My dad said I can trade in my '04 Yamaha Bruin 350 and get another midsize ATV. My thinking is, we've gone a year without something major breaking and it's bound to happen soon so I wanna trade it in ASAP! I absolutely hate Yamahas and we already have a Polaris Magnum 330 therefore I have narrowed it down to a Honda Rancher 420 2x4 or a Kawasaki Prairie 360 2x4. We are on a budget too so we wont be getting anything bigger than that.


I ride around the farm and in wooded trails. I climb lots of hills on my Yamaha Bruin and the automatic tranny is great for that! I'm afraid the Rancher with its 5 speed tranny wont be as powerful when climbing the hills.


I wont say which one I am leaning to as of now, I just want to hear what everyone thinks. Any input would be greatly appreciated and if you have an opinion back it up. I havent ridden either quad yet, I'm still on the drawing board and what to hear the pros and cons of each. Thank you all!

 

The fuel injected water cooled Rancher 420 won't be powerful enough on the hills???? How do you figure that???

It will leave any of the quads you listed and a bunch more eating its dust. It is powerfull and it's very fast and the ride is surprisingly sporty for a utility. In fact, it might even be to much machine for you!

As a 2wd, it's more than a match even for some sport quads (like a Warrior for example). My only complaint about it is that it is to heavy for my taste. I bet that Kawi is plenty heavy, and it's giving up 60cc's of displacement disadvantage to the Honda...not looking to good!

And don't be afraid of the manual transmission! In an hour you can learn to shift it like a pro (but avoid the ES shifting option if possible). It is way superior to an automatic, because you can pick your own gear as the terrain dictates, rather than depending on machine to do it for you.

Nut up on this one.....automatics are a crutch for adults and little girls!

 

Nut up on this one.....automatics are a crutch for adults and little girls!



Once again, Recon Ranger says something stupid. Go figure. An Auto is a good choice, and a manual is a good choice, if thats what you want to ride. I had a manual, and now an auto, and like the Auto better, as its alot easier to climb rocks and technical obstacles without having to work a clutch. I hope it gets to the point that whenever reconranger makes a comment like this, it gets deleted. Good luck!

 

The Rancher has an "autoclutch" manual transmission. That means that no left hand clutch lever work is necessary! These are every bit as effective as a full automatic in the rocks and technical stuff....so don't try to slip that one by just because this kid is inexperienced.

I grew up riding dirt bikes, all of which have manual left hand clutch transmissions. Funny, nobody in the dirt bike world is crying for an automatic...although some do like to convert to autoclutches like the Rekluse.

In the early days of 3-weelers and quads, most everybody had previous dirt bike experience. Now, we have this influx of "unseasoned" riders who have never ridden anything (or shifted a manual clutch car or truck for that matter), and have no idea what a thrill it is to control their own gear selection! Some manufacturers of course caught on to this, so mostly all they turn out are automatics.

But there is some hope! Honda is the industries best selling quad, and the Rancher is Honda's best seller. If you include the old Honda 300 as well, Honda has sold 1 million of these mid size autoclutch manual transmission machines! So, there still are lots of purist riders out there...God bless them!

 

well recon at his best lol. i'll tell ya on long rides of punishing trails auto's are great. worrying about shifting every 2 seconds makes u more tired and wary.

 

Have you ever wondered why you dont see big bore utes with manual trannies? I dont think automatics have anything to do with being a girl or crutches for adults. You dont have a choice in the matter unless you buy something smaller, less powerful and less capable of the big bore quads. Would manual trannie big bore ute sell? Sure! But not near as much as an automatic. Leave the manual clutch to the bikes and sport quads.

 

To get back to the question you ask. I can not give you a definitive answer because like you I have not ridden either of these quads. I do have a Prairie 360 in 4WD an have found it to be a tough and versatile machine. I am older and don't ride fast or jump the machine but do work the heck out of it around the farm. I also use this machine for trail riding and have found it to be a capable and comfortable ride. I know people that have the Honda and they tell me it is a good machine and most seem very happy with them. I think you have chosen two of the better machines in the size range to make your final selection and after you sit on them and decide which fits you best you'll be happy with your choice.

I grew up with the old motorcycles and have watched the outdoor motor sports for years. The question of auto or manual shift is strictly a personal choice as both have advantages and disadvantages. Personally I prefer to let the machine keep itself in the proper torque curve and have had no problems with the CVT transmissions. But then when I had manuals I seldom had problems with them either. Don't pay too much attention to those that have excessive brand loyalty as often personal bias prevents objective assessment.

 

Overall performance wise, it's no comparison - the Honda will come out way ahead. Only if you want the full automatic transmission should you go with the Prairie - the Honda has a larger engine, water cooling, EFI and newer technology. IIRC, the price is similar on each.

ATV mag just did a comparison between the Rancher, Eiger, Hawkeye, Griz 350 and Prairie 360 - all in 4WD versions. The Eiger came out on top, with the Rancher a very close second while the Prairie was a distant last. While the P360 is a good, reliable bike, it's always been more on the utility side of sport utility. It's biggest advantages are the rear sealed brake, large racks and in the 4WD version, a dif lock. I would not be too afraid of the electric shift on the Honda. While there were some problems with the electric shift in the first few years, it looks like it has become a pretty reliable system.

If choices are still up for grabs, I'd consider the Suzuki Eiger over the Prairie. Both the Eiger and the P360 have been around since 2002 and the Eiger outperforms it in every way, with the exception of the front dif. lock. Since you are looking at 2WD, that is not a factor. Even though I'm an Eiger owner, I think I'd go for the Honda over the Suzuki, but either one will be a better ride than the Kawi.

Jaybee

 

The Honda Rancher is ---- S ------ L -------- O --------- W
Brand New Suzuki Eigers are selling for as low as $3995
New Suzuki Vinsons are $4795
New Yamaha Big Bears are $4495
all are quicker and faster than a Honda Rancher

 

Read the reviews. The older Rancher 350 was slowish, but the new Rancher 420 is the fastest thing in its class!