5 Best ATVs in 2021

ATVs or ‘All Terrain Vehicles’ – or even ‘quads’ as they’re also often referred to due to having four wheels – may not be the first type of off-roader motorcyclists think of, but their unique appeal means they’re still hugely popular – for lots of different types of riders.
For kids they can be a great, fun way to start riding; for leisure riders they can be a brilliant way to explore the outdoors; for competitive types high performance sports quads can produce some of the most dramatic racing of all; ATVs are also hugely practical utility vehicles for farmers and suchlike and there are even road legal quads for those who prefer their Tarmac biking thrills to be on four wheels. All, however, require different kinds of vehicles, with engine sizes ranging from 70 to 700cc, specifications and equipment suite to their specific us and new prices, too, starting at just over £1000 before climbing well into five figures.

1. Polaris Outlaw 70 EFI – the best kids ATV

Junior quads remain a popular choice for kids starting out in biking because, being four-wheeled, they’re an easier and in some ways safer introduction to off-road riding simply because they don’t fall over. The best also have very simple controls, are small so suit riders as young as six and even have ‘parent-adjustable’ speed limiters or controls so things don’t get out of hand! For years, Suzuki’s cute LT50, was clearly the best, although this is now only available secondhand. While today, Yamaha has the best offerings of the leading Japanese manufacturers with its YFZ50 (starting at £2349) and its slightly larger YFM90 (from £2799). However a recent newcomer that fits neatly between the two yet has a clever ergonomic design that means it suits a wider age range, from 6-10-year-olds, is the Outlaw from American ATV experts Polaris. With a modern, fuel-injected 70cc engine, adjustable speed limiter, quality suspension and brakes and attractive styling including LED lights, it’s a great all-round introduction to ATVS and, with prices starting at £2299, it’s not bad value, either.
Find a Polaris Outlaw 70 EFI here.

2. Honda TRX420 Fourtrax – the best ‘utility’ ATV

Honda’s farm-targetted ATV has been around for a long time, been successively updated, most recently for 2020, comes in a variety of different spec levels and, with a proven reliability record and Honda’s enviable build-quality is generally regarded as the best all-round utility ATV available. With ample power from its 420cc, liquid-cooled, four-stroke single, which now also features fuel-injection it further benefits from a variety of manual, semi-automatic and automatic gearbox options (the base manual version starts at £6666), there’s also a useful reverse gear, power-assisted steering, diff locks, a slick digital instrument display and even electronic starting, all helping put the Fourtrax among both the easiest to ride and classiest of utility ATVs.
Find a Honda TRX420 Fourtrax here.

3. Yamaha YFM700R – the ultimate sports ATV

If you’re after a high-performance or racing quad bike or ATV, they don’t get any more slick, sophisticated and fast than Yamaha’s latest YFM700R. Its 686cc fuel-injected single cylinder engine is one of the punchiest around; it has a strong and sophisticated steel and aluminium frame; there’s top quality race suspension all round along with large, off-road wheels and tyres; there’s slick styling and an ease-to-read LED display and even push-button electric-start. And if you want more, there’s also a YFM700R Special Edition (starting at £9099) version for with even more performance via a high compression head, special cam and race-bred fuel mapping plus ‘piggyback’ shocks and 22-inch Maxxis tyres.
Find a Yamaha YFM700R here.

4. Suzuki KingQuad 750 – the biggest ATV of all

Suzuki may no long offer its cute kids’ LT50 quad, but at the other end of the spectrum, with big 500 and even 750cc leisure quads, the Japanese manufacturer is more than well represented. Its ‘KingQuad’ family starts with a £6299 400cc version before climbing to the top-of-the-range, power steering equipped 750 which boasts a whopping 722cc engine, recently benefitted from a facelift, comes with a two-year warranty for extra peace of mind and has prices starting at £9199. Of course, some may argue that this most powerful of ATVs is more than many actually need, but if you want the biggest and the ‘most’, the aptly named ‘KingQuad’ is the one.
Find a Suzuki KingQuad 750 here.

5. Aeon Cobra 400 – the best road legal ATV

Although ATVs or quads aren’t a common sight on the public road – mostly due to quads not having the road advantages of either motorcycles (namely, their slimness and speed) or cars (weather protection and comfort) – they do remain a popular, fun option for a minority and, for those, the Aeon Cobra is generally considered to be the best. It’s a sports-styled quad powered by a 400cc, fuel-injected engine that offers decent power, has a user-friendly automatic transmission which includes a useful reverse gear, there’s decent suspension and disc brakes, it comes with a two-year warranty and even has a 12v socket with which you can charge your phone. It also comes in Supermoto and Supercross variations (different wheels and tyres) and with prices starting at £5499 (£5699 for the Supermoto version) is decent value for money.
Find a Aeon Cobra 400 here.