I'm thinking of getting the AC 400 4x4 automatic and saw it a Gander Mountain (like a BASS Pro Shop). It was $5600 with a 3-yr warrenty as the special. I see on the AC site the MSRP is $5999. Obivously a good price, but concerned about buying from a chain store vs. an independant dealer. Any thoughts on this? This is my first ATV, so I need someone to fix it if it breaks. Also comparing this to the Polaris Sportsman 450 per a co-worker. Any thoughts on reliability of an AC compared to a Polaris? I've seen some bad reviews with this AC that it slips out of 4WD which is a concern. Appreciate any feedback for this "new to atvs guy."

 

Where did you see any bad reviews? The sport bike riders don't like IRS but that's their problem, not the bikes. I have never heard of a 400 or any other Cat slipping out of 4X4, at least mine and the 4 other 400 owners I know and ride with haven't had it happen. The AC auto tranny and belt system is bullet proof compared to everyone elses, some have gotten over 5,000 miles out of a belt, which no other brand can match. I am not in favor of chain stores of this type of an item. Your dealer is everything when it comes to service and the chain store will not have a proper service department. I skipped the closes dealer to me and choose one twice as far away, because of his price, his reputation (the largest volume dealer in my state) and they only sell Cats which means no other brand can be more important to him. Why would you compare a 400 Cat (actually a 376cc motored machine) to a Polaris 450 (a 455cc engined machine)?

 

Well Bass Pro moved in the neighborhood and I believe my local deal was shut down JMO, but they do have a full service deptment but haven't used them. I would suggest a local dealer for more face to face service and they may work hard to get your money, where a chains store doesn't really offer price breaks from my dealings so far, kinda sucks when you get use to getting 5 to 10 % off items for the cat.

Cat vs POL they both are good but like bear said they are not true equals so it's apples to oranges. I can tell you this the CAT is IMHO is the better quad that's why I bought it, less maintance, better warranty, and more uses 2" hitch reciever speed rack. Remove AC from the list I'd buy a polaris hands down and I ride a 400 kodiak 400 auto and its a different bike but not a work horse, but faster, lighter, but does have the build of the AC axles for one reason.

 

I agree with the concern of chain store vs. dealer.....but......I just had a experience that goes against this. While dissassembling the front plastic off mt 500 auto I broke the diode mounted on the brake distribution block. my local dealer(in muskogee)tried to help as much as possible, called tech line to trie to find out what and why the diode is for and if could be bypassed. they have only been dealer since feb.05 have always gone the wxtra long mile to help in past on wolverine-anyway- the next local dealer is in tulsa(tractor dealership) well trying to get tech info out of them is harder than getting blood out of a turnip-bass pro shop just opened in brokenarrow,,,so gave them a call and yes they do have a service dept. and are very helpfull. answered Q's happily, checked wiring diagrams, called service tech and called me back with all the info they could get. I was impressed by the service considering I own/operate my own service company[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]
You could always ask to see the service dept and speek to the mechanics, ask questions

 

There is no guarantee any dealer will 1) stay in business or 2) have good mechanics. Large retailers like Gander Mountain are growing and building new stores every year. Its the smaller Independent shops that are losing sales to the big retailers. I'd say the independants are at the most risk of not being there. When Gander Mountain couldn't hire enough mechanics to keep up with demand - they just shipped the excess quads over to another store where there wasnt as much work or they had more mechanics. In the independent dealer arena that would never happen. A recent trip to a local Polaris dealer revealed over 60 machines sitting in a shed waiting for service. I asked when the most recent drop off might be completed and the answer was "3 months".

When I have to go into grizzly bear territory in the Montana Rockies - I choose the Arctic Cat. I don't need one of the many Polaris breakdown items popping up when its a really really bad time. The Arctic Cats are as reliable as any. Polaris can't say that - or I can't say that for them.

I've never heard of a 4x4 issue with the Cats. I have heard that you need to shift to neutral and then up to high after leaving Low gear - mostly on new machines when everything is very tight. I've not read anything in this forum or heard it on the trail regarding sliping out of 4WD.