The Extreme Capability of the 2025 Polaris XPEDITION ADV 5 Northstar

“So, what did you think?”

It was a simple enough question, and one I’ve been asked countless times. I was helping the local dealership load my 2025 Polaris XPEDITION ADV 5 Northstar test unit onto a trailer, and the service manager wanted my honest opinion on it. He considered trading his current vehicle in for this one.

“I liked it,” I said. “More than I expected to.”

This wasn’t my first outing with the XPEDITION ADV 5. When it first came out, I had one to test for a short time to test. That unit had one of Polaris’ accessory rooftop tents mounted on it, although since it was winter, there was no way I was going to test it out for an overnight. The XPEDITION is one of the most customizable UTVs on the market. In that respect, it’s kind of like a Jeep Wrangler. That fact wasn’t lost on the public when the XPEDITION first came out, either. I saw a lot of comments online from folks saying that one could buy a four-door Wrangler for the cost of the fully loaded ADV 5 Northstar machine,

Let’s get this idea out in the open and out of your heads right now. There is a major difference that cannot be overlooked. As crazy as you can get with a Jeep, the fact of the matter is that it is still designed as a street-legal vehicle first. It has to be, or the DOT won’t allow it to be sold. The Polaris XPEDITION is strictly an off-road vehicle. That sounds like a rather “duh” thing to say, but the distinction is important if you’re having difficulty deciding between the two.

The 2025 Model

I have had plenty of machines come my way, and they each have one thing that I always find cool immediately. With the 2025 XPEDITION, it was the styling. Polaris's Matte Graphite battleship-style camo pattern is simply badass. I had a 2024 model with blue plastic to play with, too, but if I were buying one, the graphite wins out.

The motor is a second-generation 999cc ProStar 1000 four-stroke DOHC twin producing 114 horsepower. This may sound familiar because Polaris uses this engine in several other machines. It uses a PVT belt-driven transmission and Polaris’ On-Demand True AWD/2WD/VersaTrac Turf Mode traction settings. The turf mode is a nice touch because it is a big machine, and turning it can be tricky at times. Plus, if you do so in your yard, you can tear things up without much effort, thanks to the 30-inch Pro Armor Crawler XP tires. Of course, those tires are awesome on the trail. There is also a 140-amp alternator for charging and running electronic items.

For suspension, it uses FOX 2.0 Podium QS3 with position-sensitive Spiral technology in the front and the same with a 2.5 shock in the rear. Travel is 14 inches in front and 15 inches in the rear. Both attach to the machine via dual A-arms with sway bars for stability. The XPEDITION is heavy at 2,916 pounds before you add gear and people, so you want the sway bars for cornering.

The Issue

When we write these reviews, we always mention those things that we think will be an issue for consumers. After all, there are very few products on the market today that are 100% perfect. The service manager mentioned at the beginning of this story had one area he was most curious about, which happens to be “the issue” many will have with the machine. The ADV models with the enclosed cargo area create it, too. It’s loud. In a normal UTV, the cargo bed is outside the main cabin on an enclosed cab. With the cargo area enclosed and the engine directly underneath it, it’s louder inside the cab.

Is it too loud? Surprisingly, it isn’t. It isn’t quiet like a Ranger, but it could be much worse. Polaris’ engineers did a good job adding sound-deadening materials so you aren’t getting blown out of the cab when you get on the gas. Just know that it will be louder than a machine without an enclosed cargo area. As far as issues go, this isn’t a deal-breaker for me.

Of course, the trade-off is that you have an enclosed cargo area that allows you to stack gear inside without the need to tie it all down, plus it will be out of the elements. The back hatch is well designed, keeping everything sealed inside and out of the dust and mud. The other sweet thing is that the back seats fold flat, giving you even more cargo space.

The Good Stuff

Some machines inspire confidence when it comes to tackling tough terrain. These tend to be machines that have the right geometry and power that make it easier for you to take on some really gnarly trails. Yamaha’s R-MAX, Kawasaki’s Teryx, and others come to mind. I’m not talking about speed, but more of a comfort factor. This is where the XPEDITION slots in for me. This is Polaris’ most capable trail cruiser to date.

