Hi there, and thank you all in advance for your help! I've been browsing for a while now and just signed up. I live in Wisconsin right on a lake and want to have some fun out on the ice and in the snow this winter. In the summer I'll be often camping near ATV trails and having some fun.


I'd like to keep my purchase price at $3,000 (roughly). I'm in between 2 quads:

2007 Suzuki Z400
2002 Prairie 650 w/plow (found a great deal on a local 1-owner low hours machine)

I realize these are both different animals. I really enjoy riding sport quads the most but I'm worried with all the snow we get here that I won't actually be able to ride out there with only 2wd. I can drive from my home out on to the lake and want to take advantage of it! I can also use the plow for my home/neighbors, etc. The primary purpose of this quad is for winter use.

What are your thoughts? Fun, fast, and chance the deep snows? Or stick with the 4x4 and have the option of a plow to make my life easier?

Also, recommendations on insurance coverage? This is all new to me and I have a call in to my agent.

Thanks!

 

If its primarily for winter use, I would get the 4x4. We own both sport quads and 4x4 quads, and for snow riding anymore, we just leave the sport quads home.

 

thanks for the feedback. appreciate any other thoughts/insights. it will be used year round but the exciting part is riding on the lake in the winter from my house versus trailering 1hr to the trails in the summer.

for me, i believe the sport quad will be more fun in the summers but would i be sacrificing too much for the winter?

 

if your torn between b/c you like the sport side of atving,but want 4wd maybe look for a wolverine 450,scrambler 500(wouldn't recommend),or its pricier but a can am renegade 500. this will give you more of a sport suspension and handling,yet they all have 4wd. arctic cat makes a 450 crossover but havent heard much from it. these all offer selectable 2wd/4wd. good luck.

 

If, in the summer. you're going to be riding trails known for deep mudholes or steep rocky climbs you'd be better off with the 4wd. It's amazing what you can get through with a 2wd but the 4wd is that much better. And, in the snow, there's almost no comparison. A sport quad will get bogged down in as little as a half foot of snow where a 4wd can usually go through at least a foot of snow depending on the quad, tires, and type of snow. Sport quads are definetly more fun to toss around though. We had a Kawasaki Lakota 300 and a friend had a Honda Recon 250. When are boys were young they rode either of those quads. When they got old enough to ride trails with us that had mudholes and steep rocky climbs the 2wds got old real fast. We were constantly pulling them out of the mud, up the severe rocky climbs, and out of the snow.

 

I'd definately get 4x4 for year round riding. Plows are nice to have too.

You can get insurance through Progressive for a little over $100 a year.

 

jumbo- thank you for the informative reply. i also have a 400ex in mind (2005) but it seems i'm leaning towards the prairie 650. The guy has 2 of them bought new, one has 16hrs on it and is bone stock, just got carbs cleaned, tune up, etc. the other has 89hrs on it, and a plow with electric actuator. the price difference is only $200 between the two. better to chose the lower hr one or take the plow for only 200!?

Thanks!

 

89 hours vs 16 hours is insignificant in my opinion. My 2011 King Quad has 190 hours on it right now

 

Oh, and now that I have gotten used to my big bore utility I'll never buy a sport quad again.

 

well im pretty set on the prairie. any other thoughts on the hours? take the lower hours because its "newer" or spend the $200 more and have a plow?