Marc Cesare, Smallvehicleresource.com

The base model General 1000 EPS is Indy Red with an MSRP of $16,299.

The Polaris General 1000 EPS was developed by Polaris to fill the void between the RZR lineup designed for recreational riding and the Ranger lineup designed primarily for work or utility applications with some recreational use. The General sits in the middle as more of a true recreational-utility crossover vehicle.

The General 1000 EPS is powered by a 100 hp, 999cc ProStar engine with EFI and engine braking system standard. It also has On-Demand True AWD/2WD/ VersaTrac Turf Mode. The high performance close ratio AWD will automatically engage all four wheels when more traction is needed and then revert back to 2WD when more traction is no longer needed. Other features include:

• Broad torque range – 65 ft. lbs. of torque
• Electronic Power Steering
• 12.25″/13.2″ of front/rear suspension travel
• 12″ of ground clearance
• Front and rear sway bars and dual rate springs to maintain clearance under load
• 4-wheel hydraulic disc brakes
• 27″ Maxxis Coronado tires
• Cast aluminum wheels
• 600 lb. capacity dump cargo bed
• 1,500 lb. towing capacity
• LED lighting
• Half doors
• Bolstered bucket seats
• Tilt steering
• Adjustable drive seat
• MSRP:  $16,299

Compared to the Ranger XP 1000 EPS the General offers less cargo and towing capacity but more horsepower, more speed, more suspension travel, half doors and larger tires.

The following are some of the comments from various expert and user reviews of the Polaris General 1000 EPS. Some common themes across the reviews include:

• General is a good crossover vehicle that handles both trail riding and work applications
• Powerful and fast with good torque
• Interior comfort and ergonomics better than RZR and Ranger with nice seats and instrument cluster
• Doors protect against the elements well and allow for easy ingress/egress
• Good suspension and ride

www.utvguide.net – Test ride for a day in New Mexico

• Suspension borrowed from RZR S 900/1000 works well and many aftermarket parts are available for customizing
• Good engine power and torque and placement behind cab limits noise
• Comfortable and roomy seats
• Well proportioned bed for the range of crossover uses
• Doors work great and offer protection from elements
• Well positioned instrument cluster
• No turf mode (Note: This doesn’t seem to be true as the specs list Versa Trac Turf Mode)
• Would prefer a larger tire size for rock crawling and clearance in the desert or mud riding
• Better equipped versions like the Deluxe edition are pricey
• Overall the General fills a hole in Polaris offerings and the overall feature set is better than competitors.

www.fourwheeler.com – Day of test riding near Santa Fe, New Mexico

• “Great for dirt sport enthusiasts who need a versatile, all-wheel-drive utilitarian side-by-side.”
• Low-range gearing worked well on steep inclines and rocky trail conditions
• Speed reached 60+ mph even at elevation
• AWD “terrific” for trail riding
• “…Quite capable of traversing snow, mud, sand and other terrain and doing so with ease…”
• Agile, powerful and fun to drive
• Roomier interior than the RZR or Ranger
• Comfortable seats
• Seats and center console an improvement over the RZR and Ranger
• Doors provide good protection from the elements and offer better ingress/egress than the RZR or Ranger
• Solid at soaking up bumps on the trail
• Rides level and has sway bars to reduce body roll
• Engine Braking System performed well
• Hydraulic assist dump bed is selling point
• Really good choice for a crossover vehicle

Dirttraxtelevision Video – Review of Polaris General 1000 EPS Deluxe

• Deluxe version with FOX QS3 is great because of the easy to adjust 3-position shocks for soft, medium or firm.
• Rides great – plush suspension but avoids bottoming out
• Awesome power and excellently tuned clutches
• Good torque
• Close to 80 mph on top end
• Seat position more upright than RZR but more laid back than Ranger
• Easy ingress and egress with doors
• Instrument panel moves with tilt steering
• “Highest quality and best laid out interior from Polaris, ever” and more car like than any side-by-side on the market
• Center console cover is not padded and is slippery as an armrest
• Performs both recreational and work applications well

User Video – Polaris General 1000 walk around and short drive

• Tops out at 71 mph
• Comments on video
  • 0-60 mph took 7.0 seconds
  • Good crossbreed between RZR and Ranger
  • Better seating and more legroom than RZR

www.polarisgeneralforum.com – Comments from various users on General and in comparison to Honda Pioneer 1000. It is the 2016 Polaris General being discussed.

• Car like dash and controls
• Better seats than Pioneer – feel like you are sitting in the seat rather than on it
• Quick
• Sportier than Pioneer
• Nicer than the RZR 900
• Long discussion on the Polaris AWD system with auto-locking front differential vs. manual locking front differential in the context of more difficult riding such as rock crawling