Let’s say you were headed out for some backcountry fly fishing, and the trail back to the river is a rutted rock-and-stump-filled minefield of plain nastiness. The XPEDITION has the suspension and tall, aggressive tires to tame the bumpy parts and the power to get over the obstacles. Match that to the comfort level in the seating areas and the overall feel, and you have a machine that won’t make you fear the trail. The Fox shocks work flawlessly, and the sway bars keep you planted, which is something that cannot be overlooked. This is a tall machine, with a lot of weight added to the cab enclosure. When you add passengers and gear, the stability the sway bars provide is a big help when the trail gets rough. 

Remember when I said the distinction that the XPEDITION is an off-road machine versus a street-legal SUV? This is where that comes into play. An SUV comes from the factory mostly designed to go down the road. It HAS to meet government standards. Yes, you can spend extra and make it more off-road friendly, but the point here is that the XPEDITION is designed specifically for off-road. It takes on this terrain as it should. I can go places with more confidence in the XPEDITION than I could with a stock Wrangler. I’m not knocking on Jeep guys, either, so relax. Your Jeep is a great machine, and don’t worry. Someone in a Toyota will be here soon enough to help you get back home.

More Features

One of the nice touches with the loaded test unit I had was the Polaris Pro 4,500-lb. winch. Polaris has come a long way with its line of winches, and they now rival the best in the industry in terms of features and durability. I’d go so far as to say Polaris could market these under an accessory brand name and do well in the market. Yes, I know they own Kolpin, and the Kolpin winches are very good, too, but they could make them sexy like the Pro models and sell a ton. (Polaris, just remember that this was my idea. We can work out a deal.) I used the winch on my test unit to pull out my snowplow-equipped ATV when I got it stuck. Really stuck. The winch made short work of it. 

The weather outside isn’t an issue thanks to the full HVAC system with heat and A/C with temperature zone control. The heater came in handy while testing in Michigan’s lovely winter weather. This year has been especially lousy, so the heater was most welcome. In fact, we had too much snow, which closed off some of the trail systems to ATVs so the snowmobilers could have their fun. I can’t complain too much as I love riding sleds, and if I paid as much as a new sled costs and only got to ride for a couple of months a year, I’d want the trails to myself, too.

The JBL Trail Pro 4100 Audio system and Polaris Ride Command were flawless. I paired up my phone and was jamming to some Van Halen. The audio quality is outstanding, and it helps with the noise in the enclosed cab and cargo area.

We’ve covered the Ride Command system multiple times over the years, and Polaris keeps improving it. It gives you a glove-touch screen with your machine's diagnostics, GPS, audio controls, connectivity to keep you connected with others in your riding party, and a sweet backup camera, which is great with the enclosed cargo area hampering rear visibility.

The cab features power windows and fully locking doors. A wiper system is built into the fold-out glass windshield, and a two-inch receiver hitch with a 2,000-lb. towing capacity is included. The XPEDITION has 14 inches of ground clearance, is 64 inches wide, and has a 117-inch wheelbase.

Who Wants One?

That’s the $45,000 question, right? These machines aren’t cheap, and the MSRP of $44,999 isn’t anything to scoff at. But this is a machine for the person looking for a machine with extreme capability and extensive cargo capacity to consider. You can add a rooftop tent or, as I would do, add an adventure trailer with one mounted on it instead and carry enough gear to make a sweet base camp for some serious adventuring far, far off the beaten path. With a 12.5-gallon fuel tank, you have over 200 miles of range on a single fill-up. 

I can see this as the ultimate family off-road adventure machine or as the best way to have a mobile camp for a couple of people with a lot of cargo. There is also a two-seat version for those wanting a smaller machine. I happen to like the way bigger crew models handle, so I tend to go that route, even if I’m not hauling the family with me. The longer wheelbase makes easy work of rough terrain, and I like that added bonus. Yes, this is a pricey machine, but I would seriously consider it for what it does because it does it very well. At least for now, there isn’t truly a competitor in this same market space. Will that change? I think the more people try one of these machines, the more the idea of an adventure category for UTVs will work, and then we will see who steps up with a direct competitor. Until then, Polaris has the market cornered.