Editor at Large: We visit the Honda Dream Garage

The Honda Dream Garage was just that, bringing together all of the latest and greatest products from Honda, Honda Power Equipment, Honda Engines and Honda Marine in one interactive, educational event (the other possible name could have been Honda Grown-up Playground). Your Compact Equipment team was on hand and able to experience the new Honda Accord, Honda Pilot (off road, on a steep incline), the Pioneer 1000 side by side utility vehicle, a fleet of mighty rototillers and even a new, top of the line snowblower (not allowed to give details on those yet). Oh, and there just so happened to be a go cart track on site, powered by Honda.

Other than being a blast, the event was a great reminder of how prolific the Honda brand is, with expertise and applications for engines of any size. Remember, Honda is the world’s largest manufacturer of engines for a diverse array of automotive, motorcycle, marine and power equipment products. The company offers a complete line of small, general purpose engines for commercial, rental industry and consumer applications. Honda engines supply smooth and dependable power for more than 3,000 different product applications, including pressure washers, lawn mowers and rescue and construction equipment.

Additionally, Honda engines are some of the quietest and easiest to start of their kind, even in harsh commercial and construction environments. Such attributes have made Honda engines the popular choice for original equipment manufacturers looking to add value to their own brands.

At the event, our main object of obsession was probably the Pioneer side by side utility vehicle or UTV. Specifically the brand-new full-size side-by-side models — the Pioneer 1000 and Pioneer 1000-5 (video overview of the key aspects above!). With class-leading displacement and payload, a six-speed fully automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) and a full list of features and options, the flagship Pioneer 1000 promises to raise the bar in terms of power, performance and capability in both work and recreation applications.

“We’re very excited about the all-new 999-cc engine we’ve developed for these new Pioneers,” said Lee Edmunds, manager of Motorcycle Marketing Communications at American Honda. “We’ve also added the industry’s only fully automatic mechanical transmission — the six-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. With steel gears, the DCT offers true engine braking, seamless shifting and a smooth, reliable transfer of power.”

Designed, developed and produced according to Honda’s holistic methodology, the largest Pioneer is smooth-riding and extremely versatile. Built in the USA using domestically and globally sourced parts, the Pioneer 1000 is offered in four different configurations, from the base three-person version to the Deluxe five-person model, which features 14-in. aluminum wheels, 27-in. radial tires, LED headlights and electric power steering. Every Pioneer 1000 comes standard with four-wheel-drive, as well as a high-low sub-transmission and 4-mode differential lock, while the five-person model features auto-leveling rear suspension and a full-size convertible bed with Honda’s exclusive QuickFlip seating. An extensive range of Honda Accessories is available, and the Pioneer 1000 is covered by a one-year warranty.

Chris Crowell is a contributing editor to Compact Equipment.