This is not intended to start any bash war. A new quad is in my plans for the near future. The choices have been narrowed down to the Arctic Cat & Polaris.

What advantages does AC500 have over the SP500HO?
The magazines should have included the 'Cat in the big bore shoot out! I am fully aware of the Polaris product & its features. Looking for input on the 'Cat.

thanks

 

I don't think anyone can argue.....Reliability!

(Even though there are lemons in every brand)

 

Price difference, and maintenance.

 

Snowshark:
I may get tagged for this, but keep in mind, they are just my own opinions, or observations. Before buying the 'Cat, I looked seriously at the 450ES, and the SP500. At the time, I didn't even know AC existed (well that they made atv's anyway). After comparing price and features of all machines, I then learned about the 'Cats, and was very impressed. Like the others have said, price for the features and reliability of the machine are great. I don't know what the SP's are going for on your side of the state, but over here where I was looking (Tri-Cities, Hermiston, Pullman, Moscow-ID, up north into Omak and Grand Coulee area) the SP seemed to be on average of about $1,000 more than the 'Cat.

Also, because I bought two machines, I did get a little better price break than by purchasing just one. The Polaris dealers wouldn't budge at all, not even for TWO machines. After purchasing the AC 500 Auto's, I've been thrilled to death with their performance and reliability. Granted, I've only got about 760 miles on now, but they have been VERY HARD miles. If you've seen my previous posts about working and such, you'll know what I mean.

I got to ride with several machines from every manufacturer while elk hunting. Among them was an SP500. I followed it out from the high country one afternoon/evening, and paid close attention to that IRS. One thing I noticed, there was one part of the trail that had a steep cliff on the left side going down. It was part ice and snow, and the rest mud. Every machine that was going down had double riders, and every machine including the SP stopped and dissmounted one rider. Every machine had one wheel come off the ground, except the SP and my 'Cat. Myself and my partner on my dad's 'Cat were the only two who carried two people across. I asked why the guy on the SP didn't carry his rider, that he had all four's on the ground, he said that it was just too top heavy, and with weight on the machine, it would go over. Now, I don't know if he was just a cautious rider, or what, but in this case he was a little worried. There was another section down below, that wasn't quite as bad, where every other machine once again had one wheel off the ground, except our 'Cats, and the SP. On that occassion, he did carry his passenger with no problems.

While the SP may have true four wheel drive, I personally do not like the fact that it needs rear wheel slippage to engage the front. On the last part of the stretch, just before you get to the road, there is a section about 200 yards long or so, of very steep, windy trail that is covered in snow/ice/mud. In this case, the SP did have a few problems. He did have his passenger get off the machine and walk down. I noticed on a few corners in the sloppy mud, his front end would just slide over down the hill, not actually cornering. The problem was, he couldn't get the front wheels to engage. It almost turned him over on one rough spot that was very steep, sharp left hand turn. With two people on my 'Cat, we had to lean pretty hard to keep the left rear on the ground, but everthing worked out OK.

For the heavy work I do with my 'Cat, I really like the floating rear axle. You get the solid axle strength, combined with a greater degree of wheel travel, similar to the IRS of the Sportsman, in comparison to the normal strait axle, such as on the Honda's. I personally do not like IRS for HARD work, I just think they're not as strong, but that's just me-kind of like the truck thing.

Aside from these minor details, the differences between the SP500 and the 500 'Cats are slight. Both are definately great machines. I don't mean to sound like the 'Cat is better than the SP, I believe they are both excellent machines, these are just a few examples of how the 'Cat WORKS better for my circumstances and preferences. If utility type usage, and work are your thing, I don't think you can beat a 'Cat. Check out the brochure, you'll see all the great features. In my opinion, the only thing the SP500 has over the 'Cat is top speed. The 'Cat is just not as fast as the Sportsman, though for my useage, that's not an issue.

If you don't like the Auto's, AC does have the 500 Manual shift, which might be more of your preference. With either machine, I really don't think you'll have anything to worry about as far as belt life, or slippage for that matter. I think that whole thing was blown way out of proportion. I've heard of both Polaris and AC guys getting over 3,500 miles out of a belt, so that's pretty damn good if you ask me.

Sorry to ramble on so long, I do think both are great machines, and though the differences are slight, you must really look hard at exactly what you plan to do with the machine. If you want the sportier, more nimble trail rider, then the SP500 might be a better choice for you. However, if you plan on doing any type of work/hunting/hauling gear, I'd go with the 'Cat. Best of luck in the decision,

Mike

 

Take a look at the LE Hunter edition AC 500.You get a winch, rack bag, gun boot and fender covers for about $1000.00 less than a stock Sportsman. I've owned Polaris and I wasn't impressed. I now own A Honda Foreman 400 which I'm hoping to replace in the near future with an Arctic Cat. The Honda's great as far as reliability but the ride sucks. The AC's offer the most bang for the buck.

 

A lot of good advice here already. In a nutshell, the AC is put together better. It will probably hold up better to as history has shown. In performance, nothing will top the Sp500. Nothing. The AC's can usually be found at much better prices, and are probably the best bike for the money. However, the sportsman is easily the most fun to ride. It is very fast, very smooth, turns well, and has a great 4wd system. when its running right of course.