Full REVIEW: 2017 Honda Foreman Rubicon 500 Deluxe 

If Honda could build a 1000 foreman model they would own the market. Honda’s reliability is the sole reason they sell the most atvs

I purchased my Rincon knowing it was under powered but Honda reliability and belt-less operation was a huge selling feature. No regrets after 6 yrs.

I purchased a Polaris 570 SP. I Drove this machine (Honda Rubicon) and the Polaris before buying. The Polaris had a better ride quality, better power & was around $500 cheaper. I decided to give the Polaris a shot. I am 4 months into owning the Polaris 570 SP. It immediately began to not start correctly. I would turn the key & it would click like a dead battery or bad solenoid. Turn the key again, It might fire right up or it might not. After I had to walk home once I got more serious about getting this fixed. 4 months later the dealer has replaced battery, solenoid, key switch, break switch, starter and now the voltage regulator...possibly the power steering unit next. They have had the bike 1 month of my 4 month ownership. I really like this ATV when it is running. But, it is not dependable. I called the Polaris customer service line about maybe getting the bike replaced or declared a lemon. They told me I would have to work that out with the dealership & that Polaris does not have a buy back or compensation program. The dealer is not the problem they are doing everything they can to help. Poor Polaris quality and poor customer service is why I chose to write this. Show less Reply

I cant’t believe you forgot to mention the high/low featured transmission? tremendous feature.

I just bought a 2018 rubicon with 18,000 miles. Still runs perfectly. Yes, they’re definitely durable.

I’ve owned a 800 Can am renegade and 1000 XXC renegade and love them both but when I drove the Honda I fell in love with it. The comfort is the same and I never have to worry about a belt so I bought one and have put over 700 miles on it and it’s still as good as new. Yes it’s not fast and I can’t jump it but with the way it climbs with it’s lower gear and lockers I’d say watch out!!

Do a 10 year review the Polaris will be a bucket of parts I wish I could of done the review, reliability is clearly the main issue when spending that money!!

I’m a Honda fan myself and I’m not going to say Honda is the best. There are many company’s that exceed the performance of the Honda in almost every category. But people still choose to buy a Honda over anything else. I believe this is because MOST Honda’s not all, but most are completely bulletproof and because they are simply made maintenance and repairs are easy and cheap.

Just an FYI regarding the "auto-mode" and the HP rating on this machine: The statement Luke makes in this video about the DCT transmission not being good for aggressive riding is incorrect. The computer program learns your driving style & adapts the DCT shifting accordingly. When I first rode the new Rubicon, I was also disappointed with the shift pattern in Auto mode, but once I learned how to manipulate the computer with the throttle, and the Rubicon's computer became familiar with my riding style, well . . . let's just say it's a whole different machine! As far as the HP is concerned, it's impossible to compare the 29 Luke says this machine puts out to the 33 from the same size Polaris because of the different transmission. Steel transfers energy better than rubber (rubber stores energy) and this is the reason it has way more torque than other machines with higher HP ratings using CVT's. I tested the Rubicon's 475 against the 700 Grizzly on some pretty steep hills. The difference between the 2 was negligible to say the least and that's why Luke states "this motor feels bigger than it is on the bottom end". Oh, and for the record, the Grizzly I tested had an aftermarket clutch kit designed to provide more low end torque.

For the last 16 years I've been nearly a 100% Polaris man but I got to say that is one sweet looking piece of machinery. Good video DT and keep calling them out for the need of a larger displacement engine in this bike.

i hunt and do work off my 2016 rubicon dct. it is a fantastic machine that is well worth the price. i don't care how much HP it has and i don't even know its top speed. with its tremendous torque, there has yet to be a situation where i felt under powered. if anything, the rubicon is impressive on power. i have pulled trees on the ground with ease that i thought i wouldn't have been able to budge. the suspension isn't stiff enough at its highest setting in my opinion. it is not a sport atv. it is meant to carry a load there and back again. i don't want to loose all of my ground clearance when i have a deer or load of firewood on the back or when towing a trailer. i absolutely hold its reliability as its best attribute. that aspect alone makes it worth the price. in late winter, flooded roads and off trail areas destroy belt driven machines in my area. you flat out don't see almost anything but honda out here for that reason.

