Been looking for the wife a auto sporty quad.

Looking for some thoughts on this one from people that have it

thanks in advance

 

I have a 2005 . It did have some electrical problems and when I got it fixed under warranty I replaced parts with 2006 upgrade parts . I don't forsee much more trouble .

The back brake on mine is not very good - maybe in 2006 it is better . The plastic mounting is kind of cheap but it seems to work . The frame and chassis seem to be pretty stout - I can't see it causing trouble . I have been in the engine to do some modification work - it looks a little lighter than what I care for but I understand from a Polaris engineer that the engine has been thrashed at the factory and it holds up well . The ride is a little stiff - but it does seem to manuever well in the woods . As far as power goes is is pretty wimpy from the factory .

I am not unhappy with the purchase , but it isn't a Honda as far as quality goes . I don't know what a 250EX sells for but if I was in the market I would look at one of those too - they are a better machine all around .

 

i have a 2005 phoenix also and the back brake is poor and the front brake is overkill. i know they put a longer arm on the 2006 back brake to make have better braking with less effort at the handlebar or the footbrake. the wife figured out how to make the rear brake work for her. she uses the foot brake and handbrake together and it almost feels normal. the 2006 uses a different rear end final ratio for higher top speed and i am guessing fuel economy. i like the lower ratio on my 2005 because it makes it more gutsy up the hills and easier to go over rougher terrain in the woods. we are happy with ours because it does evreything we expected it to for us where we ride. the phoenix should have had at least a disc brake in the rear and drums brakes in the front. disc brakes front and rear would have been perfect.

 

Just writing a follow up report. Everything still working well with our 200. No problems so far. The use of the synthetic oils made the shifting better and seems to make the engine run with a little more pep. I think they use the heavier oil with all new units because of the break in factor. Still can't take it away from my son and wife. Fun ride, I would recommend it to anyone. Requires low maintenance and still have not had to take back to the dealer. Will probably add an hour meter so that I can better determine the oil change intervals.

 

If she doesnt mind shifting, I would definitely go with a Suzuki or Honda 250. I have a 250 Ozark and it is a great quad. It is basically a Z250 with a more utility body on it + racks. NO PROBLEMS AT ALL, except, my wife doesnt like to shift--cant get the hang of it. If she likes sportyness better though, go with the Z 250 or 250 ex .Needless to say my nephew is going to buy it. You can get good deals on them too. I got my Ozark new for 2900 otd in 2005. Not bad for a bulletproof designed quad. I personally just dont think that the Phoenix has enough for an adult unless you are just planning on a casual trail ride. DOnt get me wrong, I like Polaris, but they are still lacking on the smaller displacement atv side a little...my 2 cents.