2013 commander 1000 UTV

[rubirose]

So, we are thinking of buying one, brand new. For those of you who have them please give me the good, bad and ugly. We ride for the miles, not into mudding and the only mods will be better tires.

Thanks in advance.

 

[teeroy]

I would get the 2014, newer rear diff is quieter. power steering is nice, they have good power and are the nicest seating with a roomy interior. the only failure on my 2012 has been the front diff, visco stopped working and was replaced on warranty. I'm happy with the purchase, I am planning to upgrade to the new rear diff to get rid of the gear howl.

 

[Rotax Mulisha]

^^ good advise
Think i read somewhere that to 2014 models have a better heat sheilding on the console. Keep the pops cooler.

Before i started installing mods, my 2012 stock commander worked awesome for trail riding. Topped out at 118kph.
But went on a few local poker rallies and learned quickly that ground clearance is everything with these heavy machines.
Dont ask a friend riding a quad to pull you out, he will likely damage something winching and pulling on a SxS. If possible winch yourself out or have another SxS help you.

 

[sirkdev]

So, we are thinking of buying one, brand new. For those of you who have them please give me the good, bad and ugly. We ride for the miles, not into mudding and the only mods will be better tires.

Thanks in advance.

Buy it and run it great machine, I have 2... stock tires are great for what you want don't waste your money on changing them out, all you need is roof, 1/2 windshield, and a rear dust net. Then go have fun.

 

[crazy_wheeler]

What about the polaris rzr 1000?

 

[camoJoe]

Proud owner of 2013 1000xt , lots of fun, no regrets whatsoever, 10 Gallon tank, not to worried about running out of fuel anytime soon, drove at Stanger hills, Bruderheim, and Whitecourt had fun at all places and never wanted it to end, did have overheating problems on first ride, but that is because i drove through some deep mud, winch on xt is a little tough to get at, so I got the removable winch system from BRP, now I can use same winch front or back, on 2" receiver hitch hookup, and have better access to radiator for cleaning, but that should not be a worry for you if your not hitting mud. changed out the wire rope for synthetic as the wire rope snapped after about the 5th winching job, trying to pull someone out of skeg, who was in pretty deep.

The 2013 does have a whine to it, and from what i gather at Can Am forums , so do the predecessors , but got used to that easily enough, the heat issue in centre, will keep your coffee warm, dont think it will keep your "pop" cold with any kind of insulation around the cup holders, motor is right below it, it appears that BRP with the 2014 Commander models may have improved on both the heat and the noise issue, but cant vouch for that as i haven't had a chance to compare the difference.

got to talk loud if you want to talk to passenger, did have the pleasure of driving an 800 Ranger before my purchase, it is a quieter ride, have no quarrels other then the seats in the commander are built for comfort , suspension not bad either, good for long rides, as opposed to the bench in the Ranger. cant really compare Commander against Razor 1000, as they are sports UTV'S, Razor should be compared against Maverick, Ranger should be compared against Commander (utility vehicle) , there is also big difference in pocket book between, Commander 1000 and Razor 1000, May want to check out the width of the new Razor 1000, as compared against the Commander, not sure if your able to go riding at Big Horn Dam, (Nordegg) with Razor 1000, due to width restriction at "gate" on the dam.

commander width is about 58-60" , New razor 1000 is about 64 - 67" depending on purchase options. , i am sure both machines are a blast to drive, it is all about preference , ( pocket book) and driving style.

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[pfi572]

^^^^^^^
Well done and good review !

 

[AreWeThereYet]

If noise is an issue and you spend that much money on a SxS,. spend the extra $200 and buy a couple bluetooth headset inserts for your helmets

 

[J-Roc]

I had a 2012 Limited. Wifey had other interests and all my buddies have quads. I traded it for another jet boat. I'm now in the market for another quad.

Great machine. Very capable and comfortable. Had a few issues, but all was handled by the dealer.

I'd buy one again given the need. I had a Rhino 700 in amongst a bunch of quads previously. In the real technical (overgrown, REALLY bad trails, I'd prefer a Rhino. But for 99.9 percent of general riding, I'd say Can Am nailed it. I never did notice the rear end whine on mine, so can't comment on that. The only things that failed on mine were a temp sensor which is really not that big a deal, and things that were my own fault.

I installed full ricochet skids, and a Warn winch bumper.

I'd say for my uses, that bumper was worth it's weight in gold. Kept the winch up between the headlights out of the mud, and easily accessible.

I'd consider adding doors as well, and a stereo and power steering depending on your uses. I didn't have power steering on mine, but would have if we would have kept it.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[teeroy]

If noise is an issue and you spend that much money on a SxS,. spend the extra $200 and buy a couple bluetooth headset inserts for your helmets

the gear howl isn't that much of an issue for me, it's only really noticeable at high speed....once you get north of 60 mph it becomes quite evident. I just turn up the tunes

 

[rubirose]

the gear howl isn't that much of an issue for me, it's only really noticeable at high speed....once you get north of 60 mph it becomes quite evident. I just turn up the tunes

Gear noise won't be an issue, our quads do the same thing, just start to not hear it after a while. Besides only notice at speeds and usually on the trails don't go fast anyway.. Put a deposit in for one, going to be used mainly for plowing snow and for hunting trips. Might take it to Grave Flats and or Mcleod River area this year, not as much skeg and more open trails.

 

[teeroy]

Gear noise won't be an issue, our quads do the same thing, just start to not hear it after a while. Besides only notice at speeds and usually on the trails don't go fast anyway.. Put a deposit in for one, going to be used mainly for plowing snow and for hunting trips. Might take it to Grave Flats and or Mcleod River area this year, not as much skeg and more open trails.

I've seen a few of your ride pics here, I'm sure you will be happy with the commander. 90% or more of my riding is in low range, in much the same kind of stuff you guys ride. stock it will do just about 40 mph in low which seems to be plenty quick for cruising trails.

the only thing I would consider is a set of stiffer tires for rocks, the stock bighorn 2.0 on these machines are very soft and thin. I didn't have mine on for long enough to have any trouble with them, went with a stiffer 8 ply 28" tire after reading of a few peeps having puncture issues riding lots of rocky trails. when i took one off the wheel it was like a moccasin, it wouldn't hold it's shape without air. if a person had a flat there would be no way to limp it out without destroying a wheel and the tire if you couldn't fix it on the trail.

they are also quite capable in the mud and skeg, I was surprised it would go thru as much crap as it does for being so big and heavy. the extra clearance from the bigger tires helps a lot, but as mentioned you really have to keep the rad cleaned in certain kinds of silty mud or it will have issues with overheating.