The most popular UTV in 2017 and the most promising UTV in 2018

Winter in coming ,we will say good bye to 2017 and welcome 2018 soon.

So what is the most popular UTV in 2017 and the most promising UTV in 2018 ? Let me introduce the following two models .

2017 Polaris RZR S 1000 EPS

Building upon the already impressive line of available RZR models, the 2017 Polaris RZR S 1000 EPS helps fill a necessary void often overlooked in the current market. While doing so, the RZR does it's best to play an interesting numbers game. In the northeast where I hang my helmet, most of the wheeling we do involves tight tree-filled trails, rocks, ruts, roots, mud, and seemingly ever-changing trail conditions. The RZR S 1000 EPS is wide enough to provide excellent stability, but not so wide that it can only negotiate trails meant to handle Jeeps. To put it in perspective, the RZR S 1000 EPS is 60" wide with a 79" wheelbase. The bigger brother RZR XP chassis is 64" wide, but the wheelbase is stretched out to 90". This gives the RZR S 1000 EPS the ability to negotiate tight trails that the RZR XP could never access. The other number that should impress buyers is the fact that the RZR S 1000 EPS has 33% more power than the RZR S 900. The numbers don't lie, and we've spent the last few months piling on the trail miles to see just what this RZR is capable of!

2017 Polaris RZR S 1000 EPS Highlights:
100HP twin cylinder engine
60" vehicle width
Highly tunable Walker Evans needle shocks
High-Performance Close-Ration AWD
12.5" ground clearance
A plethora of available factory accessory options

Engine:

Powering all RZR S 1000 EPS models is a 999cc, twin cylinder, fuel-injected four-stroke Pro Star powerplant. The engine features dual overhead cams, has four valves per cylinder, and in this particular tune, is good for 100 horsepower! A standard Engine Braking System(EBS) uses the engine's natural compression to help control deceleration without the need to step on the brake pedal. Modern RZR's make servicing much easier than early models, and the RZR Z 1000 EPS follows suite for those that like to turn their own wrenches.

Transmission:

The RZR S 1000 EPS is equipped with Polaris' High-Performance True On Demand AWD system, linked to a belt-driven continuously variable transmission (CVT). When engaged and slippage is detected, power is directed to the front wheels for extra traction. As soon as the rear wheels regain traction, the system automatically disengages. The Polaris transmission makes driving the RZR easy and servicing the belt about as simple as it could possibly be.

Suspension:

Over the last few years, off-road suspension technology has come a long way! In my opinion, the MVP (most valuable part) on the RZR S 1000 EPS is the Walker Evans needle shocks. With 15 clicker adjustments for compression that the pilot can actually feel, there's plenty of tuning capability to dial the suspension in. The dual a-arm front suspension delivers 12.25" of suspension travel, while the dual rear a-arms return 13.2" of travel. The long-travel arms not only provide excellent suspension dampening capabilities, but they also allow for 12.5" of ground clearance. The standard Electric Power Steering (EPS) is an integral part of the smooth operating suspension, and the assist makes wheeling in tight, gnarly terrain nearly effortless.

Tire/Wheels/Brakes:

Tough, puncture resistant 27" GBC Dirt Commanders mounted on 14" cast aluminum wheels are very durable, while also helping to provide the 12.5" of ground clearance. Four wheel hydraulic calipers and vented rotors provide plenty of stopping power to bring the 100hp missile to a standstill. In lieu of a parking brake, a park in gear feature is used instead.

Interior:

The interior on our RZR S 1000 EPS is comfortable and sufficient for most needs. No sound system or GPS comes standard, like in some of the pricier RZR XP models. Instead, Polaris focused on the essentials, which is likely geared towards keeping the price down. A standard gauge pod that displays speed, fuel, gear selection, tachometer, tripmeter, odometer, and a slew of other "things" sits center stage. The seats are bolstered to keep the driver and passenger in check, and even at 6'2", I had plenty of leg room. I'm also a huge fan of the removable floor plugs. We wheel in the mud a lot, and the removable plugs make cleanup infinitely easier.

Exterior:

I'm a big fan of the RZR half doors. That being said, I'd be twice as happy if they were actually the full doors like Polaris uses on their General. The rear cargo area is large enough to strap a cooler, a Pelican case holding a drone, or a vast array of optional Lock & Ride accessories. The standard fender flares do double duty, giving the RZR an aggressive look while also helping to keep a significant amount of mud from being slung into the passenger compartment.

Ride Time:

We've trailered our Polaris RZR S 1000 EPS back and forth to the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area in Coal Township, PA a half dozen different times to pound as many miles as possible. Our first trip with it, we used the RZR as the "star car" to film an episode of an educational video series called "Plants are Cool Too" with Dr. Chris Martine and Bucknell University. (I'll get you the video link as soon as it goes live. This should happen in the next week or two). I've taken the RZR out numerous times to simply put some seat time on it and expose it to everything from high-speed tree dodging, technical trail riding, rock crawling, mud-bogging, and calm rides with my kids. In each situation, I found myself falling more in love with the RZR S 1000 EPS.

