What does entry-level sport really mean? Aren’t all entry-level quads kinda sporty? They have two-wheel drive, no racks, decent suspension and at least a somewhat zippy engine? Yes, all that’s true. But each manufacturer has a different take on it. Some of these quads are way sportier than others and some are easier to use. Then there’s the “entry level” part of the equation. Some machines are designed smaller for beginning riders in their teens, while others are designed more for full-size adults new to ATVing.
Are you beginning to see that there’s no single entry-level sport quad that’s best for everyone? That’s also why a conventional “shootout” doesn’t really work for these little fellas. But, don’t give up looking just yet. You can compare these things on paper, but it really comes down to your needs and budget. Read on and learn which one of these six ATVs is perfect for you.
ENGINE & CLUTCHING All are powered by electric-start, four-stroke singles, ranging in size from the 196cc Polaris Phoenix to the 270cc Arctic Cat DVX 300. Those two, plus the Can-Am DS 250, have easy-to-use, fully-automatic, belt-drive, continuously variable transmissions (CVT). The Honda 250X, Suzuki Z250 and Yamaha Raptor 250 have conventional five-speed gearboxes, which are typically sportier. Shifting is via the left foot, just like on a motorcycle.
However, the clutch system on each of the three shift quads is different. The Suzuki has a fully automatic clutch; just move the shift lever and you’re in gear. For sportier performance, the Raptor has a fully manual, left-hand operated clutch lever. Is there another type of clutch? Yes: the Honda does it all! Like the Z250, its clutch can work automatically, but the left-hand lever allows manually disengaging and engaging the clutch, similar to the Yamaha.
Three quads, the Arctic Cat, Can-Am, and Yamaha, have final chain drives, which can mean sportier performance due to less drag and weight. The other three have shaft final drives which don’t require periodic adjustment as does a chain drive.
CHASSIS Now, on to the chassis. All six quads have hydraulic disc brakes up front. Three models, the DVX, DS and Yamaha, get this feature in the rear. The others have mechanical drum brakes. You can’t fully trust the manufacturer’s claimed weights, plus measurement methods differ. But, Yamaha claims its 250 is the lightest sport ATV ever. The Can-Am is the longest machine here (72 inches), while the Raptor and Phoenix (64 and 65 inches respectively) are the shortest. Does that mean they feel the smallest, and the Can-Am feels the biggest? No. It is possible for a smaller quad to have more room for the rider and, on a sport quad, body English and being able to move around the seat easily — even standing — is important. So, let’s hop on and check them out.
Wayne Davis/
ATV Sport
TEST SESSION All our testers, ranging in size from 5 foot 8 inches (160 pounds) to 6 foot 4 inches (210 pounds) said the Arctic Cat is very roomy. The Can-Am is quite sizeable for a 250cc model, too. But now things get interesting. Most of our testers, including some of the bigger guys, said the smaller Yamaha has more room than it would appear to have. Yamaha, by moving the front fenders farther from the rider’s knees, and moving the handlebars forward, managed to squeeze an amazingly large cockpit into a smaller package. Our testers said the Polaris is small and produces the smallest feel. All that being said, it’s important to keep in mind that, none of these machines make riders less than 6 feet feel cramped. Choosing a machine that best fits you really depends on your height, weight and riding style. Also, it’s important to remember that less aggressive riders tend to need less room.
FIREPOWER We hope that you wouldn’t buy a quad based entirely on the engine, but drag racing now and then is fun, and we’re always curious to see how powerplants compare. For the sole purpose of helping you pinpoint a machine to your liking, we put each in front of a Stalker Radar gun for accleration. Even though the Yamaha is down 21cc from the largest motor (Arctic Cat), the lightweight quad put in the best overall run. It achieved a 44 mph speed on our radar run. The Arctic Cat ran at 42 mph. Both of these quads proved to be the fastest to the 500-foot mark, too. The Raptor topped the impressive Cat by a half-second.
