The Thrill of Off-Road Driving: An Unforgettable Experience

As I sat inside the Plus XP, I couldn't help but think that this vehicle was not fully enclosed. With no windows and an open roof, it seemed like a recipe for disaster - especially on a day filled with mud, rocks, and other obstacles. But as we hit the trails, I realized that this vehicle's openness was actually one of its greatest strengths. The air rushed past me as we climbed muddy trails that would challenge even Alex Honnold's most experienced adventurers. And yet, despite the treacherous terrain, the XP glided effortlessly across rocks like water and gravel like a hot knife through butter.

As I reflected on our adventure, I couldn't help but think about the mindset required to drive this vehicle. Unlike driving a car or even a motorcycle, riding in an off-road machine requires a completely different mental approach. You have to be prepared for anything, from steep inclines to deep mud puddles, and gear up accordingly. The XP's designers have thought of everything, from its sturdy construction to its shock-absorbing suspension, making it the perfect vehicle for those who dare to venture off the beaten path.

One of the most impressive features of the XP is its versatility. Like a trophy truck, rally car, and SUV all rolled into one, this machine can tackle any terrain with ease. Its lightweight design belies its incredible strength and agility, allowing it to navigate even the most treacherous trails with precision and control. And yet, despite its impressive capabilities, the XP is also surprisingly easy to handle - thanks in part to its super-sharp steering and responsive braking system.

As we hurtled through the mud and rocks, I couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration and freedom. The XP's electronic steering system prevented the wheel from kicking back and twisting my arm off, allowing me to focus on the road ahead. And with its clever throttle mapping, I never felt like I was bouncing around or losing control - even when we hit bumps and the vehicle's suspension absorbed the shock.

Despite its many impressive features, the XP is also surprisingly affordable - a major draw for those who want to experience off-road driving without breaking the bank. And yet, despite its low cost, this machine is also incredibly durable and long-lasting - making it a great value for anyone looking to invest in their own off-road adventures.

But what really sets the XP apart from other vehicles is its attitude. Like that guy who's always shirtless and carefree, this machine is all about embracing the unknown and having fun on the fly. Whether you're cruising through the mud or blasting across rocks, the XP will leave you grinning from ear to ear - especially if you're listening to some classic tunes along the way (Creed, Limp Bizkit, anyone?).

All in all, our day in the dirt was an unforgettable experience that left me hooked on off-road driving forever. And while I wouldn't recommend this vehicle for everyone - after all, it's not exactly the safest or most practical machine out there - I would highly recommend it to anyone who's willing to take the leap and join the ranks of the off-road elite.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enyou can probably hit that a little faster all right no no not that fast those of us most inspired by our four-wheeled sports cars of the affordable variety may have noticed that in recent years this category is rapidly disappearing that's right while there are more choices than ever for a two hundred thousand dollar super sports car or for a 100 000 sport utility vehicle with the engine of a sports car the availability of affordable sporting cars has dwindled the thing is for a lot of people that Niche has been replaced by these the UTV or utility terrain vehicle more commonly known as the side by side these high performance off-road toys are one of the fastest growing segments on four wheels if not the fastest growing segment outright the low cost of Entry high performance ease of use compared to motorcycles and ATVs and enormous aftermarket have made them ubiquitous on ranches in the desert and on the trails and today Polaris has invited us to Windrock Park an off-road area outside of Knoxville Tennessee to see what all the fuss is about is a fast side by side the best value in sporty driving why are these things so popular and why do they invite us guys I don't know if you know this about me but my schedule is slammed I literally have four jobs right now and the one thing I forget to do is eat I don't build the time into my day to stop and eat I sometimes don't even build the time into my day to stop and order the food I should be eating and I know ordering in is not good for me but it's just something I have to do sometimes because I don't have the time to go to the grocery store and make food for myself for lunch when I'm at the studio I'm trying to be healthy I'm trying to lose weight trying to improve my situation in life you know who's here for me Factor their food is fresh never Frozen heats up in the microwave in just two minutes and there are so many delicious options from the chef's specials to the calorie smart which I'm kind of leaning in I got this beef poblano chili working for me today it is delicious when I finish my work go home I'm gonna hit the gym I want a quick burst of energy so I grab one of those Factor smoothies I like the strawberry banana I like the mango it's got protein it's got fiber it's got carbs everything I need for a quick hit of energy right before a workout and factors flexible when I travel for work when I travel for vacation I can pause or reschedule my meal deliveries for when I get back it works with my schedule they've got tons of