I got a price of $6,250 out the door on a 2005 Sportsman 500. I have seen the pictures and brochure of the 2005. I like the new front design with the storage. I know the struts have more travel and the track is supposedly 1.5" wider. The weight is also 37 pounds heavier. The new tires look good too.

I am trying to figure out if I should wait for and buy a 2005. Will they sell at retail of $6,700 when they come out or do you think it will be below?

The price on the 2004.5 is $5,850 before tax. Is it worth the extra $850 to get the 2005. To me the new cosmetic designs and the things listed above are not worth $850. Unless they redesigned anything else like the frame or something else that matters, then the 2004.5 seems like a better value.

What do you guys think?

Thanks for your help.

 

Jeff I don't know what part of michigan you live in but there are a couple of dealers in Tenn. that are selling 2004.5 500ho for 5099.00 out the door. You don't pay sells tax to them but you would when you get back to Mich. I drove down in 2002 and picked up my 500ho at one of the dealers down there. At the time they were 650.00 cheaper then the local dealer that is 40 miles away. Will the 2005 model be worth the extra cost ? To some it will and to some it won't. If you want me to I will post the links to the tenn dealers. Good luck

 

As of right now the 2004.5 will be a much better value, because Polaris is trying to clean out the 04s. However the new 05s are supposed drive much better, and I'm a fan of the new looks. However for what they have done, I'm not sure if $850 would be worth the cost. Before I did anything I would test drive the 2005 to find out if it would be worth that. In Chattanooga TN (I think this is the dealer BeltDrive is talking about) they have the 500 and 600s going for $5099. I have no clue why you can get a 600 for the same price as a 500 but you can there. That may be worth the drive for you, there is no sales tax since you are out of state and there are no charges. I got my 700EFI from there and paid a total of $6399 out the door and I think the price has gone down a $100 since then. Go to Polaris of Chattanooga for more info. I'm going to test the 800 when they get some in to see if it's worth tradeing my EFI for. Good luck shopping!

 

I checked that out last week and I really don't want to drive down there. After I added the cost of gas, etc. the difference wasn't enough for me.

In what way will the 2005 models drive better Aaron?

Thanks.

 

They have increased the travel to 8.2 on the MacPherson, from the old 6.7. The new SP's are also 1.5in wider than the older models. This should make them handel better and be more stable.

 

I have just purchased a sp600 from abernathy's in tennesse for 5099. I love it, they couldn't make a better bike for my needs. As far as waiting for the new models theres pros and cons, but my thinking was; the 2004.5 models have got years of technology and dependability behind them. as with any "new" vehicle, during the first couple years of production, there is always kinks that come up and need worked out. I like the looks and the additional features, but I also appreciated the long standing sportsman reputation. Good luck on your decision, as long as its a sportsman, you can't go wrong!!!!

 

Jeff, just curious, what part of Michigan are you from? And what dealer did you go to?

 

Thanks guys.

 

It doesn't look like you can strap anything on the front storage area on the 2005.

 

The 2005 has the front storage box with the rack extender, it is pretty slick.

There are not that many differences, the 2005 is a further refinement of the current design.

The new front end, struts, 1.5 inches wider, and the new body work are the bulk of the improvements.

The gas tank is 2 inches wider at the knees, me no like. Feels like riding a horse.

Grab a great deal on a 2004.5, You will pay a lot more for the 2005.