is the big red for me?

[johnzx7]

hi, i'm itching to buy a side by side real bad. i wish it where a real 3-person bench seat like the ranger and prowler hdx, but i may be able to live without that.
i first liked the ranger xp 800, mostly for the 3-person seating, but was a little turned-off by the raw material look of the drivetrain components. just looks cheap!...but then again, i've noticed honda doing it now also.
My buddy has 2011 rzr4 r-gorden, and it impressed me, it could not be stopped, even with 3 guys(2 of which are well over 200lbs), anyway this is a sick mud, rocks, stumps, offroad machine, but at 37km(about 20miles) we climbed a 4 foot, almost vertical snow covered mound of dirt. Of coarse the front wheels were in the air and the buggy slid back down on its underbelly at a slight angle so one wheel hit ground first(while all 4 wheels spinning forward) that 26 inch spinning bighord just blew up the front diff and dumped its oil on the trail. I'll admit it was ruff, but they should not be selling a vehicle that can't handle its own stock wheels. Plus the dealer told us 2 weeks, that when i remember why you will never find a polaris or brp in my garage.How can a guy who sells you a machine for almost 20 grand, yes 20,000$ canadian, a month earlier, tell you it takes 2 wks to change a front diff.wtf?
so i found the prowler hdx, i immediatedly liked the nice thick steering wheel, seating for 3 ( my wife and our 2 todlers), lots of storage, extra big dump bed, and a roll cage designed to get in and out easier for the bigger fellows, like myself. But, i got a chance to ride a hdx back-to-back with a teryx at the off-road convention back in november, and found the hdx alot rougher than the teryx. the test track was set up very similar to what my wife may face following me in the trails at the cottage, and i knew the HDX would be too rough. I know she will love ridding a side by side with friends or the kids as long as its smooth, if it's rough-she'll hate it, which means less riding for me.
so no hdx.
I KNOW the honda will be the most reliable, i have a 04 rincon will over 5000 miles( sometimes obusive ) and have only changed the brake pads once.
finally the reason for my post. How does it ride? I need a very reasonable ride quality when traveling light. The wife, one of the kids, and a day trip worth of amenities. cooler, gas, etc...
My rincon is smooth enough for them, being sxs is much more appealling to them, which means more riding as a family.
We ride about 25 miles of rocky, hard packed, wooded trails, where a car could pass, but you'd look like/feel a jerk. Then we ride another 25 miles of gravel road littered with deap pot-holes. My cherokee wants to shake itself apart unless at crawling speeds.
SO;
i know it will probably last forever if i take care off it.
i know its not fast, i'm no longer interested in going fast anyway.
i know it not the prettiest
i know it will hall firewood out of the forest, even when i retire in 28 years.lol.
but how well does it deliver fun?
i want to ride all day with a buddy and not kill the snacks, beers, and our backs!
And, have the wife and kids follow me on these trips.
thanks for you input
john

[sfrankland]

Welcome to the site. What part of Canada are you from, I am out on the east coast myself.

Anyway to sort of answer your question I was in the same boat as you a few years ago when it came time to part with a large chunk of change and buy a SxS. I had a few makes and models in mind but the Honda won out and to be honest I have no regrets.

I liked the size and look of the Polaris Ranger XP and almost bought one. I really wanted the bench seat in the Ranger for the same reason you mention but they had just fixed there transmission problems in there 2008 machines and I was very nervous of getting back in the country and the thing packing up on me.

Yamaha was to small but I knew it was a good machine and has a huge after market support. If I was in the market for a second SxS for the wife it would be near the top of the list.

The Prowler seems to be a good machine but not overly well built. My dad has a 2008 650H1 one with near 4500KM on it and it is still going strong. My biggest issue with the bike is that it was always in need of adjustment. Either in the throttle cable, brake cable or park brake. The CV joint went last year but that was due to a torn CV boot which to be honest can happen to any machine.

The Teryx never really did much for me and there are very few dealers that sell around here so I stayed away from them.

The Cam-Am wasn't on the market when I bought so it wasn't an option but I will keep an eye on them and see how the new owners find them. If it turns out to be a good machine it maybe the Honda's replacement if Honda does come out with something different.

That said the Honda has been very good to me. It has never let me down and never left me stranded on the trail. It has pulled a few bikes back to the truck and that is a good feeling. The ride is not maybe as nice as some of the other machines but it's not bad considering it also has a good payload and towing capability. I really like the transmission and the three speed automatic is great for where I ride. The ground we cover is pretty rough and speed has never been a real issue but out on the trail-way where the going is good you will get left behind by the sportier machines.

To sum it up I would by a Honda again if I had to do it over. It is and has been a good machine to me.

[BIGBONVI]

i have ridden in the rhino and the teryx, but it is hard to notice differences without riding them back to back. the br is a good mix between work and sport. i think that it is pretty smooth and roomy. i am 6'6" 240lbs and rode all day with a buddy that is about 6'2" and 300lbs. we had plenty of room and never came close to touching each other. it is also easy to get in and out of.

towing and bed space are a real plus, but you may have problems going down tight wooded trails as the br is 5'3" wide.

