Honda Rancher vs Foreman comes down to engine size, rack capacity and options, not towing. The 2027 FourTrax Foreman 4x4 has a 518cc engine and 264 lb of rack capacity against 420cc and 199 lb on the Rancher 4x4, yet both are rated to tow 848 lb. The Rancher 4x4 starts $850 lower.
| 2027 Honda specification | FourTrax Rancher 4x4 | FourTrax Foreman 4x4 |
|---|
| Base MSRP | $7,399 | $8,249 |
| Engine | 420cc single, liquid-cooled | 518cc single, liquid-cooled |
| Towing capacity | 848 lb | 848 lb |
| Rack capacity, front and rear | 66 lb and 133 lb | 88 lb and 176 lb |
| Ground clearance | 7.1 in | 7.5 in |
| Suspension travel, front and rear | 6.7 in and 6.7 in | 7.3 in and 7.3 in |
| Curb weight | 615 lb | 635 lb |
| Turning radius | 9.2 ft | 10.5 ft |
| Trims in the 2027 line | Four, including 2WD and automatic | Two, both with a manual gearbox |
Figures are Honda's own for 2027 models, read on 15 October 2026. Base MSRP does not include Honda's $620 destination charge, which brings the totals to $8,019 and $8,869. Ask the dealer for a written out-the-door price that includes setup, tax and registration.
See Honda Rancher and Foreman ATVs for sale on Searchshop.
The comparison uses Honda's published data and Searchshop listings only, not test rides. Each Rancher trim was matched with the Foreman trim closest to it in price and equipment, then compared on what a shopper can check before calling a dealer: price, engine size, towing, rack capacity, clearance, suspension, weight, turning radius and transmission.
Specifications and prices come from the model and trim pages on powersports.honda.com, read on 15 October 2026. Dealer asking prices come from Searchshop's ATV listings read the same day. Horsepower is left out because Honda does not publish it for either model, and claims about how each machine rides were not used.
The Rancher line starts lower and has more trims: four for 2027 against two for the Foreman 4x4. Honda's 2027 base MSRPs are:
- FourTrax Rancher: $6,299. This is the only two-wheel-drive model in either line.
- FourTrax Rancher 4x4: $7,399, with a five-speed manual gearbox.
- FourTrax Rancher 4x4 Automatic DCT EPS: $8,649, with an automatic dual-clutch transmission (DCT) and electric power steering (EPS).
- FourTrax Rancher 4x4 Automatic DCT IRS EPS: $9,149, which adds independent rear suspension (IRS).
- FourTrax Foreman 4x4: $8,249, with a five-speed manual gearbox.
- FourTrax Foreman 4x4 EPS: $9,099, which adds electric power steering.
The closest like-for-like pairing is the Rancher 4x4 against the Foreman 4x4, $850 apart, both with manual steering and a solid rear axle. A buyer who wants power steering pays $9,099 for the Foreman 4x4 EPS, or $8,649 for a Rancher that also has the automatic gearbox.
The Foreman has the bigger engine and stronger racks, but the same towing rating. Honda lists a 518cc single-cylinder engine for the Foreman 4x4 and a 420cc single for the Rancher, both liquid-cooled, fuel-injected and shaft-driven.
- Towing: both are rated at 848 lb on every trim compared here. Honda's own Rancher page suggests a bigger ATV for anyone who regularly pulls loads past 800 lb or needs more cargo capacity.
- Racks: the Foreman 4x4 is rated at 88 lb front and 176 lb rear, 264 lb in total. The Rancher is rated at 66 lb front and 133 lb rear, 199 lb in total.
- Tires: the Foreman 4x4 runs 25-inch tires and the Rancher 24-inch tires.
For more towing within the same 518cc engine family, Honda's FourTrax Foreman Rubicon 4x4 is rated at 1,322 lb, with racks rated at 99 lb front and 187 lb rear. It starts at $9,799 for 2027.
The Foreman 4x4 is slightly taller, heavier and wider-turning than the Rancher 4x4, with a little more clearance and suspension travel. Both are 47.4 inches wide with a 50-inch wheelbase.
- Ground clearance: 7.5 inches on the Foreman 4x4 against 7.1 inches on the Rancher 4x4.
- Suspension travel: 7.3 inches front and rear on the Foreman 4x4 against 6.7 inches on the Rancher 4x4.
- Curb weight: 635 lb against 615 lb, both with a full tank. The EPS versions weigh 648 lb (Foreman) and 642 lb (Rancher DCT EPS).
- Seat height: 34.5 inches against 33.6 inches.
- Turning radius: 10.5 feet against 9.2 feet.
Both carry 3.9 gallons of fuel.
Only the Rancher offers an automatic gearbox and independent rear suspension in this pairing; the Foreman 4x4 comes with a five-speed manual and a swingarm rear end on both trims. Shoppers who want those features in a Foreman have to step up to the Foreman Rubicon.
