What's the best utility ATV???
 

I am new to the forum because I am about to make my first major purchase of a brand new utility ATV. I am trading in a 2005 polaris sportsman 500 HO. I am not sure I want to go back to Polaris because I had problems with u-joints, starters, foot brake, belts, and the instrument cluster went bum on me this past summer. I am looking for a quad that will keep up with my buddies Polaris 850, be able to haul/ tow stuff around the farm, and to ride in the creek with my buddies without having to take it to the dealership all the time and receiving outrageous service bills. My local dealer is over 50 miles from me and they offer honda, polaris, and yamaha... So, I basically have those to choose from.

Hey IowaFarmboy! Welcome to the fourms! Im guessing you bought your 500 H.O. for quite cheap? 05' and 06' weren't Polaris' best years for sure. They are some of the least recommended ATVs for those years. Being the half owner of a 2005 Phoenix has cut my wallet in half. Great little quad when it wants to be. Since Polaris went through those years, their machines have become much better. They are reliable and efficient. The new 2015 additions of the Sportsman ATVs are quite something to look forward to. If you haven't seen any of the new additions, they are the ACE, ACE 570, and the ETX. All three of these are hard working and fun to ride. We are previously not used to seeing something with a steering wheel in the Sportsman section, but the ACE is technically a quad with a car seat and roll bars on top. The ETX is a cheaper machine, but just as hard working as the higher end models. The ETX was designed to be an affordable ATV with just as much power as the more expensive. For your overall choice, stick to Polaris and Honda. I am the full owner of a Rincon, havent had any problems in the 6 years I have owned it. Needed a new battery in 2012, but other than that, nothing. Insanely reliable machine, just cost an arm and a leg.

Final decision?

Honda: Rincon, Recon, Rubicon, Foreman

Polaris: Sportsman ETX, Sportsman ACE, Sportsman 570

Your decision depends on whether or not you need power, functionality, and ability to have fun. All of the models mentioned above meet those qualifications.

Yamaha 750 Grizzly is your only choice if you want to keep up to your Buddies XP850.

Honda has no high powered 4x4s and you said you do not want a Polaris.

The 550 Grizzly would also work since you would need to road ride to get it up to full speed.
On typical ATV trails a 850 is not leaving 400 behind.

All ATVs tow and haul as long as they have a low range. Its about gearing not motor size.
The 450 Sportsman has the same tow and carry capacity as the 800 Sportsman.
Same story with the 450 Grizzly and 700 Grizzly.

2005 was a bad year for the 500 Sportsman with its bad ECM brain box.

Yamaha does not make a 750 Grizz. Biggest is the 700, and it's not even in the same league (powerwise) as the XP850. However, it's a much better built machine than the XP and much, much lighter.

The weight of the quads doesn't matter in most situations. The power to weight ratio does. I can't find how much HP the grizzly has but it has less engine size for it's weight. The 850 is 1.13 cc per pound and the 700 (686) is only 1.06 cc per pound. If you want to see a bigger difference look at the Sportsman 1000 (952cc) at 1.16 cc per pound.

Actually, weight matters all the time whether you're figuring power to weight numbers, towing your machine to the riding area, replacing brakes, figuring gas mileage, trying to use body english to get through a tight spot, how bad it's gonna hurt if it rolls over you, acceleration, stopping distance, how much momentum you carry through the turns, how hard it is to get unstuck, etc, etc. Yep, weight pretty much affects everything!

Weight does matter as far as stopping distance is concerned but I've never had any problems based on weight, like getting stuck, where it seems like weight would matter. I've been through mud holes where a lighter more powerful quad with a good rider had problems keeping up. Part of the extra weight on my quad was better tires that came on it stock. There are more important things to me than weight.

We ride in the deep snow around here. When it gets up to the floor boards, it will stop any atv in it's tracks. But a lighter atv can sometimes stay atop frozen snow where a heavy machine will fall in. But whatever snow we ride in, when we get stuck, the lighter machines can usually be pulled out by the rider. My mid size machine is tougher, but not near as tough to get out as the 900 pound Can Am and Polaris behemoths.

I like the heavier machines gearing and tires will cure what ails the heavy machine. The light machine may be ok in certain situations but the majority is plain to see and btw I don't have anything but the Polaris to judge the modern atv's on but it is not a bad machine IMO the Japanese are also fine machines though good luck with your choice.

Once your in the 500+LBS weight machine class , does weight matter?

Its like bringing a 400lbs girl to the prom or a 600lbs girl. Their both fat in the end.