The hunters and outdoorsman will find that
the exhaust note on the 550 is not quite as
loud as the 850 when slipping through the woods.
Even everyday trail riders are becoming aware
that they need to be attentive to noise and
both machines shouldn’t set off any alarms
from the neighbors. Hunters aside, everyone
will like the racking system found on the new
models which feature Polaris’s “Lock
and Ride” system which features 100 tie
down locations for securing cargo. Polaris also
offers over 65 optional accessories for the
racking system to fit the need of just about
anyone.
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The Polaris
Sportsmans XP rack capacity has increased
to 240lbs rear and 120lbs front, which
feature the "Lock & Ride"
system with 100 tie-down points
|
The
Polaris Sportsman XP features a large
rear storage compartment, which can be
used to carry some extra items along on
the ride |
The front rack removes very easily and that’s
a good thing as it’s the only way to easily
access the radiator and fuse block. On the rear
of the Sportsman is a storage box and located
just below it is a pull bar for towing out a
stuck buddy or pulling a log back to camp.
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The Polaris Sportsman 850 XP LE Browning
model comes standard with a gun scabbard,
rear rack extenders, 2500lb winch, rear
working light, hand & thumb warmers,
Mossy Oak New Break-Up bodywork, which
is a great combination of features for
any serious hunter |
Our Mossy Oak edition even featured a gun boot
that I was pretty unsure of. I’ve never
trusted anything to hold my scoped rifles on an
ATV, and took a chance as I slipped in one of
my hunting rifles and hit the trail. I was happy
that after checking the rifles zero it was true
and was used to harvest a deer a few days later.
The gun boot removed easily and did its job of
protecting my rifle.
For those that hit the trails at night, 3 lights
will show you the way with 150 watts of illumination
on tap. The digital dash is bright enough and
easy to read even in dim light and is plenty
bright on night rides.
|
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The all-new Polaris Sportsman XP 550 &
850 proved to be a great utility ATVs
for work or play |
Now the hard part of comparing these two ATV’s
is which to chose and why. I would personally
love to see the 550 model stay here forever as
it just seems to fit every category that I find
myself needing an ATV for. The extra power of
the 850 is surely a big selling point, but the
price difference ($8,999.00 vs. $7499.00 suggested)
could be the breaking point for many. While the
quest for more powerful machines has its place,
the 550 did it all for me.
I surely wouldn’t throw rocks at the
850 model, but can’t justify the added
expense for power I personally can’t or
won’t anticipate myself needing. The mid
sized models of many manufactures continue to
be their best sellers and for good reasoning,
some of which matches my line of thinking. I
don’t think you can go wrong with purchasing
either offering if these models happen to be
on your wish list.
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