hello. i am purchasing my firt atv very soon and need some help. I am 20 years old have ridden friends atvs for a while now and decided to purchase my own. i am stuck between the honda rancher 4x4 auto-clutch, yamaha bruin 350, and wolverine. most of my friend have sport atvs, but i dont need anything that fast, and would like a little more utility(even though i will probobly never use it) but i would also like to try and keep up with my friends when needed. i will be doing mostly moderate trail riding, and maybee twice a year do some hardcore/longdistace/mudboggin things and almost no farm work. i was leaning towards the honda because of the reliabilty factor, but was not to keen on the all time 4x4 and auto clutch, which isnt a big deal i'd just prefer an auto($3999 about $100 a month). i was really interested in the yamahas because right now they have $0 down and $39 a month for two years on all atvs with option to refinance after the 2 years for another low apr deal. so i was leaning towards the wolverine but also was turned off by the full time 4x4 and not a automatic(not sure about pricing but would be $39 a month). so then comes the bruin: auto, push button 4x4, but from what i hear not that fast ($4500 @ $39 a month).
so..... I need some oppinions. Is there anything that will make me happy?! any help would be greatly aprecciated. if theres another bike i should be looking at let me know. i have heard noting but good things about these bikes, so make my choice easier! thanks in advance for your help and sorry for the post being so long.

 

Welcome!!!

Do a little research on the Polaris Scrambler 500 4x4. It might be what you are looking for.

 

i have a pic of ours on my pic page (with aftermarket racks) (picture it without them)

 

What kind of sport quads are your buddies riding? I'm with Bing, you will probably want something a bit sportier to hang. I've seen new z400's listed a bit shy of 5k, and you could always throw a trailer hitch on it. If you gotta have a 4x4, the Scrambler is probably the best option.

 

Doesn't sound like you need a hardcore utility, if your friends are doing well on sport bikes. The 2X4 Rancher is a pretty sporty ride, for a utility! It is lighter than the 4X4, way faster (the 4X4 has lower gearing), and a whopping $1,000 cheaper. You can get it in ES (push button shift) if you insist. Personally, there isn't currently a bike with an automatic transmission, that I would own.

With a skilled rider, you can take the 2X4 almost anywhere the 4X4 will go. In fact, I enjoy the challenge of rock crawling the 2X4, along with my friends who wouldn't try it without a 4X4. But, if you are going to ride a lot of mud or snow, that is where 2wd comes up short. You may have no option but a 4X4.