Surfdoggins, I personally think you are comparing apples to oranges. The Pioneer 1000 would compete more directly with the Polaris Ranger 900, can am defender, Kawasaki mule Pro-fx, Arctic cat prowler HDX, or the Yamaha Viking. They are more work focused, all have 3 seats, and most have a 1000lb bed capacity. The Polaris General on the other hand competes with (and currently dominates) the Can Am Commander, Kawasaki Teryx, Yamaha Wolverine, and the standard Arctic cat Prowler line. All of these machines have 2 seats, a smaller bed, and the standard for the class is a 600lb bed capacity.
Also, I believe u misunderstand the Polaris AWD system. The standard system available on almost all Polaris models has a permanently locked rear axle and when the AWD switch is engaged the vehicle remains essentially in 2wd until the computers senses the rear tires are spinning faster than the front and then it automatically engages the permanently locked front differential. While I feel this is an inferior system to the Yamaha diff lock you are accustomed to, it does work well and it keeps the steering very light in 4wd as well as allowing it to be a shift on the fly system. I've have crawled all over Moab in my Rzr and hit countless mud holes in it and on my Polaris Atv's and it has never failed to engaged all 4 tires with truly locked differentials. Polaris does offer "turf mode" on some models that will allow you to unlock the rear differential in addition to 2wd and AWD which allows you to turn sharper and not tear up the "turf", hence the name.
I am not arguing that the Pioneer is an overall better machine for your purposes because it very well may be, but you shouldn't bash a machine that hasn't even hit show rooms yet, especially if you don't have your facts straight.
Even tho I currently own 2, I am not a Polaris fan boy by any means. My last 2 Sxs were Kawasaki's and there's a good chance my next one will be either a Honda, Yamaha, or Kawasaki depending on what's on the market when the time comes. Although Polaris, Can Am, and Arctic Cat have came a long way, I still believe the build quality of the Japanese manufacturers is superior.