I ride mostly on a farm. Trails, some technical, steep creek beds to cross. I'm looking for a utility atv. I know I want selectable 4x4 and at least 450cc. I also really like the engine breaking on the Honda.
I've ridden the Foreman and Scrambler. Both are great, but the Foreman has a little easier time because of the bigger tires (I think).
Some of the trails are tight with low tree branches to go under. I'm worried the bigger (Grizzly) atv's would not fit. Also do the big atv's tend to tip easier on technical/steep terrain?

Here are the deals I'v found so far (haven't been to the polaris dealer yet). I'd appreciate any info/comments you guys have.
'03 Foreman ES 450 $5200
'04 Kodiak 450 $5900
'03 Vinson 500 $6500
'03 Grizzly $5800

Thanks for your help.

 

See my response to the other guy regarding Polaris engine braking.

REV

 

One of the things I liked about the Foreman is the overall height compared to other models. I mostly ride in tight wooded areas and it's not uncommon to come across fallen trees. My one friend has a Polaris and sometimes we have to compress it's shocks to get it under such obstacles. It really comes down to which quad fits your needs the best for the best price. There are pros and cons with each model.

 

Humm, what kind of riding are you going to want to do, are you going to just stay on the farm or are you going to venture out from time to time? Do you plan to ride in a sporting manner or is high speed capabilities not important to you. Do you plan to use the quad for work (pulling trailers, logs, etc.)? Your physical dimensions also come into play, i.e. what will feel best ergonomically to you.

From what you listed so far the Forman and Kodiak are good all around utility machines with average suspension, the Honda being an electric shifter and the Kodiak fully automatic (CVT transmission). The Vinson is more of a sporty package with the suspension for better high speed handling mannerisms. The Vinson is also available as a 5 speed manual or a CVT automatic. Finally the Grizzly is an IRS machine in the same weight class as the Vinson, but with a bigger engine of course. It has the most comfortable ride of the group thanks to the IRS and is slightly more capable of extreme terrain navigation than the others you listed (but lacks the high speed handling crispness of the Vinson). Beware though that early ’03 Grizzlies had CV joint breakage problems but that issue has since been corrected in the ’04 model and possibly later ’03 models. Perhaps another quad you should consider is the 650 or 700 Kawasaki Prairie or the Suzuki equivalent, or if IRS interests you then check out the Arctic Cats or the Polaris models.

Big ATVs don’t really tip easier in technical terrain than smaller models, however certain models are better than others. For instance the Grizzly is not as good in off-camber situations when compared to the Foreman, Kodiak, Vinson or Prairie (but this can be improved by a wheel change to increase the track width).

I’ve ridden (on my Grizzly) with little Honda 300 4x4s before on tight trails and had no problems keeping up with them. In fact when we hit long hill climbs I would stop and wait for them to get farther ahead so I could blast up the hills faster than what they were capable of. It really comes down to what feels the best to you (the Honda 300s felt like a toy to me) and how you want to use it…

 

Lets see, probably mostly ride trails on the farm, these trails have a few off-camber situations (which I enjoy). We'll take a few trips to atv parks. Don't have plans to do much if any towing, or real work with the atv. Top speed isn't that important, the foreman top speed is fine (at lest for now).
And I'm 6 foot, 205lbs.
Right now I'm leaning toward the Foreman or Kodiak. I really like the Grizzly, but I think it might be just a little to big.
Any thoughts on the prices I've seen?
Thanks for the comments.

 

personally i like the yamaha kodiak 450 and the sportsman 500. they both are nice machines.
go with the one YOU like best. take a spin on the ones yo narrow it down to.

 

You said you didnt go to the polaris dealer yet but any quad is 49.99 a month it a offer that is for about another month..