Wow, impressive topic and Let me shed some light in it. Well, generally speaking, ATV also known as "quad bikes" consist up of four wheel drive and I can be used for riding on both rough surfaces and road, even it is helpful in desert as well.
Generally, there are two types of ATV's;
Sports ATV
Utility ATV
People tends to buy them depending on their preference. Normally, Sports ATVs have ergonomically perfect body and have powerful engine. Utility ATV are little bit bulky and may not have attractive styling but they have good weight carrying capacity and they are equipped with all accessories that one need during adventure riding in mountainous regions or when pulling heavy loads in farm. There are a lot of brands manufacturing ATVs and one can found the list of Top Ten Best Quad Bike Brands here.