And The Winner Is!
We all pretty much agreed that every machine entered into this contest was a winner in our book. After all, they've been chosen to run for the most prestigious award in the industry. But we all know that it would not be fun to have three winners. We've chosen the Yamaha Raptor 250 for three simple reasons. First, it appeals to a wide variety of users from young up-and-coming riders to even the most experienced. Second, you get so much for your money as the Raptor 250 checks out for under $4000. And third is all about the "F" word (fun). Each and every one of our testers exclaimed with excitement that the time spent on the Raptor 250 was absolutely the most fun that any of them have had in years. Congratulations Yamaha, and a huge thanks to both KTM and Kawasaki for building such stellar machines in 2008!
KTM 450 XC
The KTM is one of our favorite quads of the year thanks to its long list of high-end components and it's race readiness. For ATV of the Year, it lost a few points because it's focused toward a niche audience and does not have as broad of an appeal. But let's not forget, they are on the podium. Great job KTM!
Kawasaki Teryx 750 4x4
It was obvious after our first drive aboard the Teryx 750 that Kawasaki had created something really special. To be honest, there's really not a whole lot of negative about this machine to be said. But with the Teryx's price tag of over $10,000, the Raptor 250 just barely growled past it. Awesome job Kawasaki!