Even in 4 low, the tires could barely break loose on the gravel or shale that we were driving on.

While up there that day, I noticed several Hondas. I haven't looked into Honda much in the last couple of years but what really caught my eye was a couple on a P1000. As soon as we got cell service, I went to Hondas website and my jaw hit the floor. It finally looked as if Honda decided to take the Side by Side market seriously. We had gone the day earlier to a dealer in Durango and looked at some Can Am's and Polaris'. If I was buying one, it would have been either one of those. My parents have owned several Rangers which have always been bullet proof and my brother owned one of the original Rzr's which I always had a blast on.

I grew up on Honda's though.. A fourtrax 300 which was solid but since long gone, an rubicon and rancher which are 15 and 17 years old. Both run as good as the day we bought them. Bullet proof, strong and reliable are a few terms that come to mind when I think of Honda Off Road Vehicles.

After doing some research, the P1000 is the only sxs that I am and will consider unless Honda drops something else new worth considering.

I've read about the seat getting warm and some transmission slipping but other than that, this thing sounds solid. I know some of you are probably biased, but what do you think about your Pioneer? Any issues to be aware of, would you buy again and what did you have before?

We're currently building a new house which is slated to be done by November so I'll have to wait until we close on the new place, so that should give you an idea of my time frame. So I'm in no rush but on the inside, I'm already jumping up and down with a set of pioneer keys like that same 11 year old kid whose parents just surprised him a brand new rubicon.

-Chase

Chase did I talk to you up on Cinnamon Pass yesterday? We were up there running around in my 5 seater.

 

[RichardM]

We were also just there last week on a red p1000. Engineer Pass and made the whole loop thru lake city and back over Cinnamon to Silverton. I was in a party with two late model Polaris Rzr. Those things are so buzzy and not a fan of the CVT. Like others have said the heat is easily fixable and I have zero issues with the tranny. In fact I believe I prefer it.

 

[Crow_Hunter]

What are you planning on using it for?

I have been doing copious amounts of research in the last few months and if you are going to be doing nothing but pure sport/trail riding by yourself or with just you and your wife, there are currently better options in my opinion. Now there may be a better option from Honda about the time that you are looking to buy.

If you are planning on using it for work and play and you want or need to take more than 2 people, then you can't beat the P1000.

 

[txmedic]

We were also just there last week on a red p1000. Engineer Pass and made the whole loop thru lake city and back over Cinnamon to Silverton. I was in a party with two late model Polaris Rzr. Those things are so buzzy and not a fan of the CVT. Like others have said the heat is easily fixable and I have zero issues with the tranny. In fact I believe I prefer it.

What day were you on the trails? We were on the can am on Wednesday when it was raining cats and dogs and near freezing. We saw several Hondas hanging out in Animas Forks trying to wait out the storm.

 

[txmedic]

Chase did I talk to you up on Cinnamon Pass yesterday? We were up there running around in my 5 seater.

I wish I could say yes because that would mean I wasn't back in Houston or at work today.. But no sir, wasn't me.

 

[txmedic]

What are you planning on using it for?

I have been doing copious amounts of research in the last few months and if you are going to be doing nothing but pure sport/trail riding by yourself or with just you and your wife, there are currently better options in my opinion. Now there may be a better option from Honda about the time that you are looking to buy.

If you are planning on using it for work and play and you want or need to take more than 2 people, then you can't beat the P1000.

More than just sport riding, it'll get plenty of use at my farm a weekend or two a month.

I agree, the p1000 will fit the bill pretty well. I have a Honda dealer less than 5 minutes away from my fire station, me and my partner are going to run by there later and take a look.

 

[Hudge]

Chase did I talk to you up on Cinnamon Pass yesterday? We were up there running around in my 5 seater.

No we did not make it up there give me a call 330-5101

 

[Delton]

This is my first sxs so I had nothing to compare mine to. I would happily buy another one in a heartbeat. Haven't found anything it wouldn't climb over (and believe me I've tested it lol). Haven't had a single mechanical problem with it so far and it's no trailer queen (I've yet to detour a mudhole or rock pile).

 

[RichardM]

What day were you on the trails? We were on the can am on Wednesday when it was raining cats and dogs and near freezing. We saw several Hondas hanging out in Animas Forks trying to wait out the storm.

On Wednesday we went around the whole loop, started in Silverton, over Engineer, on to Lake City and had lunch, over Cinnamon back to Silverton. Those $1 ponchos were well worth it!

