Best ATV for Petite Woman/Beginner
 

Hey Everyone! I'm looking to buy an ATV to explore various terrain with my husband who has a dirt bike. He's more into the speed than I am. I'm not into bikes as much as quads (I've ridden a few atvs in the past, much to my enjoyment). It's time that I get one of my own. I'm looking for something that won't be too much to handle as a petite woman (5'1", 115 lbs), with enough power to make it up hilly trails, 4WD for when we feel like gettin' dirty, and good suspension. Nothing too tipsy, either, yet not so wide that I'll feel like I'm steering a cow.

Here are my must-haves:

-Automatic
-2-4WD
- 250-450max

Nice to haves (but not necessary):
-EPS

Of course I need to go sit on some bikes to see what I like, but I'd love to hear from anyone who can help me to narrow down my search. Here are the makes/models that I've been considering: I've been researching Grizzly 350 and 450s, and these seem to be good, all-around options. I know that some of you will ask whether I want sport or utility, so I guess I am more inclined to say utility with a little bit of sport to it when in 2WD. I've considered EX250, but I've heard these are rather tippy and the suspension isn't very good.

Thoughts? Suggestions? I need to make some tracks!!!

Polaris Trailblazers are 2WD so you can take that off the list.

The Honda 250EX is only 229cc with enough power for a kid, but not for most adults. It's only 2WD too, and has less suspension travel than a Trailblazer. Scratch that one off the list.

Grizzlies are are selectable 2WD/4WD. A 350 should be enough power for you.

I believe your wants are inline, very few people want sport quads anymore, especially beginners, to much shifting etc and no 4wd. Utility quads are the top sellers and anything in the 300 and up size will be adequate for your use. I had a Praire 300 for 16 yrs and it went anywhere I wanted to go and did anything I wanted it to do. You are smart to include 4wd in your search, just be sure you have a diff lock to make it true 4wd in case you get into some serious mud or snow. In 2wd they can act quite sporty and be fun to ride. Most all of todays mfgrs make quality machines so test ride by all means and fine the one you like and is comfortable for you. Long riding on an uncomfortable machine can be a real pain in the a$$....yes pun intended!
While your searching give consideration to the KYMCO lineup, not Chinese made but an import that has been around for more than 25 years. Very well made, easy to get parts for and one of the lowest consumer complaints per 100 machines manufactured in the USA. Keep us posted on what you decide...we like pictures!! Good luck

If you could find one, A Yamaha Wolverine 450 4x4 would be a great choice. Smaller in size and weight than most 4x4 atvs but with plenty of power and capability. Push botton shift on the fly 4x4 and fully auto cvt transmission. Here's an example of a nice used one, it took me a while to find one https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/snw...503950690.html

Thank you all for your suggestions! That Wolverine was a beauty! I found one in my neck of the woods but at a much higher price point. I'll keep watch to see what else becomes available. :nod: I'll look into KYMCOs, too!

The Wolverine 450's are getting harder to find. Yamaha only built them from 2006-2010. I guess they didn't sell well so they quit making them. I had to go pretty far out of my local area to find that one. The 2000's Kodiak 400 and 450's were pretty popular and have all the features you're looking for, cvt auto and 4wd. I was just riding this weekend with a friend who has a Kodiak 400 4x4 and he really likes his. Plenty of power but quite a bit smaller than the bigger 4x4's. Tops out at around 50 mph, plenty fast enough for most.