Driving.ca took the time to road test and review the Honda Pioneer in the harsh Canadian winter. It was a cool -5 degrees Celcius the day that reviewer David Booth took out the Pioneer on the road. Luckily Booth was given a fully-covered version of the Pioneer with heater to keep warm. In fact, the ability of the Pioneer to keep you warm in sub-zero temperatures is already a positive sign. Icy conditions made it difficult to get the Pioneer to follow a straight line. Sharp turns were opportunities to perfect rally driving skills.
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The Honda Pioneer has more suspension travel built into its new offering -- 200mm for the front wishbones and even more, 230mm, for the rear independent system. The Pioneer emphasizes towing (680kg) and payload (454kg) though. Indeed, the Pioneer's key feature is its rear cargo bed that can be rearranged for two seats.
The Pioneer also takes safety seriously. All four seats have seat belts, there is a net to prevent arms from flailing outside the cabin, and the cargo box cannot be tilted when the rear seats are deployed.
Booth prefers the 2WD mode. "The darned thing is an absolute hoot with just enough power from its 675cc single cylinder engine to get you in trouble but not enough to hurt you."
The true strength of the Pioneer in Honda's eyes is its multi-faceted use. Honda hopes that the Pioneer's equal comfort working and playing will appeal more broadly than the more focused Polaris and Kubota offerings.
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The Honda Pioneer has more suspension travel built into its new offering -- 200mm for the front wishbones and even more, 230mm, for the rear independent system. The Pioneer emphasizes towing (680kg) and payload (454kg) though. Indeed, the Pioneer's key feature is its rear cargo bed that can be rearranged for two seats.
The Pioneer also takes safety seriously. All four seats have seat belts, there is a net to prevent arms from flailing outside the cabin, and the cargo box cannot be tilted when the rear seats are deployed.
Booth prefers the 2WD mode. "The darned thing is an absolute hoot with just enough power from its 675cc single cylinder engine to get you in trouble but not enough to hurt you."
The true strength of the Pioneer in Honda's eyes is its multi-faceted use. Honda hopes that the Pioneer's equal comfort working and playing will appeal more broadly than the more focused Polaris and Kubota offerings.
