This will be my first atv so I'm pretty excited I finally talked my wife into letting me get one.

Not sure why I even picked the 500cc class, just seemed like a good starting point.

After reading a few reviews, especially this one I've decided to go with the Polaris Sportsman H.O. 500 or the Suzuki Vinson 500.

Both would be automatic versions. I've read some mixed reviews on quality and maintenance. Since this is my first and I'm not very mechanically savvy, i need to factor this in. How hard it is to change the oil for one thing, or how often these things break down!

I know everyone has their opinion, however this seems to be the most respectable atv forum, so I'll be purchasing on the opinions of yours. Please provide me with your feedback and experiences.

Thanks in advance for your opinions! If you have any further reading material or reviews, please pass those along!

 

my vote goes to the suzuki. its lighter, handles good,good power. i am really happy with mine but i would say to spend some time and check them both out. as far as reliability, they are both good bikes. some polaris owners work on their stuff all the time, some never have any problems.

 

Depends on what one plans to do with the quads as to the better. The zuki will be lighter, more nimble which will make for more of the sport quad like ride. However, it lacks a few options the sportsman has. IRS being the biggest feature. The Sportsman is going to be larger, heavier, and the better riding machine as far as comfort. It has larger racks, more pulling power, more ground clearance, more suspension travel, larger tires, more storage, larger more plush seat, and of course IRS. The sp500 is also available in efi. Problems with the sp500 will be very limited, considering it has the Fuji Heavy Industries Engine. The sp500 has been around since 1996, so it't the more perfected and proven between the two. I have a buddy with a 97 model with over 15000 miles on it and it has never had the first thing done to it. Not even the oil changed, or any of the fluids. These was the reason I went with my sp500, and it too has never had the first problem. I have changed the oil in mine and it was an absolute breeze!
With this being said either one will be a good choice, and do you fine. Let us know what you decide....

 

I assume sp500 is the sportsman 500?

What is IRS feature you mention?

btw thanks for all the input!

 

That's right sp500 is sportsman 500. IRS stands for Independent Rear Supspension. The sp500 has IRS and the vinson has SRA, stands for Solid Rear Axle or straight rear axle. IRS enables each wheel to move independently, and allows for the wheel to travel farther up and downward. They will all have IRS on the front, so the sp500 has 4 wheel IRS.

 

if i were you, i would head out to the dealers and take em for a test ride-thats the only way you can find out how each machine handles and rides-the small stuff counts when picking a machine (like which one has the nicer seat-which is definetely the polaris)
the vinson and sp500 are 2 very different machines and excel in different areas:
both have about the same power-vinson about 23 hp and the po 600 about 24 hp so figure a little less for the 500
the vinson is more nimble
polaris has better ride and more ground clearance for mud and rocks-IRS
vinson weighs less.........yeah i think ppope said all this stuff and i would have to agree

another note: i have seen many polarises-400s, 500s, 600s, 700s- overheat as a result of the radiator placement in the frame-its not a mechanical problem with the machine, just how it was designed-mud gets caked in the front of the machine where the radiator is

anyway.....just do your research and most importantly-take a test ride

 

Don't know the hp on the vinson, however, I know the sp500 inside and out, and acutally the Fuji Heavy Industries 499cc engine in the sp500 puts out a whopping 38hp! Fuji is know for making big hp #'s out of small engines. Fuji makes the motors for subaru, and we all know they have 4cylinders putting out over 300hp stock! Only company I would put in the hp class with fuji, as far as quads go, is Rotax. Rotax makes the engines for seadoo, and BRP.

 

The Vinson would be my choice for long term reliability. If you are more into sporty riding/sliding/maybe even a little jumping, I would go for this one. The Sportsman will ride better, and is a great all around quad. It holds a definite advantage over the Suzuki for mudding if that is your thing. Then again, mudding requires more maintenance and generally more broken parts are sustained. If the Vinmson is in the running, then you really need to look at the Kawasaki 650 Brute Force. It is a very similar atv, but with more power and a locker. MSRP is between the Vinson and Sportsman. This quad has won many shootouts in the past, of course then they were calling it a Prairie(in fact Kaw is still offering the 700 Prairie.) The only downfall is it will cost more come maintenance time due to having 2 carbs, 2 pistons, etc. The power may be worth it though[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

The 500 H.O. is a good all around machine. I am on my fourth Polaris ATV starting with a 91 Trail Boss 350, 02 sp 700, 2004.5 sp 500, and a 06 sp 800. All have been relable and easy to maintain. I bought the 500 for my wife and I now drive the 800. She has no prblem with the weight of the 500 at 715 lbs. dry. I even find myself taking the 500 out of the shed for a quick spin because its just alot of fun. The Polaris 500 now is availabel with EFI which I really like on my 800. It starts fast and you dont have to fumble with a choke. The 500 holds two quarts of 0w-40 oil and has a spin on oil filter. It does have a dry sump oil system so to change the engine oil completly you must pull two drain plugs, one on the engine and the other on the oil resivor. I ride atvs every day as I work at a POLARIS, YAMAHA, and HONDA delership so I do have other brands to compare my ATV's to. In my opinion they are all good if you take the time to maintain them. There is always something better from one model to another, and from one brand to another, but in my opinion the polaris sportsman 500 is a good all around machine.

