The 500 Outlander is more comparable to the 700cc class. They have a twin in the 500.
Yamaha makes a 550 with PS also.
I would look at the 550 XP EPS for my wife. It's very stable, easy to operate, decent tires, one lever braking, on the fly AWD, big floorboards, easy to straddle, etc...
The only thing I don't like about the single cylinders is that they vibrate at idle. Other than that and the power issue, the 550 is a better machine overall than the Outlander 500.
The Outlanders have a terrible diving issue with the front suspension, they NEED skid plates, and seem smaller when riding them. Not much talk about the PS in them yet either, so no one knows really how good it is.
Have her look at all of them and then decide.
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'09 Sportsman XP 850
'09 Ram 3500
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