ok, so in 2005 i bought a 400ex, and im almost done paying on it. so once thats all paid off im going to look into buying a 400-450cc 4x4 machine as the trails i ride mostly on are ideal for 4x4's. so im looking at honda's rancher 420S,ES, suzuki's king quad 450, yamaha's grizzly 400, 450, and the wolverine 450. any one own one ore more of these machines let me know how they stack up against the elements, and eachother. thanks for any replies.

 

I would suggest trying as many as you can, or at least sit on as many as you can. Ergonomics play a HUGE part in what quad ppl like best, and is such an under-rated aspect of a bike. All the machines listed seem great, do you want IRS vs SRA? Carbs or EFI? Also the Grizz 400/Wolvie 450 don't have low range, so for heavy towing/mud riding they may not be ideal. If you want a footshift quad then the Rancher 420 would be the way to go. Automatic, Suzuki & Yamaha have great belt systems. The King 450/Grizz 450 are the only ones on that list with difflock. The King is going to be slightly bigger than the others listed, so that may be a factor, negative or positive depending on what you prefer/how big you are. The Grizz 400 was discontinued for 2009, they still have the 450 as well as a new 550.

Can-am Outlander 400, Polaris Sportsman 400, might be worth looking into as well.

 

I have the Rancher trx420fm and have to say its a great machine. I use it everywhere from trail, mud and snow. So far it's held up great. I'm pleased with it. I'd love to try aftermarket tires on it though, the stock are kinda small. But yeah I love the machine and am 100% pleased.

 

thanks everyone for the info, i dont car about IRS or SRA. EFI would be nice since i like to ride in the cold, and my 400ex doesnt like the cold that much. differential lock is nice but i dont know how necessary it would be for where i ride. my 400ex does alright with good tread on the tires. so twice the ground clearance, and the addition of 3 1/2 wheel drive must help a lot. how is the 4 wheel drive system work on the rancher 420? i know it doesnt have a locking differential but has limited slip improved any? i have liked the rancher 420, and the suzuki, and the grizzly 450 since they all came out. but since EFI came out i really would like a quad with EFI since i know that a carb flows air and fuel and magically mixes it together... so not much about them... anyways, thanks for the imput, hopefully construction stays busy so i can pay off my EX a year early.

 

If you want a small atv the Griz 450 would be it.
If you want the fastest best handling riding atv the CanAm 400 EFI.
Polaris has the Sportsman 400 with a 450 engine, should be close to the CanAm 400. AC has the 365!

If you get a 4x4 you want IFS!!! Why would you get a SRA and get hung up in the ruts?

 

we beat the hell outa my buddies kodiak and never hav a prob. we get the fenders under, do water wheelies and it keeps askin for more. the only rob is the belt slips sometimes, but expected on a stock quad.

 

There isn't a utility quad on the planet that I would trade for my Rancher 420!!!

 

another thing to consider, and maybe the primary thing you should consider is price and current deals.

Money drives purchases more than any other factor. Face it, any of the name brand machines will do about the same thing. It's how they compete. It's like asking which sport bike is the best- fact is they are all virtually identical. Strip the plastics and graphics off, and 99% of the world wouldn't know a honda from a yamaha from a kawi......

For example this summer Arctic Cat ran a $69 a month deal till 2010. Not bad to get into the sport if you're on a real budget. They also had the extended warranty free.

Look at who is offering what. Don't get bogged down in that 1/4 inch more of ground clearance, or that 2 more HP in one model over another. They're all more than capable....

 

I would say if you like how your 400ex rides then go with another Honda...... or if a good deal pops up a Suzuki KQ 450 is also very nice......

 

so this morning i went to the bank paid off my 400ex loan, and headed to the honda dealer to talk some figures. while i was driving there i suddenly realized that the 400ex was MINE, all paid for. so i continued to the honda dealer, while i was in there i asked them about trading my 2001 polaris trailblazer 250. they said they would take it in for trade. so i thought to my self that hmmm... they have a 2007 honda rancher 420 foot shift. so i went and got my 250 TB, and $4049 OTD i had a 2007 honda rancher 420 foot shift. honestly i couldnt be happier with the 4-wheel drive. the rancher suits the trails where i live so much better than a 450r would have. i agree with scooter86 that trail riding can only be done so fast, and well when i ride with a bunch of 300ex's im already faster than they are. so thank you everyone for your imput on my topic, and i realize that i totally went the other way with my purchase, but that rancher is awesome!!! thanks again