Product Review: Honda Foreman 4X4 ES Utility ATV

The Honda Foreman 4x4 ES Utility ATV is the perfect fit for hunters, farmers and adventurers. This rugged, go anywhere four-wheel-drive all-terrain-vehicle has the power to get the job done.

According to Honda, some guys want it all and some jobs need it all. When it comes to the Honda Foreman, this gal wants and needs it. I grew up on a farm where we depended on our own two feet or a horse when it came to chasing cows, walking fence rows and all the other glamorous jobs that go with farming.

I balked when my husband decided we needed cattle. But I didn't hesitate for a second when it came to considering a four-wheeler. I was thinking action filled rides just for fun on an ATV that would be a legitimate farm expense. A bright red Honda Foremen 4x4 proved the perfect fit for this farm wife.

We chose the ES, exclusive push button shift ATV. While my husband lost himself in the specifications, I was lost in daydreams of escaping the farm on a four-wheeler.

Specifications Include:

475cc air-cooled CHV longitudinally mounted single cylinder four-stroke engine
Electric starter with auxiliary recoil
CD ignition with electronic advance
Automatic clutch
Five-speed transmission with reverse
Direct front and rear driveshafts with TraxLok and torque sensitive front differential
Independent front suspension
Swingarm rear suspension with dual shocks
Dual hydraulic front brakes
Sealed rear brake

Suggested Price: Approximately $5500.00
Available in red, yellow, olive, and camo colors.

We loaded our new Honda ATV and headed for home. Although we'd taken a test drive at the dealership, there's nothing like a real test drive around the pasture, across the creek, up the hill and around the barn. The Honda Foreman didn't balk once. It showed no fear of Arkansas rocks, Ozark hills or brush. Learning to drive the ATV wasn't difficult.

We've hauled feed, hay, fencing supplies and other miscellaneous farm stuff on our Foreman. Snow, ice, and mud are no match for the four-wheel drive. The hardest part about hauling a deer on this ATV is getting the deer up on the Honda's rack.

The Honda Foreman 4x4 ES handles well. Even when you're using it to herd cattle. Stopping, spinning. Going into the brush. No more walking the woods for hours looking for newborn calves. Even better, no more worrying about out-running aggravated new mama cows. This ATV has more than enough speed!

My dreams of escaping the farm on my cherry red Honda ATV come true fairly often. There's nothing like a four-wheeler ride in the morning or late evening when the weather is just right. Gas mileage isn't an issue. Terrain doesn't matter. There's something peaceful about an ATV ride across open pasture.

Our Honda Foreman is a legitimate tax deduction. We use it to check on cows, haul feed, ride fence rows and fix fences more than we use it for anything else. But all work and no play gets old. When it comes time to play, this ATV is ready, willing and able.

Honda got it right when they said, "Whether you're on the farm or on the trail, working hard or playing hard, the new Rancher 4x4 ES has all the right moves."