I have noticed some good and bad information on the Commander vs. General Topic. Having owned both, 2014 Commander 1000XT and 2017 1000EPS Deluxe, I thought I would provide a unbiased review for those interested. I put 3000 trouble free miles on the Commander. I have 600 trouble free miles on the General.
My experience with off-road vehicles comes from years of building Toyota trucks and Jeeps for trails ranging from the Rubicon to local trails in WA. ID. OR. and the South West. I got into Rock Crawling builds on a amateur scale for a few years, then left the off-road world for awhile. I am back now but with a UTV. My point to that dialog is that I have a fairly extensive background in off-road machines. On to the review.
The reason I state that this is a non-biased review is because I truly like both machines for different reason. The undeniable truth is they are both a blast to ride. No matter what your level of experience. There are many comparisons of these two machine against others besides the Commander and General. My opinion is that these are the only two machines in their class at this point, and comparing them to any other machine except each other is to miss the point. Prior to the General, the Commander was in a class completely by itself, which is why it was my first machine. I now own a General for reasons that will be revealed.
General owners may not appreciate this next statement, but it has to be said. The Commander is in almost every way a better built machine. The craftsmanship, fit and finish, components, body panels, coatings/paint, and on and on is without a doubt of higher quality, and way better QC. Drive-train and Engine are probably on par, and since I have not had a problem with either I reserve my opinion. I know the Rotax engine(Commander) has a fantastic reputation.
Moving on to comfort. The Commander again is far more comfortable. This is primarily do to the absolute garbage seats that come in the General. If you own a General and don't mind your seats you probably have not been in a machine with quality or aftermarket seats. I put Simpson seats in the General and would not own the machine without them. For those thinking no big deal, this is a $800-$1000 add. The General has more in cab storage. +1. The Commander has a mid engine build, which gives you 1/3 more storage in the bed, but translates into a noticeably louder and much hotter ride in cab. If you ride in colder climates the additional heat can be a bonus. In hot weatherit sucks. And forget about having a conversation that isn't a shouting match.
Performance. I have read much about straight ahead performance. My experience is they both rip along really well. On paper the General has the edge, but my sense of feel on trail would go slightly to the Commander. The Commander has a higher top end, which comes from higher gearing.
Suspension. Again on paper the General should exceed the Commander. My experience was the Commander felt better in the turns but kicked in the whoops. For most riders in most situations you will not notice much difference. I would have said it was a draw until I replaced the seats in the General. After that I give the General a slight edge. The Commander has a better power steering system by far.
Forest road, Desert, non-technical riding. Again both machine are really fun. And If open non-technical riding was the only or primary style of riding I did, then I would own a Commander. Better comfort, better build, higher quality machine. For me however this is not my primary style of riding, and the Commander suffers from two fatal flaws.
Trail and Technical riding. If this is your style of riding, or you think someday you will want see just where your machine might or might not go on a regular basis, DO NOT purchase the Commander. The Commander has two critical flaws that will stop you from keeping up with almost any other non-BRP machine out there. The worst front differential on the market, and ridiculously high gearing. There are after market locking differentials and gear reduction kits for a price. However the 17% available reduction is not enough for 30" tires and slow technical trails IMO. The General, out of the box, leaves the Commander on the last slippery rock it passed.The General is a far better trail machine. But then so is every other machine out there. The Commander will leave you with a dumb look on your face while every other machine from every other manufacture easily drives over a slippery log, leaving you to peel off the winch cable for the tenth time that day. How or why BRP built a excellent machine in every other way but trail performance is a mystery.
The General on the other hand suffers non of these ailments. The gearing is lower then the RZR and ample to run 30" tires on technical trails. There is also aftermarket gear reductions if you want a little more reduction. The front locker actually locks. It may not be the most robust locker out there, but it does its job. The steering could have been better.
To Summarize;
If you want a higher quality, better built, more comfortable machine, and are NOT interested in technical trail riding, and... can live with a louder, hotter cab. Get the Commander. They really are nicer machines. I ran mine stock for 3000 miles and it was a blast, though I did eat crow often.
If slow trail, technical, rock crawling, lets see how much trouble you can get into type of riding is your thing. The General is a better choice. Just be aware that Polaris is infamous for building low quality, high performing machines. I put 30" tires, new seats, windshield, removed front and rear sway bars, and moved the winch out from behind the radiator??? to the front bumper. The General is a Goat on the trails right off the shelf. And in this application, due to the failures of the Commander, is really in a class by itself. Until Yamaha and Kawasaki add some horse power and suspension to their trail machines, or Honda steps further into the market, it is the only true Utility/Sport/Trail machine available. That reason alone is why I own one.
