I've ridden ATVs on and off since I was a teen and am finally in a place to buy one. I am looking at 450-class utility ATVs. Primarily something to tool around on the trail networks here. Gonna be a few months at best before I can buy as I also am replacing my car with something that can carry one. I have it narrowed down to three models just based on reading and youtube videos. The Honda Rancher 420, Yamaha Kodiak 450 and BRP Outlander 450. Anyone have experience with any of these? Anything else I should be looking at? Thanks for any input!

My Yamaha is about 10 years old now and has not missed a beat.
Can’t suggest them highly enough.

I don’t have experience with that exact Honda (the ones I rode were a little smaller) but Honda makes some pretty robust ATVs. We abused the absolute hell out of them, crashed and rolled them so many times we are lucky none of us ever broke anything.

My friend even hit a big tree at speed hard enough to bend the frame on a Honda Recon. It messed up the steering a little but the dern Honda kept on going!

We ran them through DEEP mud, raced in the woods and generally thrashed them. We never experienced any issues other than occasionally running out of gas which was our own dumb fault.

I’d go with a Honda.

I've got an '07 Rancher 420 (manual shift) and all I've ever done is fill it up and change the oil. Hell, even the OEM tires lasted longer than they should have. It's a great little machine and holds onto a hillside WAY better than the bigger IRS beasts. Can't think of a single reason not to get the Honda over the Yamaha or BRP but I'm a bit biased

I had a Can Am Outlander XT400. Sold it to my brother. Also used to have a early 2000's Honda Rancher. Also very good machine. Wished I still had one of them. Unless you weigh over 300 lbs that size of machine is excellent and will do amazing things. I have no idea why anyone would need one in 650-1000cc. . Any of those should be excellent. Dealer service and price in that order would dictate my decision. Good luck.

Have a Honda Foreman, had it for 6 years so far.hauling a manure spreader everyday. Pretty much bulletproof. Reliable, fun to drive, have yet to find anything that it would not go through. 100% reliable.

Honda all the way. I've had a Rincon 650 here on the farm for 17 years and have used the hell out of it. Many times I have pushed it beyond what it was rated to do. No failures or breakdowns, just do normal service. You cant go wrong with Honda.

I had a couple 420 Ranchers and have moved on to the Yamaha Grizzly as I am older now and enjoy the smooth ride of the Independent rear suspension.

The Honda is bulletproof and I really liked the idea of the real transmission over a belt drive. That said, the straight axle used to beat me up. My wife had the 420 with the automatic transmission, IRS and Power steering. I liked riding that one for the IRS and electric power steering. The Automatic transmission was okay. Sometimes it lagged in shifting, especially accelerating to go up a hill. Another thing, the Automatic did not like plowing snow. Too many gear shifts going back and forth. So, if you want to plow go with the manual shift model.

I don't like how Honda increased the body size of the quad. The fun thing about the mid sized quads can hit those tighter trails due to their size.

Have not ridden the Yamaha Kodiak. I believe it has the IRS and Yamaha belts are well known for their longevity. I may be biased now since I ride a Grizzly.

Now is the time to buy if you can and are buying new. January-February are slow months at the dealers. Traffic picks up as the weather gets nicer so you may not get as good of a deal. At least, that's the way it was pre-covid.

If you can afford it, look at the larger quads. The Grizzly is a Cadillac ride and if you have some decent hills (or mud) in your area, the added HP from the larger motor pays off.

Oh, and don't forget to tuck some cash away each week for better tires and accessories....

I vote Honda. I've got an 05 350 Rancher that is great. I also own a Yamaha and a Polarus. The Yamaha has two or four wheel drive and power steering. I like these but I think the newer Honda will have that as well. The best thing about the Honda is the transmission. No belts to slip and have to change. I may sell the Polarus and put the money toward another Honda, probably go a bit bigger.

