[Bloomboy]

Hello, 1st post here. My wife and I have 2 ATV's and we are selling one and keeping the 2016 Grizzly. My wife wants a SXS with a bucket seat for trail riding etc. We have narrowed down our choices to the General and Commander 800. I know the General is 1000 vs 800 but I can get a 2016 800 XT for around $4000 less than the General. Need some comments: pros and cons on the 2 machines. I will be doing some pulling and hauling with the unit and the rest trail riding.
Thanks.

 

[duneodan]

go for the general you will love it i have the blue one and i love it

 

[asp]

I owned a Can-AM Commander. If you want heat and noise buy one of them. More difficult to service, take 20 minutes to remove all the plastic panels. My wife said she would rather walk that put up with the noise. We now have a XP900 and she is riding again

 

[Bloomboy]

asp, I have heard that from some other people about the noise. Even 2 Can am dealers told me that the new Defender is much quieter than the XT. Also $400 for the 1st service call on a 2015 XT seems pretty steep.

 

[asp]

My dealer ask me 600.00 for the first service, did it my self. Get on the Commander forum and search for Troy's covers. That is what everyone buys for noise and heat, I had one but it was still too noisy and hot. What ever you purchase make sure the engine is not between the seats like the Commander

 

[zkully]

Hello, 1st post here. My wife and I have 2 ATV's and we are selling one and keeping the 2016 Grizzly. My wife wants a SXS with a bucket seat for trail riding etc. We have narrowed down our choices to the General and Commander 800. I know the General is 1000 vs 800 but I can get a 2016 800 XT for around $4000 less than the General. Need some comments: pros and cons on the 2 machines. I will be doing some pulling and hauling with the unit and the rest trail riding.
Thanks.

A better bet for you might be a Honda Pioneer 1000. Can tow and haul more weight than the General. You can also lock up the differentials when you want to which will help you out on the technical trails. Plus you don't have to deal with a belt as it has a real transmission. But no bucket seats.

 

[Bloomboy]

We looked at the Pioneer 1000 and it looks like a nice machine but my wife wanted bucket seats instead of a bench and thought the Honda was to "utility looking". Got to please the wife!!

 

[Alaskan47]

Amen to that.

 

[generaljls]

A better bet for you might be a Honda Pioneer 1000. Can tow and haul more weight than the General. You can also lock up the differentials when you want to which will help you out on the technical trails. Plus you don't have to deal with a belt as it has a real transmission. But no bucket seats.

I'm pretty sure, but may be wrong, that all polaris diff's are locked. The front diff just isn't engaged until the rear slips 1/5 revolution. So this whole argument about being able to lock diff's is moot. Now being able unlock them is different and a plus.

 

[rockman]

My dealer is a volume dealer and sells both Can Am and Polaris.
His prices for comparable equipped vehicles is only $300 apart for the 1000 motors and only $1300 less for the 800 Commander XT vs the Blue General.
Like others have said, they are not comparable vehicles. The General is years ahead of the Commander in every category.
The Polaris close ratio AWD is much better than the Can Am system and is a locker in the front.

The Pioneer in nice but it is not comparable in the suspension, power or smoothness of power delivery.

Drive both the Commander and the General and then make up your mind. And you might want to find another dealer with more competitive prices.

 

[GJCOMMANDO]

I have had 2 Commanders and loved them both. The heat and noise is definitely there but the console cover mentioned is great and works wonders. If you dealer is quoting more than $300.00 for a service he is not good - mine was $300.00 every time.


Now, that being said I am seriously looking at a General, just some issues right out of the box that I am not to keen on - waiting to see if they address them in the coming months before I make my I mind up.

 

[TheGeneral]

I moved the thread to a more suitable section.

Thanks,

Richard.