im about to buy my first atv. im 5'11" and weigh roughly 240lbs. i went to a dealer today and rode a new suzuki kingquad 700 efi. wow! the quad was fun but had to much power and the front end dipped down when you let off the throttle. it was alittlle too much quad for me. im looking at buying something smaller. id be using the quad for pushing snow, trail riding, and for deer hunting. but for mostly riding and having fun. ive narrowed it down to few choices- the suzuki kingquad 450, kawasaki prairie 360 4x4, yamaha grizzly 350 4x4 auto irs or grizzly 450, ac 400 or 500, or the polaris 450. im not looking for a big powerhouse quad. im just wanting to have fun. any suggestions? how about arctic cat?? how good are their atv's? are they as reliable as the grizzly 450 irs or the kq 450? and honestly, how good is polaris? ive heard more bad than good. like cv boots ripping easily and their overweight. thanks..Tim

 

Wow, that's a loaded question, and you are sure to get a bit of a brand war going...

To get a better idea of what might suit you, it would be nice to get an idea of how you plan to ride, and what your priorities are:

Are you mainly looking at trail riding, or mudding, or what? Are you looking at automatic transmissions exclusively? Are you looking for the smoother ride of independent rear suspension, or the more planted feel of a solid rear axle?

If you liked the KQ, but don't want that much power, then the KQ 450 might make sense. There is also the Vinson 500 in manual and auto, but it is solid rear axle.

I wouldn't count ripped CV boot against any machine, since if you get a stick up there it can tear up the boot on any brand. Polaris machines are generally a bit heavier than similar models by other brands, but in my book that isn't necessarily bad. I've talked to Polaris owners who were plaigued by problems (mainly belt) and I've talked to other Polaris owners with thousands of miles with no problems whatsoever.

I hate to say it, but if you are looking for a utility that doesn't have tons of power, you might also look at Honda's lineup... The 500 Foreman is SRA with an air cooled 5 speed, that comes in either foot shift or push button shift. The Rubicon is a SRA liquid cooled 500 with a hydrostat auto, and the Rincon 680 is IRS with a 3 speed torque converter (car like) auto...

Anyway, ride a bunch, and pick the one that calls to you.

 

You cant go wrong with a 450 Yamaha. Dependable as they come.

 

I would look at the Can Am 500, Polaris 500 or the A/C 500 -- not too powerful but they would all do very well at what you want IMO.

 

i got to ride today a polaris 500efi and all i have to say is WOW!!! very powerful, very smooth. heck, the dealer even looked me in the eye when we talked. i didnt even mind the single brake lever. very nice machine. he even told me that any brand might have boot problems. now i need to ride a ac 400 or 500, kq 450, and the kodiak 450. so far i really like the polaris.

 

JeffenTD hit it right on the nose! But it sounds like your doing your homework.,checking out everyting, getting some rides in on them.
Either way, what ever you buy, good luck with it.. Let us know what you end up with.. Sounds like your leaning to Polaris...

 

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You might also consider buying a used machine to use for several years to see where you want to go from there. Was the first one too hard, fast, heavy, hard to steer, ugly, problematic, expensive, wrong color, and so on? Then buy your new one just the way you like it. For example, you'll start out with soft storage bags because they're cheaper and feel good--until you get tired of the water and dust getting in and the zippers sticking--then you'll decide to get a hard box to replace it. We all do that. You have to start somewhere.

If you ride with a club, you can compare yours with others and maybe ride theirs occasionally.

GJRonK

 

The Yamaha 450 Kodiak is 421 cc underpowered and its belt drive and its expensive, I suggest look at the Suzuki Vinson, its 500cc with loads and loads of power, the manual Vinson is gear drive, plus its less expensive than the Kodiak. Suzuki Vinson 4x4 Manual, $4799 at my local dealer. BUY THE VINSON MANUAL !!!!!!!!!!!

 

on the vinson, do the plastic tabs break easily when removing the panels for service? plus it doesnt have irs. im not sure if i want to mess around with a foot shifter. im planning on test riding the ac 400 when a i get chance.

 

I am not going to weigh in on brand, but do this, if you are going to finance. Look to see what accesories you want, you mentioned a plow. Get all the accesories that you are going to want up front (bumpers,winch,bags,boxes,etc....) You do this because the first purchase will get you the lower APR. If, you wait to get these things and put them on your "Card" lter, you will have minimum payments. The second purchase APR is usually up around 17.9%. Then if you make a payment higher than minimum, the extra goes to the lower APR first, which makes them more money. Unless you call the finance company and redirect the funds. It is a pain in the butt.

If you want low power consider these: Arctic Cat,Can-Am,Honda,Kawasak,Suzuki,Yamaha. Ok, I just kidding. Good luck with the purchase!