the arctic cat isn't designed to go 70 mph down a trail, and alot of the testers rely on this for they are used to testing sport quad's. and yes sponsorship does have alot to do with swaying which atv does finish first. i personally never read the shootouts anymore cause it is always the same outcome but i am not upset about it cause i like being on the sleeper quad that pounces in unforgiving terrain.

 

I was kinda in the same boat as you when I was going to buy another quad. I had owned two polaris sportmans and a yamaha big bear in the 90's and up till this year, and all three quads were reliable, other than greasing all the alomites on the po po. As I started looking for a new quad, I really couldnt swing the price of a Brute Force or a Sportsman and I didnt' really need to go 80 MPH when when all we do around here is mudride or use the wheeler to get us to the deerstand or duckblind during hunting season. From all the shootouts I read, The A/C was one of the best quads out there and in fact was rated #1 by Highlifter as the best all around ATV. So I went to the local Arctic Cat dealer and Bought an 06 500. It was the best buy that I've ever made of any of my wheelers. You cant beat the ground clearance, it's comfortable, has plenty of power and has a 3 year warranty AND I dont tear the front end out every other ride like my buddies brute force does. You're gonna have a critic of every manufacturer but all that matters is that you are happy with the quad.

 

The first test (?) was an apples and orange comparison and was just that, pure BS. Also the Suzuki finished 3rd and the AC 7th, with the same motor. Something does not compute.

The second one, they say the AC is a great trail bike and rock crawler, but that isn't what they like FAST is all they cared about. Same response....BS again.

The third is from 2002 and the machines just aren't the same anymore. So their results no longer apply.

 

You know, I said I wasn't going to read the review that was linked here but I did, it is such BS. They keep saying the AC was under powered, well sure compared to machines 150-200cc's bigger it is going to feel a little under powered, they must have been scared to put a H1 in there to make them all look bad. Speed kills and if all these atv companies just keep making machines bigger and faster that is exactly what is going to happen to alot of inexperienced riders.

 

I ride a friends AC 400 and it is right up there with the top of it's class....stock for stock it even has a top speed right with the kodiak 450. It also has more ground clearance and he goes where I cannot at times because of it. His is an 03' and only one problem in them years was related to the stator...if you see my pics you will notice he does swamp it...so that coould explain it.

 

AC is not fast, any of them because of the added weight of their heavier frame. They are the best mud/rock crawling atv I have been on.

This is what I have to compare to in the group that rides with me -

06' Grizzly
05' Twin Peaks
06' Foremen
04' Foreman
06' Rincon
06' Rubicon
04' Kodiak
05' Brute Force

I ride an 06' 650 H1 and my girl rides a 06' 400, my 650 is the slowest of the big bores by far and her 400 is the slowest of the ones in her class.......but they do 45 mph and the other cannot go throuth the stuff she does

 

i don't care about speed but i have been around alot of atv's bigger then mine and when we get int he mud i have the snort from 0 to 20 mph in low range where the mud flies and they are geared a lil higher for the speed and bog down a lil more. i know what i want my atv to do and i believe i picked the right one.

 

I had a 2003 AC 400 auto and it's the only quad I've ever owned that I never had to work on. It's great quad but it's just a little under powered.

 

Thank you for your responses. The machine has been a great fit for me and my family. I am glad to hear that others "in the know" hold it in high esteem. To be honest, I don't have much to compare it to around here. This is why, after reading the reports, that I was worried that in my excitement I might have purchased the worst machine out there- or at least in its class.

Thankfully that doesn't appear to be the case.

 

BTW, CatDriver, you have some impressive photos in your gallery. Those are some nice looking units!