Greeting,

This being a first posting, I wish to thank all the great info on Ranchers that have been posted. This Honda forum is the best.

Up until this weekend, I had my heart set on a Polaris Sportsman 500. But I felt somewhat overwhelmed by its size. I myself am 5 ft /125. A friend of mine said the 500 may "beat me up" too much on the trails.

Considering that, I went to look at what Honda makes. The salesman showed me a Rancher 4x4 ES. Almost all the benifits of the 500, in a more manageable package. It just felt "well balanced".

I guess my questions to the masses are: Do you also think the Rancher is a better handling ATV than the 500? I know the ind. rear susp. might smooth some trail riding, but overall, is it as good?

Second, Concerns for the drum brakes. Are they sealed well enough to keep water out? I know they would dry out in the summer. My worry is for them to freeze in the winter.

Third, The turning radius is almost double that of the 500. Should I be concerned, or just practice K turns at the end of the trails?

Lastly, price. The 500 is at least a grand more. Is it worth it? The best price so far for the rancher ES 4x4 I got is $5000, plus $150 for delivery and set up.(Eastern PA.) I've seen prices posted, but don't know if dealer delivery and set up was included.

Any input will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,

 

The turning radius figures are not accurate. The Rancher is a great quad. It is nice and weighs at least a hundred pounds less than the 500. Independent suspension vs. solid axle only compares in smoothness if the are about the same size. The 500 is a monster. With that, you will be able to out-size many. The question is is the 500 worth 1000.00 more to you. It is your quad. You fill find a bunch of guys who swear by the Honda and hate Polaris and others that are the opposite. They are great quads. You pick. IT will make you feel better.

 

Well, actually there is more of a differance in these two quads than you think.The Sportsman is an automatic,independant suspension,switchable from 2wd to 4wd,disk brakes,offers a far superior ride for casual trail riding,[best casual trail rider of all 4x4 quads I think]has more power,bigger turning radius,higher ground clearance,and when the AWD is activated,it spins all 4 wheels with power.The Sportsman also is liquid cooled,im not for sure about the Honda's cooling but I dont think this model is liquid cooled.Sportsmans?I wish it were 100lbs lighter,I wish the front Mcphearson struts were a little stronger,Polaris can do away with the reverse over ride switch to.The older Polaris are not nearly as dependable as a Honda.Your buddie is probably right,you are a small person and the Sportsman is better suited for a larger individule.I have heard of shifting problems on the Honda ES models when the temperature gets really cold.Also a battery drain problem that Honda has recalled.Very few problems on the Honda's rear drum brakes filling with debree.That drum problem award goes to the Suzuki's KQ.Dealer set up and deleivery is BS,dont pay a penny for it.Im a Sportsman owner,but giving your size,I'd have to say your buddie wins this one with his selection of the ES.Best of luck on which ever quad you buy.Im betting your going to have fun on any one of them.Good Day,=====BILL

 

I live in Central PA (State College). I bought a Rancher ES (list $5399) for $4899 at Track N Trail Honda. That's their everyday price. When I walked in I was undecided as to whether I would buy one. After looking at and riding I decided to purchase. 20 minutes after I started the paperwork and handed them the check my machine was ready. They did add $65 for freight/delivery (from Honda to the local dealer).

 

Hey, thanks for the input. Your honesty and detailed info is appreciated. I'll keep you posted on which one I pick. Both are good machines, each having their strengths and weakness.

I'll see if I can get the Honda dealer to accept $5000/delivered. If not, maybe a drive to State College or to New Jersey to save on tax may be in order.

 

I paid $5100 +tax and title for my Rancher ES in Western Pa. I was told that since the Ranchers are selling so well that most dealers are not discounting from the $5399 MSRP. The other post here with the great price in State College was the second time I heard of this dealer at this price. May be worth checking out if its not too far for you. I haven't ridden mine enough yet to say whether the sealed drums will freeze or cause other problems. But no problems so far. I really like the ES, time will tell how it holds up, with Honda I don't expect any problems here either. The Polaris is alot bigger. Everyone has different opinions on which is better. That's why they make all the different ones. For me the Rancher was the obvious choice. I also have an older Polaris. It is a good machine. But, I don't like the way it "freewheeels" down hill. Some guys it doesn't bother at all. I like to hold the Rancher back with the gears and the brakes are great. Not sure whether the Sportsman has engine breaking or how it works.

 

Yes the SP500 has the engine braking system I like the weight and size of it for running down trees up too 4 to 5 inch dia. when I have to make my own trail.If I was 5ft 120 lbs I think I would get something smaller and get the Rancher.

 

I am heading out to Lake Hill Motors in Mississippi this Saturday to pick up a Rancher 4X4. Walkout price is $4,800 if you are an out of state customer. They do not charge a set-up fee and if you are from out of state, they do not charge sales tax. I live in Atlanta, GA and the best price on a Rancher 4X4 I have seen here is a retail of $5,200 plus set-up plus sales tax. That gets you out the door for around $5,900. It's worth the 5 hour drive to Mississippi for me. Lake Hill Motors is on the web at Hondadiscoutprices.com. Good Luck!

 

I've only had my Rancher for about 3 weeks. I paid 4800.00 even for it. My nephew works at the Honda Shop and there is no sales tax here. I had doubts about the ES but now I love it. I also love the ways it handles.

 

I have to weigh in on the subject of turning radius. The claimed 68" turning radius of the polaris sp500 is actually 118". If you don't believe it, look at a test of the sp500 in any magazine, they will list the true turning diameter as 19'8" or 118" radius. The Ranchers true turning diameter is 19'3", and is tighter than the sp500. Just another example of honesty in advertising on Polaris' part.