I'm pretty much a die-hard Honda ATV owner . . . you should know that before I start to comment on this particular ATV.

This is an older ATV which is no longer made . . . it basically was supplanted by the Sportsman 500 which was also produced in that same year. The Sportsman was a bit fancier and offered a few more bells and whistles with newer tech . . . the newer tech being the very nice independent rear suspension which I will admit that Polaris has fine tuned very nicely. The IRS in a Polaris (and many other ATVs now) is something that is very desired for folks who like plush rides . . . it's also useful for folks with bad backs . . . and I suspect the reason that Magnum went away was due to the public's desire for the nicer riding IRS.

That said . . . I have a solid rear axle in my Honda and I have no real beefs with it . . . although as I grow older I find myself really liking the more comfy ride that IRS offers . . . although solid axles do tend to be bullet-proof.

There are some potential negatives in the Magnum . . . note I said potential, not definite . . . and some of this may be due to my own bias.

When I purchased my ATV back in 2000 or 2001 I went with a Honda for several reasons . . .

Reliability: Polaris ATVs of that vintage and older were not always super reliable. Today I like giving Hiram a hard time about his Polaris even though I believe Polaris and other ATV manufacturers are now pretty good in terms of reliability . . . but it wasn't always that way. If you look around at older ATVs that are still being ridden I suspect you'll find a lot more Hondas than Polaris ATVs.

Chain Drive vs. Solid Shaft: Older Polaris ATVs used chain drive which to me was a weak link . . . apparently Polaris and the public agreed since the Magnum ATV (and all newer ATVs these days) use shaft drives.

Belts: At one time there was a concern about the Polaris drive belts slipping and burning up . . . it still can happen . . . but quite honestly it's really rare . . . not so much with the older ATVs . . . but if you keep it out of deep water (and I'm talking deep water) you will most likely be fine.

Radiators: This is a liquid cooled ATV . . . most newer larger bore ATVs are now liquid cooled. There are pros and cons to liquid cooled . . . having to clean the radiator is one issue which continues to vex some owners . . . the trade off being more power. One of the things I disliked with older Polaris ATVs (and which has now largely been corrected) was the radiator was relatively low and exposed with no radiator guards . . . a real problem if you were driving through brush and put a stick or branch through the radiator . . . if you're planning on sticking to trails this may be a non-issue.

Top heavy: One of my main beefs was and continues to be the top heavy feeling I get from riding a Polaris. The ride in terms of comfort is incomparable . . . the only other ATV that rode as nice was a Yamaha Grizzly . . . however with the Polaris I often feel as though I'm sitting really, really high . . . vs. the Honda which has always given me the feeling as if I have a lower center of gravity. The height difference in terms of ground clearance is a bit more with the Polaris, but I think the real issue is in terms of the frame, seat, etc. . . . for me I like feeling as if I'm sitting lower to the ground as it feels more stable, but this is most likely a personal bias from always having ridden Honda ATVs.

I would say the price isn't too bad . . . even though it is an older ATV the mileage is wicked low. The fact that it is 4WD, shaft-driven and has disc brakes (something I wish my Honda had) are definite pluses.