I was wondering how people liked the ride and power of their 400 AT. I'm interested in the Bruin 350 and the Rancher 350, but for a little more money you can have an auto. Would the 400 have more power than the Bruin? I've read posts about how much power the auto takes away from it. It also looks like the 400 would have a better top end speed. In a previous Dirt Wheels shootout between the Eiger and the 400, they liked the Eiger better, but I don't like it because it looks ugly to me. As long as the AT had similar power/accleration as the Bruin and rode as nice I'd probably lean that way. I've tried to read as much stuff as I can, but honestly you get too many different opinions. I know it's best to ride each one first, but I don't think I'll be able too.

 

Go with the honda. It has so many more features and I believe Honda is a better looking, better built, better resale, just plain old better than the competition. Thats why we have 3 hondas here in our garage! The Rancher AT is awesome. It is for my girlfriend, but I sure love to jump on it every chance I get! Awesome machine. ESP or automatic, starts in gear, has working brake lights, super fast, handles wonderfully, 4wd/2wd switch and is just plain prettier than the competition!

 

We have a 2005 400 AT...Its great machine.. NOt lots of power but can hold its own....I have ITP's so we lose some power but can turn them OK.....can go through mud holes that my my buddies Rincon could not....Mostly cause the tires....HAs good engine breaking..No the best ride but nothing beats a IRS...

Over all Great machine

JP

 

When you say "not lots of power" does that mean it would be slower than a 350 Rancher or Bruin? That's my concern. If the Bruin is as fast as the AT I think I'd rather go with the Bruin because it is cheaper and has a bit better suspension and ground clearance.

 

If you are looking for a speed demon in any of these, it ain't happening. I looked real hard at the Bruin (because of the price), but decided against it due to the lack of features. We bought the 400 a/t and love it. The ride isn't the best due to the solid rear axle, but it will stay with anything I ride with on the trails. It has all the power I need and has gone anywhere I've had the moxy to put it. I've had it up to 45 mph but that isn't full throttle and was at 8000 ft.
The best part of the rancher( probably catch a lot of flak for this) is the looks. The front end looks like a cross between a ute and a sport quad and the headlights make it look like it's pissed off.

 

Look !
Buy the "Yamaha: if that is what you want....The Honda's speak for them selves.....The 400 is not that Powerful compared to the big boys...500,600,650,700,750, etc... Those have lots of power....The 400AT has enough to have lots of fun and go Fast.....I wouldn't blink an eye at buying another...I have no experience with the Bruin..I just know that the Hondamatic Trans will last a alot longer and be maintencane free than the CVT belt systems....just my opinion...I also have Polaris and love it,but the belts do reguire some Atention some times......


JP

 

TRUE. the belt drive is the automatic transmisson in the Yamaha, where the Honda has a real hydramatic transmission. Another plus for Honda!

 

there are many posts on this forum that address the issue of power in the 400 AT. I have had my AT for two months and I must start off by stating that I love it. I went from a rancher es 4x4 to the AT and I couldn't be happier. I am a hunter and love to go to a variety of riding parks in Missouri and the AT provides plenty of machine and features to accomidate both. I have pulled a 1500 lbs. pop-up up a muddy hill with my AT without it bogging down whatsoever. So I know it will work. I have also spent many hours mudding and trail riding and it has not let me down there either. Unlike the rancher 4x4 350, I am able to have much more fun in the mud and on the trails. Also the "AUTO" mode helps as well. Back to the power issue...my AT has 140 miles and about 23 hours on it and I will tell you honestly that i feel as though it has gotten more powerful and torquey since it was brand new. The only time it seems to bogg down is when I am in the mud. There are many mud pools where I ride and I constantly have mud up to the "HONDA" sticker on the gas tank. That is when it seems less responsive when giving it gas. I can floor it and the revs don't get nearly as high as they would if I were on dry land. However, this situation does not keep me from moving through the mud at a decent pace.

I could sit here all day and tell you how much I enjoy the AT. Just like the other post states, the AT in NOT a "BIGBOY". But I think there is plenty of power and features to make it worth a look


SORRY FOR THE LONG POST.....

 

12pointbuck, thanks for the all the info. I'm sure for what I need to use it for it would have enough power for me. I have a Banshee (which I'm parting with) and if I wanted to go 70 mph I would keep it. I started thinking about it last night and the Rancher would probably hold its valule a little better than the Bruin if I wanted to trade up to something bigger down the line. For the money the Bruin seems like a good machine though. It just pisses me off it doesn't have any type of gauge package. I know the Rancher will run a long time but I've heard that if the tranny goes its quite expensive to fix, although I'm sure that this is a very uncommon occurance. I'm going to continue to read up on different machines and get more opinions yet. Thanks everyone!

 

I bought an 04' Rancher AT a couple of months ago and couldn't be happier. I did plenty of due-diligence when selecting an atv, and for me, the Rancher was the best choice. It has plenty of power for me, although I have not ridden it through the mud (although I will in couple weeks when I travel to MO). I had narrowed my choices down to the Rancher, and the Kodiak 450. The final selling point for me was when I was doing "research" on internet forums (this one and others), it seemed like the users in the Honda forums talked more about riding, while users in the Yamaha forums talked more about repairs. Not very scientific, but it worked for me.

I agree with lazer3. I absolutely love the looks. It was the initial reason I looked at the Honda.

One final comment. I sat on just about every atv on the market before I bought mine. The Hondas just felt more "solid" to me. It always comes down to personal preference, but the others didn't feel as well made.