welcome!
not going to really going to go into pros/cons until i tell you this...
now both machines are VERY different... its like apples or oranges...
essentially both are the same, they are QUADS..
but they are distinctively different in to what clients they are oriented...
polaris is like a pickup, any pickup, say a ford F-350...
its tough, durable, has very good 4x4... good clearance and such...
BUT you wont be buying a f-350 and expect the same MPG as a civic right? nor the same weight, nor the same acceleration/handling as a ferrari...
on the other end of the ring, we have the can am... id compare it to a nissan GTR... it looks good to some. its sporty, light, has an amazing handling fast accel.. now.. the can am is a gtr on steroids as it has about 12" of clearance...
BUT... this is where the "cons" begin, now you wouldnt expect much of a MPG from a gtr.. but.. the gtr is awd... but its not "4x4".
by this i mean, the polaris has a true 4x4 system that works... its more "technical", you can go in a mud hole, climb a hill. do anything really..
on the other hand, the can am.. well.. it will keep your wheels from excessive spinning, prevent you from a spin-out, keep you on the road, get you up that snowy hill... but throw it in a mudhole... well most likely by the time it locks in, you will be stuck.
so... in that text i pretty much summed up the popo vs cannedham.
but here it is again but in brief point forims:
Polaris:
pros -very good technical 4x4 system
- heavy
-made for work/and comfort.
cons: - heavy...
-"mpg"
now notice on both as a con and pro i put in "heavy"
by this i mean, that for some, like me, i enjoy the heavier machine. same as some mudders, people who tow trailers around.. and such.
can am..:
pros: - sport oriented
-light
-handling
cons:- 4x4 system
-sport oriented.
as again, sport oriented is in both the categories... because its a VERY very discussed characteristic.
riding around a beaten trail for hours, the person on the can am will be exhausted/numb while the polaris owner will be feeling fine..
but, some find that Cadillac ride boring. and would like to go 80MPH and make a drift/sharp turn.(i wont recommend doing that with any quad... most likely you will flip and might end up being picked up piece by piece)
but want to go in that huge mudhole? you wont pass through it with a can am...
so... what type of riding you do, what you are looking for in a machine depends on the quad you will get. maybe one looks better than the other for you...
both machines are reliable, although id avoid the 1000 as its a new machine... still probably has some bugs in it..
hope i helped.