Well, I swore I would never own an ATV, but looks like it's gonna happen. I drive a Jeep YJ, great off-road, goes anywhere, but it about 75 inches wide compared to 45 for an ATV. I do lot's of hunting and fishing and I'm getting tired of sitting on the back of my buddy's 450 Foreman. Don't get me wrong, good bike, we have brought out many deer and last year dragged out a 900 lb. Moose.
So here is my problem. Started doing some research on what ATV to buy. Arctic Cat looks good. Problem is everyone I talk to around here says buy Honda, the are reliable, never see one broken down on the trail. When I ask about other bikes, Arctic Cat is never mentioned or very low on the list. How long has AC been making ATV's? People swear by their snowmobiles.
Being a Jeeper, I look at ground clearance, suspension travel, articulation and low end grunt. AC comes through.
Help me, convince me, I want to buy a Cat.Make me believe it's the best ATV out there.
Just found this site today, it's GREAT!!!!

 

Arctic Cat has been making ATVS since mid 1996.

Arctic Cats are every bit as relieable as Hondas if you ask me. If you notice, Honda has realy started going down in quality. First it was the Foreman 400's POS oil vent that would suck up mud and water. Then it was the 450es's battery drain problem. Then there were a series of 400ex owners getting screws that hold the air filter in place sucked into the motor. And I could mention more, but thats more than enought.

The Ac500 is the ABSOLUTE BEST "Bang for your buck" ATV on the market if you ask me. They have great tires, awesome susupension(I don't think there is another brand that can flex like a cat), a great ride, great power(torque-- hp is lacking), mulit range trannys, large racks with even larger rattings, and so much more.

For 2001 the AC500 has a 2wd option with the pull of a lever, something no Honda ATV has. All cats also have awesome disc brakes, while all Honda Utilities have drums that need to be clean out about every other ride if you want to actaully have the brake pads last longer than 100 miles.

The power of the Ac 500 is amazing. I've pulled an 8000 lb truck round my yard, a homemade 20 ft trailer made out of 8" I-beams WITH MY PARKING BRAKE ON(oophs), and all kinda large objects.

Well I think you should just ride the cat and see what you think. It seems like you are pretty much sold on the cat already, but I'm beting that if you ride the cat you will be writing the check for it with in 10 min.

 

not many people "know" about arctic cat atv's. they only have around 12% of the market but sales since last year have gone up 40+%.
i don't know anyone who owns one that regrets their purchase. basically it's a mini jeep. it has all the atributes you mentioned and excells at most everything. in my opinion, no other machine can match it it the utility class as far as working is concerned. weigh price vs stock equipment with anything else and you will be convinced that it is the best buy. keep reading this forum and get aquainted with what people can and have done with this machine.......

 

I have had my Cat 1 year and 2 days and have put on over 2200 miles on it so far. I have yet to have any problems with it. None, zip, nada.

There is only one machine out there that will touch it in ride quality and that's the Polaris SP but going down steep hills is not for the faint of heart with one. It doesn't have four wheel engine braking. The AC does. The AC is not the fastest 500 out there, in fact it's probably one of the slowest, but when it comes time to do some work it's the leader of the pack. The disk brakes are top notch. The four whell drive system is almost as good as the Polaris, but when you select it, it's in 4wd not 3wd like the rest of them. I could tell you more but i need to go clean my Cat. Just went on a 45 mile ride today and it was fun.

 

I just bought my AC 500 last week so I can't personally comment on the long term reliability. Like you, I looked at all the specs and features and it looked like the Arctic Cat came out ahead. A bonus is that it actually costs less around here. The local farmers seem to be switching to Arctic Cats because of the pulling power and the reliability. Plus the local Cat dealer used to be a Polaris dealer and he reports that he is getting a lot less warranty repair work with the Cats. Also, you can get the 500 with either an auto or a manual transmission.

I don't think any of the competitors in this class are bad machines, but I think if you ride the Cat you will be impressed. And if you have a decent dealer who will give you a fair price, I'll bet you will end up doing what I did.

 

I researched all brands for months, test rode
all the competion. For me the AC auto came out on top, features & price. What more can you ask for.
Good luck with what ever you choose.

 

My father owns Sp500, I previously own Suzuki 500.
Same engine almost as AC500, Not even close to the same machine. I love mine. Tough, strong, fast enough. Wouldn't trade it for anything, and I mean anything(other brand)

 

I have to say that every time I see Arctic Cat 500s in action I am more and more impressed with these machines.

I do a great deal of trail riding and have ridden with Cats on the Red Top Trail, the Nemadgi State Forest and in Iron, Ashland, and Bayfield Counties in Wisconsin.

I have noticed that there is a lot less body lean on the corners than some people have reported. They are not sluggish, and keep right up with the groups under all conditions.

I know they have a lot of torque and pulling power and seem to go every where that the Sportsman and Magnum will.

The riders on the AC 500 also stay cleaner than the Polaris riders when there is mud on the trails.

If a person does not like belts, seals, and CV joints this is the way to go.

What little is given up in ride and top speed is made up for in reliability.

 

I'm in the same boat as you. I had a 98 Yamaha BB 4x4. Loved it. Then someone else wanted it more than I did. Now looking for another one. I rode one the other day. Nice but then so are the other ones. I had a comparison guide published by Yamaha. They compare the 400 to Kodiak and not the BB. Really for the money, no comparison. Duel rear suspension, liquid cooled, great for plowing and pulling a trailer (my main two tasks). I have pretty much decided on the 400 4x4, just waiting to see if they improve the 2002. Might as well wait a few months. Trying to decide on which plow to buy and whether the actuator or winch is the best to use to lift the thing.

 

Thor...

But I did run out of gas 1st!!

MEOW!!