Ive owned my 09 700SE eps for about 10mnths now,love it,no problems with it,and the power steering is the best,if you ride alot i highly recomend the EPS! good luck!

 

i bought a 700 with power steering i will never go back got 26 exacutioner tires turns em no prob just a few weeks ago i did blow 2 outer front cv joints yamaha 250 each ebay 200 for both other than that have not had a problem other than the plastic oil cover doesnt wana stay in place thought about a 550 but its only a few hundy more for the 700 i think its worth it even if ya dont need the extra power
camo is nice too also a bit of extra $$ doesnt show the mud as bad as other but doesnt llook nice when it starts to wear off
i bought mine at 360 power sports in ohio realy good to deal with and under that 8500 u were lookin to spend

 

Depends where your from, up here in Canada the Power streeing option is $1000 which is not worth it to me since I could buy a winch and 4 nice tires and rims for that. I,d also be nervous that PS would just be another expensive component to fail down the road. If it was a $400 option I may go for it but not a grand plus 15% tax.

Also the Canadian Dollar is worth more than the U.S dollar now so where not talking chump change at $1150 extra.

Never rode a ATV that I thought was hard to steer. Your diff lock option will behave like you Polaris and just make the ATV a true AWD, not a 3wd limited slip like your Honda's where.

 

The power steering is a GREAT option on the Grizzly.....not only does it make steering a breeze (especially in your more technical stuff), but it also acts as a sort of stabilizer if you happen to clip a root or a rock or something - won't jerk the bars out of your hands as easily....

If you have a budget to work within, what about a 550 Grizzly with EPS? Might be a good option, unless you are set on that 700ccs!