Looking to get two ATV's for me and the wife.

Her Ex-husband loaned us his 2007 Grizzly 700 EPS/SE and 2006 Grizzly 600, and trailer for a trip to Colorado last summer (he's great guy!). We took wife's 2 boys and also borrowed my sister's 04 Polaris 400 (carb). The Yamaha's did great at altitude, but the Polaris was pretty much useless above 8,000 feet.

Wife and i talked this spring and I suggested we purchase one ATV, ask her Ex if he would sell us 1/2 of his 600, and we could share all three between families. Ex suggested we get two ATV's, and we could split cost of trailer to haul 4, and he would store everything at his business. Hard to pass up that deal!

So I've been looking Craigslist here in Omaha. Lots of Polaris Sportsmans, just a few Yamaha's and not much else. There is dealer 2 hours west (ranching/farming areas outside metro) who has lots of used Kodiak's on his web site, but all have lots of miles and have probably been worked hard.

Wife wants power steering and likes to go fast. Wants automatic transmission.

Been looking at 500-700 class 4x4 utility ATV's like Grizzly, Kodiak and Sportsman.

Will probably take to Colorado 2-3 times a year, trail ride here in Nebraska/Iowa a 5-6 times a year.

We aren't in any rush to buy right now...just got back from California vacation and rented Sport ATV's to run around on the Sand Dunes. Wife didn't see drop-off and nose dived her rental. Broker her wrist and some bruises, but thankfully my daughters didn't follow her. Whew!

Was thinking of researching / looking now, and then purchasing in fall or winter, hopefully getting a deal.

Daubs

 

Polaris has the best ride, comfort-wise. Also lots of on-board storage. 850 and 1000 are fun, powerful engines.

Can-Am 650, 850, or 1000. Very fun V-twin engines. Tons of power. The 650 will run by other makers' 700 cc class machines and keep up with a Kawasaki Brute Force 750.

For going fast a V-twin is better than a single cylinder. Single cylinder is a better work machine with lots of low end power. Suzuki, and Yamaha use single cylinder machines that are very reliable and good all around quads.

Every maker has machines with power steering now. Polaris has a system that gives more assist at low speeds and less at higher speeds. Can-Am uses a system where you pick how much assist you want. Low, medium, and maximum. I've used both and don't really have a preference. Both are great. Power steering also absorbs some of the shock from hitting rocks, and roots too.

So, if you want, smile on your face, speed, go with a Can-Am. If you want ride comfort with, smile on your face, speed go with Polaris. Good all around quads are Yamaha and Suzuki.

 

I'd say rent different brands and get your own opinion on what fits you and your wife best.

Keep in mind for trail riding, especially here in CO, there needs to be qualification on what is going fast. I love to ride fast but also love to ride in technical areas. The technical areas do not allow for full throttle speed and I find my 700 plenty sufficient. You want more low end grunt on these trails and the ability for good traction and reliability as utility quads can and will get beat up on some of the very rocky trails here.

I have ridden a Can-Am 650 and will agree it feels faster than my 700 but just doesn't seem to absolutely be needed for what I ride. Also, consider that it is usually higher CC quads can also weigh more so keep in mind power/weight ratios for the full story. If I rode fire roads a lot or swamps/mud, I would probably want that extra power.

I'd still recommend trying some different quads out to figure what best suits you.

 

Everyone I ride with rides Polaris or Yamaha and most have been good so I would probably get one of those two brands. One of my friends wanted more power than his Grizzly 660 had and bought a Sportsman 1000. It's been a good quad so far and my other friend with a Sportsman 850 is happy with that too. I would get a Sportsman 570 instead. It has a lot more power than my 500 which I've had up to 57-58 MPH according to the speedometer. I haven't checked it with my GPS but it's faster than I should be going.

 

Appreciate the replies.

Looking back on Yellowstone vacation pictures, wife and i rented Can-Am 500's for the day. They were more than enough power for us, plenty fast.

Rented Artic-Cats down by Jackson hole and remember they didn't feel as fast. I think they were 500's, but were great for what we did, technical trails.

Actually my Sister's Polaris 400 carburetor version did what we needed.

Wife wants to spend no more than $12,000 total.

 

I have 2 Arctic Cats, a 2001 500 and a 2002 400. Gps top speed of the 400 is only 53 mph and the 500 is only 56 mph. It's not power, it's gearing. They are turning between 8000 and 8500 at wot. Suzuki motors. I would buy a 550 or bigger, if you were to look at an AC. Smaller ones are Kymco motors now. I can't say anything bad about them, they are workhorses.If you drive a carbed ATV again at high altitude, take a small flat blade screwdriver and turn the pms about a quarter to half turn in, should run much better.

 

Well, I am thinking you can get a pair of brand new 450 or 570 sportsman's for under 12k. I like yamaha stuff, and would probably lean toward yam or 'zuki when buying used.

 

We really liked Wife's Ex's Yamaha's, especially the 700 Grizzly...She named it "black beauty" before they divorced.

How willing are dealers willing to negotiate on new ATV's? I can consistently get 16-18% off sticker when purchasing new cars and trucks.

I'm guessing I could get a better deal if i wait until November / December time frame, when the new 2017's are out...and cut a deal for a new 2016(?)

 

It depends on the dealer as to how much they are willing to discount. The Yamaha Kodiak 700 has the same engine as the Grizzly 700 but the clutching is a little mellower so its not quite as quick but still no slouch. The base model can be found for around 6K. The Sportsman 570 is about the same price for the base model. For a little less, you can get a 2016 Sportsman 450HO which has the same engine as the 570 just tuned to make a little less power. I have seen them priced as low as 5K locally brand new, pretty much the least expensive 4x4 utility atv that you can buy. You said you rode an Outlander 500. The Outlander 570 L is a little less expensive than the regular Outlander and still has the same 570cc vtwin. If you can find a leftover 2015 500L, you might be able to score a good deal. Even the 450L with its 450cc single is plenty powerful and will cost a bit less. The bigger displacement machines like the Outlander 650 and the Brute Force 750 definitely have more power but cost quite a bit more.

 

Polaris is notorious for slashing prices. You will see some dealers that will at least advertise good prices, some even deliver out the door. It really takes some time to shop around. The good news is pretty much everyone is making decent stuff out of the box these days. There are some weak spots to be addressed on most units, but it is usually easy stuff. New models are already being announced, and usually hit dealers around August. Now is a great time to start a little research if new is an option. The used market I always recommend patience. Something that has been properly cared for is well worth the wait. I get the impression you are a bit like me, in that I don't get to ride daily or weekly. I want my stuff to work and not be monkeying around since I get limited chances to ride.