I am going to buy a new utility this weekend but can't decide on which one to buy. I used to have a Sportsman 500ho then sold it like a dummy. My friends are telling me to get the Kawasaki PRAIRIE but Ive only had one Kawasaki ATV in my life and it had problems. They may be different now. I also noticed that the Kawasaki PRAIRIE 700 does'nt have a very good resell value. I see used 02-03 ones aound here for $4200-$5200. Whats your thoughts on a 600 sportsman? any better than a 500ho? Please give me your input. Thanks

 

I have a Sportsman 500 and a Prairie 700. The Prairie 700 just came out. It used to be a 650. Maybe that's why the resale value isn't holding for the older models. Personally, I really don't care much about resale value. If I had to pick one or the other, I would take the Prairie. It just seems a lot more refined. The engine is so smooth, and the suspension is really supple, even with a solid rear axle. The Prairie is also 118 pounds lighter than the Sportsman 600. Given all the posts I've read about 600s overheating, sputtering, not idling, and all the strange drive-train noise, I chose the 500 Sportsman. I think Polaris needs a little while to work the bugs out on the 600 and 700s.

I enjoy boulder crawling through rock strewn trails that require a front locker and lots of ground clearance. That's why I bought the Polaris. Had I looked at the Arctic Cat 650, I might have bought that instead. It's got the older Kawasaki 650 motor, but has IRS, and a whopping 13 inches of ground clearance. And it still weighs less than my SP500.

 

Kawasaki Prairie well thats what i would go with