I owned a 2004 Rubicon and drove it almost 5000 miles! Honda engines are amazing but the drive lines suck. Had to replace many front bearings and the horrible front and rear drum brakes are another story! And changing the oil was very expensive since it held 6 or 7 quarts of oil for the engine and the Hondamatic tranny. I traded it in for a new 2008 suzuki kingquad and was more than pleased. Glad to see that Honda now offers front disk brakes and a four wheel drive selector.

Why are y’all always downing Honda? I mean they’re not made to go 80mph like a Polaris. I’d take a Yamaha over a Polaris,but still Honda is the way to go, they are very reliable and they have way more horsepower than they feel like. And Honda is the only brand to offer 2 modes. Everything else is belt driven where as with Honda you can have, 1. Gears or 2. Belt, which is pushing the envelope as far as I am concerned. I will stick with Honda until a brand is proven better.

Here are my pros and cons I bought mine in 2015 (camo) PROS - super ride, very very nice suspension - i had a 300 Suzuki King quand before.. i appreciate having almost all controls on the steering (that's good) - Good power (it's not big but if you want more, it could be only to impress others. in other words, learn to drive if you feel this is not a big engine for you because it could do almost anything. For 9000$ Cnd, i think it's the most Hp for your buck). And you could tow a lot (My CVT friends where afraid to break their bikes trying to do the same i did). - Tires: They are perfect, dont change them! They grab more than ok! CONS: Transmission: nice: (even the dealer did not know about this): In the Esp mode, when crawling into the woods at low speed: it will downshift automaticaly for you.. That's nice when you are in rought terain and in low gear, always have to climb and be very concentrate.. the downshifting will help you always be ok to punch it when you need to pass a big obstacle. The bad thing about it: Don't do a dead stop! The transmission will switch to "---" not knowing in wich gear it's in.. you need to push/pull in order to have the little motor to swith into a gear for you.. sometime it takes a while to get back into a gear.. NOT FUN at all! Even when you have stopped accidentaly on a tree where on a big Hill by example.. sometime you dont have that luxury to get on you feet and pull.. I'd say it's the worst i would have to say about the whole bike. I push my snow in the winter. Sometimes, i have to give the snow bank a good punch. I get from 1 to 2nd gear and "bang" into the snow bank... the bike will stall and i have to press the right hand brake in order to make it start again because it's in "no" gear.. Then, shove up the snow to manualy pull hard hard to move it 1 or 2 feet and hope to get into a gear.. - The blower (fan) is very noisy - Rims (stock) are very cheap and will damage easely (who would put $$$ on nice rims to scratch them or bend them in hard terain.. Would be great if Honda put the rims they had on the previous Rubicon (silver).. nicer looking and seemed they had more endurance than those bear can aluminium!

I love my 16 Rubicon deluxe foot shift

Please review a honda with a foot shift! A honda with a foot shift will last forever!!

All these arguments are pointless. Every company and model is built for specific purposes. You guys want a atv that has the perks of a Suv, a boat, a plane, a motorcycle, and grandmas cooking all in one for the price of a huffy bicycle. 🤦‍♂️

i came from a 2014 honda foreman. at 1100 miles i had to rebuild the top end... wasn't impressed... few weeks ago i bought a 2018 grizzly... what a major ride difference

Last month went to see 2022 Honda Rubicon 520 4x4 at the dealership big Atv. Much bigger then i thought it was great looking machine can’t wait to by one.

I have one !! 750 km on it so far I love it ...yes they are slow too speed 75 kph but that’s Honda

I have a 16 rubicon and it can do anything. It’s not the fastest but it can tow, ride trails. And it not that big so you can still jump it like a sport four wheeler

Best, most solid feeling ATV made !!

I think it's a great looking quad, with a great DCT and a comfortable ride. Wisu it had more power (i understand its not the most important feature to some), that would open up a hole new net of buyers for this brand

By the way. Polaris are junk.

I love my 2016 Rubicon. I've always wanted to paint it the 2017 deluxe color because it looks soooo sweet!

Sadly Honda don’t have the reliability they were once known for. Really disappointed with our Rubicon 500, massive issues with overheating, frame cracking and the rear diff blew up. All well known issues around here and a lot of people are changing from the newer Hondas to other brands now. Our one had a really easy life too, one light weight female rider, only ridden on gentle tracks and never used for towing etc. Don’t think I hate Honda either, I still have an old 2012 500 Foreman done 30,000km and no issues but the newer Rubicon is not in the same league as the old model for reliability!