The top Rancher pairs the DCT and power steering with independent dual-arm rear suspension. Honda lists 9.6 inches of ground clearance, 7.3 inches of front travel and 8.5 inches of rear travel, a rear disc brake, a curb weight of 686 lb and an 11.5-foot turning radius. It keeps the 848 lb towing rating.
The FourTrax Foreman Rubicon 4x4 Automatic DCT EPS starts at $10,499, or $10,999 for the Deluxe trim. It has the 518cc engine, independent double-wishbone rear suspension with 8.5 inches of travel, 9.7 inches of ground clearance, a curb weight of 725 lb and the 1,322 lb towing rating. It costs $1,350 more than the top Rancher.
Every 4x4 Rancher and Foreman trim uses front and rear driveshafts with what Honda's spec sheets call a torque-sensitive locking front differential. Honda's 2027 Foreman 4x4 pages describe three modes chosen by the rider: two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, and four-wheel drive with the front differential locked by a switch. The base Rancher has rear drive only.
Electric power steering is optional on both lines. On the Rancher it comes only with the automatic gearbox; on the Foreman 4x4 it comes with the manual gearbox. All trims carry Honda's transferable one-year limited warranty, and Honda recommends both models for riders 16 and older.
Most new Rancher and Foreman units listed on Searchshop are 2026 models, and dealers are mostly asking Honda's 2026 base MSRP. On 15 October 2026 Searchshop had 118 new Honda listings whose title named the Rancher, Foreman or Foreman Rubicon; 97 were 2026 models. The table covers the 2026 Rancher and Foreman 4x4 units.
| Trim (new, 2026 model year) | Listings | Median asking price | Honda 2026 base MSRP |
|---|
| Rancher (2WD) | 12 | $6,249 | $6,249 |
| Rancher 4x4 | 21 | $7,349 | $7,349 |
| Rancher 4x4 Automatic DCT EPS | 11 | $8,599 | $8,599 |
| Rancher 4x4 Automatic DCT IRS EPS | 7 | $8,799 | $9,099 |
| Foreman 4x4 | 13 | $8,699 | $8,199 |
| Foreman 4x4 EPS | 12 | $9,049 | $9,049 |
Listings were matched to each trim by the model name in the title. Eleven dealers listed new units, and one Arizona dealer accounts for 69 of the 118, so these medians mostly reflect a small number of dealers. The Foreman 4x4 median sits above MSRP because it includes camouflage units listed at $8,699 and three units one dealer lists at $10,949. Ask each dealer whether its asking price includes Honda's $620 destination charge and setup. Too few used units were listed to give used prices.
Compare today's asking prices on ATVs for sale.
The right choice depends on how much you carry, whether you want an automatic, and your budget, because the towing rating is the same.
- Lowest price: the two-wheel-drive Rancher at $6,299, for riders who do not need four-wheel drive.
- Lowest-priced 4x4 of the two: the Rancher 4x4 at $7,399.
- More rack capacity and a bigger engine: the Foreman 4x4 at $8,249, with 264 lb of rack capacity against 199 lb.
- An automatic gearbox on a budget: the Rancher 4x4 Automatic DCT EPS at $8,649.
- Independent rear suspension and more clearance: the Rancher 4x4 Automatic DCT IRS EPS at $9,149, with 9.6 inches of clearance.
- Towing more than 848 lb: neither; look at the Foreman Rubicon, rated at 1,322 lb.
Browse ATVs for sale on Searchshop to find a Rancher or Foreman at a dealer near you. If you are also weighing a side-by-side, read ATV vs. UTV: which is right for you and Honda Pioneer vs Polaris Ranger. For more help, see the ATV and UTV buying guide.
Yes, slightly. The 2027 Foreman 4x4 has a 518cc engine against 420cc, 25-inch tires against 24-inch, 7.5 inches of ground clearance against 7.1, and weighs 635 lb against 615 lb for the Rancher 4x4. Both are 47.4 inches wide with a 50-inch wheelbase, and the Foreman needs 10.5 feet to turn against 9.2 feet.
No. Honda rates both the 2027 Foreman 4x4 and every 2027 Rancher trim to tow 848 lb. The Foreman's advantage is rack capacity: 264 lb front and rear combined, against 199 lb on the Rancher. For a higher towing rating, the Foreman Rubicon 4x4 is rated at 1,322 lb.
Not in the Foreman 4x4 line, which has a five-speed manual gearbox on both 2027 trims. The automatic dual-clutch transmission is offered on the Foreman Rubicon 4x4 Automatic DCT EPS, from $10,499, and its Deluxe trim, from $10,999. In the Rancher line it starts at $8,649 on the Rancher 4x4 Automatic DCT EPS.
The Foreman Rubicon uses the same 518cc engine but adds independent rear suspension, power steering on every trim and a higher towing rating. Honda rates the 2027 Foreman Rubicon 4x4 to tow 1,322 lb against 848 lb for the Foreman 4x4, with 8.5 inches of rear travel and 9.8 inches of ground clearance on the EPS trim. It starts at $9,799 against $8,249.
