I did- it's at the top of the list below

I had a 2009 xp850 le (limited edition)
I bought it from the Polaris dealer's service manager with under 200 miles on it-
I liked the atv from day one- very powerful, wheelie popping and nice on the trails- and I loved the ADC!
But I had some strange issues with it that were making me
wonder what the dealer used it for... (they said it was a demo unit )
I don't think the issues I had were typical of any other xp850- so I'm not holding it against polaris- but the dealer was hiding something for sure.

I had to replace the rear cv's 2 weeks after I bought it (dealer paid for the parts) only after I made a stink about it. I had to replace every aarm & shock bushing (something like 60 of'em total) which I did / paid for myself even though the dealer said it still had 1 yr on the warranty- the rear brake never worked (typical on the sportsman models- but on a new xp )

there always also seemed to be something wrong with the rear end beyond the typical polaris drive train chatter- the rear end would always grind and click, and still had a lot of "in & out" cv shaft play despite the shafts being new- I even took it back to the dealer "M.O.M.'s" and had them go through the rear end- they said it was fine but I found out they never even took it off my trailer to diagnose it

Just didn't seem right to me so, I bailed on it a couple of months later.

Wouldn't you know- I got an email from the guy who bought it from me- he was pissed- he said the rear end blew and the wheels wouldn't move- I told him to take it back to mom's for the warranty- he said he did but there was nothing at the dealer saying it had a warranty - he accused me of being a scammer so I gave him the service managers name- Never heard back from him.

I don't know what they did to that xp in the 200 miles they had it- I think it was driven 100% of the time on tar- to tow other atv's and bikes around- and it destroyd the suspension bushings and rear end- that's all i can figure out

 

OUCH!

 

Man, thats no good. Makes me think I should just get a sportsman 800 instead.

 

They should last as long but with all the added stuff going on like Power steering , ADC , EFI , and a boat load of sensor's thing's will fail and cost the owner money . It's if you don't have it , it can't break . That's why I have had so much luck with mine it's plain jane there's nothing on it to break . Myself I like it that way I don't need EFI and all those sensors my carb starts everytime in fact my carb's never been touched . I don't need ADC I don't even have EBS and I don't want that either . Power Steering would be nice but only if it can be proved to be reliable . I'd like to see a plain jane carb XP model with a few more cc's . I'm buying new this spring .

 

I remember when everyone thought power windows, power steering, automatic transmissions, air conditioning and fuel injection was the beginning and the demise of the automotive industry and today every one of those items are standard equipment on every vehicle.

Granted "when" they do fail they cost more to fix but I would HATE to buy a new pickup truck without power windows, power steering, automatic transmissions, air conditioning and fuel injection.

I wouldn't buy a new ATV that didn't have EPS nor would I buy one that wasn't fuel injected. If I wanted a very basic no frills ATV I would find a clean used one.

I have a neighbor that has an '09 850 xp (camo) and he is always bragging how he knocked a home run when he bought the extended warrantee for $1200, he says he's been paid back more than double in warrantee repairs.

He uses it pretty hard and he has had tons of suspension problems, rear differential problems (probably had the plastic carrier - that's one of THE stupidest things I have ever heard of) two EPS units and countless other problems.

Sometimes I'm not so sure that these problem plagued ATVs are the exceptions.

 

I agree 100%

I'd rather have the upgrades and features- after having and experiencing the EFI- I cringe at the thought of ever having another atv with a carb- and anyone who has ever had to deal with a frozen choke cable, a frozen float or a gummed up needle or a motor that does not want to stay running when its *9 outside would take the EFI in a heart beat. Sensors can be a pita but- I'd rather be warned of an overheating engine rather then finding out my engine was just ruined and now needs a rebuild because it overheated 50 miles from the truck.

 

I would still go with the xp over the sportsman- way too many upgrades to just ignore on the xp.

My case above I think was an anomaly and not typical of an xp-
but, I would try for that 2010 xp over the 2009.

 

That'a allot of problems you neighbor has had it just reinforces my thought's on keep it simple . He went though all those problems he lost all that riding time ( when repairs were being done ) and he had to pay $1200 for a extended warranty . XP's cost more to maintain & repair it's are the added features worth the extra cost's to you . To me it's no I would of wasted my money buying a extended warranty . Look at it this way , he paid more to buy his xp , he paid more for a extended warranty , he had problems that forced the machine back to the dealership , and he lost riding time . All thing's I have not had with my low cost value model and I like it that way

 

Spdecat

After reading your posts I think what you shoud buy is a 2012 Honda Foreman 500 with the foot shift transmission.

Although it is fuel injected it is probably as close to "basic" as you're going to get and I'll bet it would last forever.