I'm trying to decide what ATV to buy.

I've got it narrowed down to an Arctic Cat 500/Auto and the Polaris Sportsman 500HO.

Besides the 24 month warranty, why should I buy the Arctic Cat?

Thanks,
Steve

 

for one thing the ac has more ground clearance.
you can get it in a manual [no belts] but lots of shifting.
or you can buy the auto.
thay work excelent on steep hills and in places where you can just nail it and go.
another thing is the price.
the money you save on buying the ac you can get a nice set of tires for it.
but i've herd that the polaris has a better front diff then the ac.
but thay also have a sway bar that helps in the corners but sucks when you need the long travel of the independent suspention.
the choice is ultametly yours though.
i hope this helps.
ps. go for the cat.
there the cats a$$.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Thanks for the reply.

I'm leaning towards the AC, but the price difference with a winch is only $29. $6100 for the AC and $6129 for the Polaris.

Steve

 

ride them both to see what you like. find out how the dealers treat their customers after the sale. this can make all the difference in the world. both are good machines with some different options. look at these to see which you like better. i love my 500i cat. i ride with a couple 500ho's and those guys love 'em. none of us have had problems with anything. good luck with your choice. ride what you like and like what you ride. have fun on the trails.

 

Pretty much just whatever you want on that one. I like the AC better, but the Sportsman has better traction and will outrun the AC. I still like the AC better, because I trust them not to have problems as much.

 

I am in the same situation. I am wanting a 500cc machine with IRS. Essentially the choice is AC or Polaris. For me I have thrown the Outlander into the mix because of the great things I have heard about it. All are great machines!!! The Polaris uses softer springs with a sway bar to help control body roll. For general trail riding the Polaris will give you a smoother ride. In the rough stuff the sway bar will cause the rear tire to carry and not allow full movement of the suspension. The AC uses a stiffer spring set up to control the body roll. This will give you a little rougher ride but can allow the suspension to compress more. The problem I have seen riding a new AC was the suspension was too stiff and caused the rear wheel to carry and not use its full travel either. I have heard that the springs do break in after a while.
I think the Polaris has a lighter feel in the steering then AC especially in 4WD. I like how the AC is more narrow in the seat then Polaris. I don't like the way the Polaris 4WD system disengages. When I flip the switch I expect 4WD otherwise I wouldn't have flipped the switch. I prefer the plastic racks on the Polaris. I like the handle bar mounted headlight on the Polaris. Polaris has more aftermarket parts available. It will outrun the AC but that is not a big deal to me. I like the looks of the Polaris over the AC. The other thing I like about the Polaris is the parking feature which locks the transmission. This is a real nice feature when you want your quad to stay put.
I guess it comes down to features that you like and most importantly how the dealer will treat you after the sale. Right now I am leaning towards the Polaris. But I am waiting to see what the 05 models bring. If AC puts the diff lock and a transmission parking feature on their 500 I would probably go with them just because I know my AC dealer would treat me a little better.

 

I have an Arctic Cat 500 manual and a 650. I have been really happy with the durability of both machines. I ride with a lot of Polaris machines (we have a polaris factory 20 miles away) and over time th ePolaris just does not hold up. The Arctic Cat 500 was my first machine. I was leaning toward a Yamaha but I have a really good dealer in town that sells Arctic Cat so I went with where the service would be. I am happy I made that choice. The Polaris is a sportier machine but it is not a strong machine. They simply break a lot more than the Arctic Cats. What I mean by that is I have seen radiator problems on just about every ride. The plastic on the polaris breaks easily and they always seem to have minor problems all the time. My Arctic Cats are not flashy machines but they are durable.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]BUY THE ARCTIC CAT YOU GET A 2YEAR WARRANTY,A RELIABLE SUZUKI 500CC ENGINE WITH A POLARIS LIKE FRAME AND SUSPENSION AND A 2500 POUND WINCH FOR 69.00 AND WITH THE MRP PLATFORM YOU WILL NOT BE BOLTING STUFF TO YOUR RACKS. YEA ONE MORE THING WHEN I WORKED FOR A POLARIS DEALERSHIP GE CAPITAL REFUSED TO SELL A WARRANTY FOR POLARIS THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO SELL YOUR EXTENDED WARRANTY TO SUZUKI,HONDA,YAMAHA,KAW,ARTIC CAT SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!