ATVESCAPE Tested- Polaris Ranger RZR 800 Hot

So here is the question: Can an ATV-pickup with a 50" width, steering wheel, 760cc's of power, a roll cage, foot pedals, a glove box , and seats next to each other offer as much fun and capability as I have come to expect from an ATV? Now this our first time at ATVESCAPE.COM to get into the cockpit of a UTV for a test, and we had no idea what to expect. Having driven a Kawasaki Mule, some golf carts, and lots of ATVs and trucks, we were really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the RZR (and have been since it came out in 2008). Questions always swirl in our minds before we get a new machine for testing, and this was the case times ten for the RZR. Would the idea of an ATV sport pickup with a 50" width translate to the trails well? Would the RZR be fun to drive, and as capable as an ATV?  There were so many questions and so much time to figure it out. Several months and 497 miles later all our questions have been answered, plus we discovered even more to ask.

It seems when you design anything for multiple uses, it does none of them really well. The adage is a “jack of all trades and a master of none”. This applies to designing anything from fighter planes to cars, and it certainly applies to side-by-sides. Many side-by-sides are designed to do work and play also. “What is the result?” you might ask. The result is machines that do neither really well, or they do the work fairly well, but the fun factor is lacking. Such machines are not all bad in that they fill a need, but what about those who don’t care about work at all, and just want to play. Enter the Polaris Ranger RZR.

Make no mistake as to whether the RZR 800 is built for sport, and, when driven, the RZR speaks directly to the driving fun purists in the deepest recesses of our being. The Polaris Ranger RZR 800 defines the class of sport UTV, and by all counts created the Sport class of UTVs in 2008 with its initial release. Polaris has since continued to refine it, and to take the RZR platform to new places with specific models for specific uses with the RZR 800, RZR 800 S, RZR4 800, RZR 900 XP, and recently released RZR 570 and RZR4 900 XP. All of these machines are designed for fun and to fill a specific need. Polaris has become the “king” of the side by side by producing models for specific purposes.

Machine Breakdown

Our 50” wide red RZR 800 is the base model that started the RZR phenomenon in 2008, and has continued to be improved upon and perfected. The RZR 800 comes with the 760cc twin cylinder EFI engine, fully automatic PVT transmission, on demand true all-wheel drive, two person cab, rear bed, and a roll cage. We did not get a Limited Edition with power steering, higher-end wheels and tires, or with different shocks. We at ATVESCAPE wanted to start with a base model RZR to create a baseline as to what to expect from both the RZR family, and with side-by-sides in general from all the manufacturers.

First Impressions

When the RZR 800 comes into view you just want to drive it. The RZR draws you in and pulls at your inner being that desperately wants to have your eyes sucked into the back of your eye sockets. The RZR screams at you to get it, hold on to that wheel real tight, punch the gas, and hold on to your butt! Here is the best part; the RZR 800 absolutely delivers.

Climb into the cab and you are cradled by the RZR within its body and roll cage. Turn the key, and the RZR’s 760cc engine rumbles to life with purpose, ready to provide the driver and passenger a life changing experience behind the wheel.  Put on the seat belt, step on the brake, move the gear shift to high, point the steering wheel in a clear direction, and mash the gas down. The next few seconds cement in your mind how much fun driving a RZR 800 is.  When you mash the pedal down the RZR lurches forward, and pushes you back in your seat, resulting in a huge smile on your face that is slow to fade.  The experience is as close any of us have every come to being shot out of a cannon.  The RZR gets to fast incredibly quick. When you turn the wheel to hit a corner, the RZR responds decisively with taking the turn, then accelerating back to cruising speed. This happens time and time again, until you have to hit the brakes to stop, put it in park, turn off the key, and walk away. However you will still have the smile on your face. Now repeat this entire experience over and over, and you will know what it is like to drive a RZR 800. At the end of the day, the RZR 800 is a blast to drive.

