I just got the "rag" dirtwheels magazine today and saw an article "ultimate comparison, Automatic 500cc 4x4 shootout"
Anyone know why Arctic Cat was NOT included?
I did notice however that most of the Automatics tested had taken out large ADs in this magazine.

 

I wish they would test ALL OF THE 500'S. Manual shift quads also.

 

Here is what I wish, and I think you guys would go with this as well.

I wish that a magazine would take the top two quads from each manufacturer (Both AC 500's, Both Suzuki's, Rubicon and 450, Griz and Kodiak, Bombardiers original style traxter, the Sp500 and the Mag500) and take them all to some place and use them for about a year and a half. I mean take them to some huge ranch in montana and let the people use the crap out of them.

Then about a year or two later, come back and publish a 10 page article on every conceivable aspect of each quad. Long term reliability, performance, plastic cracking, everything! I have this funny feeling that this would give some pretty good background for someone considering a new quad, and tons more than an article focused on acceleration and MX track handling of utility quads.

Who's going to drop the cash for this? Sponsors of course. Let them donate the quads. If they think theirs is built worth a damn, then why not ante up and let it prove itself.

 

I like it!

 

Hopefully there will be a future shoot out that will include the AC500, traxter, & the new big bore from Kawasaki. Now if the SP500 beat all of these then the "rags" uh I mean mags, then they can call it the King of 4x4s. Its only beat 1/2 of the competition so far.

 

Great idea! I like that, but it makes sense so they won't do it.

 

They doi ti with cars why not quads although it would be nice for people to do it on here to. I have 8500kms on my Foreman now and love it other than the rear suspension needs updated. That is where I think Honda needs improvement.

 

You know... the more I read and hear about all the different brands of ATVs it just proves to me again, that they all have good points.. and bad.
There is no one ultimate machine.
I am excited to hear about the high milage and good service you have recived.
With all the experience and good ideas in these forums we could probably...get together and design ....maybe .....a close to ultimate machine.
I am no loyalist to any one brand I like certain features about all of them.
I think all of the suggestions/experiences good or bad do encourage (sometimes) the manufactures.

 

Well said Winston!

Mike

 

That is well said. You have a thousand clows bragging on what is or isn't the best quad, but that is exactly right. There is no perfect quad. Everything has its bad points, or at least places where others are much better. My vote still goes for a Honda made Sportsman 500 manual high output with a king quad differential. Do I ask that much?