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Posted by: BONER
Tim1,
Thats a false statment. If you want proof on that statement I just have one word to prove it wrong:
GRIZZLY
Posted by: 2punksdad
buy a honda & thank me later.....easy service, very reliable........cheap parts.........the list goes on & on.........JMHO
Posted by: Tim1
Sounds like comfort is important to you.I rode many different kinds of quads and nothing smoothens the rought trails out like the Sportsman. When I swap bikes with my freinds I can not believe they put up with a bumpy ride like that all the time.For you wife I would look at a Kodiak 400 because Honda Canada in known for there higher prices and a Kodiak may cost the same or less as the 350 Honda.The Kodiak is a larger frame quad and believe me switching to 2wd when 4wd is not needed is alot nicer to steer all day long.
Posted by: Tim1
I Knew the Rubicon was $10000 but a Sportsman 500 H.O $9000!it is $8400 over here in Ontario and a Suzuki and Artic Cat 500 are $8000.Sound like your dealer has some kind of monopoly going on in that town,I would shop around.$8000 for a 450 Foreman sounds not to bad I just can not believe the Ruby is $2000+tax more for only 50cc more.You are right the Rubicon and SP500 sell for the same price in the States but in Canada there is way to much of a differance it there price.Even a non-XT version Bombardier 500 Traxter only sells for $8500.
Posted by: Tim1
Two 500s are a good choice because there is no replacement for displacement.
Happy trails,
Posted by: cowboy
CanadianViking:
Nice to see you've done your homework! I'd have to agree with most of what you say, and with a few others posting as well. My Dad and I were faced with the same situation, and ended up like CatLance, with 2 AC 500 Auto's. I love them, excellent machines, very tough, dependable and not only are they very smooth riding, but they can work like hell as well. However, since you mentioned needing two auto's, one smaller for your wife, AC is probably out. They don't make an auto smaller than the 500. I do agree with what CatLance says though, for you, I'd definately buy bigger than what you think you need.
Your concerns for the true four wheel drive are may well be justified. Of the machines you mentioned, Polaris is the only one with true four wheel drive. Keep in mind though, you are required a 1/5th rear wheel slippage for the fronts to engage. Other machines with true four wheel drive are the Bombardier Traxter line (new with the auto, though might not be the way to go for an experienced rider-(see review atv homepage)), the Suzuki KingQuad (?) and the AC 250 and 300 can be modified for true four wheel drive.
How important is selectable 2/4wd? In all honesty, I absolutely love the ability to shift between 2 and 4 wheel drive. If this might be of importance to you, Honda is now out. On a side note though among the things you mention, I'd like to see Honda machines step up a bit on the technological advancements myself. I too considered a 450ES, but with no disc breaks, no selectable 2/4wd, not as good of suspension travel or ground clearance and what "felt" to be a smaller machine, I chose against it. The Ruby may have a neat new trick tranny, but again, where's the selectablilty, disc breaks, etc.
The SP500 was the third option I had before choosing the 'Cat. Overall, I really liked the machine, but the necessary rear wheel slippage raised some concern, as well as the 30 + (?) grease zerks which need to be maintained faithfully for optimal performance, and the $1,200 increase in price over the 'Cat were too much to consider. For your needs-buying from the same manufacturer, auto's, and larger for you, smaller for her, I'd probably go with the Polaris lineup. As far as the reliablity goes, I think that's basically just a bad rap they had from years in the past. I think that with the large number of atv's being bought and sold in the past couple years alone, not to mention Arctic Cat, and now Bombardier coming into the picture, more pressure has been placed on Polaris to build a more reliable machine. As a result, I don't think you'll have to worry about breakdowns near as much as you would have in the past.
