Ive had 3 arctic cats and all 3 have been very good to me. Any and all other friends who have or had them also never had problems or minor issues. The thundercat DID have issues with things breaking the 1st couple years as many atvs do when they have a 1st time production run. the thundercat got a bad rep off the start b/c well lets face it, it was powerful and they tried to use things they used on the smaller CC atvs. As for a belt blowing at anytime on a thundercat,this is the 1st time for me to hear by desertviper. Not to say it hasnt happened. Defects do happen,design flaws happen,its just the way it goes sometimes. If you do decide on a cat one of the things that would be highly recommended is to put At least a 6 ply tire on it. The soft 2ply tires that are stock keep them a little unstable on rough terrain. It will also help with steering,it really improves the atvs ability. (like i said i have had 3) The thundercat has had some changes to help improve what has broke in the past,this is the reason the "THUNDERCAT " name is no longer. Its called a 1000GT. still the same thing,but they see it as a new name,new atv! I can only assume the newer models are better as I hardly hear anything bad anymore.
If you want speed and power,can am is it. everyone knows they have speed and more of a sport utility. The cat is more utility only. Other atvs make for a good ride but you want the biggest i assume. In either choice ther is a breakin period for all atv obviously,the automatics require a slow breakin not only for the engine but the belts as well. This will apply when you put a NEW belt on at any time,even if the machine has 5,000 miles on it. The belt wears and stretches to fit the bike and components.