i was strongly considering selling my 400ex and buying a rancher but the more i look at the rancher im having second thoughts because of its size it really looks small. i want to use it for mainly trail ridingand exploring however it will be used for hunting trips and plowing snow so the more i think about it i should consider the forman 400 or 450 can some one with experience give me advice for my delema?
thanks

 

The AT is smaller.. from what Ive tried of it, it is perfect for recreational riding (I'm 5'9")

You should be fine for hunting.....serious snow plowing might be a strech though.

That being said, going straight from an EX to a foreman might be a little disappointing... if your main use is recreational - it will feel a bit tractor- like ! the 400AT is a nice middle ground.

 

The Rancher 350 (329cc) is 78.1"Lx45"Wx44.3H and a dry wt. around 524lb.
The Foreman 450 (433cc) is 77.2"Lx45.5"Wx45"H and a dry wt. around 582lb.

The 450 is actually a little smaller in length than the 350. There is only a .5" difference in width and less than an inch difference in height. It's nice to have a shorter quad when it's time to go under things like fallen trees and gates. Although it's only a 58lb difference, the lighter weight of the 350 would make up some for the cc difference of the two. The thing that bothers me about the 350 is that it's fulltime 4x4 but you could put a 424 on it.
The Rancher 400 is longer and a little higher than the the 350 and 450. (except width) I don't think I'd consider the Foreman 400 unless you want a pure utility with fulltime 4x4. Although the Foreman 400's retail price is only $100. less than the new Rancher 400, you can buy the Foreman 400 at a cheaper price. The 450 can also be bought cheaper than the Rancher 400.
The only place you might be concerned about the 350 is the power loss over your 400EX.

 

The Foreman has much more meat in the frame than the Rancher. Look at each from the rear and compare swingarms. I bought the Foreman for farm chores. If I did't need an ATV for chores, the Rancher would have been my first choice. A fine ATV, just not as beefy as the Foreman. On the plus for the Rancher, it feels a lot more agile and quicker than the Foreman.