PIONEER 1000-5 TRAIL EDITION 2023 HONDA

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Fox QS-3 shocks give expanded capability with the Pioneer’s wheel travel

• 1000 lb capacity tilt bed houses two pop-up seats

• 4,500-Pound Winch for getting unstuck (it’s on 27 inch tires)

• 2500-Pound Towing Capacity

• Automatic DCT w/ i-4WD – much more fun than a CVT.

• The perfect ranch workhorse adventure vehicle

MACHINE: PIONNER 1000-5 TRAIL EDITION

The transmission offers two modes, Standard and Sport, with Sport sharpening up the response and letting the revs hang longer before upshifting. Manual mode with paddle shifting can also be selected, giving the Pioneer pilot ultimate control over the DCT.

Honda’s four wheel drive system is all shaftdriven, with newer models receiving the i-4WD system on some trim levels. Short for Intelligent Four-Wheel Drive, i4WD is an electronicallycontrolled system that incorporates front and rear wheel drive, differential locking control, and individual wheel speed control by brake. The Pioneer’s onboard computer can manage all of these systems simultaneously, and with the help of wheel speed sensors, can apply force to the wheels with the most traction. For all but the most hardcore off-roaders, this means an easy “put it in 4 and go pretty much anywhere” level of climbing traction.

Suspension

Honda’s Pioneer 1000-5 Trail is equipped with fully independent double-wishbone front and rear suspension with 10.6 inches (front) and 10.0 inches (rear) suspension travel. This is on par with the segment, matched well against Kawasaki’s Teryx4 S. The Pioneer boasts more travel than the Yamaha Wolverine X4 850, and an upgraded shock absorber. For the price in the segment, the Honda is a great value, as it sits just below the jump up to Yamaha’s Wolverine RMax, Can-Am’s Commander, and Polaris’ General in the Sport Rec segment.

All Pioneer Trail edition models come with a set of Fox Podium QS3 shocks, which offer threeposition compression adjustability with an easyto-operate knob on each shock reservoir. The increased shock oil volume and revised spring and valving rates help the Pioneer to handle bigger holes a bit better. It offers more than enough suspension prowess for bounding down the trail and running over small junk. If the bump is larger than a curb, you should likely slow down a bit.

INTERIOR/EXTERIOR

Honda’s Pioneer 1000-5 gets its name from- you guessed it- seating capacity. In its standard configuration, the 1000-5 has a three-person bench seat up front and a large, caged bed in the rear. Flip the rear seat backs up, and two more spots become available for transporting people, although you do lose a considerable amount (pretty much all) of your cargo space while doing so. It’s a great option for those using this vehicle for work or recreation, and the seats can be operated independently for a mix of cargo and human capacity.

Honda revised the Pioneer last year with a lot of small details, including more durable driveshaft boots, upgraded heat shielding, and a strengthened skidplate. It also received a new insturment display with brighter, easier-to-read graphics. The display also gets more monitoring features like a clutch indicator and battery voltage meter. Trail edition models also get a 4500-lb winch, front interior lights, and a rearview mirror standard.

The Pioneer’s interior is fairly old school in its layout, with dash-mounted shifters and a hard plastic steering wheel. Interior durability will be superb as always with Honda, which is the most important part. Honda includes lots of room for accessory switches, a cubby to store things or mount a radio, and a tilt steering wheel. Full doors come standard, as well as window nets, but no roof.

TIRES/WHEELS/BRAKES

Honda’s Pioneer 1000-5 Trail Edition comes with black/machined aluminum 14 inch non-beadlock wheels wrapped in Armstrong Dirt Master 2.0 tires. The Dirt Master 2.0’s measure 27x9R14 in the front and 27x11R14 in the rear. The tires feature an aggressive tread pattern clearly suited for chunky, wet/muddy conditions, not so much the desert Southwest. Braking is handled by four wheel independent hydraulic disc brakes, but also gets a hand from the i-4WD system by integrating engine and wheel braking into its hill descent control. It also features a hill start assist function to help drivers regain momentum if you have to stop on a climb.

Competition

The Pioneer 1000-5 Trail Edition ($21,499) fits into the very top of what we would refer to as the “Utility Recreation” class. This includes vehicles like Kawasaki’s $20,999 Teryx4 S Special Edition, but also Polaris’ much longer and more utility-oriented Ranger Crew XP 1000 Premium at $22,099. CanAm’s Defender Max XT, also on the larger side, is $20,799. The next step up in the segment takes you to the level of the Yamaha Wolverine RMax

1000, Can-Am Commander 1000, and Polaris General 1000, which all hover about $6-7,000 higher than the Pioneer 1000-5.

Impressions

The Pioneer 1000 is incredibly versatile and unique in its packaging. It’s substantially smaller than most of the other machines capable of seating more than 2 occupants, but is, by design, a compromise. This vehicle is made for the owner looking for an occasional multi-passenger capable unit, not to be used as one full-time. It hits a sweet spot of pricing, performance, and most importantly, personality. With the Honda’s peppy engine and DCT transmission, putting in trail miles just seems more fun than it does with some of the other buzzing CVT-powered units in this category. We give the nod to Honda for keeping things interesting.