reconranger, yes there is a couple inches of difference in the size of these bikes and the rubicon weighs 600 pounds the rancher 4x4 weighs about 530-540 if I remember right. The rubicon will get you home, electrical components have been submerged time and time again on my bike without anything messing up. Like you said the fan and water cooling help and the rubi also has a oil cooler too. I think about any honda is reliable and the rancher will also get you home but I said that the rubicon fits me better. I can't help it if it only rains a few inches a year where you are, it sometimes rains 2-4 inches at a time where I live but I cant help that either. I do like to rock crawl and hill climb and it may be better with something that weighs 50 lbs less than the rubi but what really matters is how you pick your lines in those situations. I got the rubi two years ago for $5700, so I think the price is ok. You did ask for FELLOW RIDERS OPINIONS and I gave mine, if you don't like what we say then dont ask. Because our riding styles differ you want to tell me how to ride and how this is better than that. If you mind is made up then get a rancher, don't wait around for your fellow riders $.02 because you might not like what we say because we do not all ride the same dry desert type terrain. I like the rancher, but it doesn't have as much power as I like. I don't ride really technical stuff everytime out, I will admit that ,but I can and do ride technical stuff when it's not really hot, if there is an ice storm, or if there is to many drunken idiots around.

 

Just another note. I do like the new Rancher AT a lot, and it impressed me when I test drove one. I also think our 02 Rancher 4X4 ES is a great ATV too, but if we were to walk into a Honda dealer today to buy a brand new ATV, we would walk out (in another 2 months, when they get them in) with a brand new RED Rubicon GPScape. We like ours that much. We would take a new Rubicon over a Rincon or anything in the Rancher line. I might be a tad prejudice, but we wouldn't even consider another brand. We would entertain a Bombardier, 400 Outlander or a 650 Quest, but we would still end up at the Honda store.

I am not saying that the Rubicon is better or more capable than a Rincon, but the Rubicon fits what we want and need to a tee. When the going gets rough, I like low range with ESP.

Saturday, we (the wife and I) went up a canyon and part of the trail is called the Rock Garden, for a very good reason. The boulders average at least 12" in diameter and some bigger than the ATV. The under-carriage drags and we scuff the floor-boards and smack the rear differential. It is "technical". People trailer 4-wd vehicles to crawl up this section of road. You have all the room you need, but it is tough. Piece of cake for us, the Rubicon has no problems, even with "3-wd." The only reason a Rancher would go someplace a Rubicon wont would be physical size, although at times the weight and size of the Rancher does make it feel like it does it easier.

All three are good ATV's, but we do like the Rubicon over the others. But that’s just us.

 

There is a place in my local mountains that is a favorite with the rock-crawler jeeps. On weekends they will line up 20 deep to go through the tough sections. The little quad with its short wheelbase, can just pop over rocks that will hang up the long vehicles. It is great to go up there and zip by them while they are trying to get their $50,000 rigs unstuck.

 

Yea, the guys in the big 4x4 trucks and jeeps do get kind of pi$$ed when the little atv's show them up but thats all part of wheelin.

 

why not a foreman i love mine it has a "ultra low first gear" and can be either a 4 or 2wd. kinda inbetween a rubicon and a rancher. i started to get a rubicon but all the new wheelers have a grill full of plastic and my foreman has pushed many another wheeler out of tight spots with its all metal front rack . and it will climb a wall........literally should be a good rock climber weight mayb a prob but its close to what u say the others weigh honda says it 583 lbs.