When I had the chance to test ride the Ranger
400 and Ranger EV, I was skeptical about the
performance of both units, after all how much
can you get out of a 450cc and electric powered
ranger? Well my doubts were quickly put to rest
after just a few minutes with each new Ranger.
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Polaris
Ranger 400 may be a value priced UTV,
but it offers plenty of performance
for the money with a top speed of 40
MPH, which is nearly the same as many
fullsize UTVs, and on the trails is
handles extremely well with a well balanced
center of gravity
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The strut suspension on the Ranger 400
performed well over small jumps during
our test ride |
The new Ranger 400 has performance on par with
some of the big fours full size UTVs. At 40mph
it will run with units twice its size. On the
trails, the Ranger 400’s mid size chassis
is nimble and quick responding, which made it
easy to negotiate around trees and obstacles on
the trails at Polaris’s Wyoming test facility.
When
it comes time to work this unit has the capability
to do almost anything you could ask of it. All
though the strut style front suspension reach’s
its limits faster than the independent suspension
it still is up to the task.
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The
Polaris Ranger EV is a hunter's dream
machine especially in the camo edition
with its whisper quiet motor, which
packs a punch for conquering hill climbs
in the woods and offers plenty of speed.
Also the bed of the Range EV is plenty
big to haul out a large deer without
an issue
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We were amazed at how well the Ranger
EV handled the large rocks on our obstacle
course |
The Ranger EV takes you by surprise the first
time you push on the accelerator pedal the response
it a little delayed compared to a gas unit but
then all the sudden without a sound its off with
convincing speed. I took the EV done all the trails
I had been on all day with all the other units
down steep grades and up treacherous hills and
never once did I need more power or traction.
Even after using the EV all day on the uneven
challenging trail system the battery meter still
read full. This in itself makes me believe this
unit could be used for a full day of work and
play on a single charge. These two new mid size
Ranger dispel the theory “you get what you
pay for” because at least in this case you
are getting a lot more.
