Our 2012 Can-Am Commander 1000 X might well be the most travelled vehicle in our test fleet.
This Commander 1000 X has carried us across a lot of miles of varied terrain in several locations in a handful of western states. We've logged hundreds of miles in one of Can-Am's flagship side-by-sides and think we have a pretty good handle on how the 1000 X handles.
Can-Am offers the Commander 1000 in four models: base, Commander X (our ride), XT, and Limited Package. We were quite happy with the Commander 1000 X and the features offered on this model. The only thing we were maybe a little envious about in one of the other versions is the Garmin Montana 650t touchscreen GPS on the Limited Package model. Okay, one more. It would have been fun to have the Limited Package model's sound system with its four integrated speakers. Other than that, the Commander X had plenty of options for our liking.
We're actually a little relieved we've been able to rack up as many miles as we have on the Commander 1000 X. We received the vehicle late last September and were a little concerned how much we'd be able to ride it considering we live in a northern climate, which means cold temps and snow. Winter was a little more mild than usual at the lower elevations so we took advantage of that and dialed up as many miles on our Commander 1000 X as possible.
Here's a brief look at what many of those miles looked like:
Colorado
Mountain trails (northcentral Rocky Mountains), sand dunes (North Dunes in North Park); weather included sun, rain, a little snow; terrain included sand, mud, rocky/boulder-strewn trails, smooth mountain roads, creek crossings, steep ascents and descents.
Idaho
Mountain trails (near Mackay, Big Hole Mountains), sand dunes (St. Anthony Sand Dunes); weather included sun, a little rain, no snow (although on a couple of rides it was cold enough to snow); terrain included huge sand dunes, sand trails through the sage brush, high desert trails, boulder fields, snow-covered trails, snow drifts, steep ascents and descents, river bed rock and rocky trails.
As you can see, our test Commander 1000 X experienced a lot of different conditions. Through all those rides across all those fun and sometimes brutal places and conditions, we learned a few things about this Can-Am side-by-side.
Power
Gobs of it. The only time the Commander 1000 X felt it was lacking power was on the dunes, but we get it: sand robs any vehicle of horsepower, especially when the sand is dry. So that's more of a basic observation than a complaint.
We think the way the power "hits" is very similar to Ski-Doo snowmobiles, which also feature Rotax engines. That's good in some ways but not so good in others. Here's how one of our test riders put it. "It's a typical Bombardier. It feels very stout power-wise and bangs hard down low. Sometimes that makes it difficult to ease in to or finesse the engagement."
Can-Am claims the 976cc V-twin in the Commander 1000 X pumps out 85 hp (compared to the Polaris RZR 900 with its claimed 88 hp) and seat of the pants riding tells us it feels very close to that. We don't think the stock vehicle is underpowered and it feels like that power is getting to the wheels. The power is very good in most all the conditions we rode the Commander in.
We like the Intelligent Throttle Control (iTC), especially since we don't ride in many "smooth" conditions. This system is designed to improve throttle response, smooth out the power delivery and ensure more precise throttle control in rough terrain. This is accomplished by a throttle-by-wire system. Say you're riding in rough terrain, i.e., rocks, crawling over boulders, uneven terrain, and your foot starts bouncing a bit as your cross that terrain. Unless you really have a steady foot and can control this bouncing, your foot is apt to press the accelerator or bounce off it as you drive. The iTC detects this unwanted bouncing and filters the input, giving the vehicle more throttle accuracy, especially at low speed.
Great Features
There are lots of great features on this vehicle, probably too many to mention here but here are our favorites. We like the size and design of the side nets as well as how they easily hook into the latch. It seems like a simple thing but Can-Am got it right.
Next is the cargo box under the rear bed, giving you two levels of storage. Every side-by-side has a rear bed where you can store a fair amount of gear (although one thing we like about the Commander 1000 X is the D-rings that you can attach a bungee cord or hook to) but the Commander goes a step further with the lower storage box that is water- and dust-resistant. If there's something you want to store that's not too big-a full backpack fits nicely in this compartment-and keep it out of the dust, this is the spot.
We know the lower storage box is fairly water-resistant. We've used that storage compartment on most rides and nothing got wet (even during creek crossings) or dusty. We'll admit we didn't sit in the creek for any extended period of time; we just crossed it so maybe water can get in there if you really tried but we never experienced any problems.
