Hey all,
Was wondering if I could get your feed back on a few bikes in considering buying.. Im new to atv'n and want the best bang for my buck, done some research and Here are my options..

2013 Polaris Sportsmans 500 h.o - 7400$
2013 Yamaha Kodiak 450 - 8200$
2013 Honda 420 - fully loaded, - 9000$
2013 Honda 420 - manual and lightly equipped - 8500$
2012 Suzuki 400 - 8500$

I ride in various conditions from limestone, creek bottoms/water, sand, fields, mud, Hills and very little on trails, I think 4x4 is a must have..
Polaris is awd which I don't think is 4x4 am I correct? the rest are 4x4 selectable..
$ amount doesn't really bother me but have narrowed it to the above..
Any thoughts on which would be best for me?

Thanks for your time

 

The Sportsman cost less then the smaller ones?
In this 4x4 shoot out the 500 Sportsman beats the 450 Grizzly (they call it a Kodiak now?) and hands it to the 500 Honda rubicon let alone a 500 foreman or Rancher.
4x4 ATVs Comparison Test Report - What's the Best 500 Utility ATV?

The 420 Rancher and 400 KQ are not even in the shootout there considered budget 4x4s not full size 4x4s and are in there own shootout. ATV Comparison - Budget 4x4 ATVs Reviewed.

The sportsman is the only full size chassis atv in your list and has much more hp then the rest. The Sportsman is AWD but can be put in 2wd only mode.

What does fully loaded mean for a Rancher?

I rode a 420 Rancher,450 Grizzly and 400 Eiger/KQ more then a few miles they are more comparable to my 350 Grizzly the my 500 H.O.

 

For the money you can't really beat the Sportsman 500 unless you really need or want EFI and A-arms in the front suspension. And with the $600 you save you could get a nice Warn winch and a couple other add-ons. The Polaris 500 pulls very well. Don't let AWD fool you. It's really the same as any other quad as far as making all 4 tires spin. It's an automatic system that kicks in when you a) put it in AWD and b) when it senses a difference in wheel spin between the rear tires and front tires. I had a Sportsman X2 500 and ATP 500HO. You can't even notice it engaging until you realize all 4 tires are grabbing.

Watch out for Hondas. While they are reliable they don't have a way to fully lock the front end. Limited slip only in the front. I've been in a few mudholes where that little extra bit got me through, barely.

Try to test drive them if you can. See which you like best. I can vouch for the Polaris 500. But, see which meets your needs most.

 

That 400 (376cc air cooled) Suzuki is way over priced and out of its class!

The Grizzly 450 (421cc liquid cooled) would be my bext choice after the sportsman at least it has rear irs,disc brakes and true AWD with its diff lock.

 

Thanks for the replies...

Question is, does awd equal the same as traction control as my car has or is it actual 4x4?

Comes with gps unlike the sportsman and all the same dash display features the sportsman does

Ya, I don't think I need either of those, just need a good 4x4..


I have a 2003 arctic cat 4x4 now and it has tons of ***** (imo) wouldnt fear much going in mud,water or up hills.. Ive put to much money into it and would rather buy a brand new bike..

 

Like mentioned the Sportsman is only in 4x4 if the rear wheels slip a 8th of a turn,once the rear wheels regain traction the front wheels free wheel once again. It all happens so quick you can never tell if the front wheels are in play or not.
when the fronts do lock its always both spinning never one like those 3x4s without difflock.
2wd mode just makes it never go in 4wd.

This is how quick the front wheels ingage when the rear wheels slip.

 

Year after year nothing beats the Sportsman 500 as the most bang for your buck.

 

the polaris is the best in my opinon also it rides better has the power and price and nicets 4x4 system these days all bikes seem to last just as well the yami would be next on my list 20 year ago it would have been honda. lol

 

You can probably find a outty 500 or 650 for around that price. I love Honda but 9k for a 420? My guess is the dealer has a lot of room to move on that.

 

The price of the sp 500 is great but it's no longer best in class, it's towards the bottom of the class nowadays