i have a 250ex right now and i am thinking about what i should get for my next quad. I really want to get a 250r, but i also want to try something like a 4x4/ute. I do ride year round, and its a pain in the butt when i get stuck in the snow with the 250. another thing with the R im worried about is reliablilty.I dont want to make a mistake of buying something that has been all shined up with new plastics and the owner not tell me that the motor needs $400 of work. (they are 15-17 years old, so it would probably be hard to tell) If i looked at a utility i dont know what i should look at (cc's, brand etc) I do want something with 4x4 though. i'm divided between the two because i like the power and speed from sport quads, but going in the mud, water, snow and stuff that you can only do with a ute is something i really want to try. i like the looks of the 450 foreman s before they redesigned them all. any input?

 

i just looked at the suzuki vinson 5-speed 4x4 in black and i really liked that also.

 

I'd at least get something 400cc or bigger.
If you can find any '04 Foremans (433cc) left, you could probably get one pretty cheap. (around $5000). If not, I'd go with either the '05 Foreman (475 cc) or '05 Rubicon (499 cc). Also, take a look at the closeouts on an '05 Arctic Cat 500. I saw one yesterday for $5900. My dad's rode an Arctic Cat for 2 years and has never had any trouble whatsoever out of it.
Arctic Cat also comes with a standard 2 year warranty.

 

i wanted a plow to make some money in the winter too. anybody in my area know where i can find a used utility 500cc + with a plow and winch??? NH or MA

 

I'm sure that there are quite a few 4x4 quads that meet your requirements on ebay or www.atvtraderonline.com right now.

 

i think ive decided on a '05 or '06 maybe even '07 depending on when i get one, honda rubicon