But today’s ATV market is afflicted with an acute case of pragmatism, rife with blocky four-wheel drives fitted with cargo racks and hitches. The implication seems to be that fun, for its own sake, is irresponsible – you use your utility quad to clear bush off the remote part of the farm; any entertainment is purely incidental. That’s why the 2020 Polaris Scrambler XP 1000 S is so refreshing: It is gloriously useless. The tow rating is zero. The Scrambler exists to turn petrol into serotonin, end of mission statement.
The Polaris approaches that mission a little bit differently than the other lonely sport ATV, the Yamaha Raptor. The Raptor, in either 450 cc or 700 cc form, is a lithe motocross machine with a solid rear axle, rear-wheel drive, and a manual transmission. That’s the traditional format, going all the way back to classics such as the 1980s Suzuki LT500R Quadracer. The Scrambler has an automatic transmission, floorboards instead of footpegs, all-wheel drive, and independent rear suspension. It’s also physically huge – in terms of sheer size, it looks like a quad and-a-half. Its 400 kg dry weight is more than two Raptor 700s.
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