Now for the Ranger’s ergonomics; this is not the Rangers strong point. Don’t get us wrong, the Ranger has all the necessary controls perfectly placed for the driver’s convenience. The Ranger 4x4 is a basic ergonomic package with no extra convenient storage areas. The dash consists of a well placed steering wheel, differential lock control, gear selector with lighted indicator, illuminated push button 4-wheel drive, pull choke, hour meter, turn key start, illuminated light switch, drink holder and 12 volt inlet. Not bad for the basic package. We were a bit disappointed that Polaris didn’t realize they could have used the front under hood area better. As of now, the Ranger’s front under hood holds the air inlets to the engine and transmission; but, we would have really liked a compartment for dry storage. Another feature that we really were not to fond of was the emergency brake; it’s not that the brake did not hold well or that it was not dependable. The problem was the more of an ergonomic factor; the foot-activated emergency brake was located in the middle of the footing area, just to the right of the gas pedal. This made using the brake a bit uncomfortable; it would have been easier for a center passenger to apply the E-brake. Lastly, the under dash E-brake release, typically let the user wondering if there could have been a better way of releasing the foot brake. We all want a comfortable feel in the cockpit and that’s what the Ranger does have, a superior seat, and head rests, steel tube hip restraints and a exceptional enclosed footing area. The comfort does not stop there, a cab like roll cage protects the riders. Two grab handles are conveniently located inside the roll cage. The only downfall to the roll-over protection are the annoying squeaks that occur from the center joints. How about the superior fuel capacity, 8 gals of fuel located under the seat and supplied with a gauge. The Ranger excels in the work area, large loads are pure adrenaline for this machine. How about a load capacity of 1,500 pounds, that’s 350 pounds more than the unit weighs. As if that’s not impressive enough, how about a cargo box capacity of 1,000 pounds and a towing capacity of 1,500 pounds. The cargo box is very tough, a heavy-duty plastic utility box. The double walled cargo box only complemented the work ethic of the already unstoppable Ranger.


The Twister’s ergonomic standpoint is plain and simple, all the basics in easy reach of the driver. We found ease of entry and comfortable seating with hip guards and grab rails that make the grade. Ample leg room and a well-designed steering wheel provide the driver with an above average cockpit. Dash controls were as follows, easy to reach headlight switch, turnkey starting, hour meter, 12-volt power point and low oil indicator light. The gear selector was situated between the seats and offered forward, reverse and neutral. Both the gas pedal and brake were sufficient, the foot brake doubled as an emergency brake with golf cart style E-brake, just tap to release. The Twister supplies a passenger side glove box and under seat storage, plenty of room for the odds and ends. A 7-gallon fuel tank with gauge gives plenty of time between fill-ups. We liked the beefy push guard and double walled plastic cargo box; quiet and tough best describe the large cargo box. We loaded the cargo box of each unit and each handled the loads with ease, the Twister had a lower box height making loading and unloading much easier.