Engine

The power plant behind the RZR 800 is the tried-and-true 760cc four-stroke twin cylinder fuel injected horsepower infused beast. We have had a lot of experience with this engine, and it delivers a ton of power and then some.  It puts out 51 horsepower, and you feel those ponies when you step on the gas. The RZR 800 jumps when you hit the gas, or accelerates gently when you want it to. The driver has the pleasure of determining whether Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde shows up to the party.  The combination of the engine and fully automatic PVT transmission translates into sustained power throughout the power band until you get towards the top end of the RZR 800, which we found to be around 60 MPH.  Let’s face it that most of us will not be driving anywhere close to that speed most of the time, but it is equally important to note that when the opportunity arises to mash the throttle , the RZR will without any trouble. What is really impressive about this engine is you can use it for a smooth comfortable trail ride, or you can drive it aggressively, and the engine responds with power that results in you being pushed into the seat. The RZR 800 never seems to forget it is a sports car and not a pickup. Breaking the tires loose is effortless along with bringing the backend around, and it climbs steep hills with ease. This engine simply is a beast, and that by itself makes the RZR 800 a blast to drive.

The engine is mounted behind the driver compartment, which makes for a low center of gravity. In fact, the RZR 800 has the lowest center of gravity in the side-by-side market. That means you can slide through the corners with little to no body roll as the RZR stays flat through the turns.  The low center of gravity also means the RZR is more stable in off camber situations than many others in the side-by-side market.

Transmission & Drive Train

The transmission in the RZR is the famous PVT fully automatic found across the Polaris line. It features a high, low, neutral, reverse, and park position, all controlled with a gearshift located in the area between the driver and passenger. Mated to the 760cc engine, high gear will tackle most situations you encounter. In high gear the clutching for engaging the belt is smooth, and take off from a stop is gentle unless you are trying not to make it be. When the going really gets really tough, there exists low gear to get maximum torque for getting through the worst of the worst. The power and torque in low gear is impressive. If it can be climbed or crawled than this gear will make it happen. We found this gear comforting for slow going rough terrain with the added hill climb, or for deep mud or snow. In low gear there is the noticeable jerk when the belt engages to move the RZR forward. We would imagine new clutching is on the way in the near future, but make no mistake this gear will get you through whatever.

The all-wheel-drive (AWD) system on the RZR is also the tried-and-true system Polaris is known for.  We have used this system on every type of terrain imaginable and it always works flawlessly.  Such was the case with the RZR. Simply click the AWD drive rocker switch at any speed, and it will engage the front wheels sending equal power to both as soon as the rear wheels lose traction.  It happens so fast you never notice what is happening nor is any momentum lost which is incredibly important. Mile after mile the Polaris all-wheel-drive system just works.

It is amazing where the RZR will take you when you engage the AWD. We put it on some very steep hills, stopped, engaged the AWD, and climbed up the hill with no problem (to our amazement). We rock climbed, slung mud, went through snow, climbed hills, and got home every time.

One thing to note is the RZR does not have real EBS (engine braking) or ADC (Active Decent Control). We continue to hope these will be offered in the future. When you let your foot off the gas the belt stays engaged with the engine until the RPM falls below the clutching belt engagement point, so the engine does slow you down to a point. The low gear works to slow you down more until the belt disengages. Once the belt disengages, the RZR is at the mercy of gravity. Also, if you are on a decline and the engine slows you down to the point the belt disengages, speed will not reengage the belt. Bottom line, count on the brakes for going downhill. During our test in Colorado, we became very familiar with the lack of EBS or ADC. One trick you can employ is to give some gas to keep the belt engaged, but it only works in certain situations, and can not be counted on to be of any real help. As you will read below, the brakes work very well in every situation to control the RZR.

Suspension

The front suspension set up includes dual a-arms with an anti-sway bar and 5 way preloaded shocks translating into 9 inches of travel. The rear suspension setup includes rolled dual a-arms with anti-sway bar translating into 9.5 inches of travel. The rolled part of the a-arms means the suspension travels backward and upward rather than just traveling upward like on many ATVs and UTVs. This backward and upward motion absorbs more of the energy created by bumps on the trail, resulting in a smoother ride. The suspension as a whole is fully independent, and keeps the driver in control of this rocket.

So “how does the RZR 800 ride?” you might ask, with all of these suspension facts and figures. The resulting ride is impressive. The RZR is tight and flat in the corners with almost no noticeable body roll. The RZR is agile and quickly becomes predictable when you push it down the trails. The RZR delivers a comfortable ride as you traverse the wild outdoors soaking up the bumps in the trails with relative ease. At slower speeds you can crawl over rocks without too much jarring and jumping translated to the cab, and more importantly the passengers. We took some brutally rocky trails with the RZR, and at the end of the day were not fatigued or beat down. On long day rides, we returned from the wild feeling the way we did when we headed out that morning (with the exception of wanting dinner). The RZR felt solid and stable in off-camber situations. If you are looking for a comfortable ride for you and your significant other (or friend) the RZR will not disappoint.  You might have to argue about who gets to drive though.