options to choose from you'll never run out of things to eat always something new every day and I can keep my nutrition goals in mind and not get to that point where I'm super hungry and eating something that's really unhealthy gonna mess up my diet right it's great for lunch great for dinner great for a snack in between head over to factor75.com or click the link in the video description use code tst40 to get 40 off your first Factor box and thank you to factor for sponsoring today's video it's like a Chili I should have put it in a bowl but if I put it if I put in a bowl I can't see it that's the problem but pretty good beef chili with poblano yes please now we've been all over the world to press launches for cars and I've even done a few for motorcycles such as the Moto Guzzi V7 classic but today we're going to experience a new kind of press launch one without pavement at all watch as we pretend to know exactly what we're talking about when it comes to the UTV this is the all-new Polaris RZR XP and it looks absolutely sick and apparently there have been a lot of changes since the last one why don't you tell them what they are Zach happily there's an all-new two-cylinder Engine with dual overhead cams and electronic fuel injection now making 114 horsepower the power gets to the ground through a new CVT transmission that has a transfer case letting you select rear or all-wheel drive the Driveline has been re-geared and now has better low end response the all-new chassis is 25 more rigid than the last one they redesigned the doors the windshield and the interior is more uh luxurious the 16-way adjustable shocks offer over 20 inches of travel you can order LED light bars or a weatherproof Rockford Fosgate stereo that has a 400 watt subwoofer plus there's enough electronic output for a winch and nearly any other accessory you can imagine unlike a street-based car this thing is designed from the ground up for the trails usability and serviceability you don't want to be the guy holding your group back so everything is made very easy from the easily accessible tie downs and this this one doesn't have it but there could be an optional winch that goes here the Bodywork pops off super easily the doors come off super easily if you have to change a tire on the trail that grab handle that's adjustable is actually also a tire iron these seats come out super fast to service the air filter side of the engine and this Tonneau box comes out with just four bolts to service everything else it's all very straightforward and simple and designed to be fixed quickly and affordably to get you back on the trail and all that sounds great but we never actually drove the old one from last year so we'll just have to take their word for it that this new one is better now how do you drive it because I have experience in these I flipped a razor I would go first to provide some practical instruction it started very easily turn the key and then all you do put it in high two and you drive like you don't care throw away all mechanical sympathy that's how you drive it these things can take such a beating and keep going and they move so much when you break the nose Dives a lot when you hit the gas it sits back like a wave runner teaches you a lot about weight control and body control and yet it also can rock crawl you can put it in four low and go up nearly anything something that would be difficult hiking is easy in this these rocks are Algebra 2 and I am Stephen Hawking we are going over this no problem has a 90 inch wheelbase the same as an NA Miata but it's about three feet shorter overall the approach angles are better than any off-roader you could buy in any dealership today or anytime previously and then it soaks up a bump like that like Rick James after that terrifying demonstration it was my turn starting with where you use it we're not on a road I'm not even sure you need a license when you're on the trails or when you're in the desert the speed limit is set by Nature not by the law Plus this thing is small and it's a light way smaller and lighter than any SUV based vehicle and that means you can go where other vehicles can't go you can do a Jeep course where a Jeep could go five miles an hour at 25 or 30 miles an hour it's amazing plus the price these things start at twenty one thousand dollars and this one fully loaded is just under 25. that won't even get you into any kind of decent Wrangler pausing for the trail to clear allowed us to focus on the razor's luxuries these things always start out very very basic you know a shell a cage and an engine but over time they get more and more amenities and accessories and now we've got navigation with the trail we've got a USB port you can get a heater in these it has a stereo all kinds of features you can add even more switches in auxiliary stuff and accessories if you want to this thing has stuff you wouldn't find in an 80s Jeep it's almost like an unregulated car in that way you get more stuff but they don't actually add airbags or or even size 16-way adjustable shocks they strengthen the chassis 25 percent for stuff just like this because just like a race car the stiffer the chassis the more work you pass off to the suspension the more responsive it is and it is responsive wagging the tail and keep in mind Matt and I both have back issues we're not really the dirt bike crowd anymore but we've been in this thing for hours no problems whatsoever the new seats are legitimately comfortable it has more lumbar than a Civic Type R it's not without its challenges though in most places a UTV is not street legal so you need a truck you need a trailer you need to do another bit of logistics to get this thing out on the trail unlike a Jeep where you could just pull out of your driveway and