Have a friend looking for a Utility quad he really likes Suzuki and Artic Cat. What do you recomend, he likes to shift gears too.

 

Suzuki 500 Quadrunner is the biggest Zuk and most capable utility/4 wheel drive there is. Suzuki makes the motor for the Arctic Cat 500 and the frame and body is made by Arctic Cat. The quadrunner has a lot of torque and actually can run pretty fast if you ever decide to hit 55 or more. Can't go wrong with that choice.

 

What size is he looking for?

Another option is the King Quad with its differential lock, 3 speed subtransmission, 5 speed transmission and independent rear suspension. Granted it is only a 300 (280cc actually) but it is definitely worth some consideration.

Just a thought, I could be biased.

 

It's hard to say without knowing a little more about what he's looking for.I have rode a LT250 4x4 through some tuff places and deep snow. 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, Sub-tranny and Differential Lock make a lot of difference when the going gets real tuff. I like the King Quad better though (300 cc, bigger tires & more ground clearance) if the extra money isn't an issue.

When it comes to Arctic Cat, I prefer the 300 4x4 as the best all around. It also has 4-Wheel Ind. Sus. & a Sub-tranny. It has a better ride but the trade off is it don't have Diff. Lock. Oh, and it has more wheel travel too. The good part about both is they have the same engine, offer 3 ranges and you can take them out of 4x4 and have 3 ranges in 2x4. That means a lot to me, considering I don't have to have it but about 5% of the time. At the end of a long day, the ease on steering in 2x4 says a lot. That's why I think these two are the best in class for utility 4x4's.

THE CHOICE IS BETTER RIDE (ARCTIC CAT) OR DIFFERENTIAL LOCK FOR REALLY BAD PLACES (KING QUAD)???

 

tell him to go with the king quad its the most fun with (2wd, 4wd, diff.lock) and (super low, low, high) he can have alot of fun in or out of the mud

 

The King Quad is efficient and durable. I have a 00 model.. Although, I don't think Suzuki, has built their best utility quad yet. If you took the 500 QuadMaster, and put the subtransmission and diff. lock on it, with the higher ground clearance, it'd be unstoppable. I asked the Suzuki dealer why they don't do it. He said that the price would be higher and the QuadMaster wouldn't be competive with other companies then.
I think people would pay the difference. I would.