UTV Driver
UTV Driver
  • 6 months ago
Is the all-new 2024 Kawasaki Ridge better than the 2024 Polaris Ranger? We put the two head to head to find out and came away SHOCKED.

More on the Kawasaki Ridge: https://youtu.be/IZzMC2LAOIc?si=3f7xLykgHUAM3QNr

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Transcript
00:00 We have been buzzing about this matchup since Kawasaki told us they were sending us a 2024 Ridge.
00:05 When we first drove the Ridge, we discovered that it's not what Kawasaki told us.
00:09 It's a utility machine masquerading as a wreck ute rig.
00:13 With air conditioning, a dope stereo, a super comfy interior, and all kinds of gadgets,
00:18 it reminded us a little bit of one of our favorite utility rigs, the Polaris Ranger.
00:22 The Ranger is also available with all those fancy gadgets, and it matches the Kawasaki's utility,
00:27 even though it's a little bit down on horsepower.
00:29 We've got a Ranger at our Virginia farm headquarters.
00:32 Now, it's not the Northstar edition.
00:34 There's no AC, no booming stereo, and no HVAC here.
00:38 But it is an XP1000, which means an 82 horsepower, 999cc parallel twin,
00:44 and it's rated to carry a thousand pounds in the bed and tow 2,500,
00:47 and the Ridge matches those numbers.
00:49 It's also outfitted with a RhinoRacks roof rack and bed rack,
00:53 and some of the tools you might put on one if you had a hobby farm to look after.
00:56 The Kawasaki's a little bit heavier than the Ranger.
00:59 It weighs about 1,875 pounds to the Ranger's 1,700,
01:03 but otherwise, they're right on top of each other.
01:05 They both have alloy wheels, aggressive 27-inch tires,
01:09 dump beds, rubber belt CBTs, and long service intervals.
01:13 First, we'll take a look at the Kawasaki Ridge.
01:15 Now, we've been over this thing in detail a couple times, and we'll link those videos below.
01:19 And if you want even more information, you can check out our buyer's guide on this rig at UTVDriver.
01:24 We'll start with the centerpiece of the machine.
01:26 It's 999cc inline four-cylinder.
01:29 It's got 10 horsepower over the Ranger at 92,
01:32 makes about 65 pound-feet of torque, and it's quiet.
01:35 It's playful, and when you really get on it, it has a nice four-banger growl to it.
01:40 That's mated to a transmission.
01:42 It's a CVT, and it transmits power from the engine to the wheels.
01:45 That's about it.
01:46 The interior is what you would expect from a luxury-focused utility rig.
01:49 Kawasaki's marketing material promised peak premium performance,
01:53 but really, it's right in line with its competitors.
01:55 Don't get us wrong. It's really nice.
01:57 It's just nothing you won't see in any other machine.
01:59 The ergonomics are solid.
02:01 The layout makes sense.
02:02 The knobs are all where you would want them, and the visibility is great.
02:05 The glass windshield is excellent, and so is the wiper that comes with a washer.
02:10 And then, once you get done marveling at all the bells and whistles,
02:12 they just get out of your way and let you work.
02:14 We really like that.
02:15 Moving outside, the Ridge is pretty handsome, and it looks well-built,
02:19 and it's got high-quality paint and really nice alloy wheels.
02:21 You also get a winch.
02:23 You get a 2-inch hitch receiver with safety chain mounts,
02:26 and the bed is nice and solid, and it's a dump bed.
02:28 So, that's the Kawasaki Ridge.
02:30 Now, let's take a look at the 2024 Polaris Ranger XP1000 Premium.
02:35 Under the bed is Polaris's 999cc parallel twin.
02:39 It puts out 82 horsepower and is nicely balanced for work and a little bit of fun.
02:43 Throttle response is good.
02:45 It sounds decent for a parallel twin,
02:47 and it is eager to spin the tires when you give it the beans.
02:49 Now, we've long been fans of the Pro Star, but it is outshined by the Kawasaki's 4-pot.
02:54 That has more to do with how good the Kawasaki engine is
02:57 and nothing really to do with anything wrong with the Polaris.
