What makes your choice stand out from the other one? Which one is sportier?

 

I have a 03 Honda Foreman 450Es and I love it! The Ranchers are nice but I prefer the Foremans. I love the on and off switch for the 2WD/4WD and the electric shift. The 2WD gives it a very sporty feel to it. I love mine! I wouldn't trade it for a Rancher ever!

 

Here's one way to think about it. If the Rancher AT came first like the 400ex or even the Foreman 400. (The Foreman 400 did come before the 450) People may be excited with the idea of a 450 coming out with added power. People wanted something with more power than the 400ex and are excited to have the 450R come out. So, if the AT came first people would probably have been excited with the release of a new Foreman 450 model. So why buy something with less cc's at a similar top speed for more money? One reason would be if you really want an automatic or you really like the style of the AT. When I bought my Foreman the AT was out for a short time. Even though the 450 retailed at a higher price at the time, I could get a better deal on the 450. Now the 450's retail is even cheaper. (Than the AT) The Foreman has already proven it's reliability. The 450 is also made to be tough. Just compare the stock belly skids. I'm not sure about the AT but my Recon had more plastic. One example is the plastic dipstick (on Recon) compared to a metal dipstick on the Foreman 450. (It does get very hot though.) If someone would prefer an auto with a selectable 4x4 then the AT is their machine. It comes down to what you need and prefer. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] The AT is probably a little sportier but it's still just a utility.

 

I rode both of the quads for a while before I decided on the rancher at. It seems like the foreman has a little bit harder ride than the rancher. I guess that it depends on what kind of riding you want to do. The rancher at has plenty of power and the automatic is so nice you can barley feel it shift but it is a honda. I wouldn't buy another quad u nless it was an auto after owning this one. I was a little scared buying the AT since it is it's frst year out. Iv'e been told that honda does a lot of research before they release an item. So far the quad has been awesome. I think that you like whichever one you buy. I plan on doing a lot of trail riding and very little hard core work with it. Thats why I went with the rancher at plus I like the styling of it a little better than the foreman. Good Luck

 

hello

stupid question : does the rancher at and rubicon have a low range or is it just forward and reverse . i know the rancher doesnt have the d1 , d2 settings that the rubicon does . i have one of those " P " things i need to get rid of and i like our 98 450 es could be a little faster and i really think i would like an auto . honda is the only option . just cant decide on what one to get rancher at , 450es , rubicon , or rincon .

 

bump

 

I bought a 400At in Nov. Just wanted to ask if others have had such wonderful experiences. First, I lost the shifting, when a small stick got caught in the electrical wires at left hand side of the engine(175 km).

Today the whole back end blew out, lost the drive shaft, shock mount and a lot of other stuff. I dont ride hard, am new to sport so I take it easy. I really question the reliability of this machine.
Perhaps its made for light duty stuff around the farm or tooling around in the desert. I am not ah eavy rider either

Interested to know if others have had similar problems. still only 500 kms on it, so am a bit worried about the reliability.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

 

So far mine has been running really strong. I really like the machine

 

Had mine for 230 miles, and I drive it hard. I have to cross a river every time I want to get on the long trails and go for a spin so its in water frequently. I do a lot of off trail, mowing over trees and hammering through bushes type of riding, its been a charm so far.

Sorry to hear you've had such bad luck with yours. I hope its not a trend.

 

I have been pushing snow completely with mine. 8.5 hours on it and 21 miles. I have pushed snow, have gotten the AT stuck in deep snow, had to bring it in at night and put a heater on it, because you could not see rearend, motor or anything else because of all the packed snow.

I was pushing snow in Automatic, had the unit running at 10 mph for the quarter mile lane I plowed. I was stuck and revd it hard forward and backward. Unit seems to take the punishment. I am not abusing it, just working it. If this thing holds up, I will buy another Honda. I did by the extended warranty because this is the first year for this model.

I am sorry to hear about your misfortune. I would be on the Honda Dealers Door. If one more thing goes wrong with your unit, I would definately try to get them to replace it. Sounds like a lemon.....Mine is Yellow, hope it is not a lemon.