2024 Polaris Xpedition First Drive: Explore More—and Comfortably

With available heat, A/C, and power windows, does the Xpedition mean the SxS has jumped the shark?

By Jason Gonderman / MotorTrend

We love side-by-sides today, but that feeling blossomed over time—they’d never be the choice over a full-bore off-road truck or SUV, we’d scoff. But then, through experience, we came to appreciate side-by-sides’ raw power, visceral experience, handy size, and incredibly plush ride over the harshest terrain. We started recommending them left and right to folks looking for an off-road option. Then Polaris launched the all-new 2024 Xpedition geared toward the overland crowd, and the old doubts surfaced again.

While the base price for the standard Xpedition XP is $29,000, you can pile up options on a top-spec Xpedition ADV Northstar to the tune of more than $60,000. Sure, at this price point you’re getting a fully enclosed cab, air conditioning, a heater, beadlock wheels, a rooftop tent, a Rigid LED light bar, a 4,500-pound recovery winch, a powerful JBL audio system, bumpers and racks, seating for five, and—you get the point. But why would anyone pick one of these over a 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon ($51,590) or 2024 Ford Bronco Badlands ($52,580)? On the surface, this feels like a no-brainer—they wouldn’t. But then we went on a two-day ride in Xpeditions through some of the most beautiful parts of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. CONTINUE READING