I have the same situation as JKB! I too am choosing between the AC or the KQ, however in my case the AC-300 is a 99 And the KQ is a 2000. The AC is priced down from $5200 to $4600 and he's willing to deal from there! Probably not to much more but he told me to make him an offer.The KQ dealer also said that he would work with me on the price although I don't know that he'll go as low as the AC dealer. Maybe he will, he told me that since he is the largest dealer in the area he would be willing deal with me. Is this a good price on the AC? What do you guys think? By the way,I'm new to this sport so your input would be greatly appreciated. I,ll be using the machine for ice fishing in the winter and trail riding in the summer.Price isn't really an issue although if it's a few hundred dollars...well then...it could be! I would really rather end up with the better built machine of the two!

Thanks
HarleyJake

 

Have you riden either one yet?

Riding them should really help you to make-up your mind, it did when I bought mine.

Both are very good quads, I'd prefer the added options on the King myself (i.e. selectable 2,4wd, 4wd lock and I believe a better rear suspension). I know people who have both and have heard nothing negative about either. One of the local dealers in the area who sells a variety of models, really pushes the King, as they believe its the best built quad pound for pound.

Again though, make sure to ride them before making your decision.

 

Fortunately, Harley, either choice is good.

Since you're new to ATVing, I think conveying the concept of the significance of the value of a locking front differential, maybe even an EXPLANATION of what we're talking about, difficult.

Unless you've "been there, done that," been in sticky situations, suffered the tyranny of an ineffective front "limited-slip" differential that leaves you with one wheel on the ground and the other spinning helplessly, I hardly see how you could appreciate the King Quad's front differential locking capablity.

Nevertheless, as other posters say, ride 'em! You can't go wrong, whichever you choose.

Tree Farmer

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either as well. I like the differential lock on the Suzuki and I also prefer the levers that engage both the 4wd system and the range selector. They are mounted front and center and are in a much better place than the AC as well as a better design. I like the strong frame and suspension components used on the AC better. They really look as if they will hold up well. I don't know for sure, but I think the AC has a little better suspension. I also like the racks and plastic design of the Arctic Cat 10 times better than the racks on the king quad. Very strong and well supported. The engines are the same. It comes down to the actual buyer's preference I think, because both are great bikes. If AC had the differential lock, I would go with it. I have heard that you can rig the AC to where it locks, but you lose the 2wd option and it wouldn't be worth it for me, so that isn't really a deciding factor.

 

How is the Suzuki's suspension better than the Cats? The Cat has more suspension travel, clearance, and double a-arms that don't let the tires point every which way.

I would never buy a Suzuki. I have nothing against them it's just that I think Arctic Cat is basically a better version of what Suzuki has proven is good.

 

Before I decided on my 99 AC500, I rode my best
riding buddy's 95 King Quad for about 50 miles or
so. I really liked the low center of gravity the KQ has, but at 6'2" tall, I felt very cramped. I had a hard time changing gears comfortably, even though my last quad was a Yamaha Timberwolf. The AC (300 and 500 have basically the same ergos)felt much better for someone of my size.

If you can't ride both the machines, at least spend some time sitting on both the machines to help decide which machine fits you the best. They both do share the same engine and 3-range trans
setup, but the AC has a larger carb and different exhaust to help even out the extra weight of the AC 300.

I have ridden many miles with my friend with the KQ and have only seen him put it in diff lock 3 times. It is really only useful if you are stuck in horrible mud because you really can't steer very well. If the AC has the free winch offer I would think the the winch would be more useful overall than diff lock.

Lastly, don't forget about the customer service you may or may not get after the sale. I would go with the dealer that has the best service dept and a good reputation for standing behind what they sell. A few hundred dollars saved on purchase price is chump change if you can't get the dealer to follow through with factory warranty work after the sale.

BTW, if a few hundred dollars doesn't bother you
much, I would STRONGLY recommend that you don't limit yourself to only a 300cc quad, depending on your needs. I bought a 95 Timberwolf 2wd because it was $1000 cheaper than a Honda 300c 4wd and really regreted it when I was out the woods with my buddies on the 4wd quads....they rode in the nasty stuff while I watched! The KQ or AC300 are
great quads and will do most anything you ask of them. However, if you plan on installing larger or really aggressive tires in the future, you should take a look at the larger CC quads. My friend with the 95 KQ installed a set of Kenda bearclaws (stock sizes, not bigfoot) and it really
sapped the power. He has to run in low range almost all the time now to keep a steady speed.
I got my AC500 for $5800, only $800 more that what
you were quoted for the AC300. Although I am not recommending it, think twice about your engine size if you ride double much.

Good luck!! Any quad is better than no quad!!

 

Hey Harley
For what its worth I made up my mind on the AC 300. As noted in some of the responses you can easily adjust the cable on the Ac to provide diff lock. You can also modify to allow 2wd/4wd/4wd lock. I was able to get the dealer to drop another $300 by completly backing out the winch deal, and using the credit. When I got my prices I did not ask for the winch deal, but all would have given it to me if I wanted it. I found one dealer who said if don't want the winch for sure the would drop $300. I called back 2 other deales and told them that I didn't want the winch and said that I would probably buy elsewhere. They both dropped their prices alot. They told me,if they dropped the price, the winch would be $400-$500 extra because of the way the program works. The 3004x4 should sell for around$4000 US., Hope this helps.

Regards Jim

 

I cant speak on behalf of the AC,but I've had a 87 KQ,and a 97 KQ.Nice little quads,both of them.Very reliable engines.The steering radius is one of the worst on todays market though.The drum brakes are also a huge drawback if you do alot of heavy mudding.Stay out of the real bad mud and you'll be just fine.The diff lock is nice to.Best of luck,===BILL

 

Just to make a note on the used market... a Polaris dealer in Omaha Nebraska still has a used 1999 AC500 with 714miles on it, looks like new for the price of $4500. If you are interested e-mail me and I will give you the name and phone #.

Smerk
2000 Polaris 425 Xpedition, 94 Kaw. Mojave

 

Just to let you know some of the deciding factors I used between the two
1.the ac has disc brakes all around this is definatly a plus considering suzuki's poor sealed drums.

2.Ac has a longer more cushier seat.

3.Ac has a bigger fuel tank 4.25 gal I believe.

4.Ac 300 has the same fullsized frame as the AC 500.

5.Ac comes stock with awsome 26 inch titan tires and 12 inch titan rims.

6.rear suspension is better and allows full rear tire contact as the suzuki rear supension has the rear tires piched inward.

7.better carb and exhaust.

8.Was cheaper than the KQ.

remember these are just opinions and I think the king quad is a awsome bike and was even considering one for myself thats why I said these were the deciding factors for me ,"not this is why Ac is better than the KQ".