We've bought a 1998 Honda fourtrax 300 17 years ago no need for power ittl pull a 24 foot bassboat with no issues it hauls wood, pulls trees and we run the absolute crap out of it it's a great machine and I will never consider buying anything but a honda or a yamaha. However the only thing that I can complain about is the rear brakes they aren't very good and that's it.

Horsepower doesn't matter, torque is the only thing that matters on a utility ATV. My 2003 Rincon 650 will go 65 mph on gravel, and cruises quietly and comfortably at 30 mph, and so does my 2005 650 and my 2012 Rincon 680. How fast do I need to go? And, the reason the Hondas last so long is because they don't overly stress the engine and drivetrain. I know, DirtTrax hates Hondas because they don't have CVTs, but that's why Hondas rule. People play with the other brands, but experienced riders go Honda. If you want comfort, reliability, and workhorse performance, get a Honda. If you're into mud bogging and don't mind replacing belts, get something else.

I don't want to ride 30 miles into the bush and have to walk out. I bought a Rubicon partly because of this video and the associated comments left like the one by Ozark HayandCattle. And to answer your question at 5:00, yes. I don't see any logical answer but yes.

4:56 yup

Honda always has been known for quality and reliability but in the past decade or so the Fenders "Plastics" fade easy and are thinner, they no longer powdercoat the wheels and frame, it peeks off . Also the nuts n bolts rust easy so they are not anodized correctly. The plastics are put together with push pins that also fade and they vibrate.. I'm sooooo dissatisfied with the quality these days.. WOW are the parts no longer made in Japan?? I've owned several Recons and all of them have this issue

Great vid! I would love to see in future videos a gopro session while you ride and talk about the quad or utv and how it handles. Kinda like a car review!

Personally I could not disagree more with the headlight switch statement. I absolutely love where the switches are on my 05 rancher 350 es. Now granted i have huge hands but its so convenient to keep my hands on the handle bars and being able to toggle both switches.

If Honda would drop a actual 500cc engine in there with 40HP or so, connected to the legendary bulletproof 5 speed foot shift......id buy one in a heart beat!!! Until then I refuse to pay that much money for such a nice machine with a golf cart engine. There is absolutely NO REASON Honda cannot drop a 550cc engine in there that makes 40HP and maintain its legendary reliability. I understand avoiding the 1000cc HP war......but at least give us a 500cc engine that has more power than my lawn mower. Until then the mass exodus from Honda continues and long time fans like myself who remember Honda's hay days continue to be disappointed and forced to buy elsewhere. We who remember those days are getting old now.....but we aint old enough to accept being out ran by a golf cart yet!

My grandpa has a Honda Fourtrax 300 and it is extremely reliable... if I was in the market for a new atv I would choose Honda even though other atv company’s have better ones as far as specs go but the Honda should be reliable

Honda is the best. No belts to slip and burn. Let’s leave the belts for snowmobiles and jeans.

after all the reviews I’m guessing the Honda will last longer but the Polaris will cause you too have more fun ?

I think a person is buying reliability when buying a Honda. They seem to last forever I have a 94. Foot shifter. Runs great. My friend. Has an 86 Uses it for pushing snow all winter and loves it

I had a 2016 Pioneer 500 (same engine as review here) which developed an oil consumption habit by 3000 km, it was going through over half a litre of oil between oil changes. On the subject of oil changes, it was a pain to do them and the interval was only 1000 km. It was my fist Honda and I wasn't impressed.

I will be trading my Polaris in for a Honda. Polaris are cheaper for a reason

Nice vid I like it. I want a nice hunting 4 wheeler my dvx is fun but it can’t go on rough trails with it lol

I can't believe it they are doing a review on something besides a Polaris it's about time

I got a 2009 honda Rubicon she is still suvk a beast I got on brand new motor and it's made 4 off road

It's a nice machine but it's way too expensive. Honda knows there are faithful customers that will buy it no matter what but there are less and less of them each day. It's a 475cc machine that costs as much as other brands machines with 850 cc motors that have 2" more ground clearance and CVT transmissions that are always in the right gear. (It's a figure of speech, I am fully aware there are no gears with a CVT)

Love my 500 so great on gas

Why don't you guys review Suzuki? Could you please talk to them and give it a shot?

Why do they always have to talk about less horse power ? And the fact that Honda’s don’t have an overhead cam? They have plenty of torque and last forever. Also they are a beautiful looking quad

I wonder if Honda is just being very conservative with their horsepower ratings. There's a difference between rating horsepower at the wheels versus at the engine. I think but I don't know for sure that Honda is reading the horsepower at the wheels while the other manufacturers are rating horsepower at the engine. Honda is very conservative with a lot of their ratings.

