Driving The 2026 Polaris Xpedition Is Good. But I Wanted It To Be More For The Price

Billed as an overlander, it's not really a truck replacement.

Photo by: Jonathon Klein

By: Jonathon Klein

Jul 16, at 7:01am ET

Add RideApart as a preferred source in Google

Comment

I've been waiting to drive the Polaris Xpedition side-by-side for years now, as when it first debuted, complete with a rooftop tent, it beat me to the punch with my own Can-Am X3 overlanding build by about two weeks. Yet, while my rig was slapped together with a menagerie of parts, the Xpedition was something with a factory stamp of approval, and came complete with a warranty and the sort of engineering you'd expect from an OEM.

Years, however, went by from the Xpedition's original launch until today, but still I yearned to drive the Polaris rig. And the spec sheet just, supposedly, got better and better with each year. More creature comforts, more capability, more everything. Folks I met would go on and on about how good the UTV was, and how it "Could absolutely replace your truck!" It was the first true overlanding side-by-side. And you could even get one with a rooftop tent!

Originally, I wanted to take the Polaris Xpedition Northstar bear hunting this spring, as the HVAC, doors, five seats, and windows would've made that endeavor truly an awesome test, as spring snows, thunderstorms, and the Uintah Mountains make for perfect test conditions. But a hiccup in transport led to a delay and no bear hunting—at least not yet.

So when the Xpedition arrived, I settled upon taking it into the mountains in search of some epic high country trout fishing. But instead of coming away with the plan to sell my truck in favor of the Polaris, I'm actually wondering what everyone was on about when they talked about how amazing the Xpedition is. It's not bad; it's just...a UTV with HVAC, and that doesn't feel like it justifies the price or the adoration I've experienced from owners.

2026 Polaris Xpedition ADV 5 NorthStar

Photos by: Jonathon Klein

The high Uinta Mountains of Utah are some of the raddest pieces of public land around, as they offer a range of ecosystems, flora, and fauna, and enough space for everyone to enjoy whatever they love to do in those places. Snow-dusted peaks (even in this year's hellishly hot and drought-ridden summer) show evidence of rock slides and avalanches, with timber and rock strewn everywhere. Deer and elk graze in the lower timbers, hiding themselves and finding refuge from the sun and people. And streams and fish-filled reservoirs dot the landscape, with some easy and difficult to reach depending on the spot.

I'd been wanting to take a motorcycle up to go fishing for a while, but the Xpedition gave me a better excuse to skive off work, grab my fly rod, and see if I could find a new honey hole. I even took my dog with me, as she's not just an excellent adventure companion; she's also a good bear and lion deterrent, and the spots I had in mind definitely had the possibility of both. And the Polaris made the prep easy, as there's ample room both in the rear enclosed deck, as well as in the fold-down rear seats, and even the passenger seat.

In went my fishing backpack, my Greys rod setup, a host of flies, and a cheap net, as well as water and snacks for the two of us. I dropped the windows and popped the windshield to get both fresh air and a cool morning breeze for the two of us. But almost immediately, I discovered one of the Xpedition's flaws: there's just no power.

2026 Polaris Xpedition ADV 5 NorthStar

Photo by: Jonathon Klein

According to Polaris, the Xpedition's 999cc twin-cylinder engine produces 114 horsepower and some amount of torque. I say that, as Polaris doesn't publish the Xpedition's torque, and I'm beginning to see why. Moreover, Polaris also publishes dry weight as standard, which is utterly useless, as nothing gets moving when it lacks fluids such as fuel, oil, and coolant, as well as every other fluid that goes into a gasoline-powered vehicle such as this. However, Polaris did publish a curb weight for the 2024 Polaris Xpedition ADV 5 NorthStar that states it weighs 2,916 pounds when fully kitted out with all the stuff that makes it run. That weight, in conjunction with its rather middling horsepower, and some amount of torque, lead to it being agonizingly slow, while simultaneously being not great on gas.

Let me elaborate on that one.

