looking to buy my first 4w. got the selection down to 500ac auto & 500 honda. Could anyone give me alittle insight on these 2 machines .

 

go with the arctic cat best ride best ground clearence best rack capacity best suspension travel and their bullit proof. The honda has a great motor and a good reputation but they just haven't made any huge improvements since they had the market by the *****. If you can find a dealership that will let you test ride a machine. we have quite a few here in wisconsin that do. and that should make your decision pretty easy. Its all about the cat.

 

what would be a good price for the ac 500 auto ? I see the list @6799 will they come off of that some?

 

i just bought a 500 manual out the door for 7069.00 with a 2500# warn winch and ac front and rear bumpers installed. That included 5.5% sales tax and 30.00 for registration. For the auto it would have been like 200.00 more.

 

so you are happy with your ac? the salesman @ honda was saying that the 3 yr warr. was just a ploy to get their share of the market, also the independent sup. was a good feature but only if you went trail riding alot .It was not much of a plus to make a decision on those two issues

 

anysalesman that has to bash a commpetitors machine is scared that they will lose you to that machine because it is better than theirs. I'm not yet a fan of the independant but i did just buy one mostly cause its all they really offer now. cat used to make their machines both ways but i'm assuming they didn't sell very many solid rears cause everyone wanted the independant. as for the 3 year waranty. they wouldn't offer it if the thought you would need it. they know their machines will go that long with out problems. unlike the other companys that still offer only 6 month warranties. Arctic cat is that confidant that their machines are that reliable as am i. Read some mag articles and do your reasearch. dont listen to salesman they dont care which is best they just want your money. I haven't heard any sales numbers but i bet cat is pretty close to the top. Which says alot being that they have only made wheelers for 9 years. Thats atleast half of any other manufacturer. Cat set the standards for the utility quads their first year. And have built off that ever since. They keep coming out with new products and industry first ideas. Back in 2000 i was in the same boat as you i was torn between the cat 400 and a honda. And after riding a rew hondas i decided to go with the cat cause the ride was great and the suspension articulation was unbeleivable it was almost imposible to get a tire off the ground. It would tip over before it lifted a tire. Good luck and happy shopping. The best part of buying a wheeler is the hunt.

 

look around on the internet and call dealers. i found my 500 man. brand new in arkasas(i live in st louis) for $5700.00. i drove down there and added on a 2500 lb. warn winch,gun scabbard,rear bumper,and a 60' plow all for a total price of $6330.00. thats still cheaper than just the bike its self.($6800.00 it sells for here). i dont know why i got it so cheap and i didnt really care. $45.00 in gas was worth it.

 

lol he was downplaying arctic cats suspension? yeah he was jerking your chain. my parents both have honda 450's they are both good reliable atv's but when it comes to ride they are not good riding. i just dread having to take their's across a rough field when i jump on my cat and it floats across the rougher terrain. that isn't trail riding that is everyday use where nice suspension is utilized everytime a person jumps on an atv. oh and about the reliability their honda's are good and my arctic cat has been trouble free as well and the one 450 and mine have both been used very hard. after 2200 miles the front wheel bearings just went out on his honda and he changed a spark plug. after 1700 miles i changed a belt. both have 27 inch itp 589 tires on them and spend alot of time in mud and manure and busting trail. but when it comes to off road the arctic cat handles the mud and everything way better.