What's New
The Pioneer replaces the Big Red in Honda's line up, bringing more capability to a lower price point.
Big Red was a two-seat utility SxS, retailing for $11,699. The two-seat Pioneer starts at $9,999 and the four-passenger convertible model seen here retails for $11,699.
The Big Red to Pioneer 700-4 story is about much more than just some extra seats though. With it, Honda wanted to create a SxS that could handle both work and play. The bed, which can raise at the front to dump its load out the rear can carry the same 1,000lbs payload as Big Red and both vehicles use the same 675cc, liquid-cooled, four-valve, single-cylinder motor and three-speed, torque-converter, automatic transmission. But, the similarities end there.
The Pioneer is equipped with independent suspension front and rear with 7.9 inches of travel at the front and 9.1 at the rear. In an effort to keep the price down, no power steering is fitted, with Honda saying that the combination of front suspension geometry with a new, 8-inch front tire should keep steering light.
The mid-mounted engine drives the rear wheels through a non-differential rear end in default, Two-Wheel Drive mode, directing power to the front in 4WD or locking the front differential when "4WD Diff Lock" is selected. There's no low-range transfer case or hill descent control, but the low gearing and sensitive brakes are able to walk you down steep hills in complete confidence.
The automatic transmission is equipped with three forward speeds and a reverse, as well as programming that allows it to detect rider input and adjust itself automatically between "sport" and "cruise" modes, with the former kicking down noticeably sooner and holding onto gears longer and the latter delivering a much more relaxed ride.
The Pioneer is also equipped with a car-style parking brake that makes deactivating it while parked on a hill simple and easy. Some other Side-by-Sides require rocking the vehicle to remove pressure from the mechanism before it will release. Honda is targeting user friendliness in nearly every aspect of this vehicle.
The company is also serious about safety. Unclip the standard safety net, reach inside to unlatch the standard door, climb through the heavy-duty roll cage and clip yourself into the three-point safety belt and you'll find the Pioneer's cabin spacious and comfortable, if extremely utilitarian. The only potential problem with ergonomics comes from the unadjustable steering wheel, which may get in the way of very large riders' beer bellies.
Believe it or not, but the rear seats are even more comfy. Fold the backrest up and the cushion down - which takes about 15 seconds - and the tilt bed locks in place. Rear seat passengers also get doors, safety nets and three-point belts, but also more leg room than is available in the front seat. Even at 6' 2" tall, with a 34-inch inseam, I was able to ride back there in complete comfort, with inches between my knee and the front seats. Rear seat passengers are also treated to a plusher ride thanks to the rear suspension's longer travel.

RideApart Review: Honda Pioneer 700-4

The Pioneer is a better Big Red.

 

I am still considering the Big Red because of the price differential.

Did people have big complaints about it???

 

people considered it a joke and a poor product to enter the sxs market with, yeah apparently it's THAT bad.

 

ok, so the Big Red is big, red, and boring, where the Pioneer is more fun and sporty. I didn't realize that the Big Red got such terrible reviews. I'll have to scratch that off ,my list of possibilities.

 

Yup, one of the reasons why i didn't vote for it on the recent poll on this forum. BR sucks.

 

well the big red may have been a flop but one good thing came out of it .......the big red gear reduction for the rincon ..... still no engin braking but can spin 29.5s all day long in the mud

 

^ just a fun factor on the big red!

what else was it that drew people away from the big red? They still sell it though.

 

Well Pioneer has an extra inch between the wheels although Pioneer and Big Red are the same overall length. Look at the picks of BR and Pioneer and you can see Pioneer has had its wheels pushed out to the corners, Car makers do this all the time to give the car/truck a more aggressive stance and athletic characteristics.

Pioneer also gains ~ .5 inch in height but shaves 3 inches off the Big Reds width, 64 inch BR, 61 inch Pioneer.

Pioneer loses the adjustable preload the BR has in the rear double wishbone, but Pioneer has big gains in front/rear travel likely as a consideration for those of us who prefer driving a bit more sporting than BR allowed. BR is 5.9 in Travel in the front and 7.1 out back, while the Pioneer is 7.9 inches of travel in the front and 9.1 inches in the rear.

Pioneer gets smaller brakes than BR. BR has 200 mils at all corners while Pioneer gets 200 mils up front but only 170s in the rear.

Overall the Pioneer shows up 170 lbs lighter than BR. 1433 lbs for BR and 1261 for Pioneer.

So it certainly seems the Big Red was designed to clean up while the Pioneer was designed to make messes.

One works, one plays...

 

Got to love the great extra amount of travel, guys that go on the crazier trails will love the Pioneer more than a BR.

Someone should do a review on the Pioneer and BR.

 

What do you mean by the "extra amount of travel?" How does that translate to driving experience?

 

The more suspension travel in rough terrain, you should feel less in the seat.

