I want to get an new ATV, but I am trying to decide between the Yamaha Kodiak, the Honda Fourtrax Foreman 450 S, or the Prairie 400 (all three quads are 4x4). The Honda has a 50cc-bigger engine than the other two; 450cc versus 400cc on the other two. The Honda and Kawasaki quads have digital displays that disclose speed, gas, gears, and other crap. The Yamaha quad does not have this display. The Honda quad has three lights in the front; two standard lights and one mounted on the handlebar. The other two quads only have two front lights. The Kawasaki and Yamaha quads have a little over an inch more than the Honda does for suspension travel in the front and rear. The Kawasaki and Yamaha quads have automatic transmissions, and although they are supposed to be really good, I am a bit skeptical on the torque the automatic tranmissions provide. Of these three quads, price does not matter as they are all $6,200 MSRP. Out of the three of these, I am looking for the most capable, most reliable, most comfortable, and most balanced (related to capable) quad. Although I am sure all three quads can handle the harsh trails I drive in, the more capable and more comfortable the quad is, the better. Please give me your comments on these quads and any personal recommendations on these quads. I am open to any and all suggestions; Thanks!!!

 

I am also having this same dilemma, though I was in the mind of the ES. Something you didn't mention is the kodiak has switchable 2/4wd. And I believe the Honda isn't a true 4wd?
Myself I like the ease of the autos or ES. This might not be true with you. While the Honda will provide more torque (i believe) the Kodiak and the prairie are no slouches. The Honda does have the widest wheelbase at 50in. and the Kodiak and the prairie coming in at 48 and 49 respectively. This will probably make it more stable.
My decision is going to be the Kodiak anyway. I want the auto and switchable 2/4wd. The wheelbase will be cured by a set of wheelspacers from highlifter. And I may be wrong (won't be the first time) but the 2001 kodiak now has a speedometer. I won't be doing mountains of work, just a little snow plowing and hauling a some firewood. Hopefully, if god, my wife and paycheck willing I will go pick up my new ATV in november.

I don't know if this helps but happy trails!

Burrlok

 

You have selected three very similar, and well-balanced, quads from which to make a final selection.

I can not give you a definitive answer as to which one you should select, but I can tell you which one I would eliminate from consideration and why I would eliminate it.

I would eliminate the Prairie from consideration solely due to lack of compression braking. As a Kawasaki fan owning both a Bayou 300 4x4 and a Bayou 400 4x4 (as well as a ZG1000 Concours street bike and an STX900 Jet Ski), the decision to eliminate the Prairie was not personally pleasing. But when the subject is the disposition of several thousands of dollars, even of someone else’s money, then cold, hard logic must prevail.

I have ridden both the 300 and 400 Prairies, albeit briefly, and generally found them to be comfortable and capable performers. But for someone who is used to compression braking, and who routinely relies on it, the lack of compression braking was a very big negative for me.

Also, if I recall correctly, the Kodiak beat the Prairie to win Dirt Wheels 400cc automatic 4x4 shootout. The Prairie was ATV of the year when introduced in 1997. But in today’s more vibrant market, with many new quads being released after the expiration of the “Consent Decree”, four years is a long time to maintain the status quo. The Prairie did receive some minor updates last year that improved its engine response, but it still lacks any meaningful amount of compression braking.

The Honda Foreman is a solid utilitarian platform. It has excellent reliability and great resale value. You have tentatively selected the S model Foreman, but personally, I would lean towards the ES model that allows one to shift gears with the push of a button. Twice I’ve been in deep water with my Bayou where I was ultimately forced to back up. In order to back up, I had to stick my foot into some mighty cold water to shift into reverse. Riding the rest of the day with a cold, soaking wet foot was no fun. It was then and there that I gained newfound admiration for push-button shifting (something I initially considered frivolous).

In this three-way comparison, unobscured by the sometimes blinding glare of “brand loyalty”, I would have to rank the Prairie last, the S model Foreman second-and-a-half (a new category I just invented), the ES model Foreman a really close second, and the Kodiak first. The Kodiak’s selectable 2/4WD, sporty handling, and real compression braking give it a slight but definite edge over the other two (at least in my mind).

Ultimately, you’ll have to drive and evaluate each one for yourself.

Army Man

 

Also remember the Honda has no low range option like the other two.The low range option will come in handy lots of time when clawling through the thick bush and pulling believe me.

 

I just purchased a new 2001 Kodiak this weekend. It does have a speedo and trip odometer. Handling is very light, even fairly light in 4wd mode. The bike seems to have a lot of torque, even in high range. I didn't do any work with it though just a little light trail riding.

Coming from a 97 Warrior (350cc manual clutch) I was a little disappointed in the acceleration, but will reserve judgement until I get to ride some more, without worrying about staying away from full throttle in the breakin period.

Over all I was very happy, it performed flawlessly and seemed quite powerful, and nimble.

 

Hi,

Is your Yamaha Kodiak still fun to drive with the automatic transmission? The only reason I am having second thoughts about buying that machine over the Honda Foreman S (I have eliminated the Kawasaki) is because I am afraid the automatic transmission will be too boring. =(

 

Yes, it is still fun. Having only ridden about 3 hours on it, I'm still getting used to it. I miss the shifting a bit, but in some cases like hill climing or terain that would fall between gears, I liked not having to drive and clutch/shift at the same time. Plowing should be a lot easier, too.

I wish Honda had made a atv with similar features, mainly selectable 4wd, I have always liked Honda quality and precision. So far the Kodiak's been flawless, though. Seems like a simple, clean design.

I plan on taking it out for more trail time in the next couple weekends, I'll be able to give more feedback then.

 

To tell you the truth, I am not so sure if I would mind driving an automatic transmission quad, but I just have one problem; doesn't it seem a little more feminen to be driving an auto? I mean, I like to take girls with me on these huge trails at a camp nearby (It is totally illegal, but I don't care) and how would it sound if I said "Come on, Girl X, hop onto my automatic transmission ATV." Heh, maybe it's just me, but I am 16 years old, so I like shifting and I don't want to like a whimp in front of girls.

 

Teenage angst is an awful thing at the time, but you will get over it.

As someone who has had a LONG association with women and vehicles (nearly 3 times your present lifespan), trust me when I say the women will neither know nor care what kind of transmission conveys the power to the rear wheels. And even if it does impinge on their thought processes, it is only the lowest of THEIR priorities.

An automatic transmission does not a wimp make, except in the mind of someone who is plagued by their own insecurities.

Evaluate each machine on its own merits, if you feel the Kodiak is the better machine, as I do, then go with it and don't look back.

Army Man

 

Well, as for girls, you are right. Because yesterday I was driving in one of my smaller trails and there was this guy there I have never seen before. He looked around his early 30's and there was this damn hot girl sitting behind him and guess what quad he had? A Kawasaki Prairie 400 with automatic transmission! I guess girls don't care. Okay, let's forget about the whole image thing. So you are saying that the automatic transmission is still fun to drive and still has a lot of power? I emailed one of the ATV reviewers inquiring this same thing, and he said that he is a "die-hard manual shift fan, but the Kodiak's automatic transmission is a lot of fun to drive." So basically, the automatic doesn't seem so bad, but I just can't picture myself driving an ATV without shifting gears!