There is the best of both worlds also. Yamaha Grizzly more reliable than Polaris yet loaded with more features(Diff lock,IRS,rear disk brakes and more power) than Honda.

My next ATV would be a KQ 750 from what I see out there.

 

So sucks for you that you own a Polaris instead!

 

Not really, my 450 Foreman was super reliable but i could never go back to slow speed low power ,rough ride,3wd and drum brakes no matter how trouble free a ATV is.

 

I don't know if I could give up the full 4wd. I've had enough situations where I've barely gotten through a mudhole with all 4 wheels turning. I've had experience with a few machines that friends and I have owned and Honda is about the most reliable from what I've seen. Features like some of the others. No. Reliable, yes. I heard the Big Red UTV has full 4wd. If that is so, why don't they offer it on their whole line? I would seriously consider a Honda if they offered a 2-up quad, with the ride, storage, and tow/haul rating that my X2 has. Same with Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki (although I don't care for their hold the lever to have 4wd fully locked).

 

Chuck, right now it costs you around $25 to change oil every 50hrs or 500 miles. If you went to a Rubicon 500 it will cost you around $50 using the factory oil and filter. The advantage though, is that you are changing the tranny fluid at the same time, so no seperate fluid like the POPO. My expirience with the Polaris has been short, but I like mine so far... I love my Honda's, they are reliable allthough cold blooded. I have not done anything other than routine maintenace with either the 03 or 06. Coming from a polaris 500 to a rubicon 500 you will notice less power even though the POPO is heavier. The ride is not as plush as the popo, but offers a decent controlled ride, you will feel the aftermath of a ride. IMO I would not give up EFI living in MN, I'm from SD and with the POPO you start it at let it warm up. On the Rubi you remove the side panel(not hard), stick you bare hand (no room with glove) in the subzero metal maze, find the primer button, push it eight times, then when it fires you have to play with the choke and throttle to get it warmed up for 5 minutes before it will idle on its own. So the Rincon right now is your best option as I don't see that you would want to downsize down to a 420.
My experience with Honda has been great, but my freind had a awful time with his 2002 Foreman ES. First he had the well documented shifting problem under warranty. Then he had the radiator spring a leak, right under the filler cap, four days after his warranty expired and Honda would not stand behind it, it cost over $500. Then shortly after the radiator a tie rod broke while he was riding it down the street to work as he was turning into his work's parking lot. Then the shifting messed up on him again. I was the one that got him interested in the Honda in the first place. His was a year end 02 mine was the first 03 the dealer had, bought them at the same time. He was easy on his, I worked the P!55 out of mine from day one. His never saw mud or trails in the 9 months he owned it. He traded it for an 03 Polaris Sportsman 500, which he only had a warranty recall fixed on it in the 4 years he had it. Now he has a 07 Polaris 500 efi and has had no issues. This is the reason I tried a popo, and because I liked using his. Just shows you even some Honda's are bad as well as some Polaris' are good, it's all in the luck of the draw. Although, one may have better luck drawing from one deck than the other.