Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Buying 1st ATV.. Honda or Polaris?

Klikitarik ....WOW....I'm impressed your quad works after an "Ocean Voyage". I've seen outboards go under and never work again.

I just got back from ATV shopping and boy is my wallet tired :-).

My wife was with me, so if I done wrong it's half her fault....We were on our way to yet another dealership, that had Hondas & Polaris machines, and as luck would have it, we passed a different dealer and pulled into the lot (an hour before the last closing of the year). We looked at all they had to offer, Suzukis, Yamahas, Kawasakis and Can-am. I hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew, but I ended up buying a left-over 2006 Can-am 800 MAX XT (2 seater). Much bigger / more money than I wanted to spend, but it has EVERYTHING I wanted & more. The only difference (other than price) to the 2007 Model is the 07 has nicer Aluninum "sporty rims" and the 06 has more utilitarian steel rims. Cheaper to replace is how i'm looking at it. The frame is 8" longer than the i person unit, but I can carry a second person legally. It also has the plastic hand guards and is already outfitted with a Warn 2,500lb. winch. We added a Snowplow set-up and I told him to keep a trailer set aside for me, but i'd still like to shop around, as i really want a trailer with side rails and ramp, but most ATV places (that i've been to) only stock the tilt/flat plywwod type, i'm GUESSING that is because they are good for Snowmobiles & ATVs? I also got a manufacturers 3 year Warrany at no extra cost. They had the same ATV in 400cc (still a two seater) for about a Grand less, but I think it would be a little underpowered for 2 people.
Soooo....my 7k Quad turned into a 10K quad (including tax/plow/licensing....no dealer prep. B.S.), but we still paid 2,300 less than MSRP for a 2007.
Thanks again for all of your helpful input. This buying experience was more stressful than buying an SUV 4x the cost (for me anyway).
I've come away thinking that every ATV Manufacturer/Model has its advantages and disadvantages, and what one person likes, another may not. Such is true of so many things in life. Oh, I almost forgot.....it's Banana Yellow (far from my first color choice, but my wife likes it and I had to give in on something, as she's not killing me in my sleep for this purchase.
I'm also going to pay CLOSE attention to which ATV's are stuck/broke in the road/trail......i just hope i'm not one of them :-)

A Happy and a Healthy New Year to you all. Safe Riding....-TomT


REVISION....sorry, my wife corrected me.....the 400cc model was almost 2k less (not 1K).

I have a 2000 Polaris 500 Sportsman. It pulls firewood, moose, deer, and pushes snow and brush piles. Never had a lick of trouble with it. Works great in this part of the Canadian shield -- lots of rock hills and muskeg swamps and everything in between. But Honda has a good rep for reliability, and some of the others are good, too. Many of us never really give any machine a real test. Mine has had it pulling moose out of swamps and pushing deep snow with a 5' plow. Would likely buy another one if I needed to have two, but this one seems bullet proof so far. Got the original belt on it, but when I am using it for hard work, I always leave it in low range. It has taken me some places I wouldn't want to have walked, and brought me home as well.

A friend has an Arctic Cat 400, and although it is a good machine, and he has used it extenively, it is a little short in the power department, and it is a bear to get running and keep running when it is cold, and it doesn't have the clearance it might have.

Hope you make a good decision. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I think you made an excellent choice. I'll guarantee you won't be complaining about the lack of power. The 800 is no doubt the fastest utility quad out there. Do be careful if you let your son ride it-mash the throttle and it'll be a 3 foot wheelie and 70 mph in a heartbeat. I'm thinking a closeout price on a 2006 329cc electric shift Honda Rancher of 4 grand or less and the whole family can ride together.

The advise on getting a larger trailer is spot on. Get one that will haul at least 2-or more.

If you haven't already been there, visit Aurorawheelers.com.
It's a really good site for CanAm info.

Good luck with the new toy. I think ya done good.

Steve

Wow, not exactly what I'd recommend for a first machine, but it's your dough. My father-in-law has a 2006 Bombardier (Can-Am) Outlander 650 XT. He told me over Christmas that he regrets buying it. Besides the cost, his dislikes are the heat (there's actually reports of them melting seats and plastic), balky shifting, poor mud/water protection, a weak frame, $50.00 for a spare key, and the Visco-lock front end doesn't lock up instantly and unlocks on its own.

The plus sides are the warranty and the power...

Steve In OR. Thanks for the Aurorawheelers.com tip. Those guys are SERIOUSLY into Quads. They were also welcoming and informative. I kind of made them laugh when I thought that I bought a Top End Quad & It was "bullet proof" from a usage standpoint. I've since learned that, although it's a good machine (Can-am Outlander 800 MAX XT), i'm still going to be in the market for a few add ons, like Ricochet skid plates and eventually a coated exhaust system. Well, I wish you all a Happy & Healthy New Year! -TomT

I SURE DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
THANKS