P500 Should i buy a p520

[Gb3]

Hey trigger I think I'm going to get the p520 would you recommend 4+3 or 5+2 on 26x9 or 27x9 on all 4 corners? And hood with windshield a good ad on? Wife and kid will probably apericiate a windshield haha

 

[Admin]

 

[trigger]

5+2's will get it. Depends a lot on your riding style and conditions. If riding restricted trails then you'll want to stay as narrow as possible but still have stability. I would absolutely get a roof. If going with a full shield most prefer the SuperATV flip shield. I personally can't stand a full shield and only put it on for the winter.

 

[Gb3]

OK cool I'll get 5+2, now 27x9 on all four? Or 26x9?

 

[NitroxDiver]

OK cool I'll get 5+2, now 27x9 on all four? Or 26x9?

I like my 27x9 all the way around on my machine. I’m running 5+2 and spacers. The thing I like about the 5+2 over the 4+3 is that I can remove my spacers if needed to make the machine a little more narrow if needed.

 

[trigger]

27's will clear.

 

[alloutdoors]

I have owned both Honda and Polaris, and for me, the ideal machine would be a new Polaris with a complete Honda driveline. I suggest you look at the 700 or 1000, because buying a machine with an expectation to run it near the max 40 mph, then I suspect you will not be happy with the experience, especially long term....

 

[KimberproSS]

Was debating on p520 or ranger 500,or 570. My dealers won't let me test ride so can only look. Mostly for hunting and play. Does polaris really have that many issues? And un reliable? The p500 did not really do it for me but now the p520 caught my eye. Could be a good all around rig and reliable. Any suggestions would help. Putting 27s on p520 and going hunting sounds great, but would be doing grocery shopping with it to on the road and wondered if they handle on street at 35 mph. Any must do mods to p520?

I owned Honda Dirt Bikes for years. Keep oil in them and they run forever. I am hoping to have the same experience with my Pioneer. I did get a P1000-5 so I could run on the road at 35-40 MPH and still have a reasonable conversation with the passenger without screaming.

 

[KenBoPioneer1000-5]

I will never go back to Polaris either! Had a 2014 Ranger 570 Mid-Size Crew, 2015 Sportsman 570 and my father-in-law has a 2015 Ranger 570 Mid-Size. I had to rebuild the Ranger engine from the bottom up because water was getting in the poor intake location and improperly sealing air box. Needless to say it was sold shortly thereafter and my father-in-law just had his rebuilt for the same reasons. Sportsman was poorly built with even poorer ergonomics. My P1000-5 has been a joy to own and ride on the trail, in the deer woods and through the duck fields. Honda quality cannot be beat!

 

[Bruce4795]

I've had my P52 for three weeks now and I am very pleased with it so far. We did a 70km ride a couple of Sunday's ago which involved about 20 minutes of riding down a dirt road to get to a large local trail network. This was on the stock wheels and tires. I was still breaking the machine in but cruised between 45 and 55kph. On the way home gave it a quick burst of flat out and speedo showed governor kicking in at 61kph. It cruised along happy as can be at those speeds and felt very stable. We are in no rush to get places these days and just enjoyed the scenery and being outside, so the slower speeds are just fine for us. I just put 27's on it with 4+3 offset rims. With the 27" Kenda Bear Claw HTR's it feels quite different on the road. Not as smooth and stable feeling as the stock set up for sure, but still ok. I only did a few test runs up and down our paved road, so I'm sure it will feel better when I get onto the dirt roads. I did some test runs before and after with a GPS and it showed an average speed increase of 7kph with the 27's and flat out showed 64kph. They definitely feel better on the trails though, the ride is better and machine feels more planted. But both were short rides so I'm looking forward to a longer ride soon to get a better feel for the new setup.
I've never owned a four wheeler of any kind, but have owned many Honda dirt bikes over the years and was always happy with quality and reliability of them. I also have a couple of friends who have owned Honda ATV's for years at their cottages and the things have been bulletproof. I also liked the fact the Honda has a tranny and not a belt. Our dealer let us test drive for as long as we wanted around the shop and in area beside them.
My only complaint, and it was with all three Pioneer models, is that I could use a couple more inches of legroom, I'm 5'10" but legs feel a bit cramped. I also have a rear fabric window coming, (already have front windsreen and roof), as when we were riding down the dirt road and it was a mild day, a fine mist of dirt from the slushy snow and dirt road came up from behind and coated the backs of us and the rear view mirror, and also a fine layer of dirt on the inside of the windscreen. I don't mind getting dirty but this was just kinda annoying. When I was trying out the new wheels in the field of deep snow beside us, there was a good fine mist of snow that came up from behind again and covered us, so this rear window should work well to stop that, and dust in the summer. Other than that, I'm loving it, and as soon as it stops snowing today, I'll be out plowing with it again, woohoo!

Get a front window that opens like the Honda accessory. In the open position it pressurizes the cab and keeps the dust down.

