So I've decided its time for a new ride but I'm having trouble deciding on what I want. I'm posting here because I'm leaning towards the Polaris Sportsman 570. But I'm seriously looking at the Can Am Outlander and the Honda Rubicon or Forman as well. But everywhere I turn, its conflicting reviews. First source is like, the sportsman used to be garbage, now its a great bike, Next source I talk to tells me the opposide. A youtube review rated the 570 sportsman over the honda, but the youtube comments were the opposite tone, detailing numours problems with the sportsman, touting hondas reliability. Sifting through google and youtube usually gives me what I need, but thats not the case here.

I plan on using it mostly for trail riding, nothing super rough. Some yard work, so it'll need to have some towing capacity. But again, no big loads.

Whats your opinion? Which one would you get and why?

 

I know this is the Polaris section of the website but neither they nor Can Am are popular in the UK, we don't sell them and won't take them in part-exchange, as we have had bad experiences with both makes. As you wrote, they may have improved recently. We do sell Hondas, and the manual 420s and 520s are great bikes since the 2014 models, pre 2014 420 manuals had a terrible rear axle. I don't like the autos, they are hideously over complicated, and the transmission isn't in any way as good as belt drive autos, except you can override it and run in ES. The old, pre 2014 Rubicon autos were much better. Personally, for new autos, I would be looking at Suzuki 500 King Quads, they seem to have gone a bit bulky since the 2018 update, though the plastics are nearly identical to the old model. That is one machine that has belt drive auto sorted. Old model had a flimsy frame, and the rear suspension wore quickly, too soon to tell about the new one, but no problems yet. We sell very few Yams, as the local Yam dealer has a very good reputation, but they seem rugged and reliable too. Many Yamaha models suffer from a seemingly low geared auto, it seems to be revving hard for the speed it is doing, new ones may be better.

 

Most machines are reliable nowadays, Polaris I very popular and they sell a bunch but are commonly known for high maintenence, mostly due to hard use. Hondas are known for reliability but very expensive to repair if you have an issue! In my area, Yamaha has a very good reputation, Canam is either a love or hate relationship just like Polaris. 5 years back I decided to get a side x side and researched for over 4 months. Sat on and test rode everything I could, even went into dealers shop to see how many were being repaired and get an in-site as how they were put together. In the end, I chose a Kymco, not made in China but made in Tiawan, big difference!! They are the largest mfgr of motorized vehicles in the world ! Mostly known for their scooters but builds engines and drivetrains for Honda, ArticCat, Suzuki, Tracker atvs, and make most of the under 100 cc machines sold by brand name mfgrs. They also had the fewest consumer complaints per 100 units made of any mfgr in the world! Do give them consideration, my machine is 5 yrs old, over 2000 miles, zero issues. I use ut for yard work, trail riding, wirk horse and plowing 300 ft of driveway every winter. Buy what fits you, take test drives, be comfortable with whatever you buy. Nothing worse than an uncomfortable machine. Good luck!

 

Can-Am and Polaris usually have the best hp per cc. Polaris has great on board storage options. Polaris has the most comfortable ride of any quad I've ever been on. I've had both brands and very few issues with either.
Honda tends to be expensive for what you get and has far fewer options included compared to Can-Am and Polaris.

 

Polaris will give you the most options and upgrades due to there popularity. Not a fan of there 4wd system, have pulled a few out of the mud due to there auto 4wd system that didn't work. I also prefer seperate front and rear brakes for better control on steep grades, Polaris uses a one lever brake system. Having used both, I prefer the diff lock system for awd over the in and out auto system. Look closely at the little things that you might like or dislike, as these could make or break your satisfaction of your machine

 

Doc,
What are you looking for in an ATV? Is it performance, or simple reliability, or something different? And something no one else has mentioned, … how good are the dealerships in your area? I've owned most of the major brands in the last 25 years, and have settled on Can Am. They seem to be the most refined machines. They are the quietest, smoothest running, and seem to have the best build quality. And they have the best performance. We have 5 machines right now, 4 are Can Am and 1 is Polaris. That number of machines is pretty typical for us over the last 25 years, so it adds up to a lot of different machines. So if there were problems with a certain brand you would think we would have seen it by now. We haven't had any problems with any of our Can Am ATVs. Our oldest Can Am that we still own is a 2012 Renegade 1000 XXC that is used for a "spare" machine right now. If one of my son's (age 26 and age 30) want to go riding with us, they ride that machine. They ride it like they stole it, probably because they know it isn't theirs, and they know they are not going to have to pay to fix it. But still no problems, it just keeps going.

