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Final lookEach of these has pluses and minuses.
The Ski-Doo fan is easily the best handling sled of the lot. It's the most fun just for tossing it about on the trail, without the big engine kick you get from a 600 or 800cc. Yet this fan seems the weakest of the three, but still is fine for the flatlands.
Arctic Cat's F570 is as comfortable a trail sled as you could want at this price. With electronic reverse and other goodies, it's strong on features and performance for the long-distance trail rider wanting a low-cost sled. The motor feels a bit stronger than the Ski-Doo, but if you want a racier feel, you'll need to move up to something like the Sno Pro 500, but then you're in the Yamaha price range.
Both the Cat and Ski-Doo win the initial price battle, checking in at $6,699 US and you can easily move up to the racier MZX TNT that comes in at only $6,949.
Yamaha is priciest at $8,099, but the Phazer is near bullet-proof and gets great gas mileage. So cost of operation will help even-out that price over time, depending on how many miles you ride. Plus if you're riding with others aboard entry-level models, you'll have much more power with the 4-stroke, plus a racier exhaust tone that sounds like you mean business.
There's no denying the Phazer has a unique look that'll set you apart on the trails. That large windshield and big-bump absorbing rear suspension are big real world benefits too.