Its not about the ATV but its features, if you want a comfy trail ride make sure the ATV has IRS, if you want the ATV to pull or push hard make sure it has a "Low range" and a True AWD system of some type.

I ride in large 7 ATV groups with all makes and models and they all have fun during the day.

Those are the 3 options I would never do out with for sure. EFI and Power steering are nice to, but all ATVs start up and run even with a without efi and I never rode a ATV that I though was hard to steer,so those two feature are more secondary for me.

Going Fast does not help use on are rought Norther Ontario trails where you can not go faster then 30 mph.

I Place where you can do over 50 mph is called a road not a trail. we do not unload the ATVs out of the trucks until the road runs out.

 

I just did the first service on my Polaris Rzr XP 900 today. Polaris and Can Am are a little different in their recommendations for a first service. Can Am calls for a full service of engine oil and filter, transmission gear oil, and differential gear oil at 10 hours. Polaris calls for an engine oil and filter change at 10 hours, and the rest of the full service, along with another engine oil and filter change, at 25 hours. I did the whole 25 hour service on the Polaris Rzr XP 900 today in about 40 minutes. That included engine oil and filter, both differentials gear oil, and the transmission gear oil. The engineering on the Polaris is better than on the Can Am, and it is so much easier to get to everything, that you can do the service in 40 minutes. The same service on the Can Am takes all day, and you have to order new plastic pins to hold the plastic on again when you're done. On the Polaris you open an access panel, on the Can Am you have to disassemble the ATV, remove the floorboards, remove the plastic, etc. What a pain in the butt on the Can Am.

I don't know if the Polaris Sportsman 850 XP is designed like the Rzr XP 900 is, but Polaris has really stepped it up with the design and quality of the Rzr XP 900 compared to anything I have seen from Polaris in the past. I owned a couple of Polaris ATVs back in 2000 and 2001, and was not impressed at all, because the quality and durability were just NOT there. This Rzr XP 900 is so much better for desert riding than any other side by side though, that I broke down and bought one. Well after the first 400 miles I must say I am very impressed. It is extremely well designed, easier to work on than anything else I've owned, and 100% reliable so far. And it has better suspension and more power than any other ATV or side by side I've owned.

Like I said, I don't know if the Sportsman 850 XP is equal to the Rzr XP 900, but if I were buying a new ATV right now I would certainly look at the Polaris. In my opinion the Rzr XP 900 has got the Outlander 1000 XT beat.

 

Polaris and Can-Am are my favorite machines. I think the X2 is brilliant and no one has anything quite like it. I don't need a 2 seater 95% of the rides I do but like the ability to set up the seat in a few seconds. I'm thinking if I get one machine it will be an Outlander 800 Max and use the X2 for a lender and for chores. If I get two machines I'd get the Big Boss 6x6 for chores and the Outlander for riding. The 850 X2 will be if I decide to sell the 500 X2 and want only one machine that can do it all. Decisions, decisions.

PS My X2 has been pretty good. Have only needed a couple wheel bearings, and a metal piece that the road salt ate away at.