The First 3 Hours in my Commander X

[swerveoffroad]

I posted this up on a few forums and everyone liked it so I thought I would throw it up here as well. Enjoy....

About me and why I purchased a Commander X….
I have been a UTV enthusiast since the first time I drove a 2006 Rhino. I have been an off road fan since I was in my teens and started riding my first moto which was a 380 Greeves in 1980 and it was an old bike back then. Yes I know, call me old school. I’ve owned a little bit of everything from Quads to high speed go-carts, Baja Bug and a big wheel.

I purchased my first UTV last year which was the 2009 Yamaha Rhino 700 Special Edition. I originally purchased it so my wife would have something to drive when our group went on the long rides. She has a bike but she can’t really keep up with everyone.

The Rhino resolved this issue for me. I had my Rhino for a few months and talked my friend into buying one. My brother and several other friends already had UTVs (all rhinos). Mine was the fastest! That is until my buddy rolled up in his 2010 Polaris RZR. I had dropped so much money into my Rhino (Muzzys, MSD, CAM, Sheeve, the list goes on) I expected my Rhino to give the RZR a run for its money.

Well, that didn’t last long, the RZR embarrassed me and all the work I had done.

There comes a time in everyone’s life where the competitive attitude is bottled up and you’re left feeling like “Hey, I just got my ass handed to me, let it go” or at least that’s what I have been told.

Well if that were true I wouldn’t be writing this review now would I?

Why I went with the Can-AM….
After getting my ass handed to me by my buddies RZR I called several places thinking I could spend more money on my Rhino and make is faster. I had options, Rotax, Big Bore Stroker, I even talked to Chris at Benchmark Performance.

SIDE NOTE: If you are looking to keep your Rhino and make it fast enough to keep up with the RZR, Chris at Benchmark is the person to call. His knowledge of the Rhino engine is amazing.

After dropping 1000s of bucks on my Rhino I was done. I couldn’t spend another dollar on it so I put it up for sale and was fortunate enough to have a friend who wanted it.

I checked out the RZR’s however they are just too small for me. I looked at the Arctic Cat Prowlers which are super nice UTVs. Then I read a few articles about the Can-AMs and decided to wait and see what they look like in person. My local Can-AM dealer had an XT show up in early October (Castaic, California, Can-Am, Sea-Doo Boats, ATV, Motorcycle, Watercraft, Dealer, Used, Parts, Accessories, Apparel). He had deposits on them so I couldn’t buy one but I kept looking. Then last week he got a Commander Base Model in and my wife and I went and took a look and I was sold on the Can-AM.

We told him we would sleep on it and get back to him the next day. That night I jumped online and started reading up, and trying to decide which one I wanted. Then I checked one of the dealers in Ventura and they had a fully loaded X in stock so we went and looked at it. Sold! We bought it on the spot.

Now my decision to purchase the Can-AM over the Arctic Cat was the advancements that Can-AM had added not to mention the look of the X. All I had to do was sit in it and I could tell it was the UTV for me. My wife dubbed it “Stinger” the second we put it on the trailer.

The first 3 hours in my new X….
We went out on a Sunday to Rower Flats. It’s not the best place to ride but it’s close to the house and has some technically challenging trails. My buddy who bought my Rhino went with us. We geared up and took off. Please keep in mind I am not a journalist and my writing skills are mediocre at best.

I will try to cover everything that the first 3 hours had to offer. I can only compare to the RZR and the Rhino because these are the only two UTVs that I have driven.

Acceleration: We took off down the road and the first thing I noticed was the Pshhh noise it makes when hitting the pedal. It’s kind of a cool sounding noise, like “OK, time to fly”. The acceleration is amazing. Its super smooth and you can feel the power when it sets you back in the seat. My Rhino has great “out of the hole power” because of the work I did to it however it was nothing like this. In no time we were doing 50 and I was running out of road. I had a smile on my face from LA to NY. It was awesome!

Unlike the RZR it seemed the power was even and steady. The RZR reminds me of a two stroke with that power band. It comes off line ok then gets rolling nicely. Keep in mind I was not pushing it to hard so this may change once it’s broke in and I have had a few Newcastle’s and the wife is in the toy hauler.

I headed for a hill and flew up it. The X never even winced. This hill was long and fairly steep and by the time I got to the top I was going faster than when I hit the bottom. It just keeps climbing.

I was never able to get it to top speed but I feel it can push 70 with no issues. When rolling at 20 to 30 MPH you hit the throttle and it hooks and goes. It has that Baja Race Truck feel to it. I’m telling you, it’s fast!

