The Top ATV Brands to Know in 2022
If you’re reading this article, there’s no doubt you’re an ATV enthusiast! Over the past few years, it’s difficult to ignore the sheer power of the market over the past year and a half or so, with Global Newswire predicting 6.65% in annual growth over the next 6 years.
As ATV and UTV riding is only increasing in popularity, there is predictably a larger effort being made into making and producing these vehicles. So much so that potential buyers can often start to feel overwhelmed at the sheer variety of vehicles available, which come in just about every shape and size imaginable, from the smallest sport quad to some four-seat models that are bigger than a Jeep.
However, despite the number of brands and models available, some are more well-regarded and trusted by riders than others. In this article, we’ll explore some of the top ATV brands to know about in 2022 so you can decide which one may be the most suited for you!
Overview of The Top ATV Brands
As previously mentioned, there is no shortage of ATV brands on the market today. Some, however, have been around longer than others and have consistently produced top-performing machines—making them highly trusted and regarded by veteran riders everywhere.
These brands, in no particular order, have proven themselves as strong competitors in the ATV market over the years, and are often the brands’ many riders swear by as producing the best vehicles around:
- Yamaha
- Kawasaki
- Honda
- Arctic Cat
- Can-Am
- Kymco
- Polaris
- Suzuki
- Kayo
Now that we have a general list of some of the top brands, we’ll use the following sections to describe these brands and more detail.
Yamaha
Yamaha has been a power player in the ATV market for years, being in the game since its parent company, the Yamaha Corporation, which was originally founded to produce musical instruments in 1887, founded its motor division back in 1955.
Since then, it has offered a wide range of products including motorcycles, boats, go-karts, golf carts, and of course, ATVs and other off-road vehicles, and has become a leader in providing exceptional riding performance.
As such it has become a favorite of riders today and has produced a number of strong machine lines, such as:
And a host of others as well! If you’re looking to dive into the world of all-terrain vehicles, then Yamaha vehicles are definitely worth a look.
Kawasaki
Kawasaki is another ATV and off-roading giant in the industry. The motor division of this company, The Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine Company, was founded and took control of the production of motorcycles, ATVs, utility vehicles, jet skis, and general-purpose petrol engines in 2001 from its parent company Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which was founded in 1896.
Kawasaki’s first foray into ATVs was with the three-wheeled KLT200, which was first produced in 1981, while its first attempt at a 4-wheeler came with the Bayou 300 4×4. in 1986. Today, the company is best known for its “MULE,” or Multi-Use Light Equipment, utility vehicles that, when first created in 1988, attempted to combine an ATV with a pick-up truck.
Honda
The Honda Motor Corporation was founded in Japan in 1948, and since then has achieved a number of impressive feats. Starting with becoming the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer in 1959, the company has since gone on to become the world’s largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines–producing more than 14 million each year—and later became the second-largest automobile manufacturer in Japan in 2001. By 2015, Honda had become the eighth largest automobile manufacturer in the world.
Some popular lines of ATV produced by Honda are:
Arctic Cat
Arctic Cat is an American brand, responsible for manufacturing snowmobiles and ATVs. The company was originally founded in 1960 and is now a part of Textron Incorporated, having been bought by the conglomerate in 2017.
The company made its first snowmobile in 1960, and by 1970 had launched its Boss Cat line of vehicles, but it wasn’t until 1996 that it made the foray into all-terrain vehicles and expanded its production to side-by-side utility vehicles in 2005.
Arctic Cat primarily designs and markets its vehicles toward more utilitarian riders, such as those who use their vehicles for farm work. When compared to other ATVs on the market today, they tend to offer much higher ground clearance (making them particularly adept off-road), low gear ratios for towing, and large steel racks suitable for hauling large cargo loads.
Some ATV offerings by Arctic Cat include:
Can-Am
Can-Am is a worldwide brand originally founded in Montreal, Canada in 1971. At first only interested in the production of motorcycles, the company eventually branched out to the production of ATVs and other side-by-side vehicles and hasn’t looked back since!
Today it offers a complete lineup of off-road vehicles suitable for any type of driver, be it ATV, side-by-side, or 3-wheel motorcycle.
