I am considering upgrading my wife's ATV. She currently rides a Honda 250EX. She likes it because it is small and light and does not intimidate her. I would like to get her something a little bigger and better - primarily with better suspension.

I am currently leaning towards the Outlander 400, but I am also considering the 2005 Polaris Sportsman 500 or the Honda Rincon.

I would appreciate opinions (pros and cons) regarding the Outlander 400 and how it compares with the Sportsman and Rincon.

We do predominately trail riding as a family, so reliability, fun, and comfort are the primary objectives. I am not interested in a sport model - I want cargo racks and reverse.

Thanks!

 

We have a Outlander 400XT and all I can say is wow.

 

my girlfriend rides an outlander 400.she loves it so do i.the suspension is purely amazing.better than any bike ive owned yet (look at my previously owned bikes). very stable and comfortable.the ergonomics are gonna feel different comared to the 250.the handle bars sit higher.so does the bike but after one good ride you get used to it.my girlfriend is very very cautios and scared of everything,but not the outlander she feels confident on it.believe me thats saying alot.well good luck i think your girl wont be disapointed.nor will you[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

We have had our Outlander 400 4X4 for about 15 months now. When my wife and I ride the state trails in Michigan together I ride my Yamaha 225 Enduro and she rides the Outlander. There has never been a time where she had a hard time keeping up with me and I usually have to put forth an effort to keep up with her. The Outlander 400 4X4 is the most well rounded four wheel drive quad on the market, bar none! Even the most timid of drivers will feel comfortible on this quad. It rides like you are on a cloud, and I am not just saying that because I own one. I rode a couple of other quads side by side, one after the other, (Kodiak 450 and Honda rancher 350) and neither compaired to the Outlander for overall ride and handling. The others were a little quicker off the line but the Outlander has no proble dusting them on the open road or on trails.

I recommend this quad, even though I had to work through the initial clicking problems in the rear suspension last summer. That has been fixed by my local dealer and we have been in quad heaven for over 12 months. I plowed the drive (350ft) last winter and didn't ever lack power. Only lacked a little weight to back the power up, a problem I feel a lot of 4X4 quads will have when plowing the heavy West Michigan snow.

Again, this is a very well rounded machine. Good for work and Excellent for pleasure.

 

FamilyRider, I just this week traded a 700 Sportsman in on a new Outlander 400XT. I may have given up a little power & speed, but now I've got a machine with an even better ride, that is easier to handle. The seat [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] is what really amazes me! Spend a few hours on an Outlander & I'll bet you won't want to ride any other utility quad [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

i would get here the 500 H.O. and i dont know y you would trade a polaris for a bombardier?

 

I have an Outlander Max XT and it is incredible. They got the gearing right and there is no lack of power. I'm a big guy and really test the weight rating, especially when my wife rides along. Then suspension is great! I was playing with it at the dunes and was jumping it 1 1/2 feet in the air with a great landing. I wouldn't give up my turbo DS 650 for the dunes, but the Outlander is the best Quad I found for exploring and crawling.