Hey guys, I know this type of subject is probably brought up several times but I can't decide what ride to buy. I have been out of the quad market since my younger years and a lot of newer brands have come out since then. I am mostly going to use this for plowing, yard work, towing trailer with wood around my yard. Currently I am using a 2002 Honda Rancher 4x4 that I am borrowing but it is time to buy my own, the Rancher is getting the job done so I know something in the 4-500cc range should be fine. I like having the independent suspension all the way around just incase I want to do some offroad riding up in the Tug Hill Region of NY.

So anyway, these are the 3 quads that I narrowed it down to that I can go out today and get in my price point.

2017 Suzuki Kingquad 500 axi non ps-$6530

2017 Polaris Sportsman 570 non ps-$6330

2016 Arctic Cat Alterra 450 - $5673

all out the door prices

I actually have a deposit on the Kingquad and was going to buy it until he threw and extra 150 document fee on top of it even though he didn't say this until I was about to sign the papers. I just though $150 was quite a bit of money since I was paying it without financing help and that extra money could go to a winch.

I am a little nervous about the Cat because I have searched high and low and I can't seem to find many reviews on them even though they have all the features I want but dependability is a big factor.

Polaris seems to be hit or miss depending on who you talk to but at the price point it is hard to ignore, I was always a big AC snowmobile man so buying a Polaris just doesn't feel right...lol.

Any suggestions would be awesome and I am sorry for bringing up a redundent topic!!!

 

The Polaris has the most power by quite a bit. Best ride too. Does the Arctic Cat dealer have one of the new VLX 700 models in stock? Its a 695cc single cylinder 4x4 with irs that retails for $5999 but I'm guessing you could get one for less and the out the door price would be around what the Suzuki costs, maybe even the Polaris price. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles like a nice digital dash, just lights for gear indication, no speedometer or odometer. But has more power than even the Polaris and about equal the suspension travel. Its a brand new model but the engine has been around for a few years and is proven reliable.

 

If I had a choice out of these 3, I would go kingquad, I think you are on the right track. But if I had a choice of any quad bike and I am a fan of susuki, I would pick a different one
Most of us have a budget, sometime your not saving 2 or 3 thousand but wasting several. In saying that I'm sure a kingquad will serve you well.
I had a 4wd 450 kingquad and it was good 16,500km with no major problems, I think 4wd on command works well.
You could say "mate I'm happy to pay the extra 150 if you throw in a winch for free " hehe no good just standing at the ice cream truck.
That way if your mate that lent you the rancher gets stuck when he borrows your new kingquad he will be able to pull himself out ....good luck with it all
Let us know how you go cheers

 

If you have a Yamaha dealer nearby, you could get a base model Kodiak 700. Its slightly above the vlx 700 in power and has a nice digital dash. Price will probably be a little higher though, the cheapest I've seen them locally to me is just under $6000 before fees. So probably a bit higher than the Suzuki in out the door price.

 

greg

yamaha was one of my choices originally but it didn't have the bells and whistles as say the Kingquad. I am pretty sure the base model Kodiak ($6999 msrp) does not have a digital display, just some lights to tell you what gear you are in, no speedo, has manual 4x4 lever not electronic push button and no differential lock. please let me know if i am wrong

 

Polaris for best towing and toting numbers, best on-board storage, and most comfortable ride.

Suzuki is an all around good quad.

Don't know much about Arctic Cat.

 

Check out the 2017 Arctic Cat VLX700 . $5,995 It's lacking the gauge pod, but a new bike with the 700 for that price. It's a new model, but the 700 motor is well proven. I'll bet the 700 AC will eat the lunch of the others. As far as lacking the pod, you could do a Trail Tech, later. Yes, the Yamaha is a great choice too.

 

You do get the display on the Kodiak base model but yes no diff-lock and the manual 4x4 lever, just like the Arctic Cat VLX 700. $6999 is retail price, nobody pays retail for atvs. Real world pricing is usually about $1000 less than retail and then dealers tack on the fees putting the out the door price close to the original retail price. Another one I didn't mention would be the Can-Am Outlander 450L. Its in the same price range as the King Quad and Polaris. More power than the King Quad, a little less than the Polaris. I have a friend who has one and really likes it, he opted to pay extra for power steering though. Can-Am has the Visco-lock 4x4 system which is a progressive locking front differential.

 

If your seriously looking at A/C then why not do some research on Kymco?
Kymco is a major supplier of engines and transmissions for A/C and for Suzuki and they have an excellent reputation. When I did my research on all the major brands I saw the Kymco name keep popping up on various forums so I decided to research them. After a thorough search and the opportunity to actually get inside under around and threw each different machine, I found the build quality of the Kymco to be superior. Full continuous welds, much heavier walled tubing for their frames and a fit and finnish that was second to none! Customer complaints per 100 units is the least in the industry. I have had my machine for over a year and have about 500 miles on it, never looking back!!

 

The 450 and 700 engines Arctic Cat uses are Kymco engines. Kymco builds 450cc and 700cc quads that are fully featured and generally cost a bit less than the Arctic Cat cousins. The only problem with Kymco is that the dealers are a bit harder to find. There just aren't as many of those as the other major manufacturers and they're more spread out. You might have to drive a little farther to find one but it just might be worth it.