Power from the 1000cc engine is more than sufficient. I plan to do a project build with this RZR in the near future, and I honestly don't feel it needs any more power than it already has. No matter the situation, the engine has never left me looking for more performance. I'm a huge fan of the Engine Braking System (EBS) on this model as well. In previous models I could really feel the EBS, whereas this one feels very natural. We do alot of elevation change at my favorite ride spot, with much of it being technical enough that it needs to be done slowly. The RZR S 1000 EPS excelled in this area.

I was probably most impressed with the suspension. Having been in basically every RZR model ever made, I expected the RZR S 1000 EPS to be good. That being said, the Walker Evans shocks exceeded that expectation. The days of needing to turn the clickers numerous times to feel a change are over. I had our machine set on the softest settings to see just how plush it was to rock crawl, which is was. We immediately left that area and did some high speed testing with GNCC Pro ATV racer Chris Borich, and he could feel the RZR wallowing in the corners with those settings. I had him stop, cranked the compression setting 5 clicks harder on each shock and had him do the same loop again. He was blown away by the difference, and when you can do that to a guy that's made his living as one of the fastest woods racers the world has ever seen, that fact speaks volumes!

Final Thoughts:

To me, the 2017 Polaris RZR S 1000 EPS is a proverbial Swiss Army Knife of sorts in the UTV market. Out here on the east coast where I live, we have a little bit of everything. We have the whoops, ruts, and rocks that my cohorts on the left coast have, but we also have tight wooded forests that expose slippery roots. The weather also seems to suck here half the time(in comparison to SoCal), so we're faced with trails that can go from dusty to muddy and nearly impassable within a short distance. If Polaris were to ever seek my humble opinion of which machine checks off the most boxes for all the riding situations we face in the northeast, the 2017 Polaris RZR S 1000 EPS would likely come out on top for me. With a hand-pulled parking brake, as opposed to "Park" in the transmission, and a quick-change transmission that would allow me to go from forward to reverse in milliseconds when rock crawling, this machine could be close to perfect for us East Coast types! Check back with us in the future, as this RZR S 1000 EPS has Project Build written all over it!

2018 Chevrolet Tahoe Custom

For those new to UTV ownership, many surprises pop up. UTV’s are not particularly small and they do take a little more effort to haul around than say, a quad or a couple dirt bikes. At a minimum, most UTV’s require the use of a trailer and perhaps a newer, larger pick up truck. However, if you are a small family wanting to enjoy off roading in something like a four seat RZR, but a new truck doesn’t fit the family very well, Chevrolet recently announced a solution. For 2018 Chevrolet has introduced a new base model Tahoe Custom, that can not only carry the family around in style, it can tow that new UTV you have been eyeing.

The Tahoe Custom comes standard with a 6600 pound tow rating, back up camera and 54 feet of cargo space where the typical third row seat usually sits. Removing that seat is one way Chevrolet was able to give the Custom a low starting price of $44,995 (for 2WD). The 4WD Custom fetches an additional $3000. The extra cabin room is perfect for camping supplies, additional gear or perhaps a Sportz SUV Tent. With the second row seat removed, the Custom offers 112 cubic feet of cargo space.

Under the hood, Chevrolet dropped in a 355hp (383lbft), 5.3L, gas powered, V-8 that offers up to 23 miles per gallon when empty. They can achieve this by electronically, switching the powerplant to four cylinder mode, when the extra power is not needed then back again when it is. The technology works. One of our editors has this engine in a pickup, and yes, he spends less per year on gas than any of us.

When we tested the Tahoe Custom, we drove it with and without a trailer. For the real test, we drug two RZR XP1000’s to one of our favorite desert ride areas outside Las Vegas and toured around with Zero1 Desert Adventures. The RZR’s were equipped for racing and had some spares so the load, including the trailer was approaching 5,000 pounds.

On our drive, the Tahoe Custom performed flawless. Sure we could feel the RZR’s behind the rig, but, the LS motor was not laboring one bit. In tow/haul mode, the 6 speed, auto tranny did its thing and provided smooth shifts when expected and a comfortable ride. The 20-foot trailer was well balanced and didn’t cause the Tahoe to squat bad or even sway on the road. We would add trailer brakes to the package though. Chevrolet does ofter a “Max Trailing“ package that includes trailer brakes and raises the tow rating to 8,600 pounds.

Inside the Tahoe, the trim, was above par and the extra amenities were surprising. For a low cost SUV, we weren’t expecting things like a back up camera, lane assist or satellite navigation. The 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe Custom had all that and more. If you’re looking to tow your toys out to the woods, desert or dunes, but can’t sacrifice the practicality a SUV provides your family, this Tahoe will do it without breaking the bank.

Tahoe Custom Highlights
Offered in LS, 2WD and 4WD configurations
Standard 5.3L V-8 engine with direct injection
355 horsepower
EPA estimated 23 mpg highway
Cargo space behind the second row has 54 cubic feet of space
Standard front active aero shutters enhance aerodynamics
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability
4G LTE connectivity with Wi-Fi hotspot
Standard 8-inch color touchscreen radio
Up to five USB ports and five power outlets
110-volt three-prong outlet
Standard remote start
Standard Teen Driver feature

Maybe it's a little expensive but deserve it ,right ? Can't to wait and highly recommended.

Hope you will like this article.Further interest about autoparts ,you could keep eye on my blog,which aim to share more profession tutorials about autoparts.