 

basically there is no reason to buy a big red anymore.

 

With these kinds of comments going against the big red I just wonder how long it will last in the roster.

 

I don't see why Honda wouldn't stop selling the big red. Are they still going to continue manufacturing them?

 

Nope, the Big Red got the axe. Once inventory is sold out they are done. Last time I looked Honda had no more so it would just be dealer inventory.

 

Well whoever has them left at the stores will have to let them go for a stupid price for anyone to buy them.

 

I wouldn't say that quite yet. Like I mentioned before I haven't got a Pioneer to compare them to yet but it's not like they came out with an "all new" exciting machine. I think each of them will have their pluses over the other. It will come down to what you want to use the machine for.

 

that and their features, even with all the other SxS's currently available.
best to weight out your options, pricing, etc across the board.

 

Honda also "lightened up" on the requirements for the franchise. You would think if you was already a motorcycle/atv dealer it would have been the same franchise but it wasn't. In the beginning they was kind of picky, not so much now. I know we held off up until last year before getting them in. Just in hopes they would have added more to the line up to make it worth while. The demand for the BigRed changed that though so we added that franchise on.

 

And that was a good decision, forums like this are already a good sign that the market is growing, who would've known a forum on the Pioneer would be up this soon LOl

 

I have seen a few Pioneer forums already. Hopefully this one will work out and won't be a dead forum. I have seen many forums close up over the years do to the lack of activity. It takes quality posts and activity to get the new members to join in.

A little off topic, I know... lol

 

I would be very interested to see what the sales are like of the Pioneer vs. the Big Red over the first couple months that both vehicles were on sale.

 

Same here, with me already aware that over 900 dealers signed up to recieve them im interested in seeing how well sales go, hoping for the best as if it does well we can expect to see things added along with improvements

 

Yes hoops, I run/operate the shop part of a family owned dealership. The BR sales have been decent but since Honda took so long to get into the game there are a lot of other brands out there. We are a Honda only dealership so we don't trade the other brands. Probably lost a dozen sales there but we don't sale what we don't service. I refuse to work on the other brands. Besides most of it is junk (from the use they get around here) I would be so busy I would be a year behind.

If Honda steps it up they could dominate the market once again, in both the UTV/MUV and ATV markets. They are playing it safe though and not adding many new products or features that people are wanting. Most don't need those features but they still want them. Hondas sales are up good enough so we keep getting the same old thing. Even the "new" Pioneer could have had some newer features but it's just the same thing with a twist.

 

Yes hoops, I run/operate the shop part of a family owned dealership. The BR sales have been decent but since Honda took so long to get into the game there are a lot of other brands out there. We are a Honda only dealership so we don't trade the other brands. Probably lost a dozen sales there but we don't sale what we don't service. I refuse to work on the other brands. Besides most of it is junk (from the use they get around here) I would be so busy I would be a year behind.

If Honda steps it up they could dominate the market once again, in both the UTV/MUV and ATV markets. They are playing it safe though and not adding many new products or features that people are wanting. Most don't need those features but they still want them. Hondas sales are up good enough so we keep getting the same old thing. Even the "new" Pioneer could have had some newer features but it's just the same thing with a twist.

i guess if it aint broke dont fix it.

nothing wrong with sticking to the old. honda has a reputation of doing so. they reuse the same engines in many of their automobiles too. it's not necessarily a bad thing.

 

I wouldn't say aftermarket selection will be terrible if they dont sell well, we just won't get all the special aftermarket stuff, we just get enough

 

I'd like to see a side by side shootout between the Big Red and Pioneer once the Pioneer hits the dealers.

 

Big Red Flat Out WORKS

I commercial fish on the rough and tough beaches in Alaska and my newest buddy is by far my 2013 BIG RED! Loaded the bed with 900 lbs and a meat wagon with 1120 lbs and drove down a rough beach at 20 mph... NOT ONE HICCUP... did this at least 12 times in a period of 3 weeks... then since there is very little snow this year... hauled wood with a full load in the bed and 9 14 diameter 6 ft spruce logs... and over a 45 degree slope... NOT A HICCUP... so what is only goes 40 mph... I have only bee stuck once and that was my fault for driving into 4 ft of suction mud and water.... but it pulled out easy. Differential Lock is non stoppable... It is for serious work not play... Bust choice I EVER MADE and it has paid for itself over and over.

For work it is a constant and reliable worker. Change the oil and drive daily. No frills.

So many ppl think it is for fun and go fast... Honda is built to last and work. We see Yamaha falling apart and Can Am's afraid to do more than a couple days work.. Look on the beaches of any commercial fishing site, village video or work related REAL LIFE WORK and you will always find HONDA. It is the real deal. Life is tough in Alaska and at -40 degrees you need reliability or you may end up dead.

