The In-Town UTV

It took a while, but I finally got to drive a UTV! Unlike most of the people we write for (you), I don’t live in the country anymore—my residence is a condo, making me basically a small-town in-town resident.

Sure, I appreciate wide open spaces, and would have loved to have a UTV back in the day—country roads, wooded trails, even back country safaris would surely be a blast. For help with chores, that’s a legit reason for owning one.

Manufacturers design UTVs for capable, comfortable handling over nearly any terrain. Country-focused utility is the guiding mantra.

UTVs are about personal, if slightly rugged, transportation. Around here, UTVs are everywhere—summertime, they shuttle shoppers to and from stores, bars, restaurants, outdoor concerts, and farmers markets; in winter, ice fishermen bomb all over our frozen lakes.

Polaris asked if I would like to test drive one of their UTVs for a few weeks. I knew about Polaris, since they have a nearby manufacturing facility, producing over the years personal watercraft, snowmobiles, ATVs, Victory Motorcycles, and the Slingshot 3-wheeled motorcycle. Today, it is where Indian Motorcycles are born.

Polaris made available to me a 2023 RANGER XP 1000 Northstar Edition Ultimate, which has:

7" Off-Road Display with Ride Command Technology and Integrated Audio

Factory-Installed Heating & Air Conditioning HVAC System

Pro Shield Cab System with Full Glass Tip Out Windshield with Wiper & Power Windows

29" Pro Armor X-Terrain Tires & 14" Wheels

Polaris HD 4,500 Lb. Winch with Synthetic Rope with Autostop and Wireless Remote

82 hp ProStar Engine

14" Ground Clearance

2,500 Lb. Towing Capacity & 1,000 Lb. Box Capacity

For a mid-August delivery, the a snowplow on the front was a head-scratcher. Oh well, I had it until mid-November, so maybe we’d get an early snowfall to try it out. (We didn’t.) I dropped the snow plow immediately, stashing it in the garage.

First impressions

“Cute” came to mind, but a quick walkaround showed the RANGER has some really good-looking angles and some where it is…unfortunate. But, hey, it’s built for function, not to win a Concours d’Elegance.

Function, it has that in spades. Great ground clearance. Tight but functional interior with cupholders and storage areas all over. Good visibility, with a forward-opening windshield for extra ventilation. I really enjoyed the informational displays in front of the operator and in the center console—GPS mapping including altitude in the Ride Command 7-inch display.

Oh look, it has front and rear cameras! That’s fun when heading down the road or backing up.

How I used it

Well, this is an outdoor vehicle and I live in town, so the RANGER was used like almost every UTV I see around here: I picked up pizza from Casey’s General Store nearby. Often. And we used it to go to our local wine bar, a couple of blocks away. Also often. More often, actually.

Steering was light and accurate, the accelerator responsive and the transmission made the RANGER drive like my car. But using it only to get pizza and wine just didn’t feel right, so I found a legit use.

My friend is an accomplished gardener and yard-monster: perfect grass, expertly planted and groomed plantings and bushes, and occasional flowers. When early fall trimming was needed, the RANGER came to play, and it was awesome!

She clipped bushes and everything went into the bed in back. With the light weight—compared to a pickup truck—and tractor-like tires, the RANGER caused no damage at all moving around the yard. When it came time to offload cuttings, the tilt bed made that a back-saving event.

In-town UTVs have the option of functionality, but first and foremost they are fun to drive. Many reach highway speeds easily. Compared with a crew-cab pickup truck, parking is a breeze—you can zoom into practically any available space, even if it’s off the street.

What I’d change? Not much

Rural folk: Order yours with turn signals. When you head into town, brake lights and turn signals will help others know your intentions.

For me, the RANGER had plenty of speed for highways and gravel roads, but if you have to drive, say, 10 miles into town, with the pedal to the metal I found the RANGER to be a little buzzy in the cab. While many will enjoy this, an overdrive to lower RPMs would be appreciated.

Changes? That’s it, period.

Want one of your own?

Look here: polaris.com/en-us/off-road/RANGER /models/RANGER -xp-1000-northstar-edition/


Because laws vary by state, always observe state and local laws when operating a UTV on your town’s streets (if allowed)