The only complaint I have of our neighbor's 450ES is no ability to kick the 4-wd off. I wouldn't be without switcheable 4-wd anymore. Turns shorter with it off, pulls better with it on. I think everyting else is a trade-off. Longer suspension travel on Polaris = smoother ride, but Honda has more precise handling & feels like may have lower center of gravity. Air cooling on the Honda is simpler than water cooling, but may overheat sooner with severe use.
I think Honda still has the edge over Polaris for quality/reliability/longevity but the gap seems to narrow every year.

 

2 of the main reasons i picked the expedition 425
1)true 4 wheel drive,simply put you cant beat it
2)shiftable 2 to 4 wheel drive,its there when you need it and not when you want to do some fishtailing or donuts
i have no complaints about the exp.i find it a very versatile quad,goes any where i point it too and then some..neither of the polaris that i owned have let me down..im still trying to figure out why everyone said there not reliable..they also say there high maintenance but id rather grease fittings then replace bushings,ball joints and u joints..the 2 problems i have heard are tie rods wearing and brake pads wearing,all were updated for 2001 with better parts..and i agree the honda rides alot rougher(more utility)..this is my opinion and im not trying to bash anyones ride..like others have said ride them both and then decide what fits your needs,either way i dont think youll do wrong..good luck

 

This might help my local Honda shop is selling the 450S for $5000. plus tax out the door. Hard price to beat

 

When my dad hooked his 450s hitch to hitch with an expedition the 450 pulled it with ease. We haven't found a mud hole yet that will stop either machine. The polaris has had some problems with the plastic front bumper braking off, twice before he got the metal tubes that eventually got bent back into the wheel.

 

anything but polaris.

 

luckywilson, which sop are u talking about? paradox or bridgemans? is it a 2000 or 2001?

 

Either machine will probably make him happy, but the decision would probably be a no-brainer if he actually went around to different dealers and rode them for himself... might decide a Yamaha Kodiak is the one for him, although I would like to believe he would pick the Polaris . Tell him to try them all out for himself and his favorite will probably stand out... like picking a puppy, sometimes they pick you . Good luck!

 

no honda... git a trailboss 325


2000 trailboss 325 with relly dented rims

 

Thanks to everyone who has posted opinions or experiences on this topic.

My friend has purchased the 425 Expedition as it does seem to be the superior machine. he drove both quads several times in various conditions as was suggested here and it definitely helped the process.

One posting here mentioned that tied bumper to bumper the honda could pull the 425. we have tried that very thing several times with the same results, the polaris hauling the honda's a$$ until it cried uncle.

thanks again for the help.

maxtrax