Ground clearance is specked at 10 inches, but we found that to be at the sides and not in the middle. With two people in the RZR and with factory settings we found ourselves hitting rocks along the trail, and had to focus on what we went over. Picking our line when crawling over large rocks in the trail became critical. Cranking up the shocks a couple of notches was in order to get the bottom up to avoid bottoming out in places we didn’t expect.

Steering

The steering wheel can be easily adjusted up to ten inches to find a comfortable spot for any driver. Though we did not get power steering, the steering for the RZR was light and responsive. It also offered plenty of feedback to the driver without offering more than you would want. here were a couple of situations, though, we would have liked to have power steering. We found when the RZR was stopped you had to make an effort to turn the wheels, but with a barely a little roll it was no big deal at all.  We also found you had to keep your hands firmly on the steering wheel when you were going over good sized rocks at decent speeds on the trail. We experienced “kickback” a couple of times when hitting a large rock square and having the wheel ripped out of our hands. They were good sized rocks though, and to be fair we would imagine that would be the case with any side-by-side without power steering. Even after all of the rocky trails we traversed, the steering felt solid with no rattles or play developing in the steering system. After all of our driving we determined having power steering on the base RZR is not a necessary thing when you are going to run standard type wheels and tires.

Brakes

The brakes on the RZR are hydraulic disc on all four corners, and work REALLY well with excellent feel. We were flat out impressed with how well they stopped the RZR even on serious inclines. There is nothing worse than lacking confidence in your brakes when you need them, and we had complete confidence in the brakes after the first five minutes of driving it this machine.  They are also not too sensitive or too spongy when you press the brake pedal. The bottom line is the amount of driver input required to stop the RZR is “just right”. What more could you want?

Cockpit Interior

The RZR cockpit surrounds you as you settle into your seat. The entire passenger compartment is surrounded by a roll cage and offers a secure feel. You can easily adjust the steering wheel in front of you to the spot which offers the most comfortable position. In the middle of the dashboard resides the master control center of the RZR. You have the keyhole, instrument cluster, 12 volt dc outlet, and the headlight and all-wheel-drive rocker switches.  All of these are within an arm’s reach, and are easy to operate. We did find that because of the proximity of the headlights and all-wheel-drive switches to each other, we would accidently turn on the headlights when hitting the all-wheel-drive switch. We found ourselves wishing the switches were farther apart.

The instrument cluster contains the speedometer, odometer, trip meter, fuel gage, all-wheel-drive indicator, and different warning lights. The instrument cluster is easy to read, well lit at night, and is effective at informing the driver what is going on. You do not need to be a rocket scientist or read the manual to know what the instrument cluster is saying to you (which is really good for me personally).

In front of the passenger are two items that make life inside the RZR all that much better. The first is a good sized glove box, which seals out the elements exceptionally well. The next is an adjustable passenger grab bar. We didn’t think the grab bar would be something a passenger would appreciate, but we were wrong. All of us appreciated it a bunch as it gives your hands something to grab onto, and it makes you feel secure particularly when the RZR is being driven aggressively. The grab bar also helps on extremely rocky terrain. All said, we are fans of the grab bar! For 2012 Polaris has added a new anti-rattle grab bar to fix the rattle that goes along with the grab handle. We know the grab bar rattles, but you get used to it so quickly, that we stopped noticing it.

As you sit the driver’s seat, the gear shift is directly to your right in the area between driver and passenger. In front of the gear shift are two cup holders that step down to the floor. We found the cup holders to be invaluable as you will want to carry your favorite beverage out on the trail. To the rear of the gear shift resides the buckles for the driver and passenger seat belts. The belts are mounted on the roll cage, and include a shoulder harness and lap belt. The seat belts are comfortable to use and hold you securely in the cab.

The seats are high-back buckets. Ride after ride we found the seats to be very comfortable throughout the day, with plenty of padding to help soak up the bumps of the trail and they provided excellent back support (better than some cars I have ridden in). They can be adjusted using bolts underneath the seat to move you closer to or farther away from the dash. The seats are removable with a single lever between the seat back and bottom of the seat, and are also interchangeable from the driver and passenger. The fact the seats are interchangeable is significant as you can adjust one the way you want, and then when the other person drives you can switch it to the passenger seat. That is an example of the details that make all the difference in the RZR.

