There is only one that you will get your moneys worth and that is a HONDA!

yeah i have been in my share of polaris vs honda debates. but i'll warn you ahead of time don't buy a honda and buy a polaris and you will regret it . especially in your wallet as it breaks and breaks and..........

I will not own a belt drive so that leaves only manual transmissions and hondas which have real automatic transmissions.

I have had a lot of different Honda bikes, the only on that has ever been worked on besides brakes and wear items was a 1980 model atc 110, which got stuck in gear. Have had several since then and never a problem at all. For reliability Ride a Honda. For speed, and maybe more comfort, and bragging rights get something else, but for reliability....Ride Red! Ride Honda. And probably the best 4 wheeler ever built was the trx 300 4x4, but it was replaced with the rancher.

Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of the other brands and people have had some really good results with them. But I bet you the Honda will still be running when the others are in the scrap yard. Kind of like the turtle and the hare race story. Honda is a lot of the time the slower, rougher riding, less styling, less powerful, but it will still be running and going when the fat lady sings.

Test this.... Go to every dealer..... Start some bikes....See what sounds good and starts best. Ride a few of your friends, and Buy what you like. Keep in mind, whatever you buy, take care of it, Service it, change the oil OFTEN, keep it out of the rain and sun.

Ride Red, Ride Honda.

Kirk

1999 Honda 450es
2001 Honda 400ex
1988 Honda 250R
1999 Honda 300fw
1996 Kawasaki 300 bayou 4x4
1992 Suzuki LT80
1999 Honda vf750
1986 Honda cr250
2003 Harley FXDWG

Knock on wood but no problems so far with my Yamaha Kodiak!

I'd go with Yamaha or Honda.

Polarises are good when they're running but my friends have them and they spend a lot of time in the shop.

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I have a Yamaha 400 Big Bear - it's reliable, but hell on the rough trails and hard to shift at times. The Prairie 360 4x4 is nice, extremely comfortable and powerful - but I'd have to wait to see the verdict on the belt-drive sytems before I'd invest that amount of money in one. The next ATV I'd get is a HONDA. Simple, dependable, powerful, incomperable - nuff said.

I can honestly say I have a Yamaha Kodiak 400 and I love it! Give them a look. It has a great turning radius and fits through the woods and trees where others can't. Plenty of power I have a Moose county plow for mine we just had well over a foot of snow and it handled the snow with no problems at all. I am very pleased. Besides the push button 4x4 it plays as good as it works. Sit on them and see what feels the best for you! Good Luck! Its fun picking a machine out.

If you can spare the $'s, the Yamaha Rhino is awesome! Otherwise, if you don't use it in a lot of snow, a light 2wd model works well. I have a Yamaha Bear Tracker 250 and have NEVER been left behind by any larger 4wd machine. Matter of fact, mine is actually better in most situations because if I get in a tight spot or stuck, I can lift it out myself.

It does not go uphill in snow over @ 6" though. It will carry 2 200lb+ riders a medium size deer and some gear in a pinch also.

Good value for the dough!

Be warned, I have strong feelings on this subject. I personally think the 500+cc machines are not warranted for most hunting machines. They are way heavy, and you can haul whole elk with the smaller machines. The big machines are so heavy that a winch is essential IMO. If you do lots of riding and exploring, fuel consumption will become an issue with the big machines. In addition, some of them--ie the grizzly are louder and have more vibration than you will want to deal with long term. In a hunting machine, I believe 4WD is essential. However--I enjoy trail riding far too much to have a full time 4WD system. I prefer a push button 2wd/4wd engagement. If you are set on a two wheel drive, travel with a friend or get a winch--the time is coming when you will get stuck. Polaris machines have the best ride IMO. I however can't accept their single brake system in steep country with a heavy load and it seems the Polaris owners I know spend more time making repairs than they should. Polaris machines also feel a little top heavy/tippy. I've owned Yamaha Kodiaks (automatics) since they were introduced. I've had zero problems. For the money, I think the Suzuki Eiger is a tremendous bargain. My in-laws have had no problems with theirs. I've owned Hondas--they are dead reliable, well engineered and slightly overpriced. For ride quality, the independant suspension are probably superior. However, IMO, they are more tiippy in off camber situations. I spend enough time in off camber areas that I prefer solid axel machines. (If I didn't live in the mountains, I would own independent suspended machines). Ive got several thousand miles on the Yamaha automatics (Grizzly and Kodiaks). I have never had a belt slip and my dealer tells me they don't even stock belts because they haven't had to replace one yet. After this experience, I can't imagine wanting to go back to a manual shifting machine. I've spent considerable time with Honda's automatic transmission. I am seriously impressed with it. However, up till recently, they were full time 4WD which I have been unwilling to accept (I enjoy the power slides too much). I love the ride of the kew Rincon but the "gearing seems inadequate for real heavy loads. If I won the lottery, or could come up with a rationalization for another big bore machine, I would absolutely choose the prairie.

i have not read the post but i can say this. i think the best all around 4wheeler is the polaris sportsman 500 h.o. the thing will do about 55-60 mph topped out and is awesome 4 trail riding and pulling out deer. forget about going around 4 inch diameter trees. with the bumper they put on the front u can just go right over them. another reason polaris is the best is b/c u can use TRUE 4wheel drive at any speed with push of a button. next reason-this delivers so much power it is unbelievable. it has about 1 inch treads and this thing will tear through stuff. i mean it is a bad @ss 4wheeler. i was in a creek and there was water all the way back up to the rear racks. kicked it in 4 wheel drive and crawled rite out of it. another thing i like is engine breaking 4 hills. it limits ur speed going down hills if u arent pushing on the gas to assist in breaking. this is also a smoother ride than ANY OTHER 4 WHEELER I HAVE RIDDEN, including honda and yamaha. the IRS works so well over ruts, stumps, and bumps it is amazing i honestly would get this or if u want more power get the 600 or 700 twin sportsman. plus this 4wheeler is automatic transmission. no shifting at all!!!this thing is a dream no doubt about it and i really dont think u will ever need a winch for it. i havent yet and have gotten into sum pretty rough sh*t with it

i seriously would greatly consider this 4wheeler i can not tell u how happy u will be with it