Dealer is talking me out of an alpha

[slyrydr]

most of the guys i ride with that are open to buying either cat or poo are going alpha next year, these are mostly experienced guys who are good to very good riders....a number of them are switching from poo to cat, interesting that none of the cat guys are going to poo...that tells the tale, but you're not going to be wrong with either choice...i just find it's easier to ride the cat well, there's a fun factor that the alpha has that i don't find with the poo, but the poo is also very capable, just not as fun...anyway, that's my opinion...but also from your description of the salesman, he's either getting a better monetary incentive or he's just a blatantly poo guy, not sayin' it's wrong to be biased, lots of folks are...

 

[john6719]

Went to a local dealer that sells cat, polaris, and skidoo. Talked to basically their test guy, seemed pretty knowledgeable and like a pretty technical rider. Talked with him for probably 30 minutes. Ive been on the fence about a new 850 polaris or a new alpha. The alpha price point had me swayed that way. But after talking with him, he basically told me id be disappointed with the alpha, saying its great for less experienced riders but when the terrain gets technical it washes out, the trail riding can be pretty sketchy, and while the rear feels nimble the front still feels wide and the body panels feel wide. And basically since im coming off an axys i should stick with that, and would be disappointed with the alpha. Now this guy does look like he has about 100 lbs on me and that may play into it as well. Anyone have thoughts on this? I honestly dont want to hear about polaris engine issues, i get it, so leave that out of this discussion.

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The guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about or is purposely misleading you for dealer/personal reasons.

 

[hd4rob]

Sounds like best snowcheck margins are on the 850’s

 

[jakey-boy]

Do you get your warranty work done at the same dealer? I cannot possibly imagine a scenario in which they would make more money off the Poo if so... Insert sarcasm.

 

[kiliki]

Do you get your warranty work done at the same dealer? I cannot possibly imagine a scenario in which they would make more money off the Poo if so... Insert sarcasm.

don't walk from this dealer RUN! I have years of experience with this shop and I wouldn't buy a free glass of water from them! The service shop is by far the biggest joke. I dropped off a set of shocks to have factory cat parts Kit put in and the service guy hand no clue what I was asking for. I pick them up a week later sitting in the same spot I put them.
Sent them off to the other side of the state and had them back 3 days later and 50.00 cheaper. this is just one of many stories

I have road the axys with a turbo and I have now a 19 mt cat 162. have had 2 full days on the alpha one 154 and one 165. I was not going to ride a first year product and like you I wanted to put a leg over them. I now have a 2020 165 on order and my wife has a 154. I have not owned a poo for a number of year tho.

The 19 mt cat and the axys have a lot of very similar manors and I feel comfortable going from one to the other but the traction of the alpha, the way the power is delivered and the easy of the sweet spot side to side does add the super fun factor. On the trail its not even a issue and the sales guy just shows he has no seat time on one. It has seen a few issues with the throttle safety switch and the kill switch getting water in them. this needs to be addressed all tho an easy fix as you can just unplug them and the cat does come with factory tether. the seat kinds sucks if your a taller guy and is only useful at lunch and breaks. other than this is does stay out of the way very well. I will say the cat front end is proven to take a hit way better and still hold together over the poo and doo. the factory shock package is sweet for what you get.
you can't go wrong with any of them at this point.

 

[rkm]

don't walk from this dealer RUN! I have years of experience with this shop and I wouldn't buy a free glass of water from them! The service shop is by far the biggest joke. I dropped off a set of shocks to have factory cat parts Kit put in and the service guy hand no clue what I was asking for. I pick them up a week later sitting in the same spot I put them.
Sent them off to the other side of the state and had them back 3 days later and 50.00 cheaper. this is just one of many stories

I have road the axys with a turbo and I have now a 19 mt cat 162. have had 2 full days on the alpha one 154 and one 165. I was not going to ride a first year product and like you I wanted to put a leg over them. I now have a 2020 165 on order and my wife has a 154. I have not owned a poo for a number of year tho.

The 19 mt cat and the axys have a lot of very similar manors and I feel comfortable going from one to the other but the traction of the alpha, the way the power is delivered and the easy of the sweet spot side to side does add the super fun factor. On the trail its not even a issue and the sales guy just shows he has no seat time on one. It has seen a few issues with the throttle safety switch and the kill switch getting water in them. this needs to be addressed all tho an easy fix as you can just unplug them and the cat does come with factory tether. the seat kinds sucks if your a taller guy and is only useful at lunch and breaks. other than this is does stay out of the way very well. I will say the cat front end is proven to take a hit way better and still hold together over the poo and doo. the factory shock package is sweet for what you get.
you can't go wrong with any of them at this point.

Just realized who the dealer is.... Theres a very good dealer just a little further west.

I had some friends run into Curtis on the hill and rode his demo alpha. They said it was the most ill handling thing they had ever rode. Couldnt hardly turn it, pushed snow everywhere and they said it was super hard to get on its side.
Based on that, Im gonna say that Curtis is still an idiot and their setup is as poor as their service dept.