go Plus in case you haven't noticed they're not fully enclosed and that means you can get hot you can get cold you can get dirty and you can get wet in here so far today I've experienced every one of those you could probably hit that a little faster all right Zach kind of sturdy you said I could go quicker you're wearing chats You Got Mud chaps dude it was like Moses had summoned the wave of mud yeah it was over the roof um I was not the only one who overcooked a puddle it may be safer than a motorcycle but only just this is still quite a dangerous activity and I know a couple of people that have ever gotten very hurt or very close to being hurt driving utvs it may look like a car and drive like a car but you have to prepare like a motorcycle and gear up because you never know the way you know it's closer to a bike than a car is that even the professionals refer to this as riding they're talking about gearing up to ride it's got a wheel and pedals but you're not driving you're riding that's the mindset you got to get into oh yes pants wedding in danger aside it seemed like we could do anything it climbed muddy trails that would challenge Alex honnold's goat it floated across rocks like water and it flew across the gravel it was Unstoppable we didn't want the day to end Zach this is gonna be an expensive trip I do not want to go home I just can't imagine spending a day in something like this and wanting to go back to a full SUV I just can't finally we slowed down enough to hear each other and discuss what exactly the XP is I have trouble describing the experience of driving this like is it a Jeep is it a truck is it a rally car like what's the closest comparison honestly it's a it's a church Truckin it's like it has the maneuverability of a Jeep but it has the resiliency and speed of a rally car and the travel of a trophy truck I think it's like 50 scale Trophy Truck Yeah but with sports car steering yeah you know it's got that floatiness that body movement of a trophy truck but a really little footprint really lightweight and then Super sharp steering and really good brakes yeah but a trophy truck wouldn't fit on this Trail because it would be too wide right and a rally car would probably be too low and get stuck right and this just does all of it there is a ton of impressive engineering that goes into these vehicles from the shocks in the Driveline to where the switches are placed to how electronics and controls can withstand the elements it even has a clever electronic steering system that prevents the Wheel from kicking back and twisting your arm off yeah I mean it's got electric power steering even bloodier prop car based off-roaders won't have E-Pass yeah and if you had a classic Land Cruiser Jeep it's going to have ball steering right and the B4 turns lock to lock I think the throttle mapping is also really good you can hit bumps and your foot doesn't bounce around and make you do wheelies yeah this is truly one of the best vehicles I've ever been in it is it is exactly the perfect thing for this task like I I wouldn't have more fun on this Trail in any other type of vehicle absolutely two or four wheels I don't think you could actually get a car to do this no matter what you did like I wrote In The Script could you get a card to this point and I think it would be very very hard I don't think you could do it and the suspension control arms here Mountain the middle yeah I just don't think the geometries are possible in a car I don't think you could get a car this light even if you could I don't think a car would survive these speeds on this kind of terrain I totally agree even a rally car the toughest car that there is they grade those roads now as you said you know you are exposed to the elements in these especially if you don't get the windshield but I feel like the attitude of this is like that guy that shot his gun at the hurricane you're just kind of shirtless and you don't care the only problem with these is you have to start listening to early 2000s metal again I gotta you gotta pull out your Creed gotta pull out your shine down no I'll go yeah I'll go Limp Biscuit after our day in the dirt it is not hard at all to figure out why so many people want these things they're cheap they're easy to fix they're flexible they're versatile they have a very low learning curve and they are ridiculous amounts of fun and remember always fight your tickets use code tst10 on the off the Record app available in the Android and iOS store or go to offtherecord.com TSTyou can probably hit that a little faster all right no no not that fast those of us most inspired by our four-wheeled sports cars of the affordable variety may have noticed that in recent years this category is rapidly disappearing that's right while there are more choices than ever for a two hundred thousand dollar super sports car or for a 100 000 sport utility vehicle with the engine of a sports car the availability of affordable sporting cars has dwindled the thing is for a lot of people that Niche has been replaced by these the UTV or utility terrain vehicle more commonly known as the side by side these high performance off-road toys are one of the fastest growing segments on four wheels if not the fastest growing segment outright the low cost of Entry high performance ease of use compared to motorcycles and ATVs and enormous aftermarket have made them ubiquitous on ranches in the desert and on the trails and today Polaris has invited us to Windrock Park an off-road area outside of Knoxville Tennessee to see what all the fuss is about is a fast side by side the best value in sporty driving why are these things so popular and why do they invite us guys I don't know if you know this about me but my schedule is slammed I literally have four