Well, my brother rolled my Rancher for me. It WAS a 2007 ES. Insurance company has given me full value minus the deductible. (Brother wrote me a check for the deductable.)

When I went to the dealer to get a replacement, they had a Polaris Sportsman 450 on sale for basically the same price. This is $1,200 dollars less than 2 months ago when I got the Rancher. What do you think of this as a replacement for my Honda?

Be gentle.

100 Proof

 

Both Machines are great machines, However i would stay with the Honda rancher Es, It is sportier and handles better, and of course is quicker.

 

Both are very different machines. Honda: 3WD, 5-speed button shift, swingarm rear, a few othe minor differences. Polaris: AWD, full automatic with H/L range, IRS, a few other minor differences. Both are quality machines. A test ride on the Sportsman should help with your decision. Good luck.

 

I would go with Polaris. I bought a new Rancher AT 11/15/06 and have had nothing but problems and Honda Customer service has not helped me at all. I must have just gotten a lemon but Honda has put a bad taste in my mouth.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>I would go with Polaris. I bought a new Rancher AT 11/15/06 and have had nothing but problems and Honda Customer service has not helped me at all. I must have just gotten a lemon but Honda has put a bad taste in my mouth. </end quote></div>

I use to own a honda foreman 450es. The warranty wouldn't cover an engine failure @ 4months old, 60hrs on the machine. what's with that?

 

I have many friends with Hondas (owned 4) & that's all they will buy. It is tough to beat their track record (note: I've seen all brands have problems!!) For me it is about the ride comfort. The SP 450 wins hands down! After a day of riding my Rancher, I would walk like a 90 year old man. The Polaris guys would be fine. Plus with my solid axle Rancher, I was getting stuck in spots other quads would walk through. I've owned manual shifting atvs but I love the auto's. You get in trouble, hammer the throttle & get out.

If you are going to buy one quad & keep it for 20 years - buy the Rancher (They are the #1 selling individual quad for a reason!)
Otherwise it is a no brainer for me - SP 450

Just my $.02

 

I've had experience with both myself. I own an 07' Sportsman 450 and an 07' Sportsman 500 X2 Deluxe. My brother Has two 06' Ranchers, one 4WD and one 2WD....both ES models.

I've heard some horror stories about both Honda and Polaris, although I tend to hear more about Polaris (perhaps b/c that's what I own). Nevertheless, I think the Honda does have a really good reputation, and they are good machines for the cost. The Rancher is also a bit more nimble b/c of the size and less weight than the Polaris. My brother has had issues with the electronic shift on both of his units (twice on one of them). My 450 had a throttle issue the very first day I brought it home, but I think it was the dealers fault....they screwed up something during assembly. My X2 hasn't had any issues at all, but I just got it a month ago...so not fair to say yet.

On the other-hand, the Sportsman will absolutely go through rougher terrain than the Honda....we've been through some rough stuff in Colorado, where I actually pulled him out more than once. We attribute this a lot to the fully independant suspension on the Polaris, as well as the greater ground clearance...the Polaris also climbs on rough terrain much better.

As mentioned above, the biggest selling point for me was the ride quality of the Polaris...I've got a bad back, and don't have a bit of trouble after riding the Polaris all day, but I too walk like an old man after spending just a couple hours on either of the Honda's.

Additionally, someone above said that the Honda is faster....not true! Side-by-side (from a stop) my brothers 2WD will pull out on the Sportsman 450 for about the first 100', but then it gets beat by a lot! Next to the 4WD it is in front the whole way.

Some things additonal you get out of the Polaris:

- Much better ride quality with fully independant suspension / MacPherson strut style
- Adjustble ride height
- auto trans with low/high range
- more stability (wider track width, longer wheel base, and more weight)
- higher ground clearance
- More power
- Front and rear storage compartments
- Triple headlights
- Triple disc brakes (Honda has a drum on the rear)
- more fuel capacity
- 25" tires stock

 

I forget about both and get a Grizzly 450 which has a true locking 4 wheel drive, IRS.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Rickeyparker

Both Machines are great machines, However i would stay with the Honda rancher Es, It is sportier and handles better, and of course is quicker.</end quote></div>

Have you had any seat time on the Sportsman 450???
I hope you did with a statement like that!!!!
..........Caper............

 

I liked the Sportsman 450 so much ...I bought TWO!!!!!!..........Caper...........