Happy and Safe Riding.
My experience with off-road vehicles comes from years of building Toyota trucks and Jeeps for trails ranging from the Rubicon to local trails in WA. ID. OR. and the South West. I got into Rock Crawling builds on a amateur scale for a few years, then left the off-road world for awhile. I am back now but with a UTV. My point to that dialog is that I have a fairly extensive background in off-road machines. On to the review.
The reason I state that this is a non-biased review is because I truly like both machines for different reason. The undeniable truth is they are both a blast to ride. No matter what your level of experience. There are many comparisons of these two machine against others besides the Commander and General. My opinion is that these are the only two machines in their class at this point, and comparing them to any other machine except each other is to miss the point. Prior to the General, the Commander was in a class completely by itself, which is why it was my first machine. I now own a General for reasons that will be revealed.
General owners may not appreciate this next statement, but it has to be said. The Commander is in almost every way a better built machine. The craftsmanship, fit and finish, components, body panels, coatings/paint, and on and on is without a doubt of higher quality, and way better QC. Drive-train and Engine are probably on par, and since I have not had a problem with either I reserve my opinion. I know the Rotax engine(Commander) has a fantastic reputation.
Moving on to comfort. The Commander again is far more comfortable. This is primarily do to the absolute garbage seats that come in the General. If you own a General and don't mind your seats you probably have not been in a machine with quality or aftermarket seats. I put Simpson seats in the General and would not own the machine without them. For those thinking no big deal, this is a $800-$1000 add. The General has more in cab storage. +1. The Commander has a mid engine build, which gives you 1/3 more storage in the bed, but translates into a noticeably louder and much hotter ride in cab. If you ride in colder climates the additional heat can be a bonus. In hot weatherit sucks. And forget about having a conversation that isn't a shouting match.
Performance. I have read much about straight ahead performance. My experience is they both rip along really well. On paper the General has the edge, but my sense of feel on trail would go slightly to the Commander. The Commander has a higher top end, which comes from higher gearing.
Suspension. Again on paper the General should exceed the Commander. My experience was the Commander felt better in the turns but kicked in the whoops. For most riders in most situations you will not notice much difference. I would have said it was a draw until I replaced the seats in the General. After that I give the General a slight edge. The Commander has a better power steering system by far.
Forest road, Desert, non-technical riding. Again both machine are really fun. And If open non-technical riding was the only or primary style of riding I did, then I would own a Commander. Better comfort, better build, higher quality machine. For me however this is not my primary style of riding, and the Commander suffers from two fatal flaws.
Trail and Technical riding. If this is your style of riding, or you think someday you will want see just where your machine might or might not go on a regular basis, DO NOT purchase the Commander. The Commander has two critical flaws that will stop you from keeping up with almost any other non-BRP machine out there. The worst front differential on the market, and ridiculously high gearing. There are after market locking differentials and gear reduction kits for a price. However the 17% available reduction is not enough for 30" tires and slow technical trails IMO. The General, out of the box, leaves the Commander on the last slippery rock it passed.The General is a far better trail machine. But then so is every other machine out there. The Commander will leave you with a dumb look on your face while every other machine from every other manufacture easily drives over a slippery log, leaving you to peel off the winch cable for the tenth time that day. How or why BRP built a excellent machine in every other way but trail performance is a mystery.
The General on the other hand suffers non of these ailments. The gearing is lower then the RZR and ample to run 30" tires on technical trails. There is also aftermarket gear reductions if you want a little more reduction. The front locker actually locks. It may not be the most robust locker out there, but it does its job. The steering could have been better.
To Summarize;
If you want a higher quality, better built, more comfortable machine, and are NOT interested in technical trail riding, and... can live with a louder, hotter cab. Get the Commander. They really are nicer machines. I ran mine stock for 3000 miles and it was a blast, though I did eat crow often.
If slow trail, technical, rock crawling, lets see how much trouble you can get into type of riding is your thing. The General is a better choice. Just be aware that Polaris is infamous for building low quality, high performing machines. I put 30" tires, new seats, windshield, removed front and rear sway bars, and moved the winch out from behind the radiator??? to the front bumper. The General is a Goat on the trails right off the shelf. And in this application, due to the failures of the Commander, is really in a class by itself. Until Yamaha and Kawasaki add some horse power and suspension to their trail machines, or Honda steps further into the market, it is the only true Utility/Sport/Trail machine available. That reason alone is why I own one.
Happy and Safe Riding.
, in the transition from country road through the ditch and onto prairie grass trail the LabraDane wasn't ready and over the side he went, he's pretty clumsy, only his pride was hurt, the tall grass was soft.
