Got a AC 500 ACT auto and haven't regreted it yet! My buddies have been realcurious about how the cat rides compared to their Hondas. Have been able to follow the hondas everywhere they want to go, and some places they don't want to go. Still learning the limits of the machine. Go with the bigger machine, because its better to have and not use than it is to need and not have.
I use the machine to haul corn into the woods and setup stands for deer hunting, and to haul or drag the dead deer out, no problems turning in the woods or busting through the underbrush. The trail riding has been fun too, the AC is a little slower, but it still isn't fully broke in yet.

 

Tough choice! I would go for the independant rear suspension so the 500i would be my choice. The ground clearance difference makes a huge difference in the mud! It rides much smoother also. The only thing where I differ from your taste is I prefer the automatic but manuals are just as good. If I did not have a Sportsman then I would have a 500i.

 

One other thing that the Articat has over the Honda....BRAKES. The disc brakes are far superior! Ask anyone that has owned both and they will choose disc brakes every time!

 

I will tell you this, i hate honda, and I like artic cat, so you know my choice.
Like my friend says about honda cars, when you put your foot on the gas, it's like puttin your foot in a big ole bucket of $h*t. I would atleast have the sensation that i'm moving, so the atv's are the same way, trust me, i hate drivin a honda.

 

I think a rubicon can outrun an AC500. I don't think it can outpull it. I don't think its fair to compare an AC auto and a Rubicon auto, so my comparison goes with the manual AC. I take the 500i 10 times out of 10 over the Rubicon, but I'm an IRS guy, and that makes all the difference.

BRAKES- are indeed a very important factor. Honda's drums are very good, when you first buy it, but down the road they turn to worthless crap just like any other drum. If you are never getting in any mud, then they will do you fine, but one bad trip will cost you. Disc brakes are the only way to go, and why Honda hasn't figured it out I have no idea.

I have a 300 honda that had very good brakes for years (never as good as my old Arctic Cat had though), but we took it in the mud one day and they have been totally ruined ever since. Last week I took the whole brake assembly apart, wire brushed every single piece, sanded the drum, and put new shoes on it. It works, but only to an extent and the parking brake will not hold on barely any grade. The fronts are worthless.

Think about this, why have all the cars and trucks gone to disc brakes? Same reason they went to fuel injection. Its better.