Polaris RZR 200 supports children behind the wheel

It’s probably impractical for most parents to hand over car keys to a 10-year-old, as mine did. In fact, my brother was nine years old and I was 11 years old when our parents reluctantly left us their dilapidated old Subaru GL and dropped us in the back 30. That, don’t get me wrong, it’s great great. But not ideal, as my brother demonstrated when he veered off the trail and crashed into a tree, in part because he could barely see through the dashboard. But back then, if a kid wanted to get behind the wheel and discover the glory of sledding, a derelict car was the best of the imperfect options. Because back then, we didn’t have the Polaris RZR 200 EFI, which conceptually looked like a car for a 10-year-old. I’ll mow every lawn from Maine to Montana for this.

Technically, the RZR 200 is a tandem vehicle, which means it’s a tiresome buggy. But looking at the specs and layout, it’s awfully car-like: mid-engine, electronic fuel injection, four-wheel disc brakes, independent suspension at each corner. It has two seats, a steering wheel, and an automatic transmission—PVT, which works like a CVT but not one, for reasons we don’t need to explore. The point is, when your kid gets in and starts the 180 cc four-stroke engine, shifts the transmission into forward gear and hits the gas, that kid gets the essential driving experience. According to my boys, at the age of 10 and 12, it’s super fun. I confirmed it by squeezing myself in and driving, Donkey Kong on a go-kart. Leveling, understeering, and the lost art of braking are all there to explore. For children and their little plastic brains, using the tool in the RZR is connecting new circuits, like learning a new language. When it’s time to hit the streets with a license, they’ve mastered the basics.

Later dad!

And long before that, RZR provided the thrill of going somewhere, unfailingly parenting to get you from point A to point B. Sometimes, at our local ride, my kids would Disappear for a bit, finding out a trail branch off from the center of the main equestrian area. I can only say to myself: They will come back. And they did. Though one of those times, the older guy turned around and said, “It’s going at 29 mph.” I’m not asking him to find the adjusted top speed, but that’s probably inevitable. I also didn’t tell him about always looking out of the front bumper, but he got a lesson in that while running on the trail into some saplings. It’s best to learn that on private property at a low speed, where shame is the only consequence.

Learn the fun of oversteer.

Parents with younger and/or crazier kids can set a lower speed limit through the Polaris Ride Control app. RZRs can also be geolocated if you’re worried about your kids going to Chickasaw County (or conversely, some kids other than your kids are trying to drive off your property). There is also a helmet detection system that uses Bluetooth beacons to prevent the engine from starting if the helmet is not within range of the gauge cluster. We only use our non-Bluetooth helmets with the advice that, duh, you wear a helmet.

Ignition keys, steering wheel, brake and accelerator, even a digital clock—appropriate things for an aspiring driver stuck in fifth grade.

While the RZR offers very little drivability, it’s also an off-road toy and my kids definitely tested it out as such, seeing if they could get some air and throw some dirt. or not. Answer: affirmative. With a 7-inch front and rear cruise suspension, the RZR 200 is happy enough to get some daylight under the tyres. And even though it’s rear-wheel drive and not 4×4, the RZR’s 24-inch tires and 10-inch ground clearance mean the kids can follow me in my four-wheel drive (a Honda 250X) without Don’t worry about getting stuck. If I can do it, so can they. In fact, the RZR 200 is about the size of a large ATV, meaning it fits my short-box Ram pickup, its 48-inch rails sitting right between the wheels. It will even fit in a van, as was demonstrated on the day it arrived, in a Sprinter. It’s tidy.

The RZR 200 EFI costs $6799 plus destination fees, which vary depending on the dealer’s location (a mid-$7000 price tag is expected). And for that price, you’ll see, you’ll buy a good used truck or a few not so good trucks. But in my experience, public riding areas generally don’t like kids driving actual cars. And even if you have your own ranch, it seems better for a kid to learn the fundamentals of driving a kid-sized car. There will be more agency when a child does not borrow some unsuitable giant machine but develops skills with their own means.

Independent rear suspension, mid-engine layout, 7-inch travel: something for kids who like to breathe air.

The RZR 200 is rated for ages 10 to 16, but many 16 year olds will find it too tight. And besides, once it’s possible to get a driver’s license, most of the kids I know are attracted to cars. But until that fateful day at the DMV, the RZR 200 was the shortcut to freedom and speed, sparking a passion for driving when the asphalt was still far away.