Hey guys im looking to buy a new quad in about 2 months and i was looking at the 400 lineup. Is it worth spedning the extra $$ for the 4x4 auto or is there not much of a difference from the vp. I noticed that the vp is full time 4x4 but it would be nice to switch out of.Is there a diff. lock? Also what kind of speedometer and odometer does it have. If i go for the auto ill probably jsut go with the 500 manual.

 

i went for the 400 with full independent suspension and it is an incredible ride so smooth there are alot of differences between the 2 the vp is a solid axle suspension good for high speed but the full independent suspension is awesome and fully adjustable the speedo is analog on both but everything else is digital miles trip fuel etc not sure if the vp has any digital instrumentation. the shift on the fly 4x4 is nice if you do yard work or pavement riding. full time is tuff to steer and digs up your lawn and the vp does not have a locker which is a life saver in the deep stuff its the deciding factor in whether or not you have to be pulled out by a polaris or the polaris gets pulled out by you the ground clearence is less on the vp i believe its 10 in on the vp and 12 in on the fis model and also you get a 2 in reciever hitch for towing which is real conveniant you can tow you quad up to ride and use the same trailer to do work with your quad go fis model ive ridden both solid axle and fis and i will not buy solid axle your alot less fatigued after 8 hours of riding with fis than solid axle go fis model its definately worth the extra money good luck on whatever you decide

 

as mentioned before i almost connected on one of these[a 05 noncurrent for $4100 otd last november, bass pro, gurnee .il], but ended up buying a same yrear, non-current eiger for about $400 less,. i feel the ac and the eiger are very similar with the build quality edge going to the ac. not ,however crazy about the all time 4wd. now youll note that on both of these we're talking a fair amount of money less than a fully independent machine and based on that i dont feel that the irs is worth the dollar difference [with prices you typically find] . now, all that being said i also picked up a 400 series tbx, which has fully independent and ill have to say that in my opinion, while it rides a little softer[read more compliant] than my eiger i wouldnt use it as a reason to buy 1 quad over the other. my eiger is a very comfortable machine and dollar for dollar i think that style of suspension would serve you just fine...... on the subject of the auto again i would have to say personal preference would be the tipping point as i dont feel one is superior to the other and i own both,eiger/manual, AC/auto.......

 

I was wonder if oil and air cooled atv`s are good for mudding cause what happen if the fan gets stuck ? i heard the arctic cat oil and air cooled atv`s are not good in the snow cause when the snow is push over the oil cooler it get into the intake some how is this true ? i was also looking at the vp 400 but the all the time 4x4 sounds junky and i might get a eiger same motor but and unlock 4x4.

 

craw i read the posting you put up about the snow in the intake and i havent had any trouble yet i bought my quad in the winter and am just getting to use it in anything but snow as far as the fan binding im not sure as to what will happen i assume were the cat is air and oil cooled you would be ok it could happen to any atv i have been in snow and in the mud and my fan turns on from time to time but its normal eiger is nice but i like the addes features of the cat ground clearence etc good luck

 

Do you have the irs ? wondering im hearing of the vp cat is having problems with leaky front diff ? and the eiger is only 500 more and you get insterment panel and switchable 2wd/4wd ?

 

Yea but your not going to have the ground clearance. My borther has an eiger and its a good machine but when it comes to thick mudholes it lags behind. It usually gets caught up under the rear diff. So if you want to do some mudding i would recommend the ac. I think it is the better all around atv.

 

Check my pics, gives you an idea of the flex of the ACT, or VP rear end. It's an all around good bike, the rear end sets it apart from all other straight axles, the cat version is vastly superior. BUT, because of all the flexibility, it won't corner like an IRS or a traditional straight axle. Ride? Second to none, better than the wifes 400 FIS, and keeps the tires on the ground better. I'll post comparisons in my pics later.

 

Awesome, thanks blue