I'm in the market for a 4-wheeler.
I'm a 1st time buyer. I just want a quad for play.
I know I want 4x4 and automatic.
I'm a big guy(6'1", 265lbs), would an AC 375 suffice?
I like both the AC500 & AC375 models, but I really don't think I need a 500 just for trail riding type fun.
Would a 375 4x4 auto. meet my physical & usage needs?

 

Hey IceWolf,
The 2002 AC375 4x4 would definately be able to haul you around, they are very rugid. However, I will pre-warn you, that AC's are for work first and play second (the new i models prefer a little more playing though). If you ever drag race another ATV or race to top speeds, you will most likely not win. So if this is important to you, I would have to stear you somewhere else. But if you want a rugid, very dependable ATV, that loves to work, you will be very happy. They are priced very good, and won't cost you much to own. I'm not saying they aren't a blast to ride on the trails, because they are. But some people get them and expect to be able to keep up with 500's, sportsman's, etc. Please give me a little more info on what you consider your usage needs to be, and I'll try to help you a little bit more

 

If you are concerned about power and size on the 375, you shouldn't be. Arctic Cat uses the same chassis on all of its machines so ergonomically, a 250 is the same size as a 500. That means even us big boys will still find the frame of the 375 more than comfortable. As for power the 375 will get the job done. It is 376cc which is actually larger than the 371cc block in the AC400. Ask anyone who has a 375 or 400 and they will tell you that the machine is unstoppable (and they are not just giving biased opinions).
One thing you should be aware of though is that while the ACs are workhorse though, there are machines out there that are faster. You mentioned that you want a quad for play so if sheer speed is a factor, you will want to shop around a bit. The AC will still go 50+ mph.
I test drove the 375 this past fall and liked it. However, I suggest that you test drive as many ATVs as possible before you make your decision. Just be sure the 375 is one that you try.

Hope that helps

 

Icewolf,

This was my take on the AC 375. I'm not bashing, just informing you of my experience. Mind you, I haven't had one on the trails as some of the other posters have. Try out as many wheelers as you can before you make your decision.

Well Fellas, here's my take on the Arctic Cat 375:

I tested one out on Thursday. When I first got on the bike, I didn't like the way it sat. I felt I was seated too high in relation to the handle bars. I hit the throttle slowly, nothing happened. I pushed a little harder and the machine crept to life. I proceeded to a large field next to the dealership to try out the performance I had read about here. First, I looked down at the gear lever to put it into high gear, thinking the dealer had given me the shifting pattern in reverse. That's when I realized, I was in high gear! Man, this thing was geared low! I started to get on the throttle and was very disappointed in the response. The 375 seemed very sluggish. It had no zip to it at all! Please, don't think I'm comparing it to the "sport bike" performance. I'm judging it against other machines in it's class (i.e. Magnum 325, Wolverine, etc.). I could only bring myself to accelerate to about 25 mph because I thought the 375 was going to blow! The engine seemed to be wound tight! The dealer told me he had one up to 56 mph on the county road next to the dealership. I hope he had earplugs in when he did it because the engine whine on this thing was deafening! Maybe that's why he kept saying, "Huh?". I took the bike over some bumps and dips to see how it rode with the ACT rear suspension. I must say it rode very nice. The steering was very easy and precise. I noticed during sharp turns the bike had a bad tendency of leaning hard to the outside front wheel. This situation could be un-nerving on a downhill turn! I did like the ground clearance and the 25" tires. The machine seemed solidly built and looked to be bullet-proof for any unforseen problems. I believe Arctic Cat has made a step in the right direction, but, they still have some steps to make if they want to call this bike a "Sport-utility" machine. It is definitely heavy on the utility and light on the sport. In closing, the 375 is a very nice machine, just not the bike for what my wife and I like to do with them. I believe there are still much better choices out there in this price range that will give you a more diverse bike than the 375. Therefore, we bought a '02 Magnum 325.

Just one man's opinion.

 

My brother very nearly matches the height/weight description you gave and he has a 375. It's a great bike! The others are right when warning you about speed, it's not fast. Though it will do over 50, and reaches 40 pretty quick, the climb up those last 10mph will take a little longer than you think. Keep in mind, this is NOT a sport/utility machine, it's a UTILITY machine period. It's built tough and can probably take anything you wanna dish out to it, though.

