I am currently looking at used atvs, My main uses would be just ripping around in ditches and field as well as the odd mud hole. my question is what used atv would suit me best for reliability and performance and not cost me over 5k? I am also wondering what to look out for when it is timd to view and test ride

 

Any 4wd will do if speed is a concern make sure its a 450 or up. If your talking New I,d say the Sportsman 500 H.O is the bang for the buck power/feature champ.

In this 500 4x4 shoot out it still beats newer and more expensive models. http://www.world-of-atvs.com/4x4-atvs.html

 

If you want to play in any serious mud don't get the Honda. Front has a limited slip only, not a locker. Polaris Sportsman 500 is pretty bulletproof. We owned two in the past and they were good machines considering the beatings we gave them. Suzuki King Quad, Yamaha Grizzly, Arctic Cat, and Can-Am all make machines in the 500-550 cc class. Polaris is usually the most comfortable ride. Can-Am most powerful per cc. If looking at a used Can-Am that's pre-2011 there are two issues in my mind. One is the Visco-Lok front locker. Older models take longer to fully lock in. Newer, 2011 and after have a quicker engaging system. Almost as fast as Polaris'. Other issue with pre-2011 Can-Ams is that the spar frame is a little bit on the weak side. If you hit them hard enough with one front tire hitting a rock or other obstruction they've been known to bend where the front lower A-arms attach to the frame. There are fixes for it for peace of mind.

 

If 5K is your budget you can almost get a brand new 500 sportsman. I would agree that sportsman would be a good choice.

 

I had been planning on getting a new sportsman, but i'm only 17 so I would need to finance, but maybe with 3k or more on a down payment do u guys think i could make it work with a cosigner?

 

what on the sportsman 500's did you have problems with(IF YOU HAD ANY)?

 

Agreed. Ive seen the sportsman 500 brand new for $4,994.00. or the 400 HO for $4,700 Heres the where they are: scroll down to the 2013 500 sportsman: Current New Inventory | Abernathy's Cycle

 

I had an overheating problem but that was mud in the radiator that hardened and was where I couldn't spray it out with a garden house. That was after 5 years of deep, deep mudholes. Had a couple bearings done. I dropped off a 3 ft. drop and wasn't going fast enough to jump it or slow enough to just crawl down. Hit a rock right under my rear transaxle. Knocked something loose, other than my teeth. Had to have it rebuilt. Honestly, any other quad might have been destroyed or needed a whole new rear end. Was my fault. Other than that I can't think of anything. This was around 3600 abusive miles in New England. Rocks, sand, snow, mud, water, etc. Lots of rocks, actually.

 

 

Personally, when faced with this exact question, I looked at what I really wanted out of the ATV. I think Hondas are reliable. But I also think they are boring. They don't ride nearly as nice as many others, and they definately don't share the same rush as some of the other 4x4 ATV's.

I ended up going with a lightly used Yamaha Kodiak 400. I too wanted the larger cc engine, but after riding the 400 cc powered Kodiac, I found it had plenty power. More than enough for the utility work, and still some left over for the fun factor. I haven't even had it a year, and I have already plowed a massive amount of snow, pulled a lot of weight, and been up to the headlights in mud, and its never got stuck, gave me any issues or ever failed on me.

Best part was I found it locally for $2600. I had plenty of $ left to spend elsewhere.