As far as dependable goes find a Mid/late 90's Honda Fourtrax and spend the other $1500-2000 on something else you want.

Even though I own a Polaris ATV you can't go wrong with anything Honda.

Hondas are overrated IMO.my brother has one.Ive rode it around.it makes for a decent ride.If i was looking for a ride to just putput around the camp and thats it.I couldnt take it a few places i had already been to in my Grizzly.If you want a ATV that will work for you,Go Yamaha.I can put a 200 lb buck accross the front of my grizzly and get up and thru anything.The honda struggles with does in tow.I think the yamaha is a better ATV.

Yamaha, all the way. I have absolutly been tuff over the years, on them.

Buy a Honda and if you have a yamaha, tape a dollar to the seat and push it in the river. That way you can say you lost something.

Yamaha is light years ahead of Honda,No electric shift its all CVT clutch wich gives you engine breaking going down steep hills.Differential lock and 4wd on the fly,electric power steering on my Grizzly is Nice!Independent suspension all the way around.Like i said the honda is a good bike for putting around in like a golf cart but if you wanna hit it hard and go where the honda wont go than get a Grizzly.

In July of 1996 I bought a 1997 Honda 4trax 3004x4. I still have it and it gets used often. It may not have the power of the newer larger ATVs but it sure has unbelievable durability. It may die tomorrow, but so far in the 17+ years that I've had it, I have had to do nothing more than maintenance on it(oil change, brake pads, etc.). It's got character (translated; it's a little beat up) but it has never once let me down.

Thats real nice when your clunking around the farm hauling cow $hit from one end to the other and going to check the mail.Take a ride on a grizzly 550 or 700 and you'll put that honda out on the road free to good home.I wouldnt take 4 hondas for my Grizzly 700

I've had good luck with Suzuki.

I really like my Grizzly 350. I wasn't so sure about the CVT clutch, but so far I really like it for riding the trails. Full, or floating front locker works great. It's a little under powered being a 350. But so far, it really hasn't been an issue.

I've rode a good many of em and ain't planning to go drop another 6 or 7 grand anytime soon because there's no need to. I'm not saying that it's a Cadillac. On the contrary, I'm saying that it's like an old tough Willis Jeep.

Love my Suzuki Vinson 500.

Here is a video of a Grizzly and a foreman attempting the same trail.The dif lock on the grizzly is a necessity in the crap i hunt in.Honda needs to get with the program.
http://youtu.be/MIfiMyvVmcg
http://youtu.be/zEtpY1o2_nM

Southern Honda seems to be the place with the best deals on Honda. Where is the best place to buy a Yamaha?

That alone is a great selling point... Great for saving your brakes.

^^^THIS^^^

Those late 90's 300s were bullet proof. Plenty of power, still light weight, and relatively quiet.

the hondamatic transmission is bluet proof and there is no belt to replace.

Naw but replacing the brakes will keep you busy if you use it on hilly terrain.honda still uses drum brakes in the rear.yamahas are 4 disc all around.
honda seems to have some sorta cult like following in the atv world.i have no clue why since they lose every atv shootout ever made.
ask anyone in the outboard world honda or yamaha and see the answer you get

Didn't realize I made the belts BOLD... Engine breaking IS the biggie riding in the steep stuff. I rode a rancher a bit in Kodiak and really liked it.

Yamaha For sure. Used them guiding would put 2 people on the back and 2 people on the front with me driving Special racks of course. The old Big Bear 350s would go through the swamp and never bog down year after year. Mud, Water up to the tops of the tires for miles. Used the Rhino for 5 years and that thing was a Freaking beast. If you ever put it in 4 wheel low you would have to be careful that thing would climb a tree. Only Problem we ever had was replacing the CV Boots. They were Rode Hard and Put up wet sorta speak and kept chugging.