I am looking at buying the Polaris Magnum 500. I have noticed that a lot of threads state that Polaris has bad reliability. Finding objective data has been hard to come by. I am also considering Honda's 450es Arctic cat 500 automatic, Suzuki 500 auto and Prairie 400. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

Arctic Cat

 

I must say that yes my Magnum is new(low hours) but I just could not be happier. I just put my Goodyear Mudrunners on tonight and can hardly wait for sunday (only day I can get to ride). Going up to the Smith river canyon area of Northern Cal. and see how she works. Last time out was like taking a girl out on the first date, had to get to know her. This time will be a little less timid.

I have given it a thorough look over and everything looks just fine! I have no answer as to the supposed "reliability problem" of Polaris, I heard it all too, before I bought mine but I just could not let that stand in the way of feature benefits for price paid. Dollar for dollar I think the Polaris outshines the competition. Anyway hope you're happy with what ever your choice is. I am with mine!

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Donald J. Dickinson 99 Magnum 500, 99 Sport 400L Ooh yeah!

 

I think you would be happy with a Magnum 500. After hearing all of the stories of how well they perform and they seem to be fairly low maintenence and good reliable machines. I am going to buy one very soon. Just need a few more pay checks (but don't we all :-) )
By the way, I like your nick sgtshultzy!!!

Mudman '96 Xplorer 300 4x4 Vamped
Soon to add Magnum 500

[This message has been edited by Mudman1 (edited 08-12-1999).]

 

Personally, I have only owned Honda and Yamaha ATV's, and can highly recommend them as far as reliability and ruggedness. The Japanese have been doing this for a lot longer that the newcomers like Polaris, and I think Polaris is going through the typical growing pains associated with new products. I have friends that have owned/still own Polaris quads. BOTH of them have had MORE problems than what I have experienced and thought was acceptable. I keep hearing that the 98 and newer Polaris models are much better than the older ones. Well, of these two friends, one owns a 98 Sport and the other owned a 99 Sport (he traded it for a Honda after it stranded him for the 3rd time), so the issue with newer is better must mean that the older ones were worse. I suppose it all depends on what is considered acceptable as far as reliability. To me, getting stranded due to an internal engine or electrical failure is totally unacceptable, even one time. Maintenance issues are another concern of mine. I don't like the idea of needing to grease a zillion fittings after every ride. I want to ride, not repair and maintain. I am not saying that Polaris (or any other manufacturer) cannot make good quads. There's plenty of people in the Polaris threads to boast about how good their quads are. I'm only stating what I have seen. Other people see it differently. The one thing that is NOT disputed is that there IS a reputation of poor reliability with Polaris. Some will argue that it is not valid. Some may even claim that it is totally the opposite (their friends on rice quads break more than they do, can't go where they go, etc.).

I will be purchasing another quad for my wife within the next year. I won't consider a Polaris.

This may be stretching it a bit, but my impression of people that buy a Polaris is that of first or second time buyers with not a whole lot of experience. I'll probably catch a lot of flack for that one, and I'm sure there are exceptions, but by and large, that's what I see. It's the third time or more buyer that typically knows what does what and makes an educatued decision. For some people, Polaris makes the right quad. Not for me. But then I'm not a utility or 4x4 quad buyer either.

 

Have to agree with Chuck as far as reputations go. The Japaneese have earned their standing as builders of well designed, well built, long lasting, mass produced quads and motorcycles over a long period of time. If you buy from one of the big four you have a pretty good chance of out growing it or getting bored with it long before it wears out.


Honda rider since 1980

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TRXter

400EX

 

Chucky....

So is Polaris the only quad on the planet that has left a rider stranded out on the trail??? Get real! If you don't like the quad thats one thing, but to make an ambiguous at best statement like that is something else. And yeah, I guess I'm one of those uninformed, newbee, no nothing about atv so he buys polaris, atv buyers!

Well let me tell ya I've had a LOT of motorcycles of various makes and models thru my life and not one of them has EVER been totally and completely reliable as you seem to allude, and yes Honda and Yamaha are included in that mix. You guys just frost me with your one sidedness. I actually made my decision partially based on the negative comments made on the old forum, and now this. Yes, I'm quite sure that Polaris has some problems, but I KNOW that Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki et al have them too!