With these entry-level machines, it’s not all about top speed and getting somewhere as quickly as possible. For example, the Phoenix was the slowest model, hitting around 35 mph. Polaris is OK with that number, though, as it touts the 200cc Phoenix for its ease of use and fun factor more than its powerband.
The Honda took about 4.33 seconds to hit 30 mph and topped out at just more than 40 mph. It hit 40.67 at our 500 foot mark.
Suzuki’s 250 also topped the 40 mph mark for its peak at 40.04. However, it took 5.31 seconds to hit 30 mph.
The Can-Am’s peak speed of 36.2 mph and 0 to 30 time of 5.38 seconds was fine for an entry-level ATV, but less than we expected.
A person familiar with snowmobiles or even personal watercraft may find these speeds pokey, but out on bumpy trails, that’s certainly all the speed a beginning rider would need. In fact, it takes an experienced, fast rider to want more than the Yamaha, at least in the woods.
Our test area, at Brushy Mountain Motor Sports Park in North Carolina, consisted of hilly, wooded trails with switchbacks, a little mud, some rocks, water bar jumps, and a small open section with small whoops, a small tabletop, a small double and two berms.
So, now let’s head out there to see how the engines did on the trails. Why would there be any difference compared to the radar runs? There, the results are more reflective of mid to high-rpm performance. On a tight trail, good torque can be more important and ultimately faster. Also worth considering is that our radar rider, Justin Zembo, is an experienced pro-level racer. A guy like this knows how to extract the maximum power from a manual-clutch shifter quad. On the fully automatic CVT machines, all you gotta do is pin the throttle.
So, we weren’t too surprised that most riders enjoyed the Arctic Cat’s power in the woods. Its CVT changes gear ratios progressively, automatically and seamlessly. That 21 extra cc doesn’t hurt, either.
The Yamaha also has great power on tap for the woods. The powerband is strong and smooth from bottom to a screaming, quick-revving top, and the tires get that power to the ground. It’s also possible to lug the machine in a higher gear and avoid an extra gear shift.
The Honda doesn’t have impressive top-end power, but it still provides strong, smooth power and can also be left in one gear for long periods of time, like the other two shifter models in this class.
In the woods, power delivery on the Z250 is also steady and sometimes perky for sportier riders.
Wayne Davis/
ATV Sport
The Can-Am on the forest course was entertaining, but our riders wanted zippier power.
Our group of testers said the Polaris revs like crazy but doesn’t seem to do much. Does all this mean the guy on the Polaris is going to be left behind on every trail ride? Not at all. The Polaris just has the smallest displacement and is intended for beginners. However, Justin (or any faster riders) in the tight woods on the Phoenix would wax a beginner on a larger displacement entry-level quad.
Which tranny is for you? If you want ultimate sportiness, the manual-shift Yamaha is hard to beat. But again, this machine and its manual clutch may be too much for some beginners. Also, it does not have reverse.
The smooth-shifting, switch-hitter Honda offers a good tranny for beginners not familiar with a manual clutch. We loved the TRX250X’s SportClutch. Like on the Raptor, you can slip it for precise traction in a powerslide, get the rpm up instantly if it drops, or help to pop the front end up for a log. The 250X’s auto clutch works seamlessly. The only check mark against the Honda drive train is that you must shift to neutral before starting the engine, which will slow down restarting. Reverse is tucked inside this model’s plastic near the tank and works like a trigger while stepping down on the shifter.
The Polaris incorporates some engine-compression braking into the easy-to-operate CVT design and the emphasis is perfect for sport riding. Its reverse lever was said to be cranky and sloppy, though.
Our testers said the Arctic Cat’s CVT would freewheel down hills. The rider is then forced to feather the throttle to keep the clutch engaged or manually pump the brakes to keep it under control. Reverse is simple.
The riders said the Can-Am also freewheeled and required more input from them on steeper downhills and off-camber switchbacks. Our Can-Am test unit also required chain adjustment after a couple miles. The automotive-type shifter, with gear slots for forward, neutral and reverse, is a nice touch.