03:00 Just like the Kawasaki, the Polaris uses a CVT, which transmits power to the wheels.
03:04 This one is a 2024, but for 2025, Polaris has entirely redesigned the transmission.
03:10 There's a new shifter, which feels excellent, and a whole new gear set,
03:14 so it's worth holding out for that.
03:15 Inside, this Polaris is a lot more basic than the Kawasaki,
03:18 but that's mostly down to the trim level that Polaris sent us.
03:21 This is a premium. It's not the North Star Ultimate,
03:24 so it goes without a stereo, it goes without HVAC, it goes without power windows,
03:28 it goes without a lot of stuff.
03:29 The interior is super comfortable for what it is,
03:32 but asking a premium-level Polaris to compete with the Ridge
03:35 is like asking a welterweight to go 12 rounds with Tyson.
03:38 It's just not fair.
03:39 There's plenty of storage. It's roomy, it's comfortable,
03:42 the gauges are easy to read.
03:43 If you don't need a ton of luxuries, you will be more than happy.
03:46 Outside, it's got aggressive bumpers, it's got great big aggressive tires,
03:51 it's got alloy wheels, it's got handsome paint.
03:53 It's a match for the Cowie.
03:54 And you get a winch, and out back, there's a 2-inch hitch receiver
03:57 with provisions for safety chains, just like there is on the Kawasaki.
04:01 Even the most basic Kawasaki Ridge Ranch Edition starts at $23,999.
04:05 Right now, you can get your hands on a Polaris Ranger XP1000 Premium for $20,999.
04:11 And the top-spec Ranger XP1000 North Star Ultimate Edition,
04:15 if you don't go into the accessories catalog, retails for $32,199.
04:20 That Kawasaki is $33,499.
04:23 So those are our fighters.
04:24 It's worth pointing out that the Polaris is the best-selling side-by-side, period.
04:28 Full stop.
04:29 Polaris has been sharpening that blade for over 20 years, and it shows.
04:33 While the Kawasaki isn't new to work, the company is fresh to this segment.
04:37 So the question is, can the Ridge keep up?
04:39 First, let's talk about the drive.
04:41 The Ranger is much more agricultural.
04:43 The engine note is rougher, the shifter, at least in this 2024 model,
04:47 is clunkier, and the interior just feels more Spartan.
04:50 The Kawasaki, on the other hand, feels more like a Toyota.
04:53 It just wants to get out of your way and fade into the background.
04:55 The only exception there is the brakes.
04:57 The Kawasaki's feel spongier and less confident,
05:00 but the bottom line is both machines will bring you and a full load to a stop.
05:04 Eventually.
05:05 On paper, both of these machines can carry a thousand pounds in the bed,
05:09 but we would not treat that number like a suggestion on either of them.
05:12 The capacity is a thousand pounds, not a thousand and one.
05:15 Even with a couple hundred pounds of oak in the bed,
05:18 both of these machines demonstrated considerable squat,
05:21 and the load was way too much for the gas assist dump bed struts.
05:24 Bottom line, eat your Wheaties if you plan on using the dump bed.
05:27 The reality is there's a ton of overlap between these two,
05:30 and if you bring either of them home, you will be tickled pink.
05:34 You park the Polaris in your barn,
05:35 and you will not miss what the Kawasaki offers, and vice versa.
05:38 And in a matchup this close, the Victor can come down to a single detail.
05:42 We came here today fully expecting the Polaris to ace this comparison.
05:46 The Ridge is a softer machine than the Ranger in nearly every way.
05:50 The paint is nicer, and the interior is nicer,
05:53 and while these aren't necessarily comparable trims,
05:56 the Cowie feels a lot more papaw than purposeful.
05:58 Then we loaded both rigs with a couple hundred pounds of oak,
06:01 and hooked a yard trailer to the hitch.
06:03 And that's where the Polaris fell down.
06:05 All right, we've got a bed full of cut firewood in the Polaris Ranger.
06:08 We're trying to hook up this trailer full of trash wood,
06:11 and we've noticed a problem.