 

Most of us have BTDT!

Choosing the right utility quad is a difficult decision. For some (like me when I started) – we really don’t have the experience with ATV’s to know what we will use it for – we just want to get into riding one. For others there is a more defined use and expectation. Some want to trail ride with friends or join clubs and make new friends, some want to use it as family recreation or some want it for hunting. And some owners are into more technical or competitive riding in mud or up mountains where a specific use helps dictate specific features or functionality. Unfortunetly many first time buyers do not look at the full lineup of different manufacturers before they buy and later find themselves regretting not doing that.

For the most part all of the major ATV brands are pretty close in areas of dependability and reliability, ease of maintenance, parts availability, performance, top speed etc etc. Some brands stand out slightly more then others but there is no cast in stone rule that says your Honda will out last a Kawasaki – truth is, more has to do with how you drive and care for the machine. I’ve seen plenty of trashed out Honda’s over the years. My brother has one that has been a POS lemon since day one. My cousin has a 98 Arctic Cat that looks and runs like new. Arctic Cats are always in the back of the pack - but they pass the broke down and tipped over quads on the trail.

Most important to the “right” machine is what you intend to use the machine for.

If you are like me then you would want to have the best all around most useful machine that you never regret purchasing…ever. A perfect ATV! I wish they made one but they don’t! To many variables! The #1 variable is based on what you intend to use it for so that deserves the most thought and attention when making your final purchase decision.

There are so MANY uses - trail riding, hauling, mudding, swamping, mountain riding, transportation, recreation, riding together with friends, carrying a passenger, carrying loads of dirt, towing trailers, rock crawling.. I know one guy who’s specific and only use if his ATV is to ride it in Parades! His needs are way different as are the needs and options for all of these uses. But unless your really really lucky – you likely get to choose only one machine to meet all of your needs no matter how diverse they might be.

For us – I knew after the first ATV went over backwards with the wife and I on it – that we really needed a two rider ATV. Polaris, Bombardier and Arctic Cat make those. But since starting to deer hunt (which I NEVER thought I would do) my eyes have turned to a Arctic Cat TBX for its multi-function rack options and that rear box to carry my deer stand on. Not having any chance at getting that - I have taken full advantage of the MRP options using my Artic Cat TRV. A look at my PICs here will expose the over indulgence in accessories for my TRV with both hunting and ice fishing and other equipment attached there to. Again – who’d of thought! When I bought my first ATV I never imagined my using one for ice fishing or hunting - Never. Now look at it. 1st Runner up for the Beverly Hillbilly’s truck.

The point is – its all about Options and Flexibility and Specifications.

Not all ATV’s score high in all of these areas. I think Polaris has likely the 2nd best score in the O F S (Options and Flexibility and Specifications) area as they do have a few box choices, accessories and bag options and their specifications are pretty good – But first place has to go to Arctic Cat as their catalog of Speed Rack (MRP) options are 2nd to none and the flexibility to re-provision the machine for whatever mission is required is unmatched by any manufacturer. The Arctic Cats own the specifications area also with the best ground clearance, IRS and ruggedness over any other brand. In the 400 and 500 class of machines the Artic Cat is the value choice for two rider quads. Go out and price them. If your into arm pulling raw power the new 700 is outrageous in performance.

Ok – so I’m a little biased about the Arctic Cats. After previously owning 3 Polaris and 1 Honda I will claim a little expertise and beg a little leeway... I did put a lot of work into considering the O.F.S. of each brand BEFORE I bought the AC's.

Whatever quad you choose – just be sure to give it a LOT of thought and try to see how flexible each of those choices are going be and how satisfied you are going to be with your decision – when something you never dreamed of doing – turns out to be the true passion in your ATV riding. Good luck!

Oh - and P.S. ... I found ONE dealer that would let me ride any ATV prior to purchasing one. And it was the Arctic Cat dealer. Everyone else said they couldn't becuase of insurance limitations. Maybe its different in other places. I dunno.