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Ok, 1st, thanks for viewing my topic, i figure this will be the only way to figure out which utility ATV to buy.
Competitors:

Polaris Sportsman 500
Bombardier Traxter 500
Yamaha Grizzly 600
Honda Rubicon 500
Suziki King Quad 500

Categorys:
Traction
Ride quality
Handling
Deep Mud
HEAVY Towing
Top Speed
Low end Torque
Rock Crawling
Acceleraion
Ease of operation
Hill Climbing
Down Hill Crawling
Braking


Thanx for all input,
Kyle

 

You could try to find a dealer who will let you ride one machine or a friend that has one. Maybe read some magazines and than make a decision.

 

My opinions only, but here goes 1st & 2nd from my experiences:

Traction - Sportsman, Traxter
Ride quality - Sportsman (by far), Rubicon
Handling - Grizzly, Rubicon (never drove HO Sportsman yet - I hear steering is much improved, but am not gonna stick my neck out cuz I havent driven one
Deep Mud - Sportsman, Traxter
Heavy towing - Traxter, King Quad (due to very low gearing) Grizz pulls alot but not liq. cooled
Top speed - Toss up Grizz & SP HO
Low end torque - King Quad, Grizz
Rock Crawling - no idea
Acceleration - Grizz, SP HO (raced one, but never drove it)
Ease of operation - SP , Rubicon (pretty much tied)
Hill Climbing - SPortsman, Rubicon(again, close. Gave SP the edge because IRS follows uneven ground better
Down Hill Crawling - unsure, Rubicon for an auto, Gear drives should be about the same
Braking - don't know - who uses brakes?

Hope this helps. Just my opinions, no death threats, please from those who disagree.

 

Diesel4x4,
Here is my .02 cents. Based on what I have ridden, ridden with, read about, and heard about.

Traction: Suzuki, Traxter, Sportsman. All have the ability to drive all 4 wheels when needed.

Ride Quality: Sportsman all the way!

Handling: Grizzly for sportier riding, Sportsman for dealing with real uneven terrain.

Deep mud: Sportsman. By virtue of its supperior ground clearence. And it ability to drive all 4 wheels.

HEAVY towing: Grizzly. Most power and a straight rear axle.

Top speed: Grizzly or Sportsman HO. Don't know which.

Low end torque: Grizzly. The only other quad that has more torque then a Grizzly is an AC500(2 ft-lbs more, but less horepower).

Rock crawling: Suzuki. Its the only one with "true" 4WD.

Acceleration: Grizzly or Sportsman HO. I have ridden both and the Grizzly "feels" stronger.

Ease of operation: Grizzly gets my vote. Very ergonomic. Everything fits and works well together.

Hill climbing: In a straight hill climb the Grizzly. Its lighter and quicker then the others.
On an uneven hill climb, probably the Sportsman or the Traxter, maybe the Suzuki. They all have the ability to drive all 4 wheels in situations where you may be lifting alternate wheels off the ground.

Down hill crawling: Rubicon. Its supposed to have very tight engine braking. Any manual shift will be better then an auto. Of the belt driven autos, the Grizzly is the tightest. The Sportsman is dead last! Only has rear wheel engine braking in 4WD.

Braking: Don't know. But any of the Jap bikes will have separate front and rear brakes, a definite advantage. The Polaris has a one brake runs all set up that in my opinion, sucks!

Hope this is helpful for you. They are all good bikes. They all have strengths and weaknesses compared to one another. You are the best judge! Go out and ride as many of them as you can, and decide for yourself! Later.

Rick