Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Arctic Cat features/quality vs. the others

It seems as though Arctic Cat 4x4 ATVs do not receive as much attention as Honda, Yamaha, Polaris, Kawasaki....

What are your opinions on their quality, design, features, reliability, etc. in relation to the more common competition?

The frame is heavier (making the bike slower), but it appears very well built for utility work. The Suzuki drivetrain is well-regarded. They have the locking diffs and high ground clearance. They are a little more tippy due to height but very smooth riding with the good wheel travel.

Other than a greater tendency to roll than some due to their high ground clearance, is there any other significant drawbacks to be aware of? With regards to this they now offer a stabilizer.

I would appreciate any info from those who have had both.

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p.s. I have used the search function here already but there is not a lot of comparative info here on the Cats.

I have a 99 AC500 as a personal machine and prefer it to the many company machines I also have, mostly Honda TRX350/450's and Yamaha's of varioous types. the semi-indepentent rear axle rides better on rough terrain than a conventional swing-arm straight axle, and it handles big trailers and loads better than a true IRS rear.

The Suzuki drivetrains are bulletproof and the quad itself is well built and easy to maintain.

The newer Cats are very big machines, both to handle and to ride. They have a huge amount of ground clearance and you can stuff 27" tires under them easily.

They've had problems with electrical and bearings in the past. Nothing recently. If I didn't buy yamahas,I'd definately be riding an arctic cat. The automobile style reciever hitch on the AC is really a neat feature also.

Thunderstick,
First off, while I think the Campfire is the best firearms/hunting forum out there, there are a ton of great ATV forums that will overwhelm you with information.
Last fall I did the same thing, reading everything I could find on ATVs, asking friends about theirs, and checking out the machines at the dealers. In the end, I bought an 07 AC 500 manual shift.
It had all the features I thought I needed, was more money than I originally intended to spend, it's a huge machine compared to what I originally thought I wanted, and honestly I just fell in love with the looks of the machine. Also, the local AC dealer was great to deal with, both before and after the sale. I think the dealer is almost as important as the machine itself in how well you end up liking it.
So far I've added a winch (kit was a $69 promo from AC), put on the sway bar (great mod unless you are dedicated mudder or rock climber), and a set of XTRs on the stock wheels. Perfectly happy with my choice.
As long as you know what your getting with the AC, it's a very good machine, IMHO. However, if speed, wheelies, and whooping ass on your buddies in a drag race are up there on your priority list, there are better choices-like CanAm. Do your research and buy what you like, they're all pretty good machines these days.
Try arcticchat.com and aurorawheelers.com(lots of CanAm fans here).
Good luck,
Steve

I havea buddy who has two AC machines. they are OK but I would not trade my Polaris in on one. He has a 250 and a 400 and thinks they are the best thing going. That may be so when they are not in the shop getting something fixed. the 400 is a shifter model and it has had transmission problems since it was new. Currently in the shop getting a new shift drum and shifting forks. AC has extended his warnenty as this machine was never rite. It's an 04. his 250 is older and has worked ok when it runs, we just found a simple problem that may fix the running problem....a bent pin on the connector to the ignition modual. These machines do get used and used hard. Fred is a terrible rider and smacks into a lot of things. Gotta say the AC is tough. I don't especially care for the Suzuki motors they use. But then the Polaris motors are just ok, not power houses but run good. My sons 90 Predator two stroke is a screamer.
They all make good machines some just seem to be better suited to the individual than others.

Bullwnkl.

I bought a new 2002 AC 400 and my dad bought its twin the day after I brought mine home. Our prior ones (early Suzuki King Quads)were stolen in Denver on the way out for an elk hunt. Neither of us have had any problems with our ACs. My father uses his more than I do and they both still keep chugging along. His is used to pull a self-powered mower on a 3.5 acre field in PA. He wishes he had a liquid cooled machine cuz his gets hot but never overheats. They ride smooth. The only thing with AC is you have to be more of an "active" rider due to the high COG. If my dads sells his then I'm first in line to buy it. I could use another for my kids.

RH