bighorn27

Thinking of buying an atv 500 to 700 utility. Have ridden 350 Honda2w. 450 Honda rancher4w, test drove Kodiak 450 in dealer lotand 500 Polaris 2w/4w. I was very impressed with the Polaris. Very comfortable suspension and fast. The auto trans was great too. Love option of 2w or 4w. How do the Polaris compare with others ? Is EFI more reliable than carbs. I will be towing trailer. Thanks for the pro's and cons.

rick_reno

Try a search - this was discussed awhile back. Do you like working on your ATV or riding it? If you like working on it, Polaris is a good choice.

stubblejumper

The polaris quads do ride smooth,but they also are very complicated compared to most other quads.As a result they weigh about 100lbs more than other quads and require much more maintenance.The 600 and 700 do not have a manual starter to back up the electric start, so if the battery gets drained,you are out of luck.If you want a real automatic transmission,consider the honda rubicon as they use a hydrostatic transmission that does not have a belt to slip or break.They can also be shifted manually if you choose.They also have the option of two or four wheel drive.If you check into what quads are used by the forestry people,surveyors and seismic people you will rarely find a polaris product.In fact most are honda with a few yamahas.The reason for this is that these people depend on their quad to do their work and downtime costs them money.

llbts1

I own 2 Polaris ATV's and have not had one bit of trouble with either. One is a 94 2 stroke and the other is a 2000 Sportsman 500. Both have been very reliable. They are both used for farm work and hunting purposes. They have been from the Texas plains to New Mexico mountains without any issues. I do take care of my equipment, whether it's my pickup, tools, guns or atv's. I cannot address other brands, as I have not owned them and have not had any experience with them. As far as Polaris is concerned, I have been very happy with mine. Larry

m.t.hands

i owned a 425 magnum, and like others have mentioned, it did require more maintenance than the honda's i had previously owned, BTW mine was chain driven front and rear, my three biggest complaints were,

1.the 4X4 did not work in reverse w/o holding the overide button
2.my battery shorted out and it took out every lamp on the whole 4 wheeler, called polaris, because were talking about 150$ worth of bulbs, guy tells me that it was because my model did not have a voltage regulator[:@], then tells me that the newer models did[:@]
3. the intermediate shaft and chains were always needing attention

the motor and performance were great, the ride was great,and in all fairness i have heard the shaft drive units are better, but knowing what i know now i would not buy another just like my 425 with the chans and mid-shaft, also i have heard the deal about the belts but have never had any trouble with them or known anybody that has personally

and the most important thing, welcome to the forums bighorn

RedAllison

I know I'm gonna step on some hands, but when has that ever stopped me?

I am fairly sure that Polaris is Greek for "BIG POS". Sure they have some great "gizmos" and ride great, but that's about the extent of their desirability. I have a good friend that is a longtime (2nd generation) Honda dealer and they picked up Polaris at their dealership about 10 years ago. I asked him lastyear what the difference between the service life of Honda vs Polaris. He looked up at me and smiled sheepishly, "Like daylight and dark!!!" [:-]

The only Polaris I have seen that hasn't given any problems are a couple or Rangers my brother has. But they aren't used a terrible amount and aren't worked. He bought a 700 quad when they came out 2 years ago, needless to say he now has a King Quad this season. A buddy of ours bought that very 700 Polaris from the dealership I work at where it was traded in. Our buddy didn't keep it 2 months, burned up a tranny belt and caused other problems in that short time. It was replaced by a BadBoy Buggie!

The Kawasaki/Suzuki bikes seem to be MUCH better than they used to be. We also have a 650 Kawie in our club and it seems to be an excellent quad, EXTREMELY quiet. I can hear the tranny whine over the engine at 400yds. But if I didn't have my trusty ol Honda (mines the "baby" in the club now, a 98 300 4x4 Fourtrax that I refuse to get rid of!) I would certainly have a Yammie. Probably a Kodiak, I just don't see the need for the weight, size and expense of the Grizzly. But I have gotten away from using a quad anyway if I can help it. I have an Outback ESV from Ricks ESV. Electric carts are MUCH more hunter friendly IMHO.

Good luck on whatever you choose,
RA

hoghunter22-250

get a honda!!!! lol

uncle matt

Polaris has gotten somewhat better lately. Yes it's true. BUT! Still NOWHERE close to the reliability of Yamaha or Honda. And they're overpriced, in my opinion.

deer-hunter18

I have a 2003 polaris, and haven't had any problems with it. But it is early yet. After reading this forum i am getting a little bit worried about it. If i were to buy a new one it would be the new Bombardie (Howevery you spell it) 800. It is one sweet 4 wheeler, my friend has one and i will put money on it that it will out perform every ATV on the market. It is just awesome.

bighorn27

Thanks for the welcome m.t. hands. I went by cheeta a couple years ago but fried my computer. Could not get my old call sign back but it's nice to be back. I did check reviews on Honda's automatic rubicon (per stubblejumper), I really like the auto. It seems thru the reviews though, Honda is still working on an existing problem with the trans. My friend's 450 full time 4w honda is a real bear to handle in tight spots. I found myself constantly backing up and manuvering. The ride was very stiff andfatiging. The Polaris I rode was a scrambler type, not utility. Seems like I could ride all day andstill want to hit it again. Guess first impressions die hard. Resale value seems lower on Polaris than Honda, which is good if I buy a used one. Thenegative feed back on Polaris does raise some concerns although I still lean towards my first positive experience. I thank everyone for their imput. This forum is the best and so are the participants. Hope to see more imput on this issue.PS. I really liked the 450 Kodiak, but the parking lot test run was teribble. The engine was missing badly and shaky. Another first impression, but negative. I hear Yamaha has ignition problems as"THEIR" nemesis.