Once you have decided that the benefits of owning an ATV have finally reached the point where you can no longer take the pressure from family, friends and magazines, its time to start to understand the product you are about to purchase.
PURPOSE - The first thing you need to figure out is, what is the exact purpose that the vehicle will be used for. A purely recreational unit with the heart pounding acceleration that only a performance ATV can deliver?
A unit that is able to do more work in a single day than a small bulldozer, tandem truck and tractor all rolled into one? Or do you desire a unit that is capable of all of the above?
FEATURES - You must next decide what features you will need, whether it will have 4 wheel drive, hi-lo transmission, independent suspension etc. Your dealer should be of assistance in this regard.
WARRANTY - Check to see what type of warranty is provided and for what length of time it will be in force. See if the manufacturer offers extended warranties and if so who underwrites it. If it is an outside vendor make sure that the manufacturer stands behind this warranty if the vendor disappears from the market sometime in the future
DEALER REPUTATION - This point is of great importance as these are the people that should help you out when times may not be quite the way you thought they would be. Again make sure you visit the dealership, as websites, yellow pages and other types of advertising can be very misleading. Also check to see if the dealership has a Finance Department as this department can help you in you financing needs and potentially help save you money.
TEST DRIVE - Make sure that the dealer has a unit that you are able to take for a ride. Nothing reinforces or supports your decision like a test drive as this is when all the promises either sink or swim.