I have ridden a few while elk hunting - a Polaris Expedition and a Honda Foreman ES. I liked both and both did a decent job of hauling a lot of gear and 2 hunters in and out of some nasty trails. I didn't like the foot shift of the Polaris though. The Honda ES is great.

I recently bought an Arctic Cat 650 and love it. I went big as the smaller ATVs don't have enough seat room if both the wife and I want to ride. I rode several but chose the AC because of the IRS, MRP rack system, 2 year warranty, 13 in ground clearance, and std 26 in tires. I also liked the Grizzly 660 and Prairie 700 but the AC just had a better balance of what I wanted. The Honda Rubicon would be ideal if it had IRS, wasn't full time 4wd, and had a locker. It has the best tranny.

I recently spent a lot of time on a Polaris SP500. It rides and handles better than my AC650 but doesn't have near the power or ability to climb through the nasty stuff like the AC. It also has some annoying glitches-grinds gears when shifting, plastic racks, cheap gauge pod, foot rests clog with mud, and the motor sounds like a lawn mower.