JUST AROUND THE BEND All six quads steer precisely and predictably, including the DVX. Arctic Cat’s bigger machines can be intimidating in turns, but not the 300. One way we like to test a machine’s handling is to brake slide for cornering. In other words, tap the rear brake going into a sharp turn to bring the rear end around and effectively decrease the turning radius. All the quads handled this fairly well. The Yamaha was probably the best at this and the Phoenix was the most difficult, however remember how different these quads are.
When we corner aggressively, we also look at how a machine resists leaning or folding over in the turn. The two quads with the most “roll over” were the Can-Am and Honda. However, the DS 250 features preload adjustment like all except one model in this test. Sadly, the Honda is preset and cannot be adjusted. For the most agile, responsive, predictable and sporty turning manners, our group of testers liked the Yamaha.
Stiffer suspension action can help a quad stay flatter in turns, but it can also make the ride harsher. So, the trick is reaching a compromise between a cush ride and sporty handling. Suspension on the Phoenix is plush, but requires that this quad not be ridden aggressively. Even for our lightest riders, the rear end bottoms harshly on big bumps and a loud, horrible clanking is produced if landing while on the gas.
For most of our testers, the Arctic Cat and Yamaha achieve a good balance between cush and responsiveness, with the Raptor a little more toward sport and the DVX 300 a little more toward cush.
The Suzuki’s ride is harsh and bounces when ridden aggressively. The Honda and Can-Am offer a plush ride, but also “pogo” more at speed.
STOP AND ERGOS It seems counterintuitive that Polaris would put user-friendly single (right-hand) lever braking on its bigger models, but less user friendly independent front and rear braking on this entry level quad. Despite claimed brake improvements on the Phoenix for ‘09, the rears were not impressive and the fronts are, at best, merely acceptable. Again, this is not a quad for aggressive riders.
Our testers enjoyed the brakes on the Yamaha and Suzuki. The conclusion was the effort required to stop these machines is minimal and the feel in the pedal and lever is progressive.
The Can-Am could use a more progressive feel in the front but it features independent hand controls and a rear foot pedal.
The Honda has a more progressive feel in the rear, but some testers wanted a better overall package for such a sporty little quad. The Can-Ams engine produces too much clatter and rattle and it has an uncomfortable junction between the seat and fuel tank.
Unlike the other machines, the Arctic Cat uses a single, right-hand lever to control both the front and rear brakes (a right foot pedal activates only the rear). More aggressive riders prefer independent control over the front and rear brakes (for hills and going into turns), but even these guys adapted pretty quickly to the Arctic Cat’s system, at least for anything under race speeds. And, operating a single lever is certainly easier for a beginning rider. On the flip side, however, we don’t care for the hard handgrips on the Cat.
Full floorboards on the Polaris drew praise as a safety feature, and even one tester with size 13 boots found the footing comfortable.
Suzuki’s seat is harder, but everyone praised the operation of its levers and controls.
FOR YOU? For the absolute sportiest quad here, you gotta go with the Raptor 250. It bristles with features and performance way beyond its size. For a teen who’s likely to move up to the premier 450 sport class, it’s the one. Or, for an adult who’s a little intimidated by the size and power of the 450s, and wants that same experience scaled down just a bit. Some of our faster testers admitted that, in tight woods, they might be faster on this Yamaha than they’d be on one of the 450s.
For the person wanting a more comfortable, slightly larger, easy-to-use machine, it’s the Arctic Cat 300, and it’s arguably that company’s best sport effort yet. Handling is good, for many riders it’s faster on the trails and very affordable.
The Honda and Suzuki are very close in power and separated by only $100. Buyers looking to learn how to shift will certainly have to look at one of these. Our testing revealed that the Suzuki handles well for aggressive riding, and that the Honda is friendly because of its SportClutch.
The easy-to-operate Polaris is for the beginner who doesn’t need to push the envelope and is happy cruising around and enjoying the terrain.
The Can-Am, with its simple auto tranny, is definitely affordable, which, in this economy, is important for new buyers. See? There really is an ATV for everyone.
