We’ve combed over your comments posted in each part of our 2-upper comparo series and many of you asked us to commit firmly to a winner in this category.

Well, we actually did pick a winner and published it in ink in the 9th Annual DirtTrax Magazine Best In Class Awards issue this past fall. How’s that for commitment! Here’s our pick…

WINNER: Can-Am Outlander Max 800

Can-Am invented the 2-up category and its new G2-based series of 2-uppers are premium vehicles.

There are several different V-twins to choose from: 500, 650, 800 and 1000cc options. Though we like the the other three, we love the 800 most! This power and displacement range is just about perfect for 2-passenger trail riding and when you shed the extra passenger and seat-backrest, the 800 is an exciting ATV to ride alone.

Since features and comfort amenities are a large part of the 2-up buying experience and all manufacturers seem to fall in line with a comprehensive list of “stuff” for this king of riding, it really comes down to execution.

TEST RIDE: 2013 Can-Am 1000 Outlander Max XT-P

We’ve found the Can-Am takes the sum of all its features – suspension compliance, rear passenger comfort, power and handling, puts a bow on it and combines it into one extremely complete package.

Since 2-up ATVs tend to be ridden on longer rides than single passenger wheelers, this one affords the best riding experience for both participants over the long haul.

RUNNERS-UP

Polaris Sportsman XP Touring 850HO LE

We’ve put a lot of miles on XP Touring Series Polarii and the 850 continues to impress. With it’s narrow footrests and transverse mounted powertrain there’s a great level of comfort for both riders.

Its suspended passenger seat is a unique innovation that guarantees premium comfort for the rear passenger.

Best of all is its 850 parallel twin. With two humans and gear loaded up, this engine provides just the right level of power and torque to deliver smoothness and easy riding all day.

Arctic Cat TRV 700 LE

Cat’s 700 single is an icon of torque and proves you don’t need a 2-cylinder engine to get great power and riding ease out of a 2-up chassis. Roomy ergonomics for the driver are prioritized and there’s excellent forward vision for the rear passenger.

In line with the use 2-uppers need from their vehicles, Arctic Cat has been careful to build-in storage capacity and a list of comfort amenities but we’d like to see a standard anti-swaybar and a bit more rear suspension compliance.

Nothing exceeds like excess and the new RZR 1000 has exceeded all our expectations.

Polaris doesn’t just dominate the Pure Sport SXS biz, it owns it! The XP1K exemplifies just how Polaris has gained such a huge lead on the competition in this segment and perfectly defines why this vehicle scooped up this fall’s Best Extreme Performance SXS ribbon in DirtTrax Magazine’s Ninth Annual best In Class Awards Issue beating out the Wildcat 1000 X and Can-Am’s Maverick X rs.

Here’s the formula for dominating in this category: Produce the most powerful engine at 107 horsepower and bolt it into an ultra-low-CG chassis with the longest travel suspension, boasting the highest quality shocks, the roomiest, most comfortable driver and passenger ergonomics and give it unequalled handling characteristics plus standard EPS.

That’ll win you a DirtTrax BIC every time.

Watch AJ’s TEST RIDE below:

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We’ve been generous with our praise of this innovative 2-up ATV chassis the past couple seasons. Truth is, the rear seat accoutrements are very good.

However, one must look closely to see the beef. Under the rear seat is a full-on gas filled shock with a coil spring. The seat base is hinged at the front edge and the shock provides a couple inches of actual damped movement.

This set-up means the rear seat literally floats when the ATV is powering through choppy terrain and the seat foam becomes a less important part of the comfort package. Or does it?

There’s another engineering feature on the XP Sportsman 2-up chassis bringing a comfort advantage to the passenger. It’s the fore-aft positioning of its 850cc parallel twin. This longitudinal location makes the XP the skinniest 2-passenger ATV in the biz from the seat base down to the footrests.

We mention this as it has a tangible effect on ride comfort, particularly when the drill is an all-day affair. Having your knees closer together gives the passenger better leverage to stay back from the rider and better ability to control the unpredictable lurching effect rough terrain can induce.

Amenities here are almost incomparable. There are 2-speed rear hand heaters, adjustable handholds, the aforementioned active passenger seat and a huge passenger backrest. Rear footrests are elevated and very grippy.

This Sportsman delivers a plush and stable ride. The passenger’s weight is carried over and mostly in front of the rear axle ensuring the LE never loses front end grip unless you intend to initiate a wheelie. Honestly, it’s almost impossible to get the front wheels off the ground whether loaded or empty.

We did hear some of our passengers complain about two issues with this ATV. The first is the wiggly nature of the rear backrest. This large padded unit does display a less-than-solidly-mounted posture and, combined with the suspended seat, according to backseaters, can be annoying.

The other comment we heard was the rear grab handles. There are multiple locations to mount the handles, however the angle of the handle grip itself can sometimes be a little awkward for shorter passengers to grasp. The issue appears to be the more rearward location of the grips.

When it comes to versatility the Sportsman XP Touring platform offers the ability to remove the passenger seat and backrest in one piece. The hole left can then be filled with a custom snap-in tool chest. That’s the kind of versatility we’ve heard 2-up buyers crowing for.