Despite its 50” width, there is plenty of space within the cab for two adults.  This includes elbow room between the driver and passenger, and also leg room. Not once in 497 miles did my elbow and my passenger’s elbow hit each other no matter the terrain. We even put some fairly tall men into the cab to see, and we were all surprised at how the RZR provided room for them. The one thing we did notice was you had to get used to not letting your arm smack the outside roll cage that runs vertically in the door frame from your shoulder to your hip. The taller men noticed themselves hitting it with their elbows at first, but said it was not a problem once they adjusted to it. 

The floor in the RZR is grooved with a foot pocket below and out from the gas pedal to keep your foot in place. We found the gas pedal to be adjusted with the right amount of resistance for pressing it down without it throwing your foot off the pedal when you hit a bump. It wasn’t perfect, however, and some bumps resulted in my foot being thrown off or slamming forward. To be fair, I don’t know how that can be totally avoided. The pedal resistance also made for gentle starts from a stop without jerking you forward. The brake pedal also was the right size and had a good “feel” to it.

Now for something we did notice and didn’t like so much. The first ride out the weather had been raining some, and we kept noticing little mud chunks winding up on our feet. So a stop was in order to investigate why. What we discovered was under the dash there is a small gap at the top between the wheel well and the cab. This was causing the tire to throw mud chunks into the cab. Now after many a mile not once did water bounce into the cab from those gaps, but they were there.  After returning home and a little research, we discovered you can buy a kit directly from Polaris to close those small gaps. I can’t figure out why they are there in the first place, but I would have bought the kit to close them. It appears for 2012 Polaris has sealed the cab and closed those gaps, but we will look at the 2012 model to see. If not, buying the kit is a must.

The cockpit of the RZR has the feel of sitting down in the machine. It is well laid out with everything being positioned within reach of the driver, and instrument panel making the driver aware of what is going on. Everything is laid out in be in the place you would expect it to be.

Wheels and Tires

The base RZR comes with 25 inch steel wheels and 25 inch tires from Maxxis. They are only two ply tires, but they proved to be formidable on the trail as an all-terrain. This is our second experience with two ply factory placed tires that provided good performance. It leads us to believe Polaris is making an effort to not put the lightest weight and cheapest tires on their machines from the factory like some other manufacturers. We put these tires through the rocks with no punctures, and we figured we would have one. The ride is good even without being radials. The wear was minimal even after 500 miles. Overall we were pleasantly surprised with their performance. They are certainly not a mud tire, and we accidently got stuck to prove it. At the end of the day these tires turned out to be the “little tire that could”.

What About Work and Hauling?

If you are looking for a machine to use for only working around the farm, then don’t buy a RZR. Go look for a machine with more payload that is designed for work first and play second (or not at all). Thankfully the RZR is born to be a thoroughbred and not a mule (pardon the UTV pun). Yes the RZR will haul 300 pounds in the bed, which equates into some firewood or a load of rocks, but it is designed to be something you play in first and work in second.  

What the bed of the RZR is built for is carrying your gear out on the trail. There is plenty of room for a full size gas can, ice chest, cargo box, and other items you might want to carry. There is no lack of room for hauling gear for your play time, and you can use Lock & Ride accessories in the bed to carry and secure your items. The way the bed is designed there are tons of places to tie everything done. We used the bed to carry gas, an ice chest, camera gear, a tool box, and a bag with extra clothes in it. The point is it will carry a bunch of stuff for your adventures.

Noteworthy Items

Skid Plates- The RZR comes with plastic skid plates that run the underneath of the entire machine along with some small a-arm guards for the front. Between the skids and the metal cross members, there is good protection. We found ourselves smacking the skid plates quite a few times during our ride, and were impressed at how well they protected things. After all was completed, the skid plates looked just fine and were still firmly mounted underneath the frame of the RZR. Polaris has made the skid plates 33% thicker for 2012, so they will be all that much more protective.  Many aftermarket manufacturers along with Polaris make metal, aluminum, and thick plastic skid plates for the RZR. You might want to consider investing in some heavy duty skids just for that extra protection.

