Opinions
Bryan Nylander/6'/200 lb/Intermediate
In this group it was a matter of how much fun each one was. For the little guys (300-350), the Honda and Yamaha were very close. The Raptor 350 had more power, but its chassis felt looser and less precise than the 300EX. And while the Kymco is certainly beginner-friendly since it has automatic transmission, its weight, lack of power and tall stature held it back from the lead. The Kymco simply got smoked. It was horribly cold-blooded and took forever to warm enough so it wouldn't die as soon as the gear selector was moved from neutral (required to start) to forward. The Mongoose 300 was nimble, but in the sand, the Honda and Yamaha just ran away. For me, the 300EX took the win here by a hair; it had a tighter feel and the power difference wasn't enough to give the Raptor the win. The 350 had a plush seat and for just cruising-sitting down the entire time-it would be a good choice.
The bigger, faster and more-capable 400s require increased skills over the first three but offer bigger performance rewards to the pilot. It was a matter of sorting personalities to find the winner. With its air-cooled mill, the Honda 400EX was the torque master, and it was a blast in the tight stuff. It was also cold-blooded-only the Kymco was worse.
The twins-the Suzuki Z400 and Arctic Cat DVX 400-share everything except plastic, seat and headlight. Both of the liquid-cooled motors started easily, warmed up in short order and had good, broad powerbands. So naturally their performance was nearly identical and choosing between them boiled down to comfort as the deciding factor. The Cat's bodywork design looks modern but was overly complicated, offered less protection and places to catch my boot when sliding around in corners. The scantily padded seat was the worst part-wide up front and thin in the back, completely backward from its twin. This cost the DVX the win in my book, and the Suzuki Z400 is the top dog here.
Brian Purtymun/6'3"/170 lb/Novice
Duners are going to love the Arctic Cat and the Suzuki. They're a blast to power slide in the sand and aren't too bad on the trail, either. But the DVX 400's seat-my God, the seat! I could take the Cat only a few minutes at a time before tricking someone else into trying it so I could give my butt a rest. The Suzuki Z400 was slim and agile, but I crave torque-which is why the TRX400EX is my favorite 400cc ATV. Sure, it has an air-cooled, low-tech engine, but the tractor power and spacious chassis made me feel right at home. Is there any wonder you see so many of these around?
In the smaller 300 class, my choice is the Raptor 350. Although I hated the reverse lever, I loved the parking brake, seat and overall fun factor. The Honda TRX300EX comes in at a close second, but its engine is a little outgunned by the Raptor. The Honda is in it for the long haul, though, and if you're looking for a durable entry-level ride to teach your wife and your kids to ride (and survive their abuse!), I'd go with the 300EX. Rank beginners will love the Kymco-but will soon be asking for more power. It also took so long to warm up that I began to wonder if the idle screw was set too low.
Ben Hofer/6'1"/240 lb/Novice
The Raptor 350 was the first quad I've ridden in about 10 years, and I was pretty pleased with its performance with a 240-pound guy aboard. It had good power that was easy to control and provided plenty of wheelspin when needed. All the hand controls were comfortable and easy to use. However, my size-13 boot made shifting tough. Having had enough of the small fry, I headed out on the 400s.