[mr.smith]

Reading about the Honda Pioneer I thought I would put together a list of the pros and cons I have found so far, and then others could add in any that were missed.

Pros
- Price point is affordable ($9,999, $11,699 for four seater)
- Stowable rear seats make the Pioneer quite versatile
- Front and rear doors open wide making loading and unloading a cinch
- Built in the USA!

Cons
- Only dry storage is in the glove compartment
- Soft suspension when riding with 4 passengers
- No EPS option
- Could be faster

Does that about cover it? There must be more pros and cons that I've missed...

 

[carnival]

Where did you hear about the soft suspension?

 

[DG Rider]

Where did you hear about the soft suspension?

A few of the "first ride" tests floating around on the internet mention it. Yet others have said nothing. Some real tests will tell the tail...

 

[mr.smith]

yea this is mostly a collection of the pros and cons that I have read in reviews online.

 

[hoops]

Interesting. The soft suspension could simply be due to the extra weight of 4 passengers putting a high load on the struts causing them to be bouncy

If they valve the struts too stiff it'll make regular single riding way too uncomfortable off-road. With a softer compression dampening comes more comfort when going over unlevel ground at speeds.

 

[JMSimmons]

wasn't their a mention of 2 dry storage area's? one being the glove box and the other being closer to the engine?

 

[Thunderun]

I thought there was one somewhere hidden under the seat as well. The suspension issue is understandable though when seating others with the extra weight it does affect the handling characteristics.

 

[OLT]

con.... it might be too wide for some truck beds. instead you'll have to get a trailer, truck rack or find some other way to transport it.

 

[Bartista]

con.... it might be too wide for some truck beds. instead you'll have to get a trailer, truck rack or find some other way to transport it.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing, now you have an excuse to buy a trailer just in case

 

[mr.smith]

That isn't necessarily a bad thing, now you have an excuse to buy a trailer just in case

Having to spend more money is often a bad thing for people. Are we sure that this is the case? Will you not be able to fit it in a large pick-up truck?

 

[Land Duster]

thanks for pointing out the pros and cons. the price is what really brought me here. And while doing more research it just made more sense each time. I am not worried about transporting the thing though.

 

[mr.smith]

Well I am going to have to take some measurements to make sure that I can transport the thing before I make a decision. I really don't want to have to buy a trailer. If it doesn't fit I may look for a different UTV that has smaller dimensions.

 

[Moler]

There are always kits you can buy to make them fit on any truck bed but loading them would take some skill.

 

[toodeep]

The weight would be another factor to consider. You take a 1500# machine with another 200#-300# of gear and accessories your getting a good load in the back of a pickup. Especially once you start fighting gravity and putting it up higher. I would look into suspension upgrades for hauling one, just for the handling of the pickup. That depends on what vehicle you have also..

 

[hoops]

maybe if you had some of the older trucks but most new trucks should have a cargo payload that is "heavy" enough to handle the pioneer and any gear you throw in it.

the pioneer weights 1400lbs wet.

 

[mr.smith]

Would I just look at the towing capacity of my truck, or is there a different capacity for hauling things in the truck's bed?

 

[toodeep]

The M2 will fit in the back of an 84 chevy (what I was driving today) with enough room that it's comfortable.

 

[Moler]

Nice to have a ledge that is perfectly level with your bed. Makes loading a ton easier I bet.

 

[mr.smith]

Yea nice loading dock. I also see that you have a storage compartment sitting in the bed. So if you took that out there would be enough room to close the gate and transport it pretty easily. Do you know what the dimensions of your bed are?

 

[toodeep]

8 foot bed (minus the 20inches for the tool box) and about 65 wide.