Polaris Ranger 570 Northstar Long-Term Review

UTVs preserve getting greater, higher, and costlier. A few of these autos, like Polaris’ Xpedition and Can-Am’s 6X6, are the scale of small vehicles. These souped up autos are cool should you’re planning overlanding adventures, however they’re not preferrred for getting work carried out at deer camp or on the farm. For those who put ego and horsepower apart, for many of us, essentially the most helpful car is a mid-sized UTV, and on this class, the Polaris Ranger nonetheless guidelines. 

Final yr, my buddies and I subject examined a Polaris Ranger SP 570 Northstar for a complete looking season. We put greater than 400 miles on this car, driving it down dust roads, via fields (the place we had permission in fact), and alongside muddy trails. The Ranger dealt with all the pieces we threw at it with out displaying any indicators of wear and tear or tear. 

Ranger SP 570 Northstar Specs

• Engine: 4-Stroke Single Cylinder DOHC, 567 CC
• Horsepower: 44HP
• Torque: 35.4 LB-FT
• Drive System: On-Demand True AWD / 2WD / VersaTrac Turf Mode
• Dry Weight: 1,502 lbs
• Automobile dimensions: 108 in. (L) x 58 in. (H) x 74 in. (W)
• Field capability: 500 kilos
• Payload capability: 700 kilos
• Hitch towing ranking: 1,500 kilos 
• MSRP: $19,299 (2023 model); $19,499 (2024 model)  

Ranger SP 570 Northstar Options

• Built-in winch and plow mounts
• Digital energy steering
• Enclosed cab with glass home windows
• Warmth with Defrost
• Windshield wiper and washer fluid
• USB charging port
• Full protection skid plate
• Storage bins underneath seat
• Bench seat (for 2 folks)
• Crank home windows

How We Examined the Ranger SP 570 Northstar

We drove the Ranger simply as if it had been our personal car. In summer time we used it for hauling water to dove ponds, we loaded it up with brush for constructing blinds, and we transported tools for sustaining a taking pictures vary. My buddy Todd Gifford drove it round dust roads in his neighborhood doing pest management work, and I trailered it as much as my household deer camp in northern Wisconsin for opening weekend.  

Neither Gifford nor I are mechanics nor are we gearheads. We’re hunters and outdoorsmen at first. So what you received’t see here’s a technical breakdown of the Ranger’s engineering. As an alternative, we’ll present an trustworthy evaluation of the car’s real-world efficiency, which turned out to be fairly spectacular.

How the Ranger SP 570 Carried out

If I had been to explain this model of the Ranger in simply three phrases it might be: Sturdy, sensible, and dependable. As Gifford places it: “We put greater than 400 miles on this factor, after which we cleaned it up, and it regarded good as new. We’ve check pushed completely different ATvs and UTVs for 10 years, and that is the primary one that’s good for what we do. It’s the bomb.” 

For a looking rig, less complicated is usually higher. And whereas the Northstar model of the Ranger does have some slick options (extra on these in a minute), it’s nonetheless a fairly easy car total. For instance, the sprint inside isn’t filled with a ton of buttons and switches. That makes it straightforward to maintain clear and functioning. With nearly a dozen autos we’ve had prior to now, in some instances we’ve seen gauges and switches fail when the dashboard will get choked with mud (as generally occurs with a looking rig, even on an enclosed cab). 

On the sturdiness entrance, we discovered the physique of the car to be impressively scratch and dent proof. We mercilessly ran the Ranger via brush with low-hanging branches bouncing off the windshield and thorns scraping the perimeters. However we by no means did discover scratches within the physique panels. Most different SXS we examined would have positively proven indicators of harm. 

At one level I attempted to suit the machine via a small hole between two timber, however I misjudged the hole and ended up ramming the aspect of the car (proper on the door panel) towards an 8-inch-diameter maple. I used to be sure that whoopsie would end in sufficient injury that I’d must report it to the great of us at Polaris. However, to my shock, there wasn’t a dent, or perhaps a scratch, within the door panel. 

Measurement Issues

The factor I like most about this car is its smaller measurement. It’s a mid-size Ranger, so the bench seat suits two folks. The total-size Ranger seats three throughout. 

The smaller body makes for a lighter, extra maneuverable car. I used to be in a position to drive it simply on my looking property, taking all the identical, tight, winding, brush choked trails that we normally trip with ATVs (The tree incident occurred whereas I used to be bushwhacking via the woods to choose up a downed deer). Additionally, this little wheeler was a breeze to load in a trailer and tow down the freeway. In some instances you’d be capable to match a mid-size Ranger into the again of a pickup with out even needing a trailer. The car’s dry weight was only one,500 kilos.

Except you’re transporting a crew of hunters, a smaller car normally means much less of a headache. That is in no small half as a result of smaller, lighter autos tread extra flippantly on the panorama. Farmers are much more keen to allow you to drive of their fields should you’re working a small SXS vs an even bigger rig that may sink into the mud and go away ruts. 

