It’s a fair question to ask why Argo, a niche all-terrain vehicle maker based in New Hamburg, Ont., would introduce its latest line of LX eight-wheeled off-roaders deep in the heart of the Lone Star state of Texas. The answer is found in an aggressive driving philosophy by the new ownership of this iconic Canadian company that will celebrate its 50th birthday next year. Not satisfied to strictly serve the hunting and fishing demographic, Argo has committed to capture a much wider audience, according to new CEO Enoch Stiff.
If you’re not aware of these extreme machines, you must first grasp the simplicity of these six- and eight-wheeled extreme terrain vehicles, or XTVs. They’re basically a thermoplastic inverted tub, lined with an inner steel skeleton, with each wheel receiving power from a Kohler twin-cylinder, 30-horsepower gasoline engine. The key to their drive system is a unique transmission and chain-drive; the Argo utilizes a skid-steer system, much like a bulldozer. This permits the unit to literally turn on itself in a radius no bigger than the Argo is long. The completely water-tight tub allows the Argo to float and the specially designed Carlisle tires provide propulsion in the water by means of an effective tread design.
Argo LX 8×8
Handout, Driving
What’s missing in this equation is a suspension system. The only form of cushioning an Argo has had to keep its riders’ kidneys intact over the years has been its tires. Running low-pressure balloon tires helped to alleviate, but not completely eliminate, the bounce of an Argo. So for the LX series (aimed directly at consumers in the traditional ATV market) the engineers went back to the drawing board and Carlisle tires for an answer. While there is still no mechanical suspension system, a solution was found with larger and even lower-pressure rubbers running at less than two psi, with a bead-lock device to prevent the tire from popping off the rim during extreme turns. This change makes a considerable difference when compared directly with its previous models.
I tend to be a little more cautious when tooling around unfamiliar forest trails and wading through water in someone else’s new $28,000 unit, so my morning’s run was comparatively tame. That changed drastically when Argo’s Stiff asked for a few volunteers to join him to give the LX an afternoon romp on some of the ranch’s back territory. It gave me a better chance to view the terrain and to see close-up how someone else handled the controls.
Brian Turner with the Argo LX 8×8
Handout, Driving
Playing follow the leader with the gent that controls the company soon meant pushing these eight-wheelers to the extreme. We climbed rock faces I thought goats would have been nervous on and tore down narrow trails I wouldn’t have dared go through on a moto-cross bike. It’s a good thing the coloured finishes on Argos are inserted into the plastic during its mix so you can’t scratch them off; this XTV has the ability to travel in tight forest areas among dense trees and boulders.
In the water, the Argo is a little sluggish and takes some time to get used to steering by tires. It’s easily affected by winds but reverses as well as it goes forward to get you out of tight spots. During solo water riding, the unit tends to sit low on the front due to the weight of the front mounted engine and forward seating position.
Argo LX 8×8
Handout, Driving
But I had a chance to prove you could submerge an Argo with no damage; in a small pond, everything was going well until we tried to get out on an embankment then started to slide backwards into the water. Even though the unit was almost completely submerged, the engine never quit and, thanks to front-mounted electric Warn winches on all our test models, it was a breeze to bring our over-christened ship back to dry land. The electric engine-bay bilge pumps and rear cargo/passenger area drain plugs made quick work of drying things out. A well protected and high mounted engine air-intake made sure no water made it past the air filter into the engine.
The LX 8×8 is priced at $27,945 and U.S. residents don’t get a much cheaper price tag thanks to Argo being made in Canada. In fact with the current dollar exchange rate, it’s surprising that more Americans don’t buy their Argos on this side of the border. Argo six-wheelers start at $9,995.
One thing Argo hasn’t re-engineered out of their craft is the fun-to-drive feature. Few of the seasoned veteran testers at the day-long test ever came back off a trail or pond run without a smile.