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Donald J. Dickinson 99 Magnum 500, 99 Sport 400L Ooh yeah!

 

Gordon and I share the same opinion on Polaris reliability, but then you know what they say about opinions. I bet if you add up every major mechanical and electrical failure of Hondas, Kawasakis, Yamahas, Arctic Cats, and Suzukis discussed in this forum over the last two years and compare them with the number of Polaris problems, the numbers wont be very far off. This topic has been beat to death so something is up here. Why is it that everyone seems to bash Polaris and not any other manufacturer? Where did this bad reputation idea emerge from? Why do Polaris owners seem to be the most loyal to their brand also? Why are they so quick to defend any negative comment made about Polaris in general? Makes you wonder don't it.

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Andy Bassham *(1999 Arctic Cat 500 4x4, 1989 Honda 300)*

 

Anybody remember how many 400ex owners had problems with there quads in the old fourm?
There were about 7 of them. It was the samething when Honda came out with the Foreman 400. What about the 98 Grizzlies? Didn't they have some kind of front end problems.

On the other hand check out Arctic Cat. How many Arctic Cats have left there owners stranded? I don't know any. Ask AC454 how many times he has rolled his quad, jumped a V.W. Beetle.

Everyone talks about how they have only been making quads since 96, so you can't tell if they will last. If you want a record look at Suzuki, they make ALL of Arctic Cats motors.

Want to see how strong the frame is? Ask AC454 if he has changed his frame yet. He did replace his handle bars, one of his shocks, and a few other things but this was after he flipped his quad how many times? So far I think Arctic Cat has had 2 recalls: one was for the 300's brakes, they had defecive brake pads on the back of a few, ansd the other is in the Arctic Cat section.

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Arctic Cat 500, Not your average Kitty, The New King Of the Jungle

 

Jer,

Sounds like you're upset. I even said that I thought what I wrote would tick some people off. Guess I was right. Did I say that rice quads don't strand people? No. What I SAID is that I think it is unacceptable to be stranded for a major engine or electrical failure, which has NEVER happened to me or the dozens of people I have ridden with over the last 24 years unless it was due to owner neglect, or in the case of the Polaris owners, a manufacturing problem. Owner neglect can screw anything up, but buying a brand new quad, and having it stop running in the middle of nowhere after being "ok'd" buy the dealer... TWICE!!!... is what I am talking about. This should not be acceptable to anyone!!! I didn't even mention the Sport 400 that I saw in the shop that the mechanics were looking at as I was buying my Banshee. It turned out that the Sport was new and only after a few hours the piston had a hole in it. Oil was fine, jetting was stock and there were no air leaks. How do I KNOW this... I asked! I actually was considering one for my wife at the time. What the heck do you call that? On a NEW quad too! And this ISN'T an isolated incident. So far, I have heard THREE different Polaris owners say the exact same thing happened to their sport 400's. I'm sorry, but to me, that says something about the design and manufacturing of a company. It tells me that there is some serious problems with consistent reliability. It tells me to be afraid, be very afraid!!! And I can't say that I have SEEN that type of problem on a new rice quad. It probably happens, but not to nearly as many.

So, if you cannot admit that there is at least SOME valid reasons that Polaris has the reputation it has, then you are a good candidate to join the "Polaris Denial Club". It's the place where No Polaris quads break, No Polaris quads ever get beat in a race and where No Polaris quads get stuck in what a rice quad just 4 wheeled through. It's laughable to me now. It's like you all were forced to watch a brainwashing video right after buying the Polaris. Give ME a break! This isn't bashing, it is simply what I have seen with my own eyes! Maybe your quads are great. Fine! I don't doubt it. You are one of the lucky ones. Keep buying them. I don't really care who buys what. What I do take issue with is that I have had a pretty darn long time to evaluate the different brands of quads and motorcycles in my lifetime, and it seems that according to EVERYONE except the rare happy Polaris owners, Polaris has a bad rep, and for GOOD reason. But STILL there are the people that say it's all a bunch of crud. Yeah, right. We made the stories up, just to hurt their sales. We are actually all a bunch of communists waiting to take over the world, and we are obviously starting our attack on Minnesota! Our first target for propoganda is POLARIS!!! Oh, sorry, that's what we are doing NEXT week.