“Landowners are actually cool with it once they see you driving round one thing small,” Gifford says. “That’s the important thing to this little unit, it’s so cell and it doesn’t go away an enormous footprint, even when the situations are moist and muddy.”

Moreover, the Ranger has a drive setting referred to as Turf Mode. This mode unlocks the rear differential, which means that the again wheels can rotate at completely different speeds. For instance, when taking a nook in Turf Mode, one wheel drives whereas the opposite spins freely to keep away from tearing the turf, based on Polaris. The rear proper wheel is the powered wheel in Turf Mode, no matter which route the car turns. In easy phrases, this lets you drive on grass or delicate terrain with out tearing it up. It additionally makes your flip radius tighter. It really works splendidly.

However one essential observe is that you simply don’t need to use Turf Mode whereas climbing, descending hills, or sidehilling. For uneven terrain you need to be in all-wheel-drive. 

Journey and Dealing with

The 570 Ranger will not be actually a path driving car. It doesn’t deliver a ton of energy or top-end velocity to the celebration. It’s simply not what this car is designed for. For reference, it has the identical quantity of horsepower because the 570 Sportsman ATV (which weighs about 600 kilos much less). 

Nonetheless, the Ranger does provide a comparatively clean, snug trip. We didn’t get rattled to items whereas driving over washboard gravel and the car dealt with tough trails like a champ. 

With the enclosed cab and narrower width, this mid-size Ranger does really feel a bit high heavy whereas driving. You do not need to take sharp turns too shortly otherwise you danger rolling it. However for looking and doing chores, you shouldn’t be ripping round like a wildman anyway.   

Notably, the 2024 model of the 570 Ranger is getting a tire improve with new 25-inch 8-ply Professional Armor X-Terrain tires for added sturdiness and higher puncture resistance.

Enclosed Cab

You’ll find a base model of the 570 Ranger (with out the enclosed cab) for an extremely affordable MSRP of $11,699. Nonetheless, should you can afford it, the enclosed cab on the Northstar version is effectively price it. The fully-enclosed cab mixed with warmth and defrost make this a real four-season car within the North Nation. 

Right here in Minnesota it’s not unusual for us to see sub-zero temperatures by early December (this yr was an exception). Operating down the highway in an open SXS in frigid temperatures is brutal. You’ve bought to totally go well with up with goggles and a facemask as should you had been going snowmobiling. That takes away from the comfort of simply hopping within the SXS for a brief run.  

“It’s actually depressing and you find yourself simply desirous to take the truck as a substitute,” Gifford says. 

That’s not the case with the Northstar, which heats up in minutes. On opening day of deer season I had the window totally defrosted and the cab toasty heat for a snug trip to my looking space. The enclosed cab is much more important should you intend to make use of the Ranger for plowing snow. It additionally helps preserve highway mud out of your face and prevents sticks and branches from hitting you when you drive down tight trails within the woods. All of those options are particularly good whenever you’re driving round children. 

Something you need to preserve out of the weather may be saved in dry containers beneath the seat. 

I’m 6 ft 2 inches and I match within the cab comfortably sufficient, even on longer rides. Nonetheless should you’re an even bigger dude, you’d need to contemplate going with a full-size SXS. One factor we particularly appreciated in regards to the cab was the bench seats, with no arm rests. Some UTVs have molded seats and/or arm rests which might be constraining and find yourself simply getting in the way in which. With the straightforward bench seat you possibly can hop out and in shortly and with out problem.  

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What the Ranger SP 570 Did Finest

This car packs lots of efficiency right into a small, mild, and comparatively reasonably priced package deal. We ended up utilizing it on a regular basis. This saved us cash on gasoline and put on and tear on our vehicles as a result of it was typically simpler to simply hop within the Ranger. I notice that $20K for a side-by-side will not be low-cost, however as of late it’s about pretty much as good of a deal as you’ll discover for a machine of this high quality with this set of options, most notably the built-in winch, enclosed cab, and warmth. 

The place the Ranger SP 570 Might Enhance

You don’t get a lot energy with the 570 model of the Ranger. That’s not a criticism of the car, extra a easy actuality of the tradeoff within the matrix of measurement vs efficiency vs worth. There may be in fact the full-size Ranger XD 1500 which affords 110 horsepower. But it surely’s additionally going to value you about twice as a lot because the rig we examined. 

Ultimate Ideas

If you need an reasonably priced workhorse that has some good options however isn’t fancy, effectively, you received’t do higher than the Polaris Ranger 570 SP Northstar. For those who dwell in heat, southern climates, you possibly can in all probability get away with out the enclosed cab. However, should you dwell up North, and your finances can swing it, upgrading to the enclosed cab is effectively price it. You’ll use the car extra typically and get rather more worth out of it.