Could you guy's help me out with the AC quality issues?

I'm a first time ATV buyer and before I select my ride, I've been schooling up and test riding 4 wheelers. Its main use will be big game hunting and trail riding in Colorado (weekend warrior stuff).

I'm leaning towards the AC 375 but a comment of inconsistant quality came up when I was talking to an independent dealer. I know AC's have been only making ATV's for 5-6 years and wondered how your machines are holding up?

The other rides I'm looking at are the:
Polaris Sportsman 400
Kawi Prarie 400 & 360 (when available)
Honda Forman ES & Rancher

Thanks for you help.

 

Hi ugeesta,and welcome.I cant say anything about the other wheelers you looked at but I do know the A.C'S are tough.I houled my fire wood(about half cord at a time)with mine,houled a 5x5 elk on it,plow snow, and just ride the mountains with it.Mine is a 500 manual with 1700 miles.If I were to buy another avt right now(or any time) it would be the ARTIC CAT.My BOY HAS A BIG BEAR THAT WILL DO EVERYTHING MINE WILL, BUT STAY ON IT'S FEET. It wants to turn over on side hills. Only thing I can say is check em out real good, and buy the one you feel best with.
Jim

 

ugeesta
I have to be honest... All the ATVs on the market today are good quality machines (some more so than others). I've owned only two wheelers so far a Kawi Bayou 300 2x4 and my new AC 250 4x4. Both have been good machines and never have failed me out in the woods. I personally like my AC better than a lot of the other machines I've ridden (Big Bears, Ranchers, Sportsman etc). Now, I'm not saying AC builds the best machines but they are pretty damn good!
While I haven't ridden a 375, everything I've read has been extremely positive. Enjoy ATV shopping and don't let any sales people push you.
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I love my AC500, its very very good. No that they have the master cylider figured out, I love it, I have 1800 very hard miles on it. Good luck with what every you buy, buy what you want to make you happy,
Thanks

 

I've never heard anything bad about the quality or reliability of Arctic Cat quad. I don't own one personally, but a very good friend of mine is the mechanic at a Cat dealer, and I know that there are very few problems with Cats.
I also have an Arctic Cat snowmobile and I've been very happy with the quality.

 

My 02 300 4x4 has been very good to me so far. Love it. No quality issue's that I have to complain about.

 

Thanks for the info. In reviewing the AC, it looks like they started out a little rough, but attention to detail has made a fine machine. I'm impressed by this knowng that Polaris has been around for decades and can't seem to get it right (from what I've read).

I've discovered that buying an ATV is like buying a truck. They're pretty much all the same, it's just user preference (01 Silverado Z-71, Stock).

The one bad thing about my search is that I can only see how the ATV's perform on asphalt. That's like testing a performance boat in a wading pool.

Thanks for your input.

 

Ive got a 99 300 4by4.i have had a few issues but it has been minor.Ex: loose tie rod ends...plastic rattles a little. but thats about it.this machine is built very heavy and i run it hard in the rock infested adirodacks.running over trees, swamps running wide open down dirt roads.I swear by it.

 

Quality?!? Yeah, right...

My '02 400 cracked some fender plastic from some little tiny blow to a large tree I hit while trail riding a little too fast!!

The thing scrapes rocks while carrying my 250lb frame and a 240lb kids ATV while crawling over a rocky twisty trail through the woods!!

My brother's 375 engine quit when we got it stuck in mud up over it's fenders and pulled it out with a winch (taking a half hour) and then turned the key off!!

And his rear rack bent when he flipped it end over end and it rolled down a hill. I know this because he hopped on it and drove it back to show me!!

err...

I guess what I am trying to say is that these things WILL break on you, but I think you need to try very very very VERY hard![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Ugeesta,

I own a 2001 AC 300 4X4 (2500 Warn Winch, Advantage Hardwoods camo Kit) and it is an incredible machine. My family loves 'em and they work the heck out of them. I bought an '02 660 Grizzly, because the AC500I still wasn't out. (I am quite pleased with the Grizz, though). Below is a list of my family members with AC's and they wouldn't buy anything else:

Wife: 2001 300 4X4 manuel tranny(looking at the 2002 375 Automatic)
Father In Law: 2001 500 4X4 Automatic
Mother In Law: 2002 375 4X4 Automatic
Aunt: 2002 375 4X4 Automatic
Uncle: 2002 500 4X4 Automatic
Brother in Law: 2000 500 4X4 Automatic
Other uncle: 2001 300 4X4 Manuel

So you can see, I have a family of cat's who are happy and I've been mighty impressed with their dependability and durability.

Best of Luck!

SilverBear