Possibly for the people that are ONLY in it for a hardcore ***** to the wall mudding, Polaris and Can-Am are the clear choice.

There are many other of us that are in it for reliable, maintenance free trail riding/utility work. I think the cheaper Suzuki's, Yamaha's, Honda's, etc.. are VERY good at this. I enjoy the features, but less features means less to break and wear out in the long run.

I think Can-Am is alright, but they have weak frames (the most critical part of an ATV), and they dont have a true front locker either IMO. I dont personally like the Visco-Lock setup they use as the back wheels are already spinning before the fronts engage. Better than 3 wheel drive, but still not as good as a locker.

If given an unlimited budget to buy a new ATV, I think a 700 Suzuki King Quad would be at the top of the list for me. My point being that budget is probably not the reason a lot of people dont buy a polaris or can-am. And if money was an object, I would probably be buying a 500 King Quad, which would do everything and more that I would want to do, including anything the Can-Am would do except for win in a drag race.

Basically my point here is that many people dont make their choices based on all out horsepower and the amount of buttons on the dash.

 

that would not be me.

that's why I bought, and continue to buy Can-Am.

do you have the same ideology when buying a vehicle? more features = more breaking?
that's the same point of view my grandfather had- he missed out on a lot of nice things. I've had 10x more issues with my older "featureless" bikes and atv's than I've had with my dozens of newer atv's with comfort features.

that's a tired debate. the frames are actually fine- clip a tree at 30 mph and you'll have a problem. I've owned close to a dozen can-am atv's and currently ride a 2011 800 max (2up) - I jump it, thrash it on rocks and in mud and don't have any skids or frame insert- and have never had a single problem. People who don't know how to ride atv's break frames.
you're 100% incorrect on the visco locker- the rear diff has nothing to do with the front locking up- it's a 100% auto locking front diff- and it works awesome- 07 & earlier models were a little slow to engage during slow technical moving, but the new visco QE is instant lock.

I've ridden the (AXI) and owned an 05 KQ 700 - you can't compare the suspension, ride and component quality of any suzuki to can-am's atv's- you just cant- it's leagues apart- not only in terms of quality & durability, but the engineering that went into the ergonomics of how a suspension should work- case in point; can-am has totally linear rear suspension travel due to their tti suspension, every other Japanese atv still uses (old style) double a-arms which force the tires to rotate in while being compressed.... polaris decided it was going to also redesign their rear suspension to also have linear up & down travel- just one of a dozen innovations can-am (and eventually polaris) have added to their 4x4 atv's to improve rider ergonomics.

your comments prove one thing... you're not up to date with your assessments. which is one of my points- the can-am & polaris xp line up is changing so often, unless you're reading about the upgrades every year, you're already way out of touch with the current features.

 

Im sure we can all agree that every manufacturer has their problems as well as where they excel.

Im a brp fan as well as suzuki, and if I had to buy a brand new atv it would be a shootout between the two.

From my own personal experience the suzuki is a little better all around quality of an atv. The can am is right up there though, and the power is unbeatable.

They are different quads for different uses though, where one guy can do better on a can am, the next guy can do better on a suzuki (or yamaha or etc.)

Ive never been a polaris fan since their atv's of the mid to late 90's so I know nothing about them more then they have an engine that produces alot of power. Something that isnt always top priority when I buy an atv.

 

If the Grizzly is so inferior in its drive train why does it have the same 1300lb towing capacity as any big bore out there?

2013 Yamaha Grizzly 700 FI Auto. 4x4 EPS Specifications, specs

2010 Can-Am Outlander 800R EFI Review

I know the CVT systems are pretty well under worked on ATVs, they using the same primary and secondary and belts the use in there sled line ups which are all built for over 150 hp easily.

I,m sure if someone put a XP850 or Outlander 1000 motor in a Grizzly or KQ there drivetrains would handle it no problem.

That 80hp GP 500 snowmobile cost the same as the 36hp 550 Grizzly.

 

if honda would step up and build a 2-up atv with a decent powerplant and cvt tranny- I'd give'en another look- but I ain't holding my breath!

 

wouldn't that be more of a chassis thing?
they all have enough power to pull 1300lbs- so I'd think the chassis is the deciding factor on how much weight an atv can safely handle / pull.


no way! the outty xmr was breaking cv's off the dealer floor- I was standing in front of the salesman as a customer walked up and told him he had a broken cv- and the salesman said it was the 3rd new xmr he's seen in the shop for broken cv's in the past couple of months-

there's no way the thin japanese cv's are going to handle rotax power if they are breaking gorilla cv's...

 

yeah- they do all have their problems.
I was never a really big polaris fan either until I bought an 06 800 sp and an 09 xp 850- the xp 850 was a real power house- very fun to ride.
my favorite upgrade on the xp line was the narrow saddle- it felt like you were sitting on a dirtbike- whereas sitting on a can-am is like sitting on a horse- very wide saddle.

 

There more stress than just on the frame. If its has a 1300lb rating the CVs,axles,diff gears and tranny would also have to be able to handle it.

About this cost thing vs power , the 45hp 700 has a higher MSRP then the 75hp XP850

2013 Yamaha Grizzly 700 FI Auto. 4x4 ATVs

If you look up the parts numbers you would find that the 40hp 500 Outlander has the same CV,tranny and clutchs as the 80hp 800R.

Its like that for most all ATVs there the same ATVs just with different motors sizes.

 

Thats fine, everyone is free to make their own choice, but if you were to keep it long term (it doesent appear that you will), I would be willing to bet a Honda, Suzuki or Yamaha would outlast it and give you less headaches while doing it.



Yes I do actually. My truck is a 94 model with all manual windows and locks. It has 274k miles on it and the engine has yet to be touched. Funny I havent had any window or door lock issues either(wonder why?). Its been very reliable... We had a 2008 truck at work. Im not mentioning brands to keep from going down a different path, but we just got rid of it because that "technology" it had kept screwing up and causing problems. You cant make money with the truck being worked on. It was in the shop OVER 100 days since my boss bought it new in 2008. My truck has not been down for repairs that amount of time in the 10 years I have owned it... And i bought it used.

Possibly the issues you had were because you say they were "older" featurless ATVs? Possibly if you bought a new "featureless" ATV you wouldnt have issues because of someone elses neglect or lack of maintenance. Buy one of those ATV's that are new now about 10 years from now and tell me how it works out. You see all this 10 and 15 year old big bears and foremans, etc.. for sale still running good. I dont think its going to be that way when these rolling computers are that old.

How come I havent heard issues from other manufacturers frames? If going by what you said is true, then only Can-Am riders clip trees at 30mph?

The visco lock is not a true on demand locker like most ATV's offer now. The proof is in the pudding. Notice this guy is already digging ruts when the front diff decides to lock in:





I do read up on new features and things. I watch reviews as well. My comments simply prove i enjoy reliability and ease of use/maintenance over power and features. I put food on the table by being a mechanic for a local company. The more features you have, the more there is to break, period.

 

I agree. They all have their good and bad points. Just have to pick the one that suits your needs and budget the best.