 

[PioneerPete]

It's a solid machine, and I would definitely buy it again. The big decision is whether you prefer a CVT or geared transmission. Each tranny type has its strengths and weaknesses, and it is really up to the end user to decide which is best for his purposes. I happen to prefer a geared type tranny due to the true engine braking and amount of control it gives me over the machines performance.

The heat is only an issue in the summertime, but is a real issue when average speeds are less than 15mph and ambient temps are above ~80 degrees. It can be cured fairly easily by installing a bilge blower underneath the seat. I installed mine recently and it only took about an hour to install and wire into a switch. The blower completely resolved the heat issue.

I have around 800 hard miles on mine and other than the heat, I have not had any issues.

 

[txmedic]

On Wednesday we went around the whole loop, started in Silverton, over Engineer, on to Lake City and had lunch, over Cinnamon back to Silverton. Those $1 ponchos were well worth it!

Very good chance that we saw you at some point.

We hung out until about 1 or so before we headed back. We just weren't dressed properly and we were freezing to death. I ended up running a fever for the next few days after we got back to Durango.

 

[Boomboom907]

ill be pretty comprehensive right here from a VERY VERY biased standpoint. deal with it.

ranger crew fullsize 570. broke. lemon clutch from factory. CV joint slipped out. GUTLESS. low to the ground. scraped on everything. but it was mine.

she did fine, the on demand AWD system is in my opinion matched by none. polaris has that in the bag, no questions no comparisons. i just left in in lock 24/7 and she went everywhere and never had any kind of pulling or driving issues, because it was in 2wd. amazing. and thats about it. thats the only thing about polaris that i can honestly say they are doing that everyone else isnt doing better.

we get to honda and my jaw drops. If any of you know what im talking about, polaris sells their machines with advertisements(look at their website). honda sells their machines with their machines(look at their website). the thing is gorgeous. nothing like in the picture. the picture doesnt come close to being fair.

so we take it for a spin. it was very very quiet. though we werent super stoked about HOW it shifted, we were stoked it had gears. just the violentness of it was offputting. overall that machine stomped the commander we had driven from about 2 hours prior. and the polaris people wouldnt let us ride in the general. honda literally just says "try not to tear up the grass very bad" wat. wat.

moving on, we bought it and i literally drove it from the dealer to my GF parents house. to you other alaskans reading, thats mile 10 on KGB, right past boglebluff. so it was around a 16 mile drive.

i had a headache from all the pops squeaks clangs and bangs, and tears streaming down my face, but performance wise honda murdered the competition ( keep in mind we are not comparing utility to sport) my polaris was a crap ride compared. the vikings not far behind, but man it is looouuuud.

well. a few hundred miles go by, and i do my first oil change.

dude. that is the breaking point. that is the point where you and your machine meld into one beautiful entity , and you go to hondatopia, and you witness the glory of cthulhu, and you can forgive all the idolatry your friends commited, and the first polaris and the first yamaha were washed away. the shifting is now about dead silent. everything is so smooth. and it somehow is still getting better

now here is the bad things that i wouldnt consider issues, more like things that some people may consider partial deal breakers.

1. the heat with a full cab.
2. the full cab leaves a LOT to be desired.(alaskan, winter, doesnt seal, you get the picture)
3. powering through mud or going up a very steep hill, because there is no belt to slip, the machine sort of feels boggish in rpms near idle. so if your under 3000 rpms in 1st gear, the engine just cant wind up due to things. i do like the belt transmissions for that reason, though that one issue isnt enough for me to like belts over gears. i like the gears much much much more than belts. a 8 speed transmission would fix this. having one gear lower would be the difference. I can dream.
4. because there is no belt to give it that little bit of slip, pulling the rig onto say a tilt bed trailer, is pretty damn difficult. lurching forward an inch is much harder than it seems. on the trail you wont notice it, its only when you have another 20k rig infront of you or something like that, that you realise how hard it is to just creep forward a half inch going uphill. you learn to use both feet.
5. no parking brake. truthfully, this doesnt bother me at all. polaris doesnt have one either, so meh.
6. (i consider this one an issue from the factory) when you cross water, steam pours into the cab. its only a problem if you have a window. if you dont disregard.

so here is some good points that i would like to touch, that you wouldnt really be able to understand unless you have driven it. you wont really read about them on any website.