Yamaha has the auto 400cc Kodiak (for her) and the larger 600cc Grizzly (for you) if that was an option to consider. These are nice machines as well, though you lack the true four wheel drive, compared to the Polaris line. I'm not sure how much that "true" four wheel drive is really necessary though in all honesty. My 'Cat 500 is not considered a "true" four wheel drive, as it does not contain a locking front differential, but I've gone everywhere I have ever wanted to go on my machine with no problems what so ever. I had the opportunity to ride with an SP500 once, and easily went every where he did, and with my 27" Bi/Tri Claws, was able to go even more places. He did have one problem going down a steep muddy slope with a sharp turn at the bottom, and nearly rolled the machine due to not being able to get the front wheels to engage. I don't know if this was rider error/lack of experience in that type of situation, or just a typical problem with the needed rear wheel slippage, but that is one thing that concerns me with the system. Granted, it might not be a problem at all, but I like to know for sure that when pushing a lever, I'm in four wheel, no slippage required.
I don't know if any of this helps at all, but basically, you're looking at some very nice machines, all very good at what they're designed for. Some have better or nicer features than others while others might be considered more reliable. If the decision were to come strait down to pure "true" four wheel drive, basically -I might get some heat for this one but-I really honestly don't think it's all that it's cracked up to be. Yeah a locker would be great in an uneven muddy slope where you'd have one wheel in the air, but I've been in those same situations many times with my 'Cat and always pulled through with ease and again, I don't have a locker. Chances are most of the time in most circumstances, the standard front differential of all the machines out there are enough to get you where you want to go.
Anyway, sorry for the rambling here but hopefully there might be something worth thinking about. Sounds like you already know this, but be sure to test ride each in question to see which "feels" the best to you. All the features and qualities in the world won't amount to anything if you aren't comfortable while riding the machine.
Best of luck,
Mike
Posted by: cowboy
Guess I replied too soon, could have helped Catlance with this one. Anyway, like I said in my other post, no, the 'Cat is not considered a "true" four wheel drive, but as I also said, I've never found anywhere I couldn't go where this was an issue. I have always had all four wheels pulling, even digging four holes in the ground, and even with one wheel in the air-while it's not "true" four wheel drive, I don't see any possibilty that it could be considered a three wheel machine, like you referred to considering Honda's from a while back.
The suspension on the 'Cat is awesome to say the least. It is an independant front double A-arm, with a patented rear swing axle. There is 7.2" wheel travel at all four corners, with something like 9.2" of ground clearance claimed. Since you just menioned sport quads were out because you need racks, AC has the highest rated rack capacity of any atv on the market, at 100 lbs. front, and 200 lbs. rear, for combined 300 lbs. total rating. Towing is rated at 1050 lbs, if that is of any consideration.
Is it suitable for mountain riding? Oh yeah, that's all I ride in. I have roughly 1,200 acres in northern washington, about 30 minutes south of the canadian border, and have been doing a lot of logging with my 'Cat since I bought them. I am always towing logs, brush, whatever around all over the place, all while turning 27" Bi/Tri Claws and carrying 100+ lbs. on the front rack at all times, along with between 150-250 lbs. on the rear rack most of the time. The pure torque of the 'Cat is unstoppable, and in 4 wheel low range, the engine breaking down steep grades is great.
If speed is an issue for you, you might want to shy away from the 'Cats. They are more geared for utility purposes, and are consequently not the fastest machines out there. They will top out in the mid 50's, which is plenty fast for this ol' boy, but considering the SPHO and Grizz are at around 60 or so, AC looses the edge in the speed category.
If you've got any other questions concerning the 'Cat, or AC's in general, don't hesitate to ask. There are a lot of great guys in the AC forum with a wealth of information to aid in your decision. Though, like I said earlier, if you need two auto's from the same manufacturer, one smaller for your wife, AC might not be the way to go-the 500 Auto is the only auto they make. Though for steering, my 'Cat steers ALOT easier with my larger tires than it did with the stockers. Even a narrower front will greatly aid in the steering effort.
I have a few pics at the link below of the 'Cat in action, if you're interested. And yes, the snow pics are of me actually towing the suburban up the hill on 4 separate occassions with the trailer hooked up, and once (as seen) with just the suburban by itself. Also winching the sub and trailer back up on the road as well. -Just a few examples of how I work my 'Cat.
