We finally got our hands on the 2-seat Polaris Xpedition XP 1000! The XP 1000 forgoes the SUV-style trunk for a rear tilting bed and makes do with two seats instead of four. We’ve reviewed the high-price Xpedition ADV models, but is the XP 1000 just as good?
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SportsTranscript
00:00 This is the 2024 Polaris Expedition XP Northstar.
00:04 It might be one of the best rigs we've driven all year.
00:07 We're going to take you behind the wheel and show you everything that sets this rig apart
00:10 from everything else on the market.
00:12 Then we're going to show you five things we love and five things we hate about this machine.
00:16 Finally, we're going to tell you who this side-by-side is for,
00:18 and if you should spend $38,999 on one.
00:22 So first things first, a sealed cab on a side-by-side is nothing new,
00:26 but on most machines, those feel like an afterthought because they are afterthoughts.
00:31 Engineers design the rig, and then a different team of guys comes up with how to put a windshield
00:35 and a roof and doors on the thing.
00:36 It might not always feel like one seamless design.
00:40 This isn't that.
00:41 All of this feels like it belongs here.
00:42 The doors open nice and solid.
00:44 There's a nice headliner.
00:45 It just feels like one cohesive piece in a way that we really haven't seen on a side-by-side before.
00:50 And overall, the interior is way nicer than what we're used to seeing on lower buck utility
00:55 and rec ute machines.
00:56 I mean, look at these seats.
00:57 They're super comfortable.
00:58 They're adjustable fore and aft.
01:00 You're not stuck with like the one size fits all church pew design.
01:03 And the side-by-side industry has been trotting out phrases like automotive grade for years now.
01:07 The truth is this isn't as nice as even the cheapest car on sale today,
01:11 but it is a massive step up for side-by-sides.
01:14 And nice as this is, you can still take a pressure washer to it.
01:17 Try that in your Tacoma.
01:18 There's also a lot of flexibility here.
01:20 Glass windscreen with a windshield wiper and washer,
01:23 but that windshield still opens up, which is great for nice days.
01:26 You could spend all day inside this interior and be comfortable while you do it.
01:29 A lot of that comes down to just how well the HVAC system works.
01:33 Chilly spring day here in East Tennessee, and we've been warm and dry all day long.
01:37 Like the cab, this thing doesn't feel like an add-on because it's not.
01:41 Polaris knew this thing was going to have HVAC from the word go and built the rest of the rig around it.
01:46 Likewise, Polaris is no stranger to an excellent stereo,
01:48 but the JBL system in this thing is particularly nice.
01:51 A lot of that probably comes down to the fact that the audio isn't just getting blasted out into space,
01:55 but is confined to the cab.
01:57 Still, you've got multiple speakers, including these little tweeters up here.
02:00 It works really, really well.
02:02 It's also got speed-sensitive volume, so the faster you go, the louder it gets.
02:06 It works extremely well.
02:08 And of course, the industry-leading ride command is here to make sure we don't get lost,
02:11 we stay entertained, and connected with everybody else on our ride.
02:13 Everywhere you look, there are really nice, really high-quality details inside and out.
02:17 These projection lens LED headlights look like what you'd find on an Escalade.
02:21 At night, they provide super clear, super bright light that makes the Expedition immediately recognizable on the trail,
02:27 and really maximizes your visibility.
02:28 There are also a billion accessories you can bolt to this rig, including a rooftop tent.
02:33 This rig came loaded up with this bed box, an implement holder, and a bed extender,
02:38 all of which is super easy to install and uninstall, thanks to these extruded aluminum bed rails.
02:42 Polaris has made a bunch of noise about this being an adventure side-by-side,
02:46 and that's probably true of the big ADV model,
02:49 but really, at its core, the XP is a wreck-ute rig.
02:52 And it might be one of the best on the market right now.
02:54 Look, we hooked a parts car to this thing, towed it around, didn't even feel it,
02:58 and that's in part because this thing can tow up to 2,000 pounds.
03:01 You can also put 600 pounds in the bed.
03:03 So for perspective, the General can carry the same amount of stuff in its bed,
03:07 but the Expedition can tow 500 pounds more.
03:10 The Expedition's bed and towing capacity also match the Yamaha R-Max blow-for-blow.
03:14 A lot of that comes down to the machine's engine.
03:17 There's a 999cc parallel twin with 114 horsepower back here.
03:21 That is way more power than almost everything else on the market.
03:24 It's more than the R-Max, it's more than the General, it's more than the Can-Am Commander.
03:28 There's only one rig that makes more power, and that's the new Kawasaki Ridge at 116 horsepower,
03:35 but two horsepower is not enough to brag about.
03:37 Part of what makes that engine so usable is the fact that Polaris gave the Expedition three drive modes.
03:42 Sport is super spicy with immediate throttle response.
03:46 Really kind of perfect for wide open terrain.
03:48 Standard is kind of ideal for the type of riding we do out here on the East Coast,
03:52 where you've got a mix of wide open spaces, gravel, little obstacles, stuff like that.
03:56 Comfort is really perfect for loading onto a trailer or tackling bigger obstacles.
04:00 And that big parallel twin is bolted to a traditional CVT, which works fine.
