What’s it worth?

[lee]

I hate to be on record disagreeing with @HondaTech but...
My advice is RUN.
My neighbor got one for free then came over to ask me some advice as it wasn't shifting quite right.
But it was too late he already drug it home.

The transmission is similar to the Rubicon but everything that made the Rubicon great did not translate.
The Rancher is smaller and it doesn't work as well or last as long.
The engine is just down on power a little and the transmission eats up too much of what little power there is (Rubicon loses power but it has some to spare so its good).
And on top of all that finding some one who understsnds it when it needs fixed is difficult.

I have a '04 Rancher manual shift.
I love it, runs like a top and I'm hanging on to it (it's my plow vehicle and I am going to need it soon).
Don't much care for the e-shift from that era either, they had too many issues with the shift drum angle sensor.
That's my 2 cents worth, not that you asked for it.

 

[Admin]

 

[JTW]

I bate to be on record disagreeing with @HondaTech but...
My advice is RUN.
My neighbor got one for free then came over to ask me some advice as it wasn't shifting quite right.
But it was too late he already drug it home.

The transmission is similar to the Rubicon but everything that made the Rubicon great did not translate.
The Rancher is smaller and it doesn't work as well or last as long.
The engine is just down on power a little and the transmission eats up too much of what little power there is (Rubicon loses power but it has some to spare so its good).
And on top of all that finding some one who understsnds it when it needs fixed is difficult.

I have a '04 Rancher manual shift.
I love it, runs like a top and I'm hanging on to it (it's my plow vehicle and I am going to need it soon).
Don't much care for the e-shift from that era either, they had too many issues with the shift drum angle sensor.
That's my 2 cents worth, not that you asked for it.

That’s what I was afraid of.. I really didn’t want another auto and if I were going that route, this isn’t what I’d choose. Dad had a Forman with the esp and I never liked it. A quick google search doesn’t reflect well on the auto, so if I were going to resale that wouldn’t help things. I’ll prolly just pass and keep looking for a manual foot shift. I don’t need any of them so I had just as well not settle.

However, if anyone is interested holler at me before I pass on them tomorrow.

 

[DG Rider]

That’s what I was afraid of.. I really didn’t want another auto and if I were going that route, this isn’t what I’d choose. Dad had a Forman with the esp and I never liked it. A quick google search doesn’t reflect well on the auto, so if I were going to resale that wouldn’t help things. I’ll prolly just pass and keep looking for a manual foot shift. I don’t need any of them so I had just as well not settle.

However, if anyone is interested holler at me before I pass on them tomorrow.

I'd actually forgotten about these models until you posted this. If i had the money, id buy one. Aint scared of a Honda.

The tranny is very complex and non-serviceable, meaning it gets replaced if something goes wrong. I thought I'd seen where the Rubicon service tranny had been discounted, but both are still available (for $1500 bucks!). There are a several sensors that must work properly, and many trannys have been replaced only to find a $60 sensor was the culprit.

Again, the ESP is nothing like the (non Rubicon) Foremans. This is the smoothest shifting ESP you will ever use simply because there is never an interruption in power flow. Smooth as butter pretty much describes the CVT Hondamatics. They really were special machines, and too bad Honda didn't pursue it further.

The biggest prob to me is all the 400/450 Kodiaks/Grizzlys that are out there with all the stuff the Ranchers are missing, like IRS (in later models) and a diff lock on most of them. And a much simpler (albeit, not as smoooooooth) belt CVT.