hi all....richard here, new to the atv world. i am looking into buying my first atv and i am stuck between a 2007 arctic cat 400 4x4 five speed and a suzuki vinson 500 4x4 five speed. i currently live in oklahoma and will be going to florida in a year. i mostly play in the mud and some hill climbing. my two riding buddies drive hondas-rancher 420 and foreman 500-.
my questions are #1: between the cat and vinson, which will get through the mud easier, climb hills, and go through the river? #2 will i be able to match the hondas step for step on the trail as well as i think i can?
the vinson is going for 5600 otd and the cat 4600 otd.

 

Look at the specs. The AC 400 is 376 cc, The Vinny is 493 cc. The AC 400 has 12 inches of ground clearance, The Vinny 9.9.
The most significant difference is the AC has a lockable front diff and the Vinny has a torque sensing one, like your friends Hondas.

Ironically they both use Suzuki engines.

So, if you want to outrun the Hondas, get the Vinny. If you want to climb rocks and dash through mud that will stop the Hondas cold, get the AC, because the extra ground clearance and lockable diff will pull you through.