 

[Matte Murder]

They both have their good and bad but my ideal sled would be a Polaris 850 with a 3" powerclaw. You get the light weight front end feel of the Polaris with the climbing of the cat. They both have their pros and cons. The cockpit of the cat is designed for someone under 5'5" it feels like. I'm 6'4" and I can barely sit on the seat without my knees banging into the panels. The bars are in your chest but you can get used to it.

One thing I miss is being able to sit down once in a while! Oh well legs are getting strong.

 

[Matte Murder]

I have a 19 Alpha, super happy with it. I am selling my 18 Doo 175. I want to have a 2020 850 174 3” Poo but I won’t buy one until Jan of 2021 if I do. If I buy the Poo and its a crappy one with any of the same issues some had on the 19s I have only myself to blame lol. Or Polaris sorts out all the issues on the 19 and the eff up something new on the 2020 same person gets the blame.
I would trade into a 2020 for the engine upgrades but I like having a 4 year Cat warranty. I am going to shorten the tunnel when I replace it, and get the ice age elevate kit and probably try the easiest lightweight parts. This sled with 40lbs off it would be even better especially at my size.

 

[iroc1132]

I agree with Kiliki 1000% Do not grace that dealer with your presence or your money. I wouldn't walk across the street to piss on them if they were on fire! Parts dept is a joke and their service dept is incapable of changing spark plugs correctly. My friend was looking to buy a 600 Alpha and the salesman told him electric start wasn't available on the 600. And then quoted him a price $2000 more than MSRP. All the while telling him how much better the Rmk is. Bottom line is that they are made up of employees from 2 poo dealers, one a decent poo dealer and the other bought out by this dealer. They took cat and doo over when they bought their current location. I don't believe they wanted cat, but there is only one other cat dealer within 100 miles. Do yourself a favor and go west 15 miles.
And more to the point, the salesman is full of sh#%! The 850 poo is a fun sled that works really well, no argument from me. BUT, the Alpha is kick in pants to ride. It's like buying talent! Love it.

 

[ullose272]

I agree with Kiliki 1000% Do not grace that dealer with your presence or your money. I wouldn't walk across the street to piss on them if they were on fire! Parts dept is a joke and their service dept is incapable of changing spark plugs correctly. My friend was looking to buy a 600 Alpha and the salesman told him electric start wasn't available on the 600. And then quoted him a price $2000 more than MSRP. All the while telling him how much better the Rmk is. Bottom line is that they are made up of employees from 2 poo dealers, one a decent poo dealer and the other bought out by this dealer. They took cat and doo over when they bought their current location. I don't believe they wanted cat, but there is only one other cat dealer within 100 miles. Do yourself a favor and go west 15 miles.

And more to the point, the salesman is full of sh#%! The 850 poo is a fun sled that works really well, no argument from me. BUT, the Alpha is kick in pants to ride. It's like buying talent! Love it.

Honestly might go up to cascade and buy one. Its a new dealer and Id like to support that shop

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[iroc1132]

Honestly might go up to cascade and buy one. Its a new dealer and Id like to support that shop

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I have not heard much about them. Just a small mom and pop shop. Usually the best customer service though. My wife is snow checking one soon from the Caldwell boys. They treat us good, even though I have only purchased one sled from them and that was 20 years ago!

 

[ullose272]

I have not heard much about them. Just a small mom and pop shop. Usually the best customer service though. My wife is snow checking one soon from the Caldwell boys. They treat us good, even though I have only purchased one sled from them and that was 20 years ago!

I bought my 10 hcr from them. Good people

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[ARCTIC]

Honestly might go up to cascade and buy one. Its a new dealer and Id like to support that shop

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The shop owners in Cascade are personal friends of mine. They are great people with a great family. They are still learning the business and how tough it can be to get into the snowmobile business. They need our support to help keep the other dealers competitive and honest. Competition is a good thing and when it comes to Arctic Cat dealers, from a consumers perspective, the manufacturer has not done a very good job in promoting their brand in our area. I feel this new dealer will help to raise the bar.

 

[ullose272]

The shop owners in Cascade are personal friends of mine. They are great people with a great family. They are still learning the business and how tough it can be to get into the snowmobile business. They need our support to help keep the other dealers competitive and honest. Competition is a good thing and when it comes to Arctic Cat dealers, from a consumers perspective, the manufacturer has not done a very good job in promoting their brand in our area. I feel this new dealer will help to raise the bar.

Id like to support the town as much as possible. We bought a cabin up there about a year ago and have a goal of living up there some day. Gonna need to find a decent job up there some day.

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[j hoalst]

Dont ever buy anything from DD. They are an auto dealership. And know nothing about sleds. If you want a cat, go to Caldwell. Alpha is the best sled in the deep snow in terrain. Period.