I own a 200 Polaris 500 Sportsman HO. My Bestfriend and hunting partner owns a 600 & 700. He previously owned a 500 I believe a 1997 model before they had the HO version and engine braking system. Neither of us have had any major problems or costly repairs. I have had to put a new drive belt on mine. The belt cost $40 and I did it myself. I have also owned previuosly a Honda 300 FourTrax 4X4. The front CV joints were going out about every 600-700 miles. I understand this problem has been corrected. I believe Polaris to have one of the best atv's on the market. I also like the new Honda's of larger size. I wouldn't say that you need a 700 but I wouldn't go below a 500 if buying a Polaris. The 700 has plenty of power and can handle a lot of towning and hauling. I would take your friend up on his offer if the price is fair.