There’s a reason Honda’s Pioneer 500 is such a popular entry side-by-side. Actually, there are a lot of reasons. The compact chassis is ready for width-restricted trails and fits in a full-size pickup-truck bed. The 475cc fuel-injected engine delivers power through a five-speed gearbox that gives the option (on-the-fly selectable) of fully automatic shifting or changing gears manually via steering-column-mounted paddles. Dual-rate shock springs help the suspension deliver a plush, progressive feel, and when there’s work to be done, even the littlest Pioneer has a 1,000-pound towing capacity, along with a rear-rack load capacity of 450 pounds.