I agree with what Merryman had to say, that is some good advise. The Suzuki King Quad 750 is a good machine, and is a good bargain as well. Yamaha makes some very reliable machines. We have owned several, and never had a problem with them.

And finally, the dealership can make all the difference in the world when it comes to how satisfied you are with your ATV. I owned a Honda Rincon that had transmission problems. It was under warranty and I took it in to our local dealer for repair. Well it took him 11 weeks to complete the repairs, and when he was finished it was no longer under warranty, so he billed me over a thousand dollars for the repair. He simply said, "well its not under warranty now, so I can't submit a bill to Honda", and made me pay it if I wanted the machine back. We also had a Honda 250 EX that had the motor completely lock up on us. Looking back over the years, Honda ATVs have given us the most major problems. No other brand has had an engine failure, and no other brand has had a transmission failure.

I broke a belt on an Arctic Cat Thunder Cat 1000 once. That was the only drive belt failure I've had in 25 years.

Polaris machines tend to have lots of recalls. They must push new models out the door before they are tested adequately. Our current Polaris is a 2020, and it has already had 2 recalls.

Good luck with whichever brand you choose, and have fun with your new machine.

 

I bought a 2018 570sp last year brand new. I love that thing. It is very comfortable, and I'll probably never own a machine without power steering again. It's very quick, and the sp suspension soaks everything up very well for a stock bike.
The only issues I have noticed, is it tends to heat up, if you aren't riding it fast. My 450 is like a tractor around the yard, pulling attachments and plowing snow. If I hook up the 570 and pull a lawn sprayer around, the fan comes on quite often. At least it is doing it's job and kicking on when it should though.
Also, the stock battery seems weak. Sounds like a lot of the polaris batteries have issues.
I trail ride with a bunch of other makes, including Can am. One guy has a 580, and it's also very fast. Haven't driven it personally, but it looks and sounds like a very nice bike.I think hp #s are within about 4hp.
In the looks department, Polaris has Can am beat by a long shot. The Outlander looks a little bulky, whereas the Polaris is more streamlined, and more aerodynamic looking you could say.
Not sure the prices on Can ams, but I always thought they were a little more expensive.

 

Wow guys, thanks for the replies! Sorry for not getting back to you in a timely manner as this week has been crazy for me.

I am taking my decision on which bike to buy very seriously as it is quite the in vestment. I haven't had a bike since I was a kid (aside from a 88 yamaha moto4 I bought a few years back as a resto project). From most of the reviews, and advice in this thread, the Sportsman seems to be the one to go with. I'm really going into this fresh as I don't have a favorite brand. I am a clean slate and thats sorta of advantageous for me.

The bike I buy will not be rode hard. I might push it a bit from time to time I have no intention on running it too rough. I plan on exploring the local trails. Taking a night or 2 to go on a fishing trip with a few friends. It will be used for some light duty work around the yard. But mostly trail riding. I'm from Newfoundland, Canada, and there are trails everywhere. Even the old railway track, which was removed 30 years ago, provides a conduit for some long distance travel. I want to take advantage of this, just throw the wife on the back and go for the day.

I'm actually going this morning to speak to the local Polaris and Can-Am dealers to see what they have to offer.

 

One other thing to add about the Sportsman.
The EBS at first, seems awful. It is super aggressive, so you will look like you have never driven a 4 wheeler before.
But, after the belt breaks in a little, and you adjust your driving style, you will end up liking it a lot. At least I did. I absolutely hated it, and now I think it is great. I hardly ever need to touch the brakes, just have to lightly come off the throttle to stop.

 

Check your local laws on riding 2up !!! Unless you buy a machine specifically built for two people most local laws do not allow 2 people on a machine built for only one.....