Storage- There exists a plethora of storage on the RZR to carry a bunch of stuff along for the ride, apart from the bed itself. There is the glove box, storage under the hood, and storage under the driver seat. The glove box is sealed well enough to keep water and most dust out of it. The under hood storage is not sealed but it sits so high that your stuff shouldn’t get wet. Dust proof however it is not. The storage under the seat will be getting wet and dusty, so choose carefully what you store under there.

Serviceability- Nothing is more frustrating than having to hang upside down to get to items that must be serviced. The good news is with the RZR you will not have to be a bat to take good care of your favorite toy. Up front you unlatch and remove the hood, and you will have access to the angled radiator (for easy cleaning), coolant overflow, and radiator cap. After removing the seats you can get to the battery and fuel pump and tank. 

Removing the seats and opening the back panel you can get to the PVT to change the belt, find electrical relays, and have access to the engine. The air filter, oil filter, and oil can be accessed from the side underneath the bed. Diffs are easily drained and filled, and the grease points are on top of almost all the spots which need grease. Clearly ease of service was considered in the design of the RZR.

Lock & Ride- As with most if not all Polaris models, there is a full line of available Lock & Ride accessories available for the RZR from storage boxes to fuel can racks.

Things We Would Improve

Parking Break- The RZR family does not have an automotive style parking break, or any parking brake. It does have a “Park” position in the transmission. We have found the “Park” position to hold the RZR right where we put it, but we would like a parking brake also.  A parking brake provides the warm fuzzy feeling of security people like.

Brighter Lighting- We wish the RZR had brighter lights for higher speed driving as this would be “icing on the cake”. We found at slower cruising speeds, the lighting was fine. It is a shame that the high beams and low beams can’t be operated at the same time since that would help quite a bit.

Ground Clearance- From the factory we wish the RZR came with 12 inches of ground clearance to offer greater ability to get the middle of the machine up into the air more. The RZR S comes with 12 inches of ground clearance, so we know it could be done. We also realize this would increase center of gravity without the added benefit of the wider width of the RZR S. Even so we wish for more ground clearance, which could be adjusted for high speed cornering or increased for going over rocky trails.

Engine Braking and Active Descent Control- We hope these items will be added to the RZR line in the near future as engine braking is missed on the RZR when going down steep inclines. Having to ride the brakes down inclines is not our first choice, though it works great. Hopefully this change is coming.

Highlights

• FUN TO DRIVE!
• Tried-and true powerful engine
• Smooth, stable, and comfortable ride
• 50 inches wide so you can ride almost any public trail

Summary- Our Thoughts

When we look back at all the ground we covered with our RZR 800, we can’t imagine not having one. The RZR is SO MUCH FUN TO DRIVE! What else can be said to summarize our experience with it. RZR owners we have talked to love their RZRs the way we do, and out on the trails we found the RZRs outnumbered the other side-by-sides around five to one. Clearly Polaris has done it right with the RZR line. We love the power and ride of the RZR 800, the comfortable seats, room for two, storage, and feel from behind the wheel. We love at 50 inches wide where the RZR can take you, and the adventures you can have. Above all these things and many more though, we love how fun each and every mile is to drive. Though we love riding ATVs in our very core, we found the RZR to be as much fun and capable out on the trail as what we expect from an ATV. The RZR 800 simply delivers mile after mile of fun. Go drive one for yourself, and it will definitely leave a smile on your face that is slow to fade away.

Tips N Tricks

• Preloaded Shock Setting- If you are going to be riding rocky trails with two full size adults, you will want to increase the tension on the shocks to get more ground clearance in the middle of the RZR.
• Safety Net Securing Point- The safety net snap point on the roll cage above the rider and passenger shoulders blew off when the RZR was being towed to the trails. We lost both of ours, and were told by the dealer it was common. You will want to wrap tape around the plastic adjustment piece to keep this from happening. If you don’t, you can buy replacements at any dealer or sporting goods store.

MSRP- $11,299

Related Links

Ranger RZR 800 in UTV Buyer’s Guide- http://www.atvescape.com/2011-utv-models/101-polaris/544-ranger-rzr-800

Polaris RZR 800 Website- http://www.polarisindustries.com/en-us/ATV-RANGER/Side-By-Side-Vehicles/RANGER-RZR-800/pages/overview.aspx

Special Financing Offers And Rebates- http://www.polarisindustries.com/en-us/ATV-RANGER/Pages/Special-Offers.aspx

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