Best of luck,
Mike
Posted by: cowboy
CanadianViking:
First of, Congrat's on your new additions to the family! I think you'll be more than happy with their performance. And, like somebody else mentioned, I'd definately get at least one winch for the incentive on one machine. I would not have a utility machine without a winch, and there have been a few times I wish we would have put a winch on both 'Cats, instead of getting the extended warranty on my Dad's machine. The 'Cats are very tough, I doubt the warranty would be justified, especially if you read the fine print on the types of repairs along with what the dealer has to do and what you can do, what type of minimum value can be placed, etc. -I've seen a couple "iffy" warranty contracts that were more of a joke than anything.
Second-Sorry nobody mentioned the bit about the dealer, that is another very important feature in an atv that most people don't think about (or don't until it's after the fact!) Glad to hear you like your dealer, you want him on your side if anything should ever go wrong. Unfortunately, it seems good dealers are becoming increasingly harder to come by-glad to hear you got a good one.
Best of luck with the machines, I'm sure you'll love them. Out of curiousity, what did your wife think? Hate to sound repetitive, but like I said earlier, a narrower set of tires up front should make it much easier for her to steer, if that is a concern. Anyway, good luck and don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions, comments, or whatever.
Mike
Posted by: CatLance
CanadianViking,
Looks like your getting pretty well educated regarding ATVs. My Dad & I bought our first ATVs last spring. We did the same research as you but with different results. Our needs were for Hunting (both getting to our stands & hauling out the game) Plowing snow, Hauling things around our small homestead, & recreational riding. When we started looking, I was leaning towards a 300-400 cc machine. I wanted a 4-stroke because of the smoke & noise issue as well as the low-end torque. The more we looked & test rode, the more I kept coming back to the Arctic Cats. Toughness & ease of maintenance were strong pluses, but the machine just seemed to fit me better. I also found I could deal with the dealer & without spending a lot more $ I could move up to the 500 cc Auto 4X4. My suggestion to you is to buy more machine than you think you'll need, you'll will be amazed at what it can do. Regarding your wife, the only thing she may not like about the bigger ACs is they are a little hard to steer with the stock tires. Some guys have put narrower front tires on and helped this a lot.
On a different subject, my Cousin just moved to Bear Creek, I have visited Calgary many times & I am so envious of anyone who lives somewhere as beautiful as that area. The Banff area & Lake Louis are great. I grew up in Colorado, near Aspen, but your Rockies are much better than Colorado Rockies.
Good luck with your purchase.
Lance
Posted by: Farmr123
First off, any of your choices seem good ones. I agree the salesmen all will say mine is better than all the others no matter what they sell.
I also think that Polaris has come a LONG way to make their machines up to par of everyone else. The new machines seem pretty good. I have a '99 Xplorer 400 with over 3500 miles, and my brother has an Xpress 400L with just over 5000 miles. Between the two of them, we had one breakdown : the little spring in the parking brake mechanism. You know, the spring that releases the brake automatically so you don't have to manually press the release. That is it other than one worn out chain on the 5000 mile machine (It didn't break, just stretched way out). The belt is also getting a little frayed, but is still going. The Xpress is used mostly for checking cattle & irrigation where the Xplorer is used more when the mud gets deep.
I also have a Honda 300 2x4 which my Dad drives when he comes to the farm (he is semi-retired) and it has been trouble-free for a long time. Lately the battery went dead, and the new one wasn't being charged properly. I found a corroded connection, and hopefully fixed the problem.
I would also consider going with 2 Sportsmans for trail riding. They are by FAR the smoothest riding things out there. They are not for jumping ditches, but for normal to somewhat spirited riding, smooth out the bumps like a Cadillac. My brother in law has a Sportsman and Magnum both, and MUCH prefers the way the Sportsman smoothes out the trail. Maybe a 500 for you & a 400 for her? Or maybe a 400 for you and a 335 for her (if you can still find one).