06:12 See how far under the rig the tongue of the trailer is to hook up?
06:15 And that means that when you go to use the trailer jack,
06:18 it hits the tailgate, and you can't lower it anymore,
06:21 and it makes a terrible sound.
06:22 So to test the towing capabilities of this machine,
06:25 that means we need to go get another hitch,
06:27 and that means we have to stop what we're doing,
06:29 and run to Lowe's and buy something that works.
06:31 Now, that's not a huge deal.
06:33 If you owned this machine, this would happen exactly once,
06:35 and you would figure out a towing solution that worked.
06:38 The problem with that is,
06:39 you can now no longer just go to any old rig on the farm,
06:41 and grab any trailer hitch, and expect it to work with the Ranger.
06:44 You have to have a specific towing setup for this rig,
06:48 and that just makes it that much less useful.
06:50 We've got a sit-rep update on the trailer hitch debacle.
06:54 We went and got a longer one, but there's no drop to it.
06:56 So now the handle of the trailer jack is hitting the tailgate of the Polaris.
07:01 If you look at any truck or any SUV that has a hitch receiver on it,
07:05 it is the last thing on the vehicle.
07:07 And this is the very reason for that.
07:09 You don't want any part of the trailer interfering with the body of your vehicle.
07:13 We know why Polaris recessed the hitch receiver.
07:16 They did it for departure angle, but this isn't a play thing.
07:18 This is a utility rig.
07:20 It's nice that it does have some off-road capability,
07:22 but I would sacrifice that for a trailer hitch
07:24 that actually worked a little bit better than this one does.
07:26 We didn't have that problem with the Kawasaki, and here's why.
07:29 The back of the tailgate is flush with the hitch.
07:33 That means that the hitch is about the farthest rearward component of the vehicle,
07:36 just like anything else you would tow with.
07:39 So the hitch sticks out about four inches,
07:40 and there's plenty of clearance for a trailer tongue.
07:43 So we've come back with our towing solution for the Ranger.
07:46 We finally found a hitch that worked,
07:48 but now that it's figured out, we thought, "Great, we'll be able to tow."
07:51 Except, because we had to get a longer hitch
07:54 so that the trailer jack handle would clear the tailgate,
07:57 there's now much more leverage on the back axle.
07:59 So as you can see, the Ranger is squatting like it's Carolina squatted, frankly,
08:05 and that is no good.
08:07 You may be able to see here, the trailer jack is dragging the ground,
08:10 and the Ranger is struggling with this load,
08:12 partially because it keeps contacting the ground,
08:15 and partially because, well, this just isn't a very skookum design.
08:19 This trailer is loaded well within the Ranger's limits.
08:22 It's not a very heavy trailer.
08:23 It bears saying that the Kawasaki had no problem with any of this.
08:27 Yes, it acted like it had a big load behind it,
08:30 but as far as keeping the trailer in check, not dragging the ground,
08:34 none of that was an issue.
08:35 But the Ranger is just letting itself down, frankly.
08:37 This is a 2024 Ranger.
08:39 The 2025 comes with 29-inch tires,
08:41 so it's going to have a little bit more ground clearance,
08:43 which would alleviate some of this problem,
08:45 but it still shouldn't be something you have to think about with a utility rig.
08:48 We're going to get this trailer unhooked,
08:50 go grab the Ridge, and get it out of here.
08:52 I'll be honest, that little fiasco lost the Ranger this test.
08:55 And before you head to the comments to yell at us about tongue weights and trailer choice,
08:59 the reality is the Kawasaki didn't have to care about either.
09:02 When it comes to tools, that's exactly what you need.
09:05 And when it comes down to it, we would buy a Ridge over a Ranger.
09:09 And it shocks us to say that.
09:11 That's our comparison of the 2024 Kawasaki Ridge and the 2024 Polaris Ranger.
09:16 Let us know in the comments what you think and which one you would buy.
09:19 And then head over to UTVDriver.com where we've got news, reviews,
09:23 and buyer's guides five days a week.
09:25 And hit us up on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
09:28 We will see you there.