I am looking into getting a 400ex or ds650 myself, as I'm on a tight budget.

My friend, however has saved up for some time and is looking for a quality wheeler. We know that the ds has the top end(although the latest "atvaction" says otherwise). Top speed is important, but he rides a lot, so like most of us, all around performance is what really matters. He was leaning towards the Raptor, untill I mentioned a Z400. after reading other posts comparing the Z400 and the EX, it's clear that the suzuki is a good performer.
I know that dvx is basically the same thing as a Z400, but thats a brand name thing(he likes cat).

He rides in all terrain, except dunes. Mud, open feilds, old woods roads, tight trails, the stutter bumps , and we all try to show off with wheelies, and jumps, suspension is a factor.

I dunno, maybe he's right in getting the raptor. what do you guys think??

 

Well in my opinion, I say overall the raptor is king...it has great low end torque,,,fast, and great quad for trails...of course you will hear about its tipsyness but you can overcome that or get some new rear tires for it to help eliminate a lot of it...as for the ds..I heard that the new ds isn't as good...they messed around with the axle and swingarm setup or something and it feels less stable....its a very comfortable quad to ride though and yes it is also very fast.....Its really wide though...as for the 400 class...the z400, the 400 cat, and the kfx 400...all have the same motor..the main difference is the plastic so if your going that rout I would choose the one with the plastic you like.....Its just all about choice...i would get the raptor just because its a great trail quad and you don't have to worry about speed...and you can mod the crap out of them...just my opinion though