Buyer’s Guide: 2024 Polaris Xpedition

The 2024 Polaris Xpedition ADV offers a fully enclosed, locking, air-conditioned cab at more than 1,000 pounds of cargo capacity. (Polaris /)

Ups

A well-built machine that can, in the right trim, blend the creature comforts of a traditional road vehicle with the trail chops of a good side-by-side. Great suspension, clever packaging, and a healthy tolerance for abuse. If your wallet is deep enough, your Xpedition can have air conditioning, heat, power windows, wipers, a great stereo, full hard doors, and a sealed, lockable cab that will keep out weather and dirt.

Downs

High price. Noisy interior. High curb weight: One ADV NorthStar we tested weighed nearly 3,000 pounds with a full tank of gas. And while the 114 hp parallel twin is geared low, it never feels more than adequate for the Expedition’s bulk.

Verdict

Expensive, especially as you add features and seats, and more power would be nice, but no other side-by-side offers a better blend of comfort and practicality. The marketing spiel is true: On the trail, when equipped with full hard doors and HVAC, the Xpedition really is a cross between a capable side-by-side and the interior isolation of a highway-legal 4×4.

The Xpedition features a flat interior floor to allow gear tie-down points and storage when the seats aren’t in use. (Polaris /)

Overview

The Xpedition lineup is split into two basic groups: entry-level Xpedition XP models, and the slightly more expensive Xpedition ADV range. XPs wear an exposed cargo bed, like a pickup, while the ADV line keeps its cargo under a roof, like an SUV. Each group features three trim levels: Premium, Ultimate, and NorthStar.

Premium and Ultimate trims come with half doors and no windshield but can be converted into closed cabs at extra cost by fitting the fabric door tops and tilt-up windshield available as factory accessories. All NorthStar models come standard with front and rear windshields, full hard doors, heat, air conditioning, and power windows. The covered bed costs an extra $1,000 regardless of which trim or seat count you choose.

All Xpeditions offer a standard 4,500-pound Polaris HD winch on the front bumper. Ultimate and NorthStar winches feature synthetic rope, auto-stop, and plow mode.

Updates for 2024

The Xpedition is an entirely new model, unveiled for the 2024 model year.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

2024 Polaris Xpedition XP Premium: $28,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition XP Ultimate: $31,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition XP NorthStar: $38,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition XP 5 Premium: $32,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition XP 5 Ultimate: $35,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition XP 5 NorthStar: $43,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition ADV Premium: $29,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition ADV Ultimate: $32,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition ADV NorthStar: $39,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition ADV 5 Premium: $33,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition ADV 5 Ultimate: $36,999

2024 Polaris Xpedition ADV 5 NorthStar: $44,999

No Xpedition is cheap, but you get what you pay for. The NorthStar five-seater is a cool $45,000, but the package is well-rounded and worth every penny. And while a Premium or Ultimate Xpedition can be accessorized with heat, defrost, and a good dose of weather protection, the catalog won’t let you add the NorthStar’s A/C, its 140-amp alternator, its power windows, its full hard doors, or its washing windshield wipers.

If the NorthStar is too spendy, we’d stick with the Ultimate and as many weather accessories as your wallet can handle. The entry-level Premium model is nice enough, but it lacks a few of the Ultimate’s useful touches—the Premium’s stator is only 660 watts, for example, to the Ultimate’s 900-watter, and its JBL stereo is less powerful. On top of that, the Ultimate brings front and rear cameras, plus a larger and touch-controlled infotainment screen with Polaris Ride Command.

Bed choice—XP or ADV, aka open or enclosed—is really down to taste and how you’re going to use it. It’s worth noting that the XP’s open cargo box is a dumper, which can come in handy.

Powertrain: Engine, Transmission, and Performance

All Xpeditions use a fuel-injected 999cc 114 hp parallel twin. The transmission is a PVT automatic. The combined result is enough to make even the larger and heavier Xpedition variants feel eager and exuberant, but no model in the line is anything like quick.

Chalk it up to mass: Polaris says that the lightest Xpedition available, the two-seat XP Premium model, clocks in around 2,040 pounds. The five-seat ADV 5 NorthStar, the heaviest of the breed, is a claimed 2,790.

The big enclosed NorthStar is the reason for the season here, the best combination of what the Xpedition can be and do, and it would benefit the most from a hot-rodding. Maybe we’ll get lucky one day and Polaris will drop in the 225-horse 2.0-liter four found in the brand’s current RZR Pro R. For now, if speed is a priority, look elsewhere.

Suspension, Handling

Every Xpedition offers double A-arms, sway bars, and quality shocks at all four corners. The front dampers are internally bypassed Fox 2.0 Podium QS3s. The rears are internally bypassed Fox 2.5 Podium QS3s. Front travel is 14.0 inches, and rear travel is 15.0 inches. Approach and departure angles are so steep they might as well be vertical. The 15-inch painted alloy wheels wear 30-inch Pro Armor Crawler XP tires.

This is a competent suspension package, eminently capable and rugged, paired to a stout and stiff frame. The end result is a nice blend of grip, suspension travel, and isolation, perfect for overlanding and camping.

Brakes

Four-wheel hydraulic discs with two-piston calipers. There is no external parking brake, only the transmission’s Park function.

Ergonomics: Comfort and Utility

Polaris no longer trails the industry in cabin layout and finish. Hard plastic abounds here, but with that exception, the Xpedition’s interior is extremely well-done. The seats are so supportive and comfy that they fade into the background, which is exactly what you want in a rig like this.

That said, the real trick here is the five-seater’s folding rear seat and adaptable cargo setup. With the rear seat down, three adults can sit between the rear doors. Raise and lock the seat bottoms, and the Expedition’s flat floor will swallow a cooler and enough camping gear for two people, all under a roof. (And if you go NorthStar or opt in those accessory fabric side windows, out of the weather.)

Payload/Towing

Two-seat Xpedition XP and Xpedition ADV models have a 1,030-pound bed capacity. Five-seat XP and ADV models are rated for 1,160 pounds. All Xpedition models can tow up to 2,000 pounds.

Electronics

Premium models feature a 4.3-inch color infotainment display. Ultimate and NorthStar models offer Polaris’ excellent Ride Command infotainment system and a 7.0-inch touchscreen. The Ultimate and NorthStar also get a fantastic JBL Trail Pro 4100 stereo system with a 10.0-inch subwoofer.

The JBL system can be set to automatically adjust volume with speed and throttle input, which can help offset the Expedition’s noisy cabin.

Maintenance Period

The Xpedition requires 25 hours of break-in. Polaris recommends an oil change every six months, 100 driving hours, or 1,000 miles. Transmission and gear case fluid should be changed every year, 100 hours, or 1,000 miles.

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Six-month, unlimited-mileage warranty.

Polaris built out a huge accessory catalog for the Xpedition, including a stout rooftop tent. The tent bolts to a Rhino-Rack-branded roof rack built specifically for the Xpedition. (Polaris /)

2024 Polaris Xpedition Specs:

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