jobs right now and the one thing I forget to do is eat I don't build the time into my day to stop and eat I sometimes don't even build the time into my day to stop and order the food I should be eating and I know ordering in is not good for me but it's just something I have to do sometimes because I don't have the time to go to the grocery store and make food for myself for lunch when I'm at the studio I'm trying to be healthy I'm trying to lose weight trying to improve my situation in life you know who's here for me Factor their food is fresh never Frozen heats up in the microwave in just two minutes and there are so many delicious options from the chef's specials to the calorie smart which I'm kind of leaning in I got this beef poblano chili working for me today it is delicious when I finish my work go home I'm gonna hit the gym I want a quick burst of energy so I grab one of those Factor smoothies I like the strawberry banana I like the mango it's got protein it's got fiber it's got carbs everything I need for a quick hit of energy right before a workout and factors flexible when I travel for work when I travel for vacation I can pause or reschedule my meal deliveries for when I get back it works with my schedule they've got tons of options to choose from you'll never run out of things to eat always something new every day and I can keep my nutrition goals in mind and not get to that point where I'm super hungry and eating something that's really unhealthy gonna mess up my diet right it's great for lunch great for dinner great for a snack in between head over to factor75.com or click the link in the video description use code tst40 to get 40 off your first Factor box and thank you to factor for sponsoring today's video it's like a Chili I should have put it in a bowl but if I put it if I put in a bowl I can't see it that's the problem but pretty good beef chili with poblano yes please now we've been all over the world to press launches for cars and I've even done a few for motorcycles such as the Moto Guzzi V7 classic but today we're going to experience a new kind of press launch one without pavement at all watch as we pretend to know exactly what we're talking about when it comes to the UTV this is the all-new Polaris RZR XP and it looks absolutely sick and apparently there have been a lot of changes since the last one why don't you tell them what they are Zach happily there's an all-new two-cylinder Engine with dual overhead cams and electronic fuel injection now making 114 horsepower the power gets to the ground through a new CVT transmission that has a transfer case letting you select rear or all-wheel drive the Driveline has been re-geared and now has better low end response the all-new chassis is 25 more rigid than the last one they redesigned the doors the windshield and the interior is more uh luxurious the 16-way adjustable shocks offer over 20 inches of travel you can order LED light bars or a weatherproof Rockford Fosgate stereo that has a 400 watt subwoofer plus there's enough electronic output for a winch and nearly any other accessory you can imagine unlike a street-based car this thing is designed from the ground up for the trails usability and serviceability you don't want to be the guy holding your group back so everything is made very easy from the easily accessible tie downs and this this one doesn't have it but there could be an optional winch that goes here the Bodywork pops off super easily the doors come off super easily if you have to change a tire on the trail that grab handle that's adjustable is actually also a tire iron these seats come out super fast to service the air filter side of the engine and this Tonneau box comes out with just four bolts to service everything else it's all very straightforward and simple and designed to be fixed quickly and affordably to get you back on the trail and all that sounds great but we never actually drove the old one from last year so we'll just have to take their word for it that this new one is better now how do you drive it because I have experience in these I flipped a razor I would go first to provide some practical instruction it started very easily turn the key and then all you do put it in high two and you drive like you don't care throw away all mechanical sympathy that's how you drive it these things can take such a beating and keep going and they move so much when you break the nose Dives a lot when you hit the gas it sits back like a wave runner teaches you a lot about weight control and body control and yet it also can rock crawl you can put it in four low and go up nearly anything something that would be difficult hiking is easy in this these rocks are Algebra 2 and I am Stephen Hawking we are going over this no problem has a 90 inch wheelbase the same as an NA Miata but it's about three feet shorter overall the approach angles are better than any off-roader you could buy in any dealership today or anytime previously and then it soaks up a bump like that like Rick James after that terrifying demonstration it was my turn starting with where you use it we're not on a road I'm not even sure you need a license when you're on the trails or when you're in the desert the speed limit is set by Nature not by the law Plus this thing is small and it's a light way smaller and lighter than any SUV based vehicle and that means you can go where other vehicles can't go you can do a Jeep course where a Jeep could go five miles an hour at 25 or 30 miles an hour it's amazing plus the price these things start at twenty one thousand dollars and this one fully loaded is just under 25. that won't even get you into any kind of decent Wrangler pausing for the trail to clear allowed us to focus on the razor's luxuries these things always start