1. the gears dude. the gears. if you want power, it has a sport mode. it keeps your engine wound up and you make lots of power. if you want quiet, keep it in normal, and high and you can downshift and the thing runs at like 2000 rpms? belts cannot do that, and you WILL use that function ALL THE TIME.
2. the filler cap for gas, is IN the cab. that means the cap isnt caked in mud, and is normally pretty clean. if your the type that only does light dust riding, you probably wont enjoy this as much as those of us that drive through skegs, this is great. minor, but great.
3. the suspension is stupid. you can go 3 or 4 times faster than the ranger to have the same ride. i mean it is just buttery smooth. some people say the front will sag with time, i dont really know. i think maybe thats people just wanting an excuse to upgrade things that dont need upgraded?
4. paddle shifters. while this feature is an option (really a requirement) and every other rig doesnt have gears, im not comparing this point to any other machine. im comparing this as an extension of the transmissions, and comparing those to the other utility rigs. if you need more torque, you can downshift while in AUTO mode for a split shot of power. if your going down a hill, you can downshift and literally the steeper the hill the less you need to ride the brakes. the engine braking is that good. if you want less engine brakes, tap up a gear. its ridiculously good. other rigs with engine brakes, dont have the ability to adjust on the fly the ammount of braking applied.
5. with the 1000-5 (which i recommend highly over the 1000) has a roof that extends to cover the seats in the back. what does that mean? all your crap stays dry when its raining. only downside is you get turned into a minivan and your friends lose 2d6 points of respect for you. you can roll for a charisma save.
6. seating. if you opt for the 1000-5 as i did, you get 2 crappy little jumper seats in the back. 2 FULL GROWN MEN can ride back there fine. there is plenty of leg room and its just as smooth of a ride as the front. its the whoops that get you (think rollercoaster or riding the schoolbus). the ability to use them is great. but if you dont want to, its nearly the same bed as the NA version. its amazing how often you will use them.

welcome to the forum. get a honda or our lord and savior Cthulhu will smite you.

 

[CumminsPusher]

We love ours! Beat the holy hell out of her and it just gets smoother and quieter. Had belts HATE THEM! Really do like ours feel safer around water with a snorkel. Heat doesn't bother us as much as others but no windshield or BugBuster helps that,actually nice at night. No transmission problems at all 1600 on last one coming on 350 now with this one

 

[txmedic]

ill be pretty comprehensive right here from a VERY VERY biased standpoint. deal with it.

ranger crew fullsize 570. broke. lemon clutch from factory. CV joint slipped out. GUTLESS. low to the ground. scraped on everything. but it was mine.

she did fine, the on demand AWD system is in my opinion matched by none. polaris has that in the bag, no questions no comparisons. i just left in in lock 24/7 and she went everywhere and never had any kind of pulling or driving issues, because it was in 2wd. amazing. and thats about it. thats the only thing about polaris that i can honestly say they are doing that everyone else isnt doing better.

we get to honda and my jaw drops. If any of you know what im talking about, polaris sells their machines with advertisements(look at their website). honda sells their machines with their machines(look at their website). the thing is gorgeous. nothing like in the picture. the picture doesnt come close to being fair.

so we take it for a spin. it was very very quiet. though we werent super stoked about HOW it shifted, we were stoked it had gears. just the violentness of it was offputting. overall that machine stomped the commander we had driven from about 2 hours prior. and the polaris people wouldnt let us ride in the general. honda literally just says "try not to tear up the grass very bad" wat. wat.

moving on, we bought it and i literally drove it from the dealer to my GF parents house. to you other alaskans reading, thats mile 10 on KGB, right past boglebluff. so it was around a 16 mile drive.

i had a headache from all the pops squeaks clangs and bangs, and tears streaming down my face, but performance wise honda murdered the competition ( keep in mind we are not comparing utility to sport) my polaris was a crap ride compared. the vikings not far behind, but man it is looouuuud.

well. a few hundred miles go by, and i do my first oil change.

dude. that is the breaking point. that is the point where you and your machine meld into one beautiful entity , and you go to hondatopia, and you witness the glory of cthulhu, and you can forgive all the idolatry your friends commited, and the first polaris and the first yamaha were washed away. the shifting is now about dead silent. everything is so smooth. and it somehow is still getting better

now here is the bad things that i wouldnt consider issues, more like things that some people may consider partial deal breakers.