The throttle takes a little getting used to. There is a split second pause when you nail it which reminds me of my brothers Rhino without fuel injection. You get used to it and after 30 minutes or you don’t really notice it. I hit some road whoops at high speed and felt my foot on the pedal bouncing however the X stayed smooth. This was one of the reasons I decided to buy the Can-AM. The kind of riding I do is long distance rough roads and this iTC (Intelligent Throttle Control) defiantly lives up to the claims.

Now the issue I see would be with jumping as I noted in the suspension section of this review.


Suspension: Right out of the gate I could feel the Fox Shocks going to work. I know most people break UTVs in wide open however I was with my wife which kept me from getting to out of control. We came to the first set of 1 to 2 foot whoops and the X soaked them up like a sponge. No bottoming out, no pitching side to side and no front skid plate hits. I went into the whoops with one thing in mind, to get my X to bottom out and it didn’t.

We came into a hard right turn, not knowing what it was capable of I kept the throttle steady and let the X do its thing and it barreled down, stayed very level and we powered through the corner pitching the rear end to the left out of the turn. It recovered from the fishtail and I nailed down on the throttle.

I wanted to get a feel for it and not push it too much, we hit a small jump and the first thing I noticed was the rear end pitch upward. It felt like I had let off the throttle which nosed dived the jump. So I turned around and tried it again. I hit the jump once more at a lower speed and figured I would goose the throttle once the rear tires were close to lift off, it did the same thing. Nose dive! This is something that Can-AM will have to address. It’s dangerous!!!!

If you are not paying attention when coming off a jump you have a good chance of going to go end over end.

My buddy in the Rhino was taking to jump perfectly so I know it wasn’t one of those jumps that force the rear end up.
I attribute this to either the Intelligent Throttle Control cutting power to the rear tires or the rebound setting on the rear shocks.

Ponder this, if the iTC senses the front tires off the ground and cuts power to the rears it would make the vehicle nose dive?

This is exactly what I felt however I don’t know if this is how the commander works. Could this be a Sport Mode off issue? I will test this more next weekend.

I was not ready to adjust the shocks so we went on with our ride. One more note on suspension, when hill climbing you can really feel the rear suspension working. Compared to the Rhino/Polaris with the wishbone, when you are vertical you can actually feel the rear wheel rise however the vehicle remains level. It gave me more confidence when climbing.

Drive Train: During the 3 hours of driving the biggest complaint is the Drive Train Knocking. It feels like a cheap transmission when you go into reverse. Sitting stationary, put it in reverse, hit the gas and BAM, the gear box slams into gear. It’s a pain in the ass to back it up the trailer ramp or maneuver tight places.

I am not sure what Can-AMs purpose of this gearbox lag is. My Rhino has a solid drive train and I feel Can-AM has huge room for improvement here.

This is a HUGE disappointment.

It reminds me of a guy I went to high school with; when we would race he would put his Isuzu in neutral, rev the motor and slam it into drive. Or one of those cheap Chinese UTVs you can find at the swap meets for 3k.

Keep in mind this doesn’t hinder any performance or drivability when flying down the road. When rolling down the road at 40 this issue does not come into play. It’s only when starting from a dead stop or out of park and or in reverse. After a while you get used to it. I am a bit concerned that this will cause issues down the road. It just doesn’t feel solid as it should.


Power Plant: The Rotax engine is solid. Anyone who has owned a Rotax knows they perform and run forever. The sound of the 1000cc Rotax reminds me of the Bombardier PWC from back in the day. A deep roar coming from under the hood to a banshee scream when you get out of the gates.

The power distribution in 4 wheel drive is outstanding. It places the power to the tires at the right time with perfect, smooth acceleration. When climbing hills it feels like a Billy Goat, hooked up at all times, no tire spin with endless amounts of power. I would like to see someone come out with a clutch mod that enhances the bottom end torque. Besides that it’s solid!


Steering: I have read several people say the steering was hard. I will say it’s harder to steer then the Rhino but I didn’t really see an issue with it. My wife drove it and she said it was fine. I came into some corners and hit a few ruts and it was fine for me. I wouldn’t be opposed to adding power steering.


Ergonomics: Right out of the box I felt comfortable in the X. The seats suck you in; the tilt steering is outstanding if you are a big guy like me. The dash is perfect and everything you need to do with it is all within reach. The instrument panel is large and easy to see. The adjustable driver’s seat is excellent, when your 6’2 and your wife is 5’4, this will come in handy.

The netting has to go, doors are a must. I think I rubbed a hole through the side of my pants because it was rubbing on the netting. The seat belts are OK; I will replace them with harnesses ASAP.


