the 600 super sports
Amsnow
The bottom line
The Rev from Ski-Doo is an exceptional snowmobile. This second year version has improved dramatically from the inaugural season. The chassis layout is extremely comfortable and this nonsense about "getting used to it" is just that- nonsense. Whether you've been riding one season or 30 seasons, you won't have any problems. In fact, we'd bet that long term veterans may actually like this setup better than what they rode before. Because you sit in the "rocking chair" section of the suspensions and because you can involve your legs and thighs in the bump absorption and because you don't have to stress your arms by pulling yourself forward for bumps … well, you get the idea. The Rev is easy to ride, saves wear and tear on your body and lets you put on easier miles in a day than the "legs out, butt back" seating that tradition dictated.
From a performance standpoint, all three are in the same league. They are all capable of handling virtually any trail condition. We think the Ski-Doo Rev will handle them better overall, but the Cat is definitely the best of the "conventional" position sleds. To us, the Polaris is merely a stop gap measure to a totally new generation of Polaris snowmobiles. The Polaris X2 series is designed to give loyal fans a Rev-like sled based on XC components. For loyal Polaris fans, that may be enough. At least Polaris hopes so, because Ski-Doo's market share gains have come
mostly from Polaris.
Cat fans have good reasons to stay loyal. The F6 series is very strong under the hood. The suspensions are supple and nimble. Quality was an issue with the F7 last season, but we'll be very surprised if the F6 suffers that same fate. So, bottom line: Cat is a very good bet.
All three models have the expected key ergonomic features like heated handlebars and thumbwarmers. We found wind protection superior on the Cat and of negligible value on the Rev and X2. You get gas-charged shocks and above average suspensions in all three. Polaris offers exclusive Walker Evans remote reservoir compression-adjustable shocks- front and rear. But, it's not enough to lift the Polaris above third choice in our estimation. We like the REV first, but could live comfortably with the new F6 as the best of the traditional chassis models.