2011 big red has a bench seat so your good there.

i bought my br to mostly hunt and do work around the hunting camp. it has excelled at this. i have towed trialers, large logs, and loads of seed and fertilyzer.

when i attend mud rides i wish i had something a bit sportier, but it is good to have a beer cart. i have a 2-1/2" lift with 26" tires and pretty much go wherever i want with out getting excessive. the winch is a must and i have used my br to pull out multiple atv's and sxs.

if i did it all over, i may go with the polaris ranger simply for aftermarket support, but i love my br. it sounds like it would suit you good for your needs.

[lomac]

Just my opinion.....I owned a 2010 RZR S before selling it and purchasing a Honda BR. I did so simply because the RZR is NOT a utility type vehicle and I found myself cussing it everytime I needed to take an ice chest, or my dog, or any hunting equipment....or anything other than another passenger for that matter. I never had any problems with the Polaris, but know plenty of people who have had MAJOR issues with the Polaris product and never felt comfortable with the Polaris quality. I also have friends who have the TRex and Rhino and have ridden a bunch in each. Out of all of them, the best ride was by far the RZR S.......no comparison.....it ate up the bumps, hills and holes 10X better than any of the others. Most power and Fun Factor also went to the RZR S....again, comparing the RZR S and the Honda BR, TRex, or Rhino is comparing apples to oranges. The RZR S had the best ride, most power, and was definitely the most fun to drive...by far......BUT....it is a Polaris and it was just a matter of time before the vehicle would need work.....AND....it has virtually no storage space. It is NOT a utility type UTV. I think you will find most of the RZR supporters have added thousands in aftermarket parts to keep the Polaris running and functioning properly. If you are a good mechanic and like working on vehicles, this may be a good option for you??? It is super fun to drive, and is the smoothest of them all, and the wife will love it. Although I would now purchase the Can Am product which is the same machine except with higher quality. With all that said, I sold my RZR to purchase the Honda BR and have never looked back or regretted it. First and foremost, it is a Honda. It is a quality product backed by a quality company. It will still be running in its original form 10 years from now.....a Polaris will not. It is not the fastest or most powerful machine (it could definitely use more power), but has plenty of speed and power for 99% of the stuff our family does. It is BIG. Which is good and bad depending upon where you ride. For me, I loved the size. It has a decent sized cargo bed (which should be a bit longer) and is definitely a work horse. It has a transmission....built by Honda...which means you will not be changing a belt somewhere in no mans land. It is a quality utility UTV. If you want a smaller slimmer version with about the same ride and power, the Rhino would be a good choice. My only complaint with the BR is that there is virtually NO aftermarket stuff available in comparison to other UTVs. I think you will have to decide what type of vehicle you really want based on the terrain you will typically ride and the reasons you want it. If you want lots of FUN with very little function.....go with the CAN AM or RZR S. If you want some fun and lots of FUNCTION....go with the BR or Rhino. The RZR and Rhino forums will also have tons of information on those vehicles and I am sure there is also a Can Am forum out there by now. If I had to buy again right now.....I would have no problem buying the Honda or Yamaha as they are the machines that fit the types of riding we do. I know this was long....but hope it helps some?

[nanuk]

Hi. I'm in Northern Quebec.

I thought about the big red utv. Gave it a few test rides.

I'm 6'1" and like most of the utv's i felt like a sardine in a can.

I've had pretty much all the brands of utv over the years.

Any how. I can not say much bad about the honda BR utv.

The down side i found is it's payload capacity / suspension is a bit odd.

I when you have a couple hundred lbs in the cargo box and the shocks stiffened to maximum the suspension still drops way to much. Especially on bumpy/shifty trials.

I don't know about the 2011 model as to if the BR utv has a proper FDL.

So far the stock BR utv dos have better traction than most of the utv's i have tried & owned.

I love the BR utv in the snow.

Power wise the BR is still under powered when you use it in rough terrain with a heavy load.

Still the BR utv is superior to the Polaris ranger in most aspects. Also polaris machines cost a small fortune to upkeep their " go crazy " power .

It's not realistic to expect the BR to be a Sport class machine such as the Polaris RZR.

I would wait until next year's Can-Am commander if you wish that machine. Too many bugs with the motor overheating, belts snapping, and suspension problems.

However in power, cargo, and traction wise you can't really beat a JD Gator xuv or Cub Cadet volunteer.

Both machines have physical lockers and are not controled by computer. The CC volunteer has the seats you like option, and is 64" wide.

My list of new machines to buy would be: Honda BR UTV, or CC Volunteer.

Hope this helps.

[johnzx7]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for the replies. You guys just confirmed the br is for me. It's a typical Honda. Doesn't dominate at anything, but does everything well.
I'm the Montreal-west island area.
Thanks again
john
Also it doesn't hurt to keep adding to this forum, for others

[johnzx7]

Hi thanks again, Lomac hit the nail on the head about reliability. I'm now in my late 30's and have a family now. i am very mechanically inclined, but since having kids, spare time is limited now and i hate spending it fixing things and waiting for parts-i just want to ride. I also really like the rhino, and know it's pretty well made, it's just too small for me. The Cammander is not really an option for me, it is packed will a bunch of cool features but even though it's a local company, brp rapes us on the pricing here in Canada, especially on parts! I can't afford the upkeep or the headache.