Rudolph the Red-Nosed Ranger
Polaris Ranger, an outcast? Please, say it ain’t so! Now I can’t stop imagining all the UTVs going out to play in the fields while their owners are sleeping—all except for poor Rudolph the Red-Nosed Ranger.
All fun and reindeer games aside though, I own a 2005 6x6, so at the risk of venturing off-topic, I’ll relate only the experience I’ve had with the Ranger 6x6 I have (vs. experiences with other UTVs I’ve only dreamt of using to chauffeur the Swedish Bikini Team to and from the beach—many trips, hard work. But I digress).
And here’s the most valuable advice of all—no matter which UTV you buy, NEVER FORGET to keep your thumbs outside of the steering wheel or it just might break them if you hit a rock/stump the wrong way. (Hmmmm—perhaps we could use this on Club G’itmo detainees).
Ranger 6x6 Strengths: great payload and towing capacity, seats at least 3, easy in-and out. I can take it anywhere our big ATV’s can go and then some (to the stunned amazement of everyone who’s ridden in it). Tough ATV hill climbs feel tame with the 6x6’s long wheelbase. Very smooth ride over rough terrain— front 4 wheels are independent, 2 rear are swing arm (there’s no collapse of rear suspension when towing—receiver is solid with rear axle). On the dash toggle from 4-wheel to 6-wheel drive, and all 6 wheels get power. No shifting—CV transmission keeps the 500cc engine in the power band with surprisingly good performance. Good clearance and full-length skid plate that I’ve tested running over big Arizona rocks, tree stumps, and small animals. An 8. 5 gallon fuel tank provides excellent range. Top it off with a huge selection of accessories for vehicle and cargo, and a big dump bed/tailgate that can hold up to 1,250 pounds of dirty diapers (or any other material that’s better dumped than shoveled). Six wheels look cool.
Ranger 6x6 Weaknesses: Can’t shift from low-range (up to 20 MPH) to high-range (up to 40 MPH) while moving. Extended use of High Range will probably mean belt replacement more often, but I rarely use it, and belt replacement is fairly easy in any event (yup—I abused one trying to pull a pesky rock out of a trail—found out that it was much larger than I thought when I used my ~4,000 pound diesel tractor to pull it out with relative ease—oops—it was a 3 foot boulder). Long wheelbase/6 wheels make for a wide turning radius. Wide stance on tight ATV trails can be squeeze. Stock bash plate up front seems a bit too light—I mounted a steel one with a winch mount/front receiver. Not for crossing deep water much higher than the floorboards, since the big tires start to float (!) and loose traction. In the event of a roll-over (which is pretty unlikely given length/width and CG—the thing is quite stable), the roll bar will deform and need replacement. And there’s just no good place to mount a heavy machine gun or an anti-tank weapon (oh, well).
I use the Ranger 6x6 for hauling equipment, hay, logs, trailers loaded with brush, and for giving guests harrowing rides around our little ranch (the kids can’t get enough). There seems to be no end to their usefulness—a terrific toy and a perfect compliment to our tractor for ranch work. The engine is under the seat (like many UTVs). Dust coming up from under the seat is usually a dietary issue: Arizona dust comes in right over the hood the old-fashioned way.
Sadly, no word yet on when we’ll be able to see how well it would work to chauffeur the Swedish Bikini Team to and from the beach. (Same old problem here in Arizona—lots of beach, no ocean. ) :{
Sometimes the Ranger seats 4
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
A good friend owns an AC dealership close to me. He easily has 2 AC’s in his shop to 1 Yamaha in our shop. Considering how many more Yamahas there are out there compared to AC’s those numbers are scary. As far as where they’re made, the Rhino is as “made in USA” as any AC. 