It’s worth noting the Sportsman XP Touring does not have much rear rack space left when the rear seat is in place. However, the rear seat space on the Sportsman XP Touring is a clean area.

Little if any tire roost bothers the passenger and site lines over and around the driver are good for just about any average sized-rider.

The Can-Am XTP is a full-on high performance biased twofer using the same shocks and bead-lock rims as the very serious race-driven XTP one-passenger Outlander.

The suspension package may look racer serious (because it is) however, we discovered the shocks are valved and sprung perfectly for carrying a passenger.

A noteworthy effect of good quality shocks is the ability to wick up the throttle with a full passenger load and not suffer abuse from a screaming, angry rear passenger.

Truth is, you can go faster 2-up on this Outlander Max than you can on many highly respected one-uppers, solo. It was an almost confounding reality to stay with a pack of one-uppers on the XTP and not feel like our lives were on the line.

The Max passenger backrest is jibungous and firmly planted on the chassis. There’s no wiggling or wobbling in jiggly terrain with this highly supportive, firmly mounted backrest.

TEST RIDE: 2013 Can-Am 1000 Outlander Max XT-P

It was interesting to see how passengers would actually push themselves back into the backrest when approaching what looked like potentially rough terrain. We would have expected passengers would want to move ahead and support themselves with their legs. However the seat, combined with the suspension is highly effective in fighting gnarly bumps.

Completely countering our praise for Max ride quality is the lack of rear passenger hand heaters – a serious oversight we’d recommend any potential buyer deal with by adding aftermarket hot grips.

The XTP’s rear passenger handholds are superbly positioned and ergo-correct. They’re exceptionally comfy while allowing the rider to gain a confidence inspiring grip on the Max when powering tight turns or cresting negative G-outs. Footrests are raised and grippy and most importantly, feel like they’re exactly in the right position.

Despite the sporty personality of the XTP, mud protection is excellent. There’s also a very useable rear rack area with the seat installed.

Seat removal can be quickly accomplished pressing a lever while lifting the entire backrest-seat combo off the Outlander. Once removed, you’ll be presented with a gaping hole in your Max XTP demanding the installation of an accessory snap-in tool/cargo box.

Can-Am has done its homework here and we’re impressed by the “sit-in” rather than “sit-on” feel of the Max passenger seat. Its seat design contributes to passenger comfort in a substantial way and looks more like a saddle than a seat.

The XTP simple mows down bumps, rollers, jigglers and square edge ruts as the rear dampers are fully adjustable with compression and rebound clickers providing lots of adjustability for loading up cheeseburger-fed passengers.

The Touring disposition of the LE is unmistakable because of its truly jinormous rear travel-trunk, which makes taking a passenger on an overnighter a real pleasure.

Seriously, there’s enough room for all your gear and a small pet inside this cave-like fiberglass box.

It’s worth noting the lid works great if properly latched, however, we encountered more than one situation where the lid popped open unannounced and flopped around like a half baked salmon.

Amenities for the passenger are substantial. There are 2-speed hand warmers operated by a nice, large toggle on the right side passenger handgrip. The larger toggle is nice when wearing gloves as it’s easy to feel the larger detents between hi, lo and off settings.

Passenger footrests provide good grip and are high enough small passengers can brace themselves for bumps, braking and downhills.

Passenger handholds are exceptionally large and look like something the Millennium Falcon might have used to control thrust stability. However, inasmuch as these big handgrips seem to garner inordinate attention and comment, they work.

First and foremost, they’re comfortable and very adaptable. There are so many different places to gain grip, passengers can move their hands around to myriad positions combating fatigue while gaining improved leverage side-hilling or riding tricky terrain.

There was some concern about the overall ride quality of the TRV LE chassis. We’ve tested all three of Cat’s luxo-TRVs including the 700 and the 1000 and, in our opinion the best ride comes from the 1000.

It appears to us the rear suspension may be a little over-sprung on this lighter 550 powered version. Clearly, the rear shocks are the shortest of the three units compared here but shock length is not necessarily a definitive determiner of ride quality.

Our passengers felt the TRV was choppy and sometimes transferred an abrupt feel to the rider when running gnarly trail surfaces.

From a protection standpoint, the TRV offers exceptionally clean quarters. The rear wheels are well contained in the fenders and the big cargo box keeps flying mud from getting near the passenger.

Obviously, rear rack space is excellent proven by the existence of the giant cargo box. Site lines for the passenger are good, however we sensed the rear seat area could be a bit more elevated. Furthermore, stability fore-aft is superb with the passenger positioned well ahead of the rear axle.

We give the TRV high marks for overall space in the rear passenger compartment. While the seat cushion appears a little short there’s actually a lot of room between the driver and the passenger, eliminating the annoying sensation of the passenger bumping into the rider under braking or on downhill grades.

What’s obvious is the amount of space the driver has to move around. The seat is exceptionally spacious up front and the TRV LE’s standard windshield/faring provides extra warmth and protection for the passenger as well as the driver and is probably the warmest in the 2-up category.