*NOT A MANUAL*

If any attribute an ATV could ever have wouldn't reliability and durability be exactly where you would want to invest you're extra hard earned money? Or is HP king and the fun factor rate higher and worth the extra cash? Let me know what you guys think!

On average how much will u spend repairing a Polaris ?

Use foot shifts there better

Ever do any research on CFMoto?? Side by sides or four wheelers?? Sold by Honda dealers

How are these new hondamatics doing did they restyle them ? Or are they the same things used in their earlier rancher 400s and foreman rubicons 500s did they make any updates or anything bc all I’ve heard is bad about the other ones

Hello my friend. Great video. Is this DCT trasmission reliable?

I want one

I had a polaris 570 EPS,,,, it started doing the same thing, it had already been in shop for throttle issues. I decided to sell it, it just felt cheap. At the same time I owned a second sportsman 570 non power steering - no issues to report. Neither ride compares to my 2005 brute force 650. Not even close. As far as Honda - the transmission is ridiculous. My other issue with this ride is they are SO SLOW> They charge huge money for a ride that can't beat Grandma's wheelchair.

Hello. I come from Poland . I have a question and I am asking for an answer. What's the difference between Honda foreman 500fa6 (2017) and Honda foreman rubicon deluxe (2017) independent suspension? if you can, please reply 😁

Does is still come with the old manual shift transmission ? I don’t like all that electronic stuff.

Honda really wants customers to look past power ratings because it supposedly suffers from less power loss at the wheels.

Hey guys new to this. Did you ever do a video on how to take side covers off of a 2019 Honda forman. I'm looking to get to the end of the snorkel to put some type of screen on it to prevent mice from getting in. And getting into airbox to nest. Any help will be greatly appreciated. If you could point me in the right direction thanks

Do it have power steering, EFI, & disc brakes??

This and suzki 750 wich one should i buy

There a great quad but there just isn’t any power and no low box is a killer to a already lazy engine.the 500 king quad will destroys his pulling and speed and comfort and I am a Honda fan just sold mine looking to get a king quad

Question, what’s the price?

I will be picking up my new Honda tomorrow. Its an expensive lesson to learn but if you need to depend on a machine daily. Polaris is not the manufacturer to go with. They do provide value on the surface, Probably why they are the one everyone is chasing. After you dig in one will find it is superficial value. The quality is less than that of Yamaha, Honda, Can Am, Etc...

I love honda and we have a foreman and its just bomb proof but im soon buying a new quad and want to no if that rubicon with independent suspension with electric shift give trouble because ive heard from 3 dealers saying dont buy them now is this true if u no plz reply

I want to come work for yall!!!

Nice!!

anyone else saw that dog?

great Dogie-o;-)

Once again honda almost builds the ultimate atv. But they had to leave out one important thing horse power as usual. I have a 2014 honda foreman its a great atv but it would be way better with about 20 more hp plus the locking front diff and suspension the new ones have. Come on honda just let us have it all we will pay for it stop teasing us please.

Got a 2018 Grizzly a week ago, never even walked into the Honda dealer. Honda needs to dump the DCT in lieu of a CVT. There's a reason every other manufacturer does it and it's not because they can't do something else. Honda is an extremely good quality atv but they are forcing an inferior transmission down the throats if anyone who buys one.

Under powered, under suspended and over priced. Some of the most boring ATV’s and SXS’s on the market. And they don’t even have reliability on there side anymore. Seen several new Honda ATV’s and SXS’s with multiple problems, the Rubicon and Pioneer 1000 to be specific. I have 2 Polaris ATV’s and 1 SXS from them and they are all rode hard and none have any issues. And they are actually fun and exciting to ride.

The funny thing is the sportsman 450 that has more power is actually 500cc while the rubicon is 475...

Honda confuses me. Yes they produce pretty much the most reliable.....anything they make. But yet....this ATV has only a few more HP than my 2005 Arctic Cat 400. ?????????

👍

I have a polaris 570 and rides. Better and has more horse power

If you didn’t get the loaded one it would have been 8 grand Canadian that’s pretty cheap if you ask me

Worthless review for someone wanting to use it for work.. like the name implies.

I'll only buy a manual wheeler

More electronic crap!