out very very basic you know a shell a cage and an engine but over time they get more and more amenities and accessories and now we've got navigation with the trail we've got a USB port you can get a heater in these it has a stereo all kinds of features you can add even more switches in auxiliary stuff and accessories if you want to this thing has stuff you wouldn't find in an 80s Jeep it's almost like an unregulated car in that way you get more stuff but they don't actually add airbags or or even size 16-way adjustable shocks they strengthen the chassis 25 percent for stuff just like this because just like a race car the stiffer the chassis the more work you pass off to the suspension the more responsive it is and it is responsive wagging the tail and keep in mind Matt and I both have back issues we're not really the dirt bike crowd anymore but we've been in this thing for hours no problems whatsoever the new seats are legitimately comfortable it has more lumbar than a Civic Type R it's not without its challenges though in most places a UTV is not street legal so you need a truck you need a trailer you need to do another bit of logistics to get this thing out on the trail unlike a Jeep where you could just pull out of your driveway and go Plus in case you haven't noticed they're not fully enclosed and that means you can get hot you can get cold you can get dirty and you can get wet in here so far today I've experienced every one of those you could probably hit that a little faster all right Zach kind of sturdy you said I could go quicker you're wearing chats You Got Mud chaps dude it was like Moses had summoned the wave of mud yeah it was over the roof um I was not the only one who overcooked a puddle it may be safer than a motorcycle but only just this is still quite a dangerous activity and I know a couple of people that have ever gotten very hurt or very close to being hurt driving utvs it may look like a car and drive like a car but you have to prepare like a motorcycle and gear up because you never know the way you know it's closer to a bike than a car is that even the professionals refer to this as riding they're talking about gearing up to ride it's got a wheel and pedals but you're not driving you're riding that's the mindset you got to get into oh yes pants wedding in danger aside it seemed like we could do anything it climbed muddy trails that would challenge Alex honnold's goat it floated across rocks like water and it flew across the gravel it was Unstoppable we didn't want the day to end Zach this is gonna be an expensive trip I do not want to go home I just can't imagine spending a day in something like this and wanting to go back to a full SUV I just can't finally we slowed down enough to hear each other and discuss what exactly the XP is I have trouble describing the experience of driving this like is it a Jeep is it a truck is it a rally car like what's the closest comparison honestly it's a it's a church Truckin it's like it has the maneuverability of a Jeep but it has the resiliency and speed of a rally car and the travel of a trophy truck I think it's like 50 scale Trophy Truck Yeah but with sports car steering yeah you know it's got that floatiness that body movement of a trophy truck but a really little footprint really lightweight and then Super sharp steering and really good brakes yeah but a trophy truck wouldn't fit on this Trail because it would be too wide right and a rally car would probably be too low and get stuck right and this just does all of it there is a ton of impressive engineering that goes into these vehicles from the shocks in the Driveline to where the switches are placed to how electronics and controls can withstand the elements it even has a clever electronic steering system that prevents the Wheel from kicking back and twisting your arm off yeah I mean it's got electric power steering even bloodier prop car based off-roaders won't have E-Pass yeah and if you had a classic Land Cruiser Jeep it's going to have ball steering right and the B4 turns lock to lock I think the throttle mapping is also really good you can hit bumps and your foot doesn't bounce around and make you do wheelies yeah this is truly one of the best vehicles I've ever been in it is it is exactly the perfect thing for this task like I I wouldn't have more fun on this Trail in any other type of vehicle absolutely two or four wheels I don't think you could actually get a car to do this no matter what you did like I wrote In The Script could you get a card to this point and I think it would be very very hard I don't think you could do it and the suspension control arms here Mountain the middle yeah I just don't think the geometries are possible in a car I don't think you could get a car this light even if you could I don't think a car would survive these speeds on this kind of terrain I totally agree even a rally car the toughest car that there is they grade those roads now as you said you know you are exposed to the elements in these especially if you don't get the windshield but I feel like the attitude of this is like that guy that shot his gun at the hurricane you're just kind of shirtless and you don't care the only problem with these is you have to start listening to early 2000s metal again I gotta you gotta pull out your Creed gotta pull out your shine down no I'll go yeah I'll go Limp Biscuit after our day in the dirt it is not hard at all to figure out why so many people want these things they're cheap they're easy to fix they're flexible they're versatile they have a very low learning curve and they are ridiculous amounts of fun and remember always fight your tickets use code tst10 on the off the Record app available in the Android and iOS store or go to offtherecord.com TST\n"