While pointing the Xpedition toward my first stop, I had to climb a good amount of elevation. Something in the neighborhood of a couple thousand feet over the course of, say, a few miles. However, it's the backcountry, and it ebbs and flows, so while some parts are flat, others are steep, and the climb occurs rapidly. During those steeper grades going up, I was flat-footed with the throttle, but barely moving, topping out at something like 35mph. It ate fuel. In big, heaping gulps. So much so, though I'd only go a grand total of about 75 miles that day, I was left with only a 1/8th of a tank after leaving with a full one in the morning.

A far cry from the advertised 200+ miles. And again, I wasn't blitzing the trails at ungodly speeds. I was just tootling along. But small-displacement, naturally aspirated motor, a heavy overall weight, and the high mountains, many above 9,000 feet, make for bad bedfellows when it comes to fuel economy.

2026 Polaris Xpedition ADV 5 NorthStar

Photos by: Jonathon Klein

I get folks tend to bring spare fuel with them on longer adventures, and not everyone lives at 8,000 feet or above, but the idea of an adventure-spec, would-be overlander with such limited range, and lackluster power, had me side-eyeing the whole endeavor. Especially as my own Can-Am overlanding build, one based on the more sport-oriented X3 platform, can easily go 150 miles plus on a tank, which I proved last year during my elk hunt. Honestly, I was expecting more. Both from its power and its fuel mileage.

Where the rig shown was in its capability to tackle obstacles, both small and large, with rutted-out trails, boulder fields, small streams and pools, and fallen timber all unable to halt the Xpedition's progress forward. It can also climb truly steep inclines, which I tested in my backyard. And when it started pouring midway up one particular mountain, the ability to close the windows and windshield, and seal everything up was great for keeping me out and heading toward one reservoir I wanted to explore—though, once I got there, I got the eery sensation of being watched, and at least at one point in my short walk around its confines, I thought one print looked very mountain lion-esque.

Does she hear something in the woods or is that just my paranoia?

Photo by: Jonathon Klein

As for driving the side-by-side, the steering system is well-weighted, neither too heavy nor too soft, and the controls and seating position are solid. With space for five, as well as the covered bed, I fit myself, my wife, and my three children, as well as our dog, for a separate outing before my fishing excursion, and everyone had enough space. Our dog wanted to be in the front seat, but she always wants to be in the front seat.

We also checked out the JBL sound system, which provides a solid foundation for trail jams. The NVH, especially at wide-open-throttle, which I again had to use whenever the going got hilly, would drown out the music, as there could be slightly better sound deadening right near the engine compartment. But otherwise, I wish I had worse weather.

I know that sounds weird, but over the course of my tests, I didn't have a truly hot day, nor a truly cold day, so I couldn't test the Xpedition's HVAC system. Had it arrived sooner, the bear hunt would've done exactly that. I had friends sending me pictures of days that were snowing, while other sending pictures of day that read in the high 80s. I only got to test the windshield wiper, which performed as you'd expect a windshield wiper to perform.

The day ended with me finding a new stream and catching a few brook trout barely the size of my hand. They're fun, but a long way from what I had originally envisioned catching that morning. I probably chose the wrong flies, and should've gone to another spot I had saved. I did, however, find some elk rubs from last season, as well as a well-used game trail. So a few more onX waypoints may have been added, and the trek wasn't a total waste. But let's be honest, any day fishing and in the backcountry is better than one sitting at your desk in front of your computer.

2026 Polaris Xpedition ADV 5 NorthStar

The tiniest of trout.

Photos by: Jonathon Klein

That, however, brings me back to the Polaris Xpedition.

What do you think?

View

Comments

This particular model is the 2026 Polaris Xpedition ADV 5 NorthStar, which comes with a retail price starting at $45,000. Add a few accessories, which most buyers do, and you're looking at north of $50,000. That's full quarter-ton truck money. And that's a lot to ask for something that's not quite the overlander it promises to be.

It's still a good UTV, however. And for those in flatter locales, I think this may work for you, where its power or weight doesn't matter as much. Places like Nebraska or Texas. Or out East. Long stretches of grassland, sagebrush, desert, or otherwise, especially when the seasons rear their ugly heads, this cab would be a godsend. But for the West where I live, I'm unsure as to why Polaris doesn't slap a detuned RZR engine into one of these? Slap a turbo on it and call it a day, then it'd be a true overlander worthy of replacing your truck.