04:04 You also get four-wheel drive, the locking front differential, and turf mode,
04:08 which is super handy for recute rigs.
04:10 You're not going to tear up your field, you're not going to tear up your grass.
04:12 But really where this thing shines is on the trail, and that should come as no surprise.
04:17 The suspension is great, with Fox 2.0 Podium QS3 shocks up front and 2.5s in the back.
04:24 And Polaris designed this thing to be flexy, with long travel suspension front and rear.
04:28 The company says there's 14 inches of travel up front and 15 inches of travel in the rear.
04:33 Those numbers are right on top of one of the flexiest machines we have ever tested, the Yamaha R-Max.
04:38 The numbers are really close together.
04:39 You also get plenty of ground clearance. Polaris says there's 14 inches down there.
04:43 Part of that is thanks to these 30-inch ProArmor Crawler XP tires.
04:46 Let's go ahead and get into the five things we love about this rig.
04:50 And of course, we're going to start with the cab.
04:52 It feels great to finally get into a side-by-side that feels secure and substantial,
04:56 with great HVAC, power windows, and a banging stereo.
05:00 You also get lockable doors.
05:02 The second thing we love, these headlights.
05:04 They really give the machine a premium feel.
05:06 And man, the visibility is great when the sun goes down.
05:08 Would we bolt a light bar to the X-Ped?
05:10 Yeah, of course we would, but you don't really need it.
05:12 The third thing we love, this suspension.
05:15 Fox always does the Lord's work when it comes to shock.
05:17 It is no different here.
05:19 These QS3s handle whatever you want to throw at the Expedition,
05:23 which means you can cover some serious ground at speed.
05:25 And because of all that travel, the Expedition feels really stable over technical stuff.
05:30 That Goldilocks setup is really hard to hit, but Polaris nailed it with the Expedition.
05:34 The fourth thing we love, this lock-and-ride system.
05:37 There's no fumbling with screws, no finding the right tools.
05:40 You just drop this stuff in, drop down those anchors, you're good to go.
05:44 It also makes the Expedition really flexible with minimal fuss.
05:47 I know a lot of automotive manufacturers that could take a page out of Polaris' book when it comes to accessories.
05:52 The fifth thing I love is how this thing feels.
05:55 It feels like a little pickup truck, because that's kind of what it is.
05:58 I want to take this thing hunting. I want to take it fishing.
06:00 I want to spend a day poking around the woods.
06:02 It feels like that key that unlocks all of the good stuff I like to do outdoors.
06:07 And, well, that's kind of what Polaris sells it as.
06:09 So what about the stuff that we hate?
06:11 Number one thing, the Expedition is tough to see out of, especially out the rear.
06:14 Backing up is an exercise in faith in Braille.
06:18 Doubly true, because that bed extender means the rear-view camera only gives you a great view of the ground and nothing else.
06:24 The second thing we hate about the Expedition is it is loud inside the cabin.
06:28 We like a little bit of engine noise as much as the next guy, but the din at wide open throttle is insane.
06:34 On most side-by-sides, that's not really an issue because all the noise goes out into the world,
06:39 but in a sealed cab like this, where you've got a lot of reflective surfaces, it really makes a difference.
06:44 The next thing we hate is sort of a double feature.
06:46 It's partly this console.
06:48 You know, it's a really nice made design. It looks really watertight.
06:52 It's locking. That's awesome.
06:54 But it looks like you'd push this to open it. You don't.
06:56 You really gotta...
06:57 Ah! Yard on the... Oh, no.
07:00 You really gotta yard on that sucker to get it open.
07:02 Made worse by the fact that this thing comes with three different keys.
07:07 You've got your ignition key, you've got one of these keys for the center console,
07:10 and you've got another for the doors.
07:12 One key to rule them all really would make this thing a lot nicer.
07:16 Finally, the fifth thing we hate about the Expedition is the price.
07:19 It's not like I don't think it's worth $40,000.
07:22 It's just a lot of money for a Rekute rig.
07:25 If you're running a massive hunting ranch out in Texas or Canada somewhere,
07:30 and you've got clients you've got to run out to the hunting blind first thing in the morning,
07:33 this is the machine you want.
07:35 But 40 grand's a stack of money, and I don't have that kind of cash.
07:38 Which is a shame, because I really want this machine.
07:41 It's like a CJ5 and a K truck had a baby with superpowers.
07:45 All of that brings us to, who is this machine for?
07:48 This thing is the absolute king of Rekute machines,
07:50 which means it is perfect for someone who has actual work to do around a piece of property,
07:55 but also wants to use their machine to get out and have a good time,
07:58 whether that's wheeling or hunting or camping.
08:00 Its enclosed cab and excellent HVAC also means it's ideal for extreme environments.
08:06 Over 100 degrees, or if you live somewhere where you see below freezing more often than above freezing,
08:10 Expedition's your rig.
08:11 Last, this thing is for the guy for whom price is no object.
08:15 If you have to have the absolute nicest machine out there, you're not going to top the Expedition.
08:20 Hope you enjoyed this review.
08:21 Check us out over at UTVDriver.
08:23 We're going to have a full gallery, a written review, all that fun stuff up over at UTVDriver.com.