1995 arctic cat cougar

After the annual test riding and picture-taking session was completed and we were pulling away from the Lariat Motel in Deadwood, South Dakota, we started talking about our favorite snowmobile. It's the same stuff that all snowmobilers talk about. If you could own just one of the brand new models, which one would it be? There were the votes for the new ZRT. Ski-Doo's MX-Z and Mach 1 got consideration. There was the tug of war vote in trying to decide if we'd rather have our XTRA suspension set-up on an XLT or an RXL. And there was the grudging admission that maybe, just maybe, if we could truly only have one sled, and that sled had to last for up to five seasons, and we didn't want to spend a lot of our own cash… well, yeah, the Arctic Cat Cougar was a real serious consideration.

As we headed across the prairie back to St. Paul, the Cougar kept creeping back into any conversations that we had about snowmobiling. At first we were all kind of amused that we'd think about the Cougar at all. It certainly isn't the most advanced Cat. It doesn't have the ZR suspension, the high tech disc brake or the power of the new ZRT's 800cc triple. With that in mind, we kind of got a little agitated that we kept thinking about the Cougar as the one sled to own if you could own only one. Why? We kept asking why?

The answer kept coming back that the Cougar is just one of those great values in snowmobiling that comes along every so often. Like Polaris' original Indy 500 of a few years ago, the Cougar is just a great all-around value when you examine what you get for the dollars spent.

At a suggested retail price of $4,899.00, the Cougar gives you a 550cc liquid-cooled twin. It's the same twin that was the soul of the EXT before the 580 twin. To keep costs down, the 550 uses a pair of 38mm Mikuni carbs instead of Cat's very nice fuel injection system. For purposes of long-term enjoyment, we figure that carbs are preferable.

Overall, what the 1995 Cougar gives you is what once passed as EXT straight line performance. Impressive is how we recall it. Impressive is what we found the Cougar to be.

Suspension-wise the Cougar's Arctic wishbone suspension is a generation removed from the ZR's AWS IV unit. But the Cougar's AWS III double wishbone with chrommoly A-arms is still more than adequate and the same design found on the honking Thundercat. AWS III still works quite well as we discovered. Give the credit to a precisely tuned set of coil springs over gas shock setup and a sway bar that is tied in perfectly to the overall system.

The rear suspension is Cat's FasTrack design with gas shock and 8.5 inches of claimed travel. That blends well with the front suspension's six inches of travel. The track is a full block design measuring 15 inches in width and 121 inches in circumference.

We won't pretend that the Cougar is a ZR. It isn't. It sits higher and handles much differently. But for sports riding, the Cougar ride and handling is extremely competent. You can trust this Cat to go where you point it, keep you upright and flying true over big bumps. If you figure that this sled is essentially an older EXT, which was the top Cat in the model mix just a few seasons ago, then you know that you have a pretty refined piece of equipment under you.

We found the Cougar more enjoyable than the older EXT version because Arctco engineers have updated this model with new styling and an improved mechanical brake.

As we have mentioned in other reports about Arctic Cats, we really appreciate the attention to airflow over the windshield. One thing we've come to appreciate about the new Cats, ZRs included, is the effectiveness of their windshields. Even Cat's low and sporty windshields work to block wind from your face and hands. Cat's Cougar is a winner in the on-trail comfort department because of this fact. We also like the "retro" styling cues around the 11-gallon fuel tank and the seat. It reminds us of the original Arctic Cat EXT styling of the 1970s. Cat's real good at going modern but lets you savor the successes of its past.

While we accuse the Cougar of being an EXT 550, we know the 1995 Cat is more than that. It has completely new styling in the hood and comes with a wrap-around bumper. The new rounded ZRT-like hood is amply endowed with air vents to keep the muffler cool as well as maintaining efficient underhood temp levels.

At 111 inches in overall length, the Cougar is full sized with a wide 40-inch ski stance.

In our test riding, we were impressed with the combination of agile handling and strong power that we found in this readily affordable Cat. It's hard to denigrate a sled that has so many pluses. Standard equipment includes a tach, speedometer, odometer, trip meter, warning lights, handwarmers and parking brake. You can add a thumb warmer, a higher windshield (which we doubt you'd need), and reverse and electric start.

In our judgment, when you factor in performance, handling, standard equipment, styling, and suggested retail price, the Cougar is an excellent value. Plus, you can look forward to enjoying this sled for a number of years with little expected maintenance. Now, isn't that the bottom line?