P500 Why Would You Buy A P500

[trigger]

Why would anyone buy a P5 when you could spend a little more and get a P7 with more power, wider stance, more suspension travel and carry more passengers? Or spend a little more yet and get a P1K with even more of those qualities? Seems like the 500 has been losing some of its shine lately.
Because, if either of those machines had been trying to follow my tracks today they would've gotten their ass kicked. 50" quad trails all day. Some areas opened up but a lot of them were so tight they were even beating on the P5, thought I ripped my light bar off once. These are trails that those machines wouldn't even turn into and attempt. And there were lots of them. Never realized how limited the big machines were until today. I even drove through the woods, high brush and dodging trees to get back to a creek that I just had to see...kinda sucked once I got back there and wasn't really worth it, but I got back there! Found myself riding on a bike trail at one point, got off of that one pretty quick.
So, for those that say the little 500 is under powered, too small and not enough suspension, (it has its limitations) you could say the same about any machine compared to the next step up. They can have their minimal amount of trails, I'll take mine, ride all day and never see the same trail twice. A lot less traffic too.
And don't forget...bullet proof!

More impressed with this machine every time I take it out...zero regrets.

 

[Grizzbut]

Why would anyone buy a P5 when you could spend a little more and get a P7 with more power, wider stance, more suspension travel and carry more passengers? Or spend a little more yet and get a P1K with even more of those qualities? Seems like the 500 has been losing some of its shine lately.
Because, if either of those machines had been trying to follow my tracks today they would've gotten their ass kicked. 50" quad trails all day. Some areas opened up but a lot of them were so tight they were even beating on the P5, thought I ripped my light bar off once. These are trails that those machines wouldn't even turn into and attempt. And there were lots of them. Never realized how limited the big machines were until today. I even drove through the woods, high brush and dodging trees to get back to a creek that I just had to see...kinda sucked once I got back there and wasn't really worth it, but I got back there! Found myself riding on a bike trail at one point, got off of that one pretty quick.
So, for those that say the little 500 is under powered, too small and not enough suspension, (it has its limitations) you could say the same about any machine compared to the next step up. They can have their minimal amount of trails, I'll take mine, ride all day and never see the same trail twice. A lot less traffic too.
And don't forget...bullet proof!
View attachment 43580
More impressed with this machine every time I take it out...zero regrets.

50" wide was the key for me. Too many trails on the national forest land I would not be able to travel otherwise. Of course one could walk them but with the main complaint about the p5 being speed I think we can all agree its a bit faster than walking. Reliability is unbeaten and no one wants to be left out the trail walking back. That's the reason the artic trail and razor are still sitting at the dealers. Additionally payload, All the camping gear goes on the back for a weekend of dirt slamming mud in the rain and the sun.
I absolutely love the options the p5 rig gives.

 

[trigger]

50" wide was the key for me. Too many trails on the national forest land I would not be able to travel otherwise. Of course one could walk them but with the main complaint about the p5 being speed I think we can all agree its a bit faster than walking. Reliability is unbeaten and no one wants to be left out the trail walking back. That's the reason the artic trail and razor are still sitting at the dealers. Additionally payload, All the camping gear goes on the back for a weekend of dirt slamming mud in the rain and the sun.
I absolutely love the options the p5 rig gives.

I've said that to many people...I could hike and cover 5 or 10 miles walking or I could take this and cover 30 miles in half the time. The amount of trails available for a 50" machine is the deal maker.

 

[Spellmajr]

I love my P5 I don't need a bigger machine. I use mine 90% for hunting. I hunt a lot of public land and when I kill a deer I can use my pioneer to go get it. I can take that thing anywhere because it's so narrow. But when I hunt our private land or fill feeders or check. Cameras I can load my son up and take him with me. The P5 is a tank. You couldn't get me to buy a 700. For the record I walk in and walk out to all my stands I just use the P5 to hop around on public land or retrieve a kill.

 

[iowaguy]

I've said that to many people...I could hike and cover 5 or 10 miles walking or I could take this and cover 30 miles in half the time. The amount of trails available for a 50" machine is the deal maker.

I ride with two different groups of people on the weekends, one of the groups is 4 wheelers only because they made the trails thru the timbers themselves years ago before sxs were popular,and a regular width sxs won't fit between the trees, the other group is all side by sides where we go to completely different trails to be able to accommodate their width.I admit I have looked at 700 -4 , but I just don't think it is a machine for my needs at this time, it would limit our riding trails.

 

[Jshell3]

I miss my Blueberry. For 2 riders, you can't beat it.

If my public hunting areas and deer lease were more like trails and less like gravel roads, I could have justified keeping it. But as it is, I can haul 5... and I haven't been restricted by the extra width, yet. (But I know it's coming)

 

[iowaguy]

The funny thing about all of this is all the people that traded in their 700's on the 1000's and think it is the best thing since sliced bread, now when Honda comes out with their new model they will be trading up to that and start cutting down the 1000 because it isn't as good as the the new one, don't think for a minute Honda doesn't know how to play the buying public , The best part about the 500 was the price when I bought it, I'm not one to borrow money for my toys and when you can by a new machine for $8500.00 with four years warranty it was a no brainer for me.

