Striking appearance. Like the Explorer, I usually left it in L for better kick. Really stable on the uphill and downhill stuff. With such a long wheel base and 6 wheels, the rough stuff didn’t shake me up as much. I found that it took a lot more effort in steering (even in 2(4) wd) than the others. Perhaps this is just the extra weight . Would be really nice as a utility type vehicle. Better for larger riders.

Tough machine. Very nimble with lots of power. Great for a ranch or farm owner. A workhorse.

Great hill climber. Impressive in mud. Not upset by ruts/off camber. Great trail machine.

Wow. Really fast. No need for low range because It always had lots of power on all terrain. Best handling except for the 250. Nice on bumps but not quite as comfortable as some of the others. Perhaps the suspension is stiffer.

Great power, braking is better than 250. Needs a steering dampener. Rear breaks out nicely. Almost pulled out the 6x6 when it got stuck.

Felt light up front. Power OK but to small for the big guy.

Love the Automatic. Great balance. Don’t know about purple…The belt cover on the left is in the way of ankle not too bad but could see it sore after all day of riding. Like the gradual slowing when off throttle not too fast or too slow.

Felt too heavy and no power on low end. Good top end. Felt hard to handle arms were tired afterward.

May be faster than the Sport 400L on the top end. Wasn’t as hard hitting as the 400 from a stop. Handled large ruts with ease. Felt a little heavier than the 500 but not much. Four wheel drive system was flawless. It didn’t interfere with two wheel drive performance and was available when needed. It was very easy to forget that this bike was a true four wheel drive. The 500 was even smoother that the 400 over all types of terrain and even through the corners. While it seemed a little heavier than the 400L, it was by no means sluggish. It didn’t want to push the corners. You could get the bike to slide when and where you wanted it to. The bike always felt in control. This is truly the "Mercedes" of the 4x4 class. Combined braking seemed less obtrusive on this model because it is not as consciously focused on the sport market.

Positives - Unlike any 4x4 I have ridden, this 4x4 acts more like a sport model. Seamless four wheel drive system. The quad smoothes out all but the most treacherous ruts. Steep hills were no problem. It is hard to imagine a better 4x4 quad. If you are looking for a do it all quad. This is it. Negatives - Really no negatives for a 4x4 quad. Adding foot pegs would anchor the rider better, but it isn’t as important on a quad that is as multifunctional as this 500.