Lighting: The X I purchased came with the Can-AM LED light bar. I haven’t really had a chance to test it. If any of you reading this know me, I am the owner of Swerve Off Road (http://swerveoffroad.com). I am working on a 4 light kit for the commander which will replace all four headlights with 6000k HIDs. All the kits I have seen so far are super expensive and my kit will be available for ½ the price. I have focused on Rhino’s however by the end of the year will have lights for just about every UTV.

The LED Light Bar is pretty good. Nice white light is what I like and it produces plenty. The 6000k color for the headlights is a must to match the 6000k light the LED Bar emits.


Final Thoughts: I am the kind of person that usually stays away from first generation products of any kind. However the testing the Can-AM has done on this UTV has been pretty extensive.

Overall I am happy with my purchase and I believe Can-AM will address the issues most people have reported.

I am super disappointed with the gearbox clunking, it cheapens the entire vehicle.

If the nose dive issue is not addressed by Can-AM they will eventually have a lawsuit. Someone who is an inexperienced driver will hit a jump and flip it. It’s going to happen. I am hoping to be able to adjust the rear shocks and lower the rebound to compensate this issue.

Keep in mind the jumps I attempted were very small and smooth slopes. I couldn’t imagine trying to hit a big dog jump. This could be a sport mode issue as I said before.

I remember jumping my Rhino for the first time, it was like butter, nothing to it and that was with the stock suspension.

The look and feel is outstanding. It’s aggressive turning and acceleration is what I was looking for.

I can’t wait to roll up next to my buddy in his RZR.

I apologize for the long winded review and crappy grammar.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at

swerveoffroad@gmail.com


BigD

[Ray Spears]

I'm 66 yeras old and have ridden dirt bikes. but I'm relegated to a set down vehicle due to vision problems.
I liked the Commander but recent post of the nose dive problems is very troubling as is the banging clutch. I like the RZRS also but it has plastic melting issues. It pulzzles me that at $15000 to $16000 this vehicles have so many issues. I do not particulary want to go heavier John Deere Gator or Artic Cat type UTV's but maybe they are more realible? Any thoughts you be very helpful Thanks

[rock]

now tell me what u think I am going to buy an X package next few weeks, I am concerened after listening to everyone.

[Ray Spears]

Rock,

I have just bought the RZR XP 900 after reviewing the nose dive problems and watching the Polaris videos on the handling diference. I guess if carring gear for camping or hunting are your main concerns go with the CanAm, if suspension and handing is more important go with the RZR XP.

Good Luck!!

[rock]

Thanks for getting back to me I greatly appreciate it, i will check out the RZR, I have bought Polaris for years, but I am concerened about rumors of them moving there factories out of the US and to New Mexico, I think they where the only USA made choice out there.
kinda have my mind made up on the Commander 1000 X and have my name on one, I posted the options and price of $17500.OTD do you think that sounds like a competitive price range now you have been searching? Please let me know anything else you here on the commander, I should get mine in April.
Thanks, Rock

[swerveoffroad]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ray Spears

Rock,

I have just bought the RZR XP 900 after reviewing the nose dive problems and watching the Polaris videos on the handling diference. I guess if carring gear for camping or hunting are your main concerns go with the CanAm, if suspension and handing is more important go with the RZR XP.

Good Luck!!

I never updated my review on this forum however I did on the others. The nose dive issue was due to the dealer installing the shocks backwards (fronts on rear, rear on fronts). Once the shocks were corrected it handled like a champ.

I install an aftermarket clutch and now it runs next to my friends RZR XP without any issues. When we race it's pretty much neck in neck the entire way. I will pull him in the larger woops every time, besides that its a tie.

The RZR is kick ass though. Stock RZR vs Stock Commander X the RZR will beat it every time by a few UTV lengths. An after market clutch solves that for the commander.

Good Luck and what ever you decide.

Dennis
Swerve Off Road
Swerve Off Road
HID's For RZRs and Commanders

[Ray Spears]

Rock: The RZR XP 900 needs no upgrades! Get out accesseries carefully between the two. RZR top cost me $150 way lower than the CanAm. I think the cab is nicer in the CanAm more roomy, but when you are srapt in with 4 point harness it really makes no difference. RZR XP, sport top, rear windscreen, pre-runner brush guard, shoulder bag, rear view mirror, lock and ride feul can mount, and Echo 14" trailer with heavy axel OTD $18,000. Check out the Polaris web site for CanAm vs RZRS. Watch out for narrow trails as the RZR XP is 65" wide But 14" of clearence. The suspension and handling plus the power of the RZR XP is amazing. I just took it out yesterday and it was almost scary it is so fast!! If you want to haul alot of camping gear the RZR bed is small. I to looked at the cammander for almost a year but choose the RZR XP for the suspension and low center of gravity as most my riding will be in the mountains anit can get tippy. Best of Luck