Jim

Of those I can give you personal experience on the Yamaha. I've had 3 (still have 2) and they are completely bulletproof. Buy, be happy and ride. seriously.
But based on more than 50 years of buying powersports products and now hundreds of purchases I would by any Honda product without hesitation if it had the features I need.

I would never, ever buy a BRP product no matter how much cheaper/bigger/faster/whatever. One of my friends runs a local powersports dealership that sells all these and the service bay is completely filled with only one of the brands that you are considering.

Whatever you do, avoid carburetors. Fuel injection is the way to go. Carbs on ATV’s tend to be buried under plastic body work and are a pain to pull and clean. I’d never buy another carbureted ATV, mine has dual carbs and I’ve had them off more times than I want trying to get tuning right and cleaning them.

I have had three Honda's last one was a forman rubicon,it has a wider wheel base and I was never able to turn that on over.

I have an older Honda Foreman I keep up, does great.

My list would have Honda on the top, Yamaha next.

I’m not smitten by small details like, ‘the Polaris can tow more’. I want long term reliability.

I would recommend calling the dealer for whatever brand you pick to see if you need to put money down to order. I ordered a SXS the week after Christmas, put down a 500 deposit, was told it will likely arrive end of March/ early April.

For sure, Honda all the way as first choice. Yamaha second. Suzuki third. ALL others, a very distant fourth.
Be damn sure about promised delivery dates with any outdoor power equipment seller. Get it in writing with a guaranteed deposit refund.
I ordered a Honda side by side in January 2021, (paid a deposit when ordered) and eventually received it in late September, 2021.
I had my Dealer hang up the phone on me. I called monthly to check on prospective delivery date. They DID get tired of me calling.
Most Dealers will promise anything to get some cash inbound to their facility. (they are hanging on, barely surviving on deposits and service department work. (if parts are available)
The problem isn't the Dealer(s), the Manufacturers just can't deliver product & parts due to many items out of their control. (staffing, parts from vendors, trucking, shipping port issues & more)
The Dealerships are struggling to survive.
There will not be any negotiating on price, it's MSRP or higher.

The bad news is it likely won't get any better for at least another year.

I replaced a 2002 Honda Rancher 350 ATV with a 2021 Honda Pioneer 520 side by side. I sold the 350 Rancher for $500 less than what I paid for it. And it was 19 years old.
Nothing but a Honda will hold it's value like that.

I still have a 2006 Honda 250 Recon. Nothing but oil changes and several batteries.

as the owner of 2 Honda Foremans I would recommend the Honda. mine have been bulletproof, as had the ones owned by friends.
Barry

Out of the three you've mentioned, yamaha all the way. I know people like Honda, and the rancher has a good reputation. I routinely use my machines in places where my life depends on them. I choose yamaha, and in that category of machine, they are by far the popular choice amongst others where I live.

I have a 2007 or 8 (I always forget) 450 grizzley, and it has been an amazing machine. No signs of quitting anytime soon, been through hell and back with it. Not a single mechanical breakdown in the 8 years I've owned it, despite the wife running it into a tree, and the daughter flipping it three times. It just keeps kicking and performing. Plowed snow with it for 3 years, had it hundreds of miles into the middle of nowhere Alaska, used it to retrieve my polaris ranger xp1000 when it broke down 16 miles from hunt camp. It tows trailers nicely, behaves predictably on trail, and with front and rear lockers on demand, can crawl through nearly anything. I run STP mudlite 2's on it, and it will go anywhere. Still on the original belt. Just a flawless machine. I'll buy more of them likely, but this one doesn't seem like it intends to ever quit.

My brother and his hunting partner both run hondas, and both have been in the shop a lot.

I'm pretty happy with my Suzuki King Quad.

Honda

I bought a Rancher 420 auto back in (I think) 2005. It served me well, but as ugeesta mentioned the newer IRS machines are better riding.

I sold my ATV's and now run SxS's but if I were in the market now for an ATV I'd choose in the 400-500cc range between Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. My preference would be ones that are EFI, IRS, Hi-Low range, and preferably an open/locking rear dif.