im looking at getting a new atv soon and i cant decide between the Polaris Sportsman or the Arctic cats. Im looking at the 400 or 500 of each brand. it will be mainly used for hunting and aggressive offroad. does the polaris 500 H.O. have much more power then the 400 or is it just more money for nothing. im looking to throw on 26 or 27 inch tires when i get it so which one would handle them better? if anyone out there hase a picture of a sportsman with bigger tires i would love to see it! also reliability is a big thing for me. any info would be awsome.

 

I've looked at both machines closely, and I own both a Grizzly 660 and an Arctic Cat 400i...

You can't fit 27" tires on a Sportsman without a lift kit, or without trimming away the front fenders. You can, however, fit 27's (or even 28's) on the Arctic Cat.

If you can afford the extra $1000, get the 500i over the 400i. The extra torque is worth it. The 400i makes good power, but you do have to rev it to get to the torque.

If you want a 5-speed, definitely get the Arctic Cat since Polaris doesn't offer a manual tranny.

If you get an automatic and go to larger tires, you will need one of Highlifter's Heavy Duty Clutch Kits ($200). This applies even if you get a Sportsman.

The Arctic Cat has 12" of ground clearance. The Sportsman has roughly 10" (I think their advertising claims 11.25" but my friends with SP500s measured theirs and got 10"). I measured my 400i and it's a real 12". Add 27" tires and you gain an inch. I did.

I have heard nothing but good things about both machines in terms of reliability.

I have personally never liked the Sportsman's 4wd system. Several reasons:

1. It decides when it's in 4WD, not you.

2. It uses electronics and fluid in the front hubs to engage 4WD. This is a maintenance nightmare and also with the hubs sticking out as they do, they can get whacked on rocks, leaving you without 4WD at all.

3. It doesn't have a "limited slip" 4WD mode... it's either locked in 4WD or in 2WD. The Arctic Cat lacks a locker, but I've honestly never needed it (not even on my Grizzly, even though it has a locker).

Other observations:

- The Arctic Cat has 10" of wheel travel all the way around. Not even my Grizzly can touch that.

- The Arctic Cat looks like a Jeep Cherokee (I think this is cool). The Sportsman looks like an insect.

- The Arctic Cat weighs 100 lbs less than the Sportsman. I think this is a good thing.

- The Sportsman has a fancier speedo/digital readout system. The Arctic Cat still uses an antiquated analog speedo and tripmeter.

- The Sportsman has no fuel guage (or does it? might be new for '03). The Arctic Cat does.

- The Arctic Cat's 4WD system uses NO electronics. It's entirely mechanical, so it's less likely to leave you stranded.

- You can roll an Arctic Cat sideways down a steep hill, bending and twisting it all up, and still ride it home (don't ask me how I know this). [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

- The Sportsman has plastic cargo racks. The Cat's are metal.

- The Sportsman has better stock tires. The Arctic Cat's stock Dunlops suck royally.


That's all I can think of right now. Bottom line is both are good machines, I just don't like ones that overcomplicate things and try to think for you. It's up to you to decide which one best suits your needs.

Rob

 

Bateman,
from what i've read, the AC is a nice machine..........and it's common knowledge that the Sportsman500 is top-notch!

"Hunting, Aggressive offroad, 26" or 27" tires?" - i say there's no substitute for cubic inches (or in the case of ATV's cc's! LOL) bigger-is-better! go with the 500cc! the Sportsman wasn't named "King of the 4X4s" 5 years in a row for nothing! it EARNED it! it's one bad-a$s ATV!

But, there are other things to concider:
what's the best deal?
what's the best bang for the buck?
which dealer treats you with patients, respect, and is honest?
good service dept?
reputation?

still can't decide? flip a coin- heads or tails? (just kidding!)

good luck bro![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Go with the best DEALER, not the best deal. check your dealer reps for reputation ,and the ability to fix it when you break it. Could I ask why do you NEED the big tires? If agressive means speed. the Polaris will break your neck faster. Good hunting!

 

i would go with the sportsman i had an CAT it was a 300 not a 400 or 500 but i thought it sucked
it didn't have much power (im sure the 500 would have alot more though)

i went through bearings almost every year and i had stock tires and didn't really ride alot of mud just every once and a while.

the severice i got from two dealerships (one which i bought it at) sucked i ordered a bearing for it two years ago and they said they would call when they got it in guess what i still haven't heard from them

the only good thing i found about the cat was it did ok in the mud and it was cheap but i know a sportsman smoked mine in the mud.

so its pretty much up to you this is just what i have had to deal with .. maybe it was a lemon or something??
goodluck

 

Mudracer, I'm almost certain you got a lemon. I've had no problems with my 400 and I have 700 hard miles on it.

Bateman, I don't think you can go wrong either way. On the whole, owners of both machines swear by them. Personally, I like the looks of the cats a lot more (you see sportsmans everywhere). I also think they're built a little more rugged, but will admit I have no real basis for that opinion.

You've got some good advice so far, I think. Check the dealers, and their reputation. Ride the machines if you can and see how you feel about them. I think the cats are a little better for more extreme situations (rock crawling) while the Sportsmans are a little sportier. In the end, you need to like what you buy.

 

Yes your right Pechmial either one should be ok and try them all out either a friends or a new one from the dealer and if the dealer won't let you even try it in the parking lot its a good sign that you might have a little trouble dealing with them on other things too.


i might have got a lemon or someting but i had alot more miles than you have now too i had pretty close to 4000.

 

From what I understand, both machines would probably treat you just fine. The only thing I might disagree with is the comment about the Polaris hubs being a maintenance nightmare. Yes, they do have 2 tiny wires going down to them that actuate the front wheels to lock, but they are far from maintenance intensive. And yes, the are fluid filled, but I don't really see how that is a disadvantage over grease packed bearings. You may or may not like how the Polaris 4wd system works and that is just a matter of preference. I say go with the best deal and the best dealer. The dealer will do more to make your purchase right by you then the machine.

 

I figure I'll put my opinion in here...

Arctic Cat = Ugly (I hate Jeep Cherokees, and in my opinion, the front end on the AC looks out of proportion with the rest of the quad.)

Sportsman = Hummer (sweet)

There are barely any ACs around me. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing ONE out on the trails before.

If it were up to me, I would go for the Sportsman. I guess I'm just a Polaris man, so maybe my opinion shouldn't count.