1. the heat with a full cab.
2. the full cab leaves a LOT to be desired.(alaskan, winter, doesnt seal, you get the picture)
3. powering through mud or going up a very steep hill, because there is no belt to slip, the machine sort of feels boggish in rpms near idle. so if your under 3000 rpms in 1st gear, the engine just cant wind up due to things. i do like the belt transmissions for that reason, though that one issue isnt enough for me to like belts over gears. i like the gears much much much more than belts. a 8 speed transmission would fix this. having one gear lower would be the difference. I can dream.
4. because there is no belt to give it that little bit of slip, pulling the rig onto say a tilt bed trailer, is pretty damn difficult. lurching forward an inch is much harder than it seems. on the trail you wont notice it, its only when you have another 20k rig infront of you or something like that, that you realise how hard it is to just creep forward a half inch going uphill. you learn to use both feet.
5. no parking brake. truthfully, this doesnt bother me at all. polaris doesnt have one either, so meh.
6. (i consider this one an issue from the factory) when you cross water, steam pours into the cab. its only a problem if you have a window. if you dont disregard.

so here is some good points that i would like to touch, that you wouldnt really be able to understand unless you have driven it. you wont really read about them on any website.

1. the gears dude. the gears. if you want power, it has a sport mode. it keeps your engine wound up and you make lots of power. if you want quiet, keep it in normal, and high and you can downshift and the thing runs at like 2000 rpms? belts cannot do that, and you WILL use that function ALL THE TIME.
2. the filler cap for gas, is IN the cab. that means the cap isnt caked in mud, and is normally pretty clean. if your the type that only does light dust riding, you probably wont enjoy this as much as those of us that drive through skegs, this is great. minor, but great.
3. the suspension is stupid. you can go 3 or 4 times faster than the ranger to have the same ride. i mean it is just buttery smooth. some people say the front will sag with time, i dont really know. i think maybe thats people just wanting an excuse to upgrade things that dont need upgraded?
4. paddle shifters. while this feature is an option (really a requirement) and every other rig doesnt have gears, im not comparing this point to any other machine. im comparing this as an extension of the transmissions, and comparing those to the other utility rigs. if you need more torque, you can downshift while in AUTO mode for a split shot of power. if your going down a hill, you can downshift and literally the steeper the hill the less you need to ride the brakes. the engine braking is that good. if you want less engine brakes, tap up a gear. its ridiculously good. other rigs with engine brakes, dont have the ability to adjust on the fly the ammount of braking applied.
5. with the 1000-5 (which i recommend highly over the 1000) has a roof that extends to cover the seats in the back. what does that mean? all your crap stays dry when its raining. only downside is you get turned into a minivan and your friends lose 2d6 points of respect for you. you can roll for a charisma save.
6. seating. if you opt for the 1000-5 as i did, you get 2 crappy little jumper seats in the back. 2 FULL GROWN MEN can ride back there fine. there is plenty of leg room and its just as smooth of a ride as the front. its the whoops that get you (think rollercoaster or riding the schoolbus). the ability to use them is great. but if you dont want to, its nearly the same bed as the NA version. its amazing how often you will use them.

welcome to the forum. get a honda or our lord and savior Cthulhu will smite you.

Thanks for the write up. Just visited my local dealer and left thinking that it is even more beautiful in person that it is online. The bolstered seating is great also. I love the bench seat but also love feeling like I'm sitting in something like the rzr. I'm a paramedic and the dealer is down the street from my fire station so I'm on duty. The female sales rep offered me a test drive but said that their course behind the building has grown up and that they need to get a tractor out there with a shredder before anyone can go out on it. She did say those that ride the pioneer typically leave with it.

I didn't get excited when I looked at the Rzr in Colorado or in the Can Am that we rented. I ride a Ranger on a frequent basis and used to ride my brothers rzr before he sold it several years ago. The Honda is a different story.. I'm excited about it, can't stop looking at them on line and keep thinking about having one on a trailer while I'm headed to Colorado. I'm excited, I want it NOW.

As far as I'm concerned, the Honda is the only thing on the market. Unless I hate it when I go back to drive it, my mind is already made up. Hopefully Honda will have a fix for the transmission and heat issue that they incorporate for the 17's which should be out when I buy it. Even if they don't, I'll still be a proud owner of a White 1000-5 Deluxe sometime this year.

Damn that white is beautiful.

 

[Crow_Hunter]

5. with the 1000-5 (which i recommend highly over the 1000) has a roof that extends to cover the seats in the back. what does that mean? all your crap stays dry when its raining. only downside is you get turned into a minivan and your friends lose 2d6 points of respect for you. you can roll for a charisma save.

Such a nerd.

 

[CumminsPusher]

I still think the trans problem is isolated. If it was possibly in every one ours would be broken. We tend to find problems. I say drive it hard if it fails bring it in

 

[Tflynn]

I still think the trans problem is isolated. If it was possibly in every one ours would be broken. We tend to find problems. I say drive it hard if it fails bring it in

I agree. You used to hear a lot about slipping clutches when it was first released but you never hear about it anymore. Even at its release and shortly after, way more people said how great it was than complained.