Be warned, though, the 325 Magnum and 335 Sportsman are not for speed. They are very capable otherwise, though.
I don't know much about the Kawasakis, but you summed up my opinion of the Hondas. Fair ride, wide turning radius, low clearance, but solid handling, and solid reputation.
PS The Polaris is the only of the 3 with true 4 wheel drive. You can have any 3 wheels on ice, and the 4th on pavement, the hitch tied to a tree so the ATV doesn't move, and all 4 wheels will spin, all the time while in 4wd. It also has selectable 2wd to 4wd.
Posted by: Farmr123
The reason I suggested 2 Sportsmans is the ride. My brother in law got one figuring it would be easier on his back (had back surgery not too long ago). He got a SP for him and a Magnum for his boys. Rough trails will cause him to say something like 'the Sportsman is MINE, you will just have to go slower if the Mag is too rough. Keep in mind the Magnum rides about as well as anything, but I never rode any utility yet that was in the same league as the Sportsman for long, rough trail comfort.
If you don't mind slowing down when it is rough, it isn't as much of an issue.
Posted by: scramdaddy400
I own a 2000 scrambler 400 2x4 and they are right polaris has eliminated a good 95% of their problems.
I beat on my machine, run it into trees, rolled down hills, run through thick mud at full throttle, etc etc etc.
The only problem I've had with it was running out of gas, I need a gas gauge.
Belt slippage is a thing of the past with the new concentric drive system which keeps constant tension on the belt and chain at all times.
I do regular mantenance on it each month, oil the chain, grease, and tire pressures.
Right now my scrambler has ice covering it from melted snow and it still fires right up in 10 degree weather without hesitation.
If you have read any of my past posts you can see why I promote polaris, they've came a long way in the past 5 years.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DECISION!!!:)
LONG LIVE POLARIS!!!
2000 SCRAMBLER 400 2X4
SCRAMDADDY400
Posted by: RubiconBob
Congrats! Even though I am a proud Rubicon owner, with the choices (and prices) presented to you, I think you made the right choice for you. Anyone considering any bikes needs to at least sit, if not drive the finalist(s). I believe that as soon as you sit in "the" bike, you know it. It will fit you, and instantly you can feel yourself riding it. You did your homework, and I think you'll be thrilled with your choice. Remember, ATV-aholic meetings are every Saturday, and.....
Posted by: VMAX12
just my opion. but the 4x4 are heavy and have a very bad suspension which when it comes to riding all day you need a good suspension. i've been riding atv's since honda introduced them. i think you should also take a look at some of the sport quads out there before you buy. it seams that the makes of the 4x4 are made for farms not trails...
01 raptor
Posted by: RSE500
Hello C>Viking; I own an older kawasaki 300, rock solid all the way, just a spark plug now and then. I also have a polaris sportsman, this is a whole nother animal. I read all about how they would break down, that they couldn't take hard riding, etc. Thats B.S., over 1100 miles and not a single problem. The only thing with the polaris is greasing the u-joints every so often, on the + side you have all 4 wheels pulling or 2 wheel drive just by pushing a switch, the best ride of any 4x4 by a wide margin, great ground clearance, disc brakes, comfy seats, high capacity racks and towing, and by the way, if its 0 degrees out it still fires right up. If you decide to climb really tough hills, the polaris will go where others only dream about. I'm sure owners of other brands will dispute this, but with true 4 wheel drive, great suspension, ground clearence and plenty of power, facts speak for themselves. You need to ride one on a trail to fully understand. Good luck with whatever purchase you make and happy trails.
Posted by: NativeMainer
FIND IT REALLY SUPRISING THAT NO ONE AS SAID THE ATV OF THE YEAR -KODIAK 400 4X4- ,I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON ALL THE QUADS AND FOUND THAT THE KODIAK IS THE MOST VERSATILE MACHINE ON THE MARKET. WEIGHT , HANDLING , RELIABLITY IT HAS IT ALL. CHECK IT OUT YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN. I HAVE PUT THIS MACHINE THOUGH ALL THE TESTS, AND WOULD BUY IT AGAIN...
