We recently ran a poll on our YouTube channel asking what your preference would be if you were looking for a 2-rider offroad vehicle.

The choices were pretty simple and straightforward: 2-up ATV or a SxS?

It seems like it would be a no-brainer the choice by a wide margin would be the SxS and because 2-up ATVs are targeted at a relatively narrow market, the numbers choosing them would be very small.

We were surprised at the number of replies we got supporting the 2-up ATV. Yes, it lost in the polling but not by nearly as wide a margin as we expected.

There were 2,800 poll responses and 89 people made comments supporting their position. In the polling biz, that’s a significant response.

The side-x-side choice scored 76 percent of the votes while the 2-upper recorded 24 percent.

Yes, this is a pretty significant gap, but based on the huge selection of UTVs out there and the relative scarcity of 2-up ATVs in the OEM sales brochures, we were surprised these vehicles had as much grab in the poll as they did.

Since we didn’t specify which type of SxS we were comparing, we presume the responders were mentally comparing side-x-sides in the same price range as an ATV and ones that are targeted at similar use to an ATV.

This would mean a narrower stance SxS with somewhere between 400 and 850 power for maximum trail-ability, not extreme performance and acceleration.

With such a strong response to the poll and not a lot of specifics built into it, it’s pretty conclusive off-road shoppers like to ride with accompaniment. We’ve known this for a long time and with the price of vehicles today, it’s important to appeal to all the wants of prospective buyers.

The long wheelbase convertibility of a 2-up ATV still has a lot of appeal. It may be wise for the OEMs to rethink their emphasis here and start building ATVs that fit that market more closely.

Cleary, there are a lot of riders out there who choose not to buy a SxS, even when 2-passenger capability is a big priority.

Whether or not you’re a brand junkie for Polaris there’s no argument against the company’s determination to take the off-road industry in new directions and make it its own.

We’ve sat around the video chat and come up with a fast five top Polaris innovations we feel have changed the landscape of the off-road industry. So let’s get at it…

RZR

The press release for the “Ranger RZR” was first posted to this website in January of 2007, but we got our first look a few months prior and I can still remember the doors of the meeting hall swinging open to reveal the first Pure Sport Side-x-Side ever.

At 50-inches wide and 945 pounds it was the lightest UTV the industry had ever seen and was narrow enough to fit down most ATV trails. Polaris stuffed its own 800 EFI twin inside boasting at the time the fastest accelerating, highest horsepower in its class. Needless to say, Polaris invented the Pure Sport SxS category and the legendary RZR deserves top honors on our list.

Read the press intro HERE

DYNAMIX

Introduced in 2018 on the RZR XP Turbo DYNAMIX Edition, DYNAMIX Active Suspension delivered the industry’s only intelligent off-road suspension system. RZR pilots now had full control of their RZR’s suspension setup from the cockpit via an electronic adjuster.

The brain of the system monitors input from seven different sensors and adjusts firmness of each of the Fox Podium 2.5 RC2 shocks independently from full soft up to full hard in a fraction of a second delivering unmatched ride quality.

The driver also has control of the base suspension settings by selecting Comfort, Sport and Firm depending on how aggressively you’re riding or how DYNAMIX needs to adapt to terrain. We fully expect DYNAMIX to show up in more Polaris models in the coming model years – like the 55-inch wide Scrambler and we’ve also speculated that DYNAMIX would be a perfect fit for Polaris snowmobiles as well.

Watch Luke’s in-depth overview of DYNAMIX HERE

SCRAMBLER and SPORTSMAN XP 1000 S

Maybe it’s the answer to a question few knew was being asked, but building on the idea of the robust RZR Turbo S, last season Polaris widened the Sportsman and Scrambler XP1K out to 55-inches and beefed up just about every imaginable area on these ATVs. Stability and ride quality are through the stratosphere thanks to the widened stance and increase in suspension travel and both ATVs see massive increases in durability.

Get THE DIRT on these two ATVs HERE

ACE AND RS1

Okay, so a single-seater isn’t exactly new, if you remember Honda’s Odyssey or the Redline Revolt. However, that doesn’t take away from the introduction of a modern single-seater from Polaris featuring an all-new ProStar 32-horsepower single. The Sportsman ACE built on the passion of driving Side x Sides but its compact design was unique and marketed as an alternative to swinging a leg over the seat of an ATV.

As the ACE evolved though, it saw engine sizes increased to 570 and then 900 and sport features were added like performance suspension and a wider stance eventually leading to the introduction of the insanely awesome RZR RS1, which has taken single seat driving to an entirely new level.

Get our first look at the ACE HERE

RIDE COMMAND

You might not think this one is worthy of this list unless you’ve used it, but RIDE COMMAND is essentially the command center for your Polaris vehicle delivering vehicle information, music, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, GPS, social media interaction, front and rear camera display, and vehicle diagnostics. The 7-inch wide full color display also works in coordination with DYNAMIX, giving you touch screen control over your suspension from the comfort of the cockpit.

Did we miss any? Leave a comment below!