Some of the most popular ATVs Can-Am produces are:
- The Outlander Line
- The Renegade Line
- The DS Line, designed for Youth riders
- The Defender Line
- The Commander Line
- The Maverick Line
KYMCO
As the company that originally manufactured parts for Honda, KYMCO, an acronym for Kwang Yang Motor Co., was founded in Taiwan in 1963 after splitting from the Japanese auto giant.
Today, they produce over 570,000 vehicles annually at its factory in Kaohsiung City and offer a range of high-quality scooters, motorcycles, ATVs, and other Side by Side and off-roading vehicles. In the United States, they are headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and sells its vehicles through 600 franchised dealerships located all across the country.
The ATV offerings they have can be found in their Mongoose and MXU model series, totaling 14 machines in total.
Polaris
Polaris is an American automotive manufacturer that specializes in the production of motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, and neighborhood electric vehicles.
Founded in Roseau, Minnesota in 1954, the company is actually credited with manufacturing the very first motorized vehicle that could travel through snow. Brothers Edgar and Alan Hetteen, along with company employees David Johnson, Paul Knochenmus, and Orlen Johnson continued to expand on the sled’s design, and, after a few years of work, Polaris rolled the first snowmobile off its assembly lines in 1956.
Edgar and Alan eventually had a falling out, with Edgar leaving Polaris in 1960 to found what would later come to be known as Arctic Cat—a company which, as we’ve talked about previously in this article, is still responsible for producing some awesome ATVs today.
Polaris has also maintained its supremacy as a huge player in the ATV industry and offers a variety of off-road vehicles, namely:
- The Sportsman Line, which comes in Utility and Touring versions
- The Scrambler Line
- Youth lines such as the Outlaw and Phoenix machines
Suzuki
Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation founded in 1909 as Suzuki Loom Works in Hamamatsu, Japan.
Though business was booming for looming machines at the time, the company’s founder, Michio Suzuki, believed that his company would benefit from diversifying its offerings, and first ventured into automobile production in 1937.
Despite some setbacks with the onset of World War II, Suzuki returned to automobile production in 1951 and by 1954 was producing 6,000 motorcycles per month. Today, the company is responsible for producing a wide range of cars, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles—eventually becoming the very first company to introduce a 4-wheeled ATV, named the Quadrunner 125—in 1982.
Since then, Suzuki has been the blueprint for ATV manufacturers all over the world. Today, they offer the KingQuad series of 4x4s, a line spanning 13 vehicles.
Kayo
Kayo is a manufacturing company that launched in 2002 in response to the void they saw in the market for well-built and reasonably priced ATVs and decided they wanted to change that. Beginning with motorcycles and dirt bikes, they stepped into the ATV market in 2007.
Since then, they have gone on to produce a number of wonderful machines, including:
A lot of their success can be attributed to the fact that the factory owner is an ex-Honda manufacturing engineer—so essentially, you’re getting all of the advanced engine technology and pedigree of Honda machines in a more affordable, Kayo-wrapped package!
Hisun
Hisun is a Chinese ATV, UTV, and motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Chongqing, China that has been in business since 1988. The company prides itself on providing quality and revolutionary all-terrain vehicles for some of the biggest names in the powersports industry.
The North American leg of the company is located in McKinney, Texas, and is responsible for producing a variety of ATV lines, such as:
- The Strike Line
- The Sector Line
- The Forge Line
- The Tactic Line
- A Youth Line, and even
- An Electric vehicle
Conclusion
In conclusion, when it comes to ATV and powersports vehicles, there is no shortage of brands and companies that produce literally hundreds of varieties of machines, in total producing vehicles that are adept at traversing an unimaginable amount of terrains—from snow to rocky mountains to mud and sand.
However, despite the number of brands and models available, there are some brands that have proven their worth by producing powerful machines and earning the trust of riders for decades—and, for some companies, even generations!
In this article, we took a look at 9 of the most popular and most well-known ATV brands that are on the market today. With any hope, it has helped you to get more knowledgeable about the options you have while shopping around this year so you can decide for yourself which is the best brand that manufactures the perfect ATV for you!