Stephen Davis
Bristol Bay Alaska Fisherman

 

Joined today just to post Big Red

In Alaska we have choices of All Brands Just as down states.
Honda: Work Hard, Last years before any major repairs outside of rear wheel bearings.
Yamaha's: Strong and Fast but break and are very hard and iffy to repair in the field.
Ski-Doo Sleds: Pretty and Fast but to fussy about bush Alaska Riding, parts always fall off.
Polaris: trying their best to keep up with Ski Doo, relaible up to 1800 miles then all **** breaks out.
Arctic Cats: Gets you there and and back and if your need to tow it's coming too! Powerful sleds, not so good ATV's..

This is just what I have seen and why 85% of Alaska Bush Residents choose Polaris, Honda and Arctic Cat.

 

I am very surprised Polaris and Cat are better than Yamaha in those conditions.

In Alaska we have choices of All Brands Just as down states.
Honda: Work Hard, Last years before any major repairs outside of rear wheel bearings.
Yamaha's: Strong and Fast but break and are very hard and iffy to repair in the field.
Ski-Doo Sleds: Pretty and Fast but to fussy about bush Alaska Riding, parts always fall off.
Polaris: trying their best to keep up with Ski Doo, relaible up to 1800 miles then all **** breaks out.
Arctic Cats: Gets you there and and back and if your need to tow it's coming too! Powerful sleds, not so good ATV's..

This is just what I have seen and why 85% of Alaska Bush Residents choose Polaris, Honda and Arctic Cat.

 

I have a lot of experience in both. Biggest difference is suspension and over all noise and vibration. Big red has solid mounted engine while pioneer is rubber mounted. Big red suspension is made to cruise around the farm but pretty terrible on the trail. Pioneer sus makes it fun on the trail. Power feels about the same between p4 and br. But p2 feels faster due to better power to weight. Also pioneer is narrower by a little bit so helps with maneuverability feel. Good luck!

 

New member here kinda transferred over from the Honda ATV forums. Have a question regarding the Big Red vs Pioneer.

We ranch quite extensively in Texas and currently use kawasaki mules and Honda atvs. However, we are looking into getting another UTV. My main complaint with the Mule is the low ground clearance. From researching the BR, it seems to be much tougher than the mule. From what I understand, no belt is used. That correct? In fact, I wasnt even aware that the Pioneer has replaced the Mule. From what I read, its a sporty version of the BR without the air intake problem. Any other major differences? What about engine and transmission durability?

My question is this...you guys that have experience with both...what would you recommend for me? I dont care about speed. I do care about engine dependability and low maintenance cost. I need power more than speed. Ground clearance is needed, however compared to the mule, I am sure the BR is adequate. I would prefer the lower priced of the two if it doesnt sacrifice any in the dependability department.

If I do end up with a BR, are there any year models to prefer over another?

 

New member here kinda transferred over from the Honda ATV forums. Have a question regarding the Big Red vs Pioneer.

We ranch quite extensively in Texas and currently use kawasaki mules and Honda atvs. However, we are looking into getting another UTV. My main complaint with the Mule is the low ground clearance. From researching the BR, it seems to be much tougher than the mule. From what I understand, no belt is used. That correct? In fact, I wasnt even aware that the Pioneer has replaced the Mule. From what I read, its a sporty version of the BR without the air intake problem. Any other major differences? What about engine and transmission durability?

My question is this...you guys that have experience with both...what would you recommend for me? I dont care about speed. I do care about engine dependability and low maintenance cost. I need power more than speed. Ground clearance is needed, however compared to the mule, I am sure the BR is adequate. I would prefer the lower priced of the two if it doesnt sacrifice any in the dependability department.

If I do end up with a BR, are there any year models to prefer over another?

First of all, WELCOME aboard texn. If I were you, I would buy the Pioneer 700-4, and have the best of both worlds. Work, and some play !!!!

 

The motor and transmission are the same (except for the new 15 model that has a redesigned head). Basically they are the same as the old Rincon (lower output gearing on the SXS) that has been out since 2003. I see a lot of those 4 wheelers with over 20,000 miles on them and still running strong. Keep the oil changed when needed and they will last a long time. Both are going to be dependable machines if taken care of. The best is to drive both and you can see the slight differences yourself and then be the judge. I like the Pioneer better but my brother prefers the BigRed. Everyone has different opinions...

 

I have a 2013 BR. Some people call it a SLUG. Some say it sucks, but at the end of the day, I went where they did. Went through what they went through and got stuck in some holes and not in others.
The biggest issue is speed and size. It is not fast and it is really wide compared to the Pioneer. But I can ride 3 people wide and it runs 45 with 29.5s.
I can plow over trees, pull people out, carry everything and still play.
I have plenty of videos if it in action in the Florida Mud.
All stock except the tires, snorkel and 2" lift block ($69).
If I had to choose again, I would choose the BR for the extra room. (but I am old lol)