Posted by: Joem
Hi there,
Don't know about the rest, but I own a 01' Polaris Magnum 325 4x4. My Wife enjoys riding it as much as I do. 600 miles and no problems. I have a bad back but can ride all day with no discomfort. It will go anywhere I ask it to. Top speed about 40 Mph.
Check out my site for some pictures:
[URL]http://www.thesitezone.com/atv/[/URL]
Posted by: Joem
CanadianViking,
The only other quad I've driven is a '97 Xplorer 500. I dont remember if it had IRS. It drives very similar to mine. All i know is it's smooth and fun!
Posted by: COOPSTOY
my buddy has a honda 500 foreman and a polaris sportsman 500, and he prefers the honda. he installed a second brake cable on the handle bars and split the front brakes so each has its own cable. this works great, it allows you to choose which front tire you want to have power to. incase you get hung up on a tree or boulder like we do sometimes. we ride in the mountains of tenn. through an old creek bed full of boulders. i ride his honda and hes on the polaris. he bought the polaris first , and then bought the honda a year later if that helps any
01 raptor blk/wht
01 hours on machine
Posted by: COOPSTOY
sorry i havent replied. i work nights so im only on line during weekends. no its not a rubicon. its a foreman. the brake split in the front does work awesome. for me being a first time rider at 30 yrs old, i found the setup a huge benefit for getting out of the crap .
Posted by: badhabits
viking. i'm not here to pump up my choice, but i bought an ac500 automatic.thru dilligent reaserch and testing, i found this to be the most bang for the buck, for my purpose. i agree with cowboy 100% on what he said, and i'm sure he'll agree, that on most trails you don't really need 4wd to get to most places you want. other than deep mud and snow i pretty much keep it in 2wd. it is easier to steer also. the places i did get stuck, i doubt any stock quad would have gotten thru. thats what winches are for, plus i got one as an incentive for $69. the cat has a semi independant rear. rides like a dream. of all the ones we tested, my 103 lb. wife felt the most comfortable and secure on the cat, and it isn't the lightest bike you can get. feel free to pick my brain if you like. later.
Posted by: badhabits
congrats viking. a good choice. tough competition. you wouldn't have gone wrong on any of your choices. like i said, for the type of riding you and the mrs. will be doing, you'll find the suspension and seat a dream to deal with for hours on end. i gave you my opinion on the whole thing. drop me a line when you like. safe riding..ps make sure you get at least 1 winch as the incentive...can't go wrong for the $69. pretty easy to install.
Posted by: CanadianViking
Hello everyone!
I found these forums while researching specifications on ATV's that I'm considering purchasing.
My wife and I have been trail riding for a while, but we have never owned our own ATV's - we have always used ATV tour companies that provide the ATV.
This year we have decided that we would like to finally purchase our own ATV's. We will be using them for recreational trail riding in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. We are not into mudding or racing or jumping or anything like that, but there are lots of mountain trails we like to ride & there are always some stream/creek crossings that we have to do.
We are having a difficult time deciding on which ATV's we should buy. We have only ever used Kawasaki 300's so we don't have much personal experience to make comparisions. We know that we are looking for Automatic 4x4's, a 400+cc for me (I'm a real big guy!) and a 300+cc for my wife. We want to purchase from one manufacturer only, so we need a manufacturer that provides a suitable ATV for both my wife and I.
We have been to several dealers in our area, but everywhere we go we get the usual "our stuff is great, their stuff sucks" routine. Now, I personally don't think there is a HUGE difference between manufacturers - they all make a good product, it's just a matter of us finding the product that suits us best.
