Purchasing first quad next week. I'm sold on AC.

- question 400 or 500?
- auto or manual?

I was leaning toward the 400. The dealer says get the 500...more power...he say's "you'll be happy".
Is the 400 that sucked out? I'm not a huge speed guy so top end is not a big deal for me.

Main use - grouse hunting, steelhead & walleye fishing. At times pulling small boat/motor on trailer through rough/over grown roads etc
Secondary use - snow plowing a good size driveway up in Thunder Bay Ontario. (lots o snow).
I mainly use a big snow blower but want to speed it up on small dumps of 4 - 8 inches
Terrain types - trail riding, power line riding including some steeper hills, some mudding through logging cuts & spruce bogs.

Also, about the tranny... Thoughts on the manual or auto?

I read one post where a guy has the manual and runs slow in a high gear. He says it's super quiet and you can barley hear the machine.
I hear the auto/belt is a good system but no matter how good it is, if it eventually needs belt replacement - is the manual not the better more reliable option?

And lastly, cost. What is a otd cost on an 07 400 manual in Minnesota? 07 400 auto?
We've only got one dealer within a 7 hr radius and I'm feeling like his cost is high.

Thanks in advance from your neighbour in the north.

Castnblast

 

ACmakes a sturdy product. Read that as heavy. All the ute line uses basically the same frame just a different engine, therefore, the 500 will weigh roughly the same but have more power for hillclimbs, turning bigger tires, mudbogs, etc. I like manual trannies personally, but I can see the advantage the cvt's have in the mud and such where you might want to get up on the seat to stay dry. The cvt does make it easier on longer trail rides and such too.

 

if this is your first atv and you don't have much experience then i would say the 400 auto would be perfect. if you want to bump it up in a couple years it will holds it's value very good.

 

I would say get the auto, but personally i would go for the 500. But why stop there, for just a little more you can get the 650H1!

 

I have a 2003 300 manual (which they don't make a 300 series anymore) and I just got an 05 auto 3 weeks ago. For the first quad (300), I had never owned my own quad so it was great to learn on and great in the trails, a great machine. Now that I have some riding under my belt, I felt it was time to move up. In heinsight, I probably should have gone with a 400 (at the time the difference was about $400.00 USD) and been done with it but water over the bridge now. I love the 500 though. As far as auto vs manual, you could go back an forth all year long, the main reason I went to auto is cause the wife can't shift too well so I decided the next one was going to be an auto and she loves it too. That's just my .02 Good luck.

 

Castnblast,

I just bought an '06 400 auto a few months ago. Just speaking on the power of the 400 auto. It's got plenty. Last weekend, I pulled around a 6000 lb pickup with it in low gear. I'm sure I violated some sort of warranty issue, but it pulled it no problem. A benefit, I think, to the 400 would be a little better fuel economy. That's just speculation on my part though. It'll go plenty fast and I've been real pleased with the 400. Regardless, I think you'll be pleased with the AC.

toe