Is Polaris Ace any good?

jeudi 15 mars 2018

Hello folks,

I wrote off my Polaris Sportsman 400 ATV a few days ago (I was carrying a sheep on my lap, stopped to open gate into its paddock, sheep kicked throttle, ran into gate post and bent up front end, importantly no damage to me). So now I am looking at options. I am happy with Polaris, it has the best suspension and my place is rough.

In Australia there is a push by government for farmers to move from ATVs to side by sides for safety reasons. I had a roll bar on my ATV. I need the manoeuvrability of an ATV because I use it to muster sheep and cattle. My other uses for it are general running around: checking the property, spot spraying, fence repairs and so on. The safety benefits of a proper rollover frame are real because my riverbanks are steep and I have a lot of rocks so there is definite risk of rollover. Having said that, I have never come close to a rollover and this is the only time I have damaged it.

I am thinking seriously about a Polaris Ace 570 because it looks to combine the manoeuvrability of an ATV with the safety of a side by side. Best of both worlds. That's the theory, anyway. I plan to get one with power steering to make it easier to drive, both for me and other family members, which means I would need the 570 rather than the 500.

In reviews I have seen, the only real drawback seems to be the rear engine means traction on steep uphills is not as good as a mid-engined ATV. I don't see the lack of a second seat as a problem. On the occasions when I need more capacity I could tow a trailer.