We have narrowed our search down to the following:
HONDA:
Foreman 450ES for myself and a Fourtrax 350ES for my wife. My wife finds the 350ES very comfortable, but I'm not sold on the 450ES - it doesn't seem to have enough ground clearance. I would prefer a Rubicon, but they are hard to get here and as a result they are marked up by about $1000.00 CDN. When I read articles about Honda's, they are never really excited about them (except the Ruby), but they always talk about the excellent reliability and quality. Those are very important considerations when we go riding. One thing - can anyone tell me if the Fourtrax 350ES in Canada is the same as the Rancher in the USA?
POLARIS:
400 Sportsman for myself and a Magnum 325 for my wife (note: we have never seen a 325 Magnum in person). My wife REALLY likes the single brake lever of the Polaris and I find the 400 Sportsman to be very comfortable and I like the ground clearence. The pricing is also very good on these products. What I'm concerned about is reliability - one of the people we talked to is a certified ATV mechanic and he suggested that unless I'm willing to spend an hour doing maintenance for every hour I ride, I should stay away from Polaris. Other people I talk to say that is an "old" reputation that Polaris has that that they are very reliable now.
KAWASAKI:
Prairie 400 for myself and a Prairie 300 for my wife. We have used these many times and find them comfortable and easy to use. I would prefer more ground clearence and we both find the lack of engine braking to be a concern.
Those are the three manufacturers that we have narrowed our search down to. Once thing that I have concerns over is the 4x4 system and front differential of any quad we choose. I would really prefer to see a front differential that gives power to both front wheels, and not to just one. I have been told that Honda's in particular are bad for that and should really be considered as 3 wheel drive. I'm having a difficult time in determining which manufacturers/products have "true" 4 wheel drive.
Anyway, I would really appreciate some feedback from users of these products so I can be better prepared to choose our new ATV's. Sales people generally give only one side of the story and not a true representation of their products (good or bad).
Thanks for taking time to read and answer this post.
Cheers,
Posted by: CanadianViking
Wow, thanks for all the comments – this will definitely help me decide which way I should go. Keep them coming!
“...i think you should also take a look at some of the sport quads out there before you buy. it seams that the makes of the 4x4 are made for farms not trails...”
VMAX12, Most of the sport quads don&39;t have any racks on them and I need the racks for camping gear/supplies.
"...and they are right polaris has eliminated a good 95% of their problems…they've came a long way in the past 5 years. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DECISION...”
Scramdaddy400, Thanks, that&39;s more or less what I have been hearing about Polaris reliability. Do you have any comments/experience on the Sportsman line?
“...my buddy has a honda 500 foreman and a polaris sportsman 500… we ride in the mountains of tenn. through an old creek bed full of boulders...”
COOPSTOY: Is that a Honda Rubicon? Does your buddy have any problems with the center of gravity of the Sportsman? You do the same type of riding we do – mountains, creeks, stumps and rocks!
“...over 1100 miles and not a single problem… the best ride of any 4x4 by a wide margin, great ground clearance, disc brakes, comfy seats, high capacity racks and towing...”
RSE500, thanks for the comments – how do you find the center of gravity on the Sportsman in off-camber situations?
“...The more we looked & test rode, the more I kept coming back to the Arctic Cats. Toughness & ease of maintenance were strong pluses, but the machine just seemed to fit me better...My suggestion to you is to buy more machine than you think you'll need, you'll will be amazed at what it can do...”
CatLance, Thanks for the suggestion regarding Arctic Cat. I will go this weekend to a dealer to check them out. What is the front differential like on the AC? Is it true 4 wheel drive? How is the suspension, is it appropriate for mountain trail riding?
“...Sounds like comfort is important to you...I would look at a Kodiak 400 ... a Kodiak may cost the same or less as the 350 Honda...”
Tim1, Comfort is important in the ergonomic sense, ie does the Quad “feel” comfortable to “use”, not so much comfortable ride. I personally find the Sportsman 400/500 to “feel” VERY comfortable – I just love the size of it (but I a pretty big guy!), my wife really likes the “feel” of the Honda 350ES – she finds the Polaris to be just to large. Thanks for the suggestion on the Kodiak, I&39;ll look for a dealer and try to check one out.