The really handy thing about the two-level cargo box is that the two areas are separated by a removable, water-resistant panel. So if you want more storage, take the panel out.
While we're talking about storage, the Commander has plenty of it, aside from the dual-level cargo box. There's a fairly decent sized glove box in the cockpit, along with a cubby hole in the center of the dash as well as dual cup holders between the driver and passenger bucket seats. We are big fans of lots of storage and the Commander delivers.
We were going to single out the bucket seats-which are very comfortable and help give the Commander 1000 a great ride-but it's really the entire cockpit which is impressive. There's plenty of room, especially leg room, and it's nice to sit and ride in. The driver's seat is adjustable, automotive-style, a definite plus. The X package trim helps the seat to look nice, too.
While we're on the topic of the seats, we wanted to mention the seat belts, which are your typical seat belt-except for on the Can-Am. If you don't hook the seat belt up when you get in the vehicle to drive it, the vehicle won't go over a few miles an hour.
The politically correct thing to say is we wear the seat belt all the time. The fact is if we're loading or unloading a vehicle on/off a trailer, we typically don't hook up the seat belt. You could not hook up the seat belt on the Commander X and still do that but if you unload the vehicle without your seat belt hooked and then press the gas to take off, you won't go very fast. We guess that's mission accomplished for Can-Am engineers. Just a good safety reminder. Most every vehicle has a seat belt reminder. Can-Am has taken it to the next level.
Finally (well not really, but we can't mention everything), there are the front and rear Fox Racing Shox HGP C47 piggyback shocks, which give the Commander a superior ride. One Dirt Toys test rider said, "The suspension package is definitely high performance as it smoothes out the ride the harder you pound it." To help get the ride just the way you want it, the shocks offer dual-level speed compression, rebound and threaded pre-load adjustments. With 10 inches of travel front and rear, the X really does have a nice ride in the rough stuff.
Steering
More and more we're becoming big fans of power steering. While Can-Am makes a valiant effort with its quick-ratio steering system-designed to help with accurate and responsive steering control-there were times when we were wanting power steering.
You don't so much notice power steering-or the absence of it-on a fairly well-graded mountain road, unless it's littered with rocks. However, when you get to some technical terrain or find you're having to slow down to tackle a boulder field at lower speeds, you know power steering comes in handy to minimize the jarring.
One aspect of the Commander 1000 X our test riders were somewhat split on was the shifting, more specifically, the shift lever. A couple of riders thought it was "difficult" to use (one commented, "I hate the shifting pattern and sequence even more as you have to physically look at what gear you're trying to find and where to put it") while the others saw no problem with it. That really ended up being a minor issue. A couple of test riders also mentioned a "whine" coming from what they think is the drivetrain area. It was most noticeable on a hard-packed surface at higher speeds. Again, not a huge issue but something we felt we should mention.
Features we didn't touch on but that the Commander 1000 X has over the base 1000 include: a front sway bar, 12-inch aluminum beadlock wheels, Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 tires, rock sliders (a handy feature to have-don't ask how we know), heavy-duty front bumper, analog/digital gauge, and custom steering wheel with brushed aluminum center part.
In all, the Commander 1000 X is a great off-road package while still offering utility options, i.e., dump bed, towing, etc., with the added bonus of great looks (we like the smooth and symmetric lines).
Engine: SOHC, 4-stroke, 4-valve/cyl., V-twin, iTC
Displacement: 976cc
Fuel System: EFI
Cooling: Liquid
Fuel Capacity: 10 gallons
Transmission: CVT, sub-transmission with high, low, park, neutral, reverse
Drive System: Selectable 2WD/4WD, with Visco-Lok front differential
Front Suspension: Double A-arm with dive control geometry, 10 inches travel
Rear Suspension: Torsional trailing arm independent with external sway bar, 10 inches travel
Brakes: Hydraulic twin piston calipers front and rear
Wheels: Aluminum
Front Tires: 27x9-12
Rear Tires: 27x9-12
Wheelbase: 75.8 in.
Length: 118.3 in.
Width: 58.6 in.
Height: 72 in.
Ground Clearance: 11 in.
Dry Weight: 1,295 lbs.
MSRP: $15,099
