I'm looking to buy my first ATV and talking to dealers and friends, everyone has the opinion of what's good and what's bad. I'm 6'3" and 235lbs and will do trail riding with some shallow creak riding...not mud bogging or deep water. I like the Polaris 400/450 for '06, Arctic Cat 400, Bombardier Outland 400 HO. Any thoughts on any of these...good or bad. The Arctic Cat is cheaper than the others, but is being sold more at sport shops like BASS Shops with sales reps who no little about ATVs. One guy told me to just stay away from Arctic Cat altogether - Angry employee?

 

As a warning, this will likely turn into a pretty heated discussion -- it's like asking what's a better truck, chevy or ford? No real right answer.

But in my opinion, a polaris would serve you well. We just got into atving a few years ago with some polaris 250s, and soon realized we needed a full sized utility. We got our sportsman 400. It is perfect for us, even as we begin to get more daring and try some deeper mud and nastier trails.

It's a little low on peak HP, but I've heard the 450 solves this problem more than adequately. But for a new rider, even the 400 is still more than enough power. And it's towing capacity is more than a lot of competitor's big bores. It just is a little lacking on the 35 mph+ acceleration. When we went to get our 500, we only got it because the dealer gave us a good deal on it; we would've been fine with another 400.

The 05+ polaris's ride very nice -- they fixed the soft front end; no more bottoming out and an amazing ride. Good for larger riders especially, but comfortable for everyone.


You will always hear bad things about brands, the source either being an individual's bad experiences or a company's momentary mistake. Don't base your purchase on one person's horror stories.

 

With this being your first ATV used isnt a bad path to go down.....mainly because being a bigger guy you will like different riding style then others.....with used you can get something and if you find out you dont like it then you didnt waste a heck of lot cash......either way I would definetly test drive whatever you look at because thats the only way to really find your preference.

 

Yeah, don't buy anything without a test ride! Used is also not a bad idea, but if you know nothing about ATV's, new is nice because you can have your dealer take care of you the first few years with maintenance and whatnot, knowing that the ATV has no problems beforehand.

 

great point

 

You just named the three manufacturers who make the HEAVIEST machines, and the three manufacturers I would never even consider!

Why do these manufacturers have to build 700+ pounds machines when a Honda ,Suzuki, or Kawi are building 600 pound machines? And for that matter, why do Honda, Suzuki, and Kawi build 600 pound utility machines, when a sport quad weighs 350 pounds?

Heavy machines are DANGEROUS. Top heavy machines are even MORE DANGEROUS. Hope you get the picture...........

(And don't give me the made in North America thing, because all the Japaneese manufacturers have plants here in the US, so those are jobs for folks here at home, just like the North American manufacturers!)

 

Told ya [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img].

Vehicle weight is a personal preference, not a guaranteed sign of quality. I for one prefer riding a heavier quad. Some like a sportier feel. I think the heavier machines make them rider better over uneven terrain.

And really, if you get pinned under a utility ATV, it will make little difference if its a 600 pound honda or a 700 pound polaris.

 

But, there is HEAVY, and then there is TOP HEAVY! No matter how much it weighs, if the weight is low in the frame you are way better off.

 

Which models are you saying are top heavy? I know that topheaviness would be a bad thing, but I've never felt unstable on my polaris. I can't speak for AC of BRP, however.

 

Belt drives seem to have the engines up higher than mechanical automatic or manual transmissions.

For me, once a quad is a certain size/weight, you might as well just get a Rhino. Once you are the size and weight of a Rhino, you might as well just have gotten a Jeep............