i am looking to get a BRAND NEW atv. i want around a 400 or so in 4x4. i was considering the rancher (350 or 400) foreman (450) bruin (350) big bear (400) or kodiak (400). i am kind of on a limited budget.
manual or atomatic is not an issue. I would like a shaft drive. ANY SUGGESTIONS??? PROs AND CONs? (if you have had any problems with any of those ATVs PLEASE let me know!) thanks alot!

 

i also want an ATV that will switch in and out of 4x4. i want a selectable one. please let me know

 

If you have an Arctic Cat dealer near you , go test out 400 4x4, auto or manual, 12 inches ground clearance, 10 inches wheel travel, in and out 4 wheel drive, 2 inch reciever hitch, exellant ride and reliable machine.

 

My sister has a polaris 400 sportsman and loves it. She lives in Oregon and rides alot of nasty trails by the way.

 

is the 400 sportsman chain drive?

 

no I believe it is belt driven. My mother has the 335 my dad has the 500 and I just bought the 700 efi. All are belt driven so I imagine the 400 is also belt driven. My parents have had theirs since 99' and my sister since around 2000 I think. I never hear anything bad about them that is why I bought the 700. I use to ride my parents quite a bit especially during the hunting seasons. The 335 is no doubt under powered the 500 is awsome, I never rode the 400 but it is suppose to be very nice.

By the way I love the power of the 700 efi.

 

How much are you looking to spend?

 

i would like to spend under $5000. any suggestions? ( i thought the big bear would be perfect but then i heard some complaints about the fenders breaking and engine problems) PLEASE LET ME KNOW ANY INFO OR SUGGESTIONS ASAP! i might purchase tomorow and every little bit helps!

 

You say under 5 grand, that leaves out the Hondas and the Kodiak unless you can find a left over from laast year. The Big Bear can be had for around that price and it is a manual with shaft drive. The Bruin is belt to shaft and can also be had for that price. I agree with Tork, the Artic Cat 400 is a great machine but I believe the price is over what you want to pay. The Big Bear is a great reliable machine and will pull stumps out with its low gearing and I hear great things about the Bruin but do not have actual info on it other then hearsay. AlaskaBoy.

 

Just to clairify one thing Chillywilly. All the info below is accurate but the only thing I want to ensure you know is that even if they are belt drive they still use shaft drive system to deliver the power to the wheels. You may have already known that but just want to make sure the info is not misleading.