 

[Santa]

In my opinion, there is a world of difference in quality and reliability between Honda and Polaris. Honda is hands down more reliable than Polaris. My son has a RAZR 570 with about 2,000 miles and he just spent about $500 to get the valve train adjusted because it started so hard and would not stay running cold. The adjustment solved the problem, but for how long? It does ride better than my P5, but with the Walker Evans shocks on mine, the ride is pretty decent. Other people I know driving Polaris have many "clutch" problems, suspension issues and electrical problems. If a great ride is an issue and you still want a quality, sporty machine, I would consider the new Yamaha Wolverine Rmax. They look really well made, have far superior engineering than Polaris, guarantee the drive belt for 10 years and generally have great features. I have owned Yamaha snowmobiles in the past and they were bulletproof. As for me, I will continue to ride my fun, economical and reliable 2017 Pioneer 500,

 

[Rroberts]

Yes. The Polaris rangers do have that many issues. My ranger 800 was almost 4 years old when it started falling apart. It was always garage kept and lived a very easy life. They are just cheap made. Compared to my new 2021 pioneer 1000-3 it’s like going from a Yugo to a Lexus. If you want many years of dependable service go with a Honda. Or maybe a Yamaha

 

[DVC]

Depends on your financial situation. I have owned numerous Polaris Rangers over the years. They have all had the best cab I could get with heaters, flip-out windshield, power windows and every other accessory available. I enjoyed driving each one for around 8k miles. I had to upgrade every 4 years to have a reliable machine. I finally decided I wanted a machine that I wouldn’t have to wrench on after every ride and bought a Honda. The Honda is not anywhere close to as comfortable as the Polaris and has accessories that feel like they were engineered by third grade students but the machine is reliable.
My opinion...Polaris is a disposable comfortable machine that requires constant maintenance while the Honda is a bullet proof reliable long lasting machine without many comforts.

 

[Sarbuck]

I've never been a fan of Pile-air-us, given reliability and safety issues that never seem to get addressed. They make cool looking machines, and come out with new models and looks constantly. However, at the expense of reliability IMO. I'm on the board of a very active ATV/UTV riding club here in Idaho...we have a ride almost every month. I can't tell you how many times I've seen razor's broken down on the side of the trail or in camp. I've never seen a Honda broken down...although I'm sure it's possible. I've just never witnessed it myself.

I have a Pioneer and have been nothing but impressed. Mine is the 1000-5, but some folks in our group have the P500 and they just go. Maybe not as smooth a ride as a razor, but way more reliable. The USFS out here switched from razors to P500's for weed spraying, and told me they will never go back.

If you follow the Pioneer maintenance (which is significant given the real tranny and sub tranny etc.), it won't let you down. I recommend Honda or Yamaha...and Yamaha doesn't have a 50" UTV at this point. My two cents...good luck on your decision!

 

[Steve123]

I will concede that Polaris does a fairly decent job at putting together some nicely optioned/looking machines, but I don't think the reliability is there. And piss on the belt drive BS.

If you ever hop on YouTube, check out Matt's Off Road Recovery channel. Granted, there are probably way more RZRs out there than Pioneers, but I have yet to see a Honda needing recovered on his channel. He recovers BOATLOADS of RZRs out in Utah. It also surprises me just how little it takes to break one. Hit a rock a little wrong? Tierod. Got a little air? There's a new A-Arm.

No thanks. I'll stick with the uglier, slower, less frills, but solid as a rock Pioneer.

Those are mostly rentals that Matt is picking up. Polaris is all you will see in a rental fleet. Step on the gas and go.

 

[Smitty335]

Those are mostly rentals that Matt is picking up. Polaris is all you will see in a rental fleet. Step on the gas and go.

I like his Dad! No Homo!

 

[Aerolite]

Get a front window that opens like the Honda accessory. In the open position it pressurizes the cab and keeps the dust down.

I do have the Honda pop out windscreen, but it's nice to keep it closed in the winter. I'm old now so like to be a bit more comfortable, lol

 

[Kevmcal]

Was debating on p520 or ranger 500,or 570. My dealers won't let me test ride so can only look. Mostly for hunting and play. Does polaris really have that many issues? And un reliable? The p500 did not really do it for me but now the p520 caught my eye. Could be a good all around rig and reliable. Any suggestions would help. Putting 27s on p520 and going hunting sounds great, but would be doing grocery shopping with it to on the road and wondered if they handle on street at 35 mph. Any must do mods to p520?

I can't comment on the 520 because we have a 700-4, however, we had a polaris 800 crew for 5 agonizing years. went through two engines due to overheating and a multitude of nickle and dime repairs./1 It was not abused in the least. wife and i rode on rural secondary roads, when it would run. I just hate to see someone else make the same mistake. The 700-4 has been flawless for almost 2000 miles over 2 1/2 years. It handles pretty well on roads with DOT approved terrabyte tires.

 

[HiFive]

I can't comment on the 520 because we have a 700-4, however, we had a polaris 800 crew for 5 agonizing years. went through two engines due to overheating and a multitude of nickle and dime repairs./1 It was not abused in the least. wife and i rode on rural secondary roads, when it would run. I just hate to see someone else make the same mistake. The 700-4 has been flawless for almost 2000 miles over 2 1/2 years. It handles pretty well on roads with DOT approved terrabyte tires.

My p500 is great for two people. very enjoyable to ride around in and maneuver in and out of tight spaces. It's quite cozy my wife and I enjoy it very much. Hope this helps.

 

[Shaark]

Was debating on p520 or ranger 500,or 570. My dealers won't let me test ride so can only look. Mostly for hunting and play. Does polaris really have that many issues? And un reliable? The p500 did not really do it for me but now the p520 caught my eye. Could be a good all around rig and reliable. Any suggestions would help. Putting 27s on p520 and going hunting sounds great, but would be doing grocery shopping with it to on the road and wondered if they handle on street at 35 mph. Any must do mods to p520?

I love my P500. Polaris Are comfortable for trail ride. Go to a Polaris forum with this same question and see their response then try to come to a decision. I’m sure it will just be preference. I don’t like the automatic shift on my p500 so I paddle shifters, but I love that it doesn’t run on a belt....

 

[a400ryan]

475 vs 518
500 vs 520

fair bit of actual difference