My brother and I bought Cats (I have a '02 400) because we wanted something tough and dependable and top speed was not important to us (most of our trail riding occurs below 20mph, heck, most of it's below 5mph. High top speed is important if you do a lot of dirt road or sand dune riding, but then you probably want a sport bike. The other reason we bought cat's was for comfort. We plan on taking some long trips on these and want to be comfortable.

You can check out my photo album for pictures. Be sure to look in the "Red Top" album to see my brother on his 375 over the wheels in water.

While I don't doubt Bearcat's sincerity in his reporting, I've not experianced what he's talking about on my brother's 375. His (my brothers) accelerates fine, and is not unusually loud. From Bearcat's comments, and a few others, I suspect there might have been a few bad 375's to make it to market. This probably happens regardless who the manufacturer is.

Well, this was all longer than I expected, hope it's helpful!

 

Just a few things... there is some truth to what Bearcat was saying about the engine sound. The automatic transmission on the 375 is a constant velocity tranny which causes it to sound like its revving high throughout the ride (i.e. at 25 mph and at 50 mph it sounds roughly the same). This is normal. Basically, this transmission is designed to keep the engine revving at a constant velocity (thus the name) and the belts do all of the torquework. When I test rode the 375 it did not seem all that sluggish so I cannot explain why it seemed that way to Bearcat. Perhaps it was due to the demo being not broken in yet. In my mind it had decent pick-up but I didn't want to drive it too hard in front of the dealers who were kind enough to let me test it. One thing I should tell you is that (although I am a die-hard Arctic Cat fan), it would not be fair to test the AC 375 and not Suzuki's new Eiger. I encourage you to test them both. Both have the same 376cc Suzuki engine, but there are significant differences between the two that may help you identify what you want in a quad. Namely, the Eiger comes in both auto and manual transmissions. It is also lighter and somewhat more sportier than the AC 375. On the other hand, the AC has the semi-independant rear suspension while the Eiger has the swingarm. I encourage you to test them both since they can help you determine exactly what you want in your new machine. Good luck and take your time.

 

I have a 2002 AC 375 Auto and love it. If you're a big guy you'll appreciate the higher seat. I'm 6'2 and 200 lbs. I feel like I'm sitting ON the quad instead of down in it like a go-cart. It has more than enough power for me. I've had it up to 53 mph on a flat surface. I can do donuts, powerslides and I don't mind to get a foot or two worth of air on it every now and then. In 4 wheel lo it's unstoppable. Your wheels will break traction before anything else. I pulled out a stuck 1990 Ford Aeorstar a couple of weeks ago in 4 lo with a 15 foot tow strap. No problem.

It'll pull you around like a champ! I like the eiger as well, but what steers me away from all of the other bikes out there that aren't arctic-cat and dont have IRS is, they all have a swing arm. The swing arm doesn't articulate to the terrain like IRS or the Semi Independent on the AC. With a swingarm you sacrifice your ride. I bought the AC for the ride. Sit on the seat, then sit on another brand quad's seat. I haven't found another quad that has a softer seat than the AC.

My 375 rides great, and goes everywhere I want it to. Just about every time I ride I go 60+ miles and have yet to come home saddle sore.

Good Luck!

EtherNut

 

Ethernut,

You ever coming to Bedford? I'd like to get some guys together and ride sometime. Let me know.

Bearcat

 

bearcat, yeah I'll be coming up. Gonna wait till it wamrs up a little up there tho. ;-)

I heard there have been some accidents up at the ATV park as of late. Was it because of congestion, carelessness or stupidity? I find 99.9 time out of 100 it's because of stupidity.

Hope all is well with you and your family!

EtherNut

 

icewolf,
if the money is not an issue the ac500 would be my choice.(more power).sooner or later you'll want more power!i've had the 2000 ac500 auto and now have a ac500 2001 manual.i work it pretty hard,i was afraid the belt would give me trouble so i traded for the manual.i had 1,200 miles on it,no trouble!if you play in the water very much make sure you drain the belt cover,plug at the bottom of the cover,the belt bearing doesn,t like water!


buzzsaw:2001 ac500
2000lb.warn winch
48"snowplow.