 

[Spellmajr]

The funny thing about all of this is all the people that traded in their 700's on the 1000's and think it is the best thing since sliced bread, now when Honda comes out with their new model they will be trading up to that and start cutting down the 1000 because it isn't as good as the the new one, don't think for a minute Honda doesn't know how to play the buying public , The best part about the 500 was the price when I bought it, I'm not one to borrow money for my toys and when you can by a new machine for $8500.00 with four years warranty it was a no brainer for me.

I got mine for 7250 out the door. But I got a feeling the tax man is going to come knocking wanting his part. Bought it out of state and I was considered "tax exempt"

 

[CURTK]

The funny thing about all of this is all the people that traded in their 700's on the 1000's and think it is the best thing since sliced bread, now when Honda comes out with their new model they will be trading up to that and start cutting down the 1000 because it isn't as good as the the new one, don't think for a minute Honda doesn't know how to play the buying public , The best part about the 500 was the price when I bought it, I'm not one to borrow money for my toys and when you can by a new machine for $8500.00 with four years warranty it was a no brainer for me.

Four year warranty? How'd you swing that deal?

 

[iowaguy]

Four year warranty? How'd you swing that deal?

It is thru Honda, Anyone can get it as long as you get it before your 1 year warranty is up, if you sell it before the 4 years is up it goes with the machine, the new owner gets whatever remains on it,I think it was a little less than $500.00 at the time I got mine.so far the most wasted money I've ever spent on it, has never been back to the dealer for anything, but its a nice piece of mind to have it.

 

[JTW]

People... y'all don't have to have Honda envy. They sell 1000's at every dealership. Go get one and see what the hype is all about! Lol..

 

[iowaguy]

People... y'all don't have to have Honda envy. They sell 1000's at every dealership. Go get one and see what the hype is all about! Lol..

I have no desire to have one, would rather spend that amount of money on a jeep, hell it wouldn't be much bigger

 

[JTW]

I have no desire to have one, would rather spend that amount of money on a jeep, hell it wouldn't be much bigger

I said the same thing... and I have a rubicon. But it's just not the same.

 

[iowaguy]

I said the same thing... and I have a rubicon. But it's just not the same.

Exactly it's not the same, but what kind of world would this be if we all liked the same things, this forum would be boring as hell,I don't have a fetish with feet, I'm more of a butt man myself, and no I don't want to see yours!!!!!

 

[Grizzbut]

I said the same thing... and I have a rubicon. But it's just not the same.

Had the wrangler first and its fun for its thing but I tend to keep a little more on the "don't let anything happen to her side of the road".
the P5 gives me the option to let it all hang out and find the sites I cant get to in the jeep. No 1000 envy here, if it works for you and what you do with it, great. For me its P5 all the way. Don't want to be restricted due to size anymore.

 

[Spellmajr]

Exactly it's not the same, but what kind of world would this be if we all liked the same things, this forum would be boring as hell,I don't have a fetish with feet, I'm more of a butt man myself, and no I don't want to see yours!!!!!

Feet are where it's at brother. You don't know what you are missing out on.

 

[JTW]

Exactly it's not the same, but what kind of world would this be if we all liked the same things, this forum would be boring as hell,I don't have a fetish with feet, I'm more of a butt man myself, and no I don't want to see yours!!!!!

Lmao... I am too! I really don't know how this whole foot thing blew up like this! But oh well... I can work with it!

 

[JTW]

Had the wrangler first and its fun for its thing but I tend to keep a little more on the "don't let anything happen to her side of the road".
the P5 gives me the option to let it all hang out and find the sites I cant get to in the jeep. No 1000 envy here, if it works for you and what you do with it, great. For me its P5 all the way. Don't want to be restricted due to size anymore.

Yeah.. I find I feel like I'm riding the p1k vs feeling like I'm driving in the jeep. As I've said before... a 4-wheeler beats the p5 in the same way the p5 beats a p1k... there are still things I miss about the p5 but if you don't have width restricted trails that you ride in a regular basis and you have kids... you gotta try a p1k5. I'm thinking a dirt bike and p1k would be a nice little combo.

 

[JTW]

Feet are where it's at brother. You don't know what you are missing out on.

Lol.. atta boy!

 

[FuzzyGrub]

If I did just a paper analysis, probably would not choose a P500 or is it a P1000/2? When my son brought it home, all I could think was how could that little engine be big enough to haul too people around? I'd consider that engine only big enough in an ATV. Also, hadn't seen a SXS this small before. You could say I was very skeptical going in.

The machine has proven to be the proverbial mountain goat for us. It goes everywhere and does everything we need it to do. I have grown to love the geared transmission and very seldom use the brakes coming down even steep hills. The very low granny gear has come in helpful on steep hills and moving boats around the yard. While it doesn't have a front locker, it hasn't been stuck once yet. Most of the woods trails we go on, the bigger machines would probably fit, but would need to be much more careful.

So, after owning one, I'd choose another. The biggest drawback with all of them is all the accessories you keep adding.