“...Maybe a 500 for you & a 400 for her? Or maybe a 400 for you...The Polaris is the only of the 3 with true 4 wheel drive. You can have any 3 wheels on ice, and the 4th on pavement, the hitch tied to a tree so the ATV doesn't move, and all 4 wheels will spin, all the time while in 4wd. It also has selectable 2wd to 4wd...”
Farmr123, If we go with the sportsman, we probably will go with a 400 for me (instead of a 500 HO) but I don&39;t know if I can get a 335 for my wife (other than a Magnum). Thanks for clarification on the Polaris 4wd system.
“...I own a 01' Polaris Magnum 325. My Wife enjoys riding it as much as I do. 600 miles and no problems. I have a bad back but can ride all day with no problems...”
JoeM, Nice website, especially the link page. Do you know if there a big difference in the ride between the rigid axle Magnum and the Independently suspended Sportsman when it comes to trail riding? How is the ground clearance?
Thanks again everyone for all the great comments and suggestions - keep them coming! I appreciate you taking the time to answer my post
Cheers,
Posted by: CanadianViking
Wow, thanks for the great response - I appreciate all the information and first hand experience I can get. I am going to look at AC's this weekend.
It is rather interesting when I go to one of my local dealers. This dealer sells Honda, Polaris, Yamaha and Suzuki. When I describe the type of riding my wife and I are going to do, they (three different sales people) keep going back to the Honda's - they discourage the Polaris Sportsman due to the maintenance issue (more the 30+ grease nipples than any actual problems with the rig) and they didn't even discuss the Suzuki or Yamaha. I don't know if that is because they feel so strongly in the product or because they have better margins on them.
One thing to note however, I confirmed today the approximate prices of the following machines: Rubicon - $10,000
Sportsman 500HO - $9,000
Sportsman 400 - $8,000
450ES - $8,000
350ES - $7,000
I was a little surprised that the Rubicon was so expensive (most published prices I've seen has the 500HO & the Ruby as nearly the same price). I find the 450ES & 350ES to be reasonably priced. I don't know the price of the Arctic Cat and the Prairie is about $8,000.
Posted by: CanadianViking
Thanks to everyone that replied to my posting, including those that took time to answer my email questions.
I have decided to go with the 2001 Arctic Cat 500 Auto.
Originally I was sold on the Honda's (and I still really like them), but after the suggestions here I went to my local Arctic Cat dealer and looked at the AC500 Auto.
I was totally impressed with the machine and the dealer. The dealer let me take one out for a spin (something the Honda dealer would not) and I found the machine to be very powerful and stable - I really like the AC suspension system.
I really liked the dealer, that coupled with the price - I can get two AC500 Auto's for $1500.00 less than a 350ES & 450ES combo - helped to make up my mind.
I don't think I could have gone wrong with any of these machines, thanks again to everyone!
Cheers,
Posted by: CanadianViking
I looked at the Kodiak and thought it was an excellent machine. My wife however disliked something (and I can't for the life of me remember exactly, maybe seat height?).
Cheers,
Posted by: DA0001
Good day CDN V>. I, like you, am a first time buyer. My buddies have Honda's, Yammies and Polaris Sportmans. They all say great things about each of them which leads me to believe they are all solid machines. For me, the rear suspension and a comfy seat are a high priority. Also the dealer himself is as big a reason as any to buy a specific brand. In my town the Honda and the Yamaha's are sold by the same guy, whom I wasn't nearly as impressed with as the Polaris guys. Before he even new my name, the sportsman 500HO was $8200 CDN that's $800 in savings plus he mentioned if I wasn't in a hurry, to wait til Feb or March and the possibility of the free winch is almost a lock. that would be another few bucks. With all the Sportsman ha going for it, it is very high on the list. Since I have no particular brand loyalty yet, I have been looking for an excuse not to buy the Polaris, but to this point, there are none. Plus the wife likes the Remmington special camo edition. It's probably the sweetest looking ATV out there, in our opinion. Good luck with your choice.
