Your $.02, 08-09 XP 154 or 08-09 M8 153

[RMKcowboy]

Here's my (lack of?) experience if it helps any. I ride an 03 Escape and before that I had an 01 700 RMK, so I'm very used to Polaris chassis and how they handle. I really like my 03, rides good on the trail, climbs good (as good as I can get it to anyways), and boondocks just fine for me.
I have 2 buddies... one had an 08 XP-X and one had an 09 XP Everest. I rode both... rode the 08 on the hill and the 09 on the trail. I had a helluva time with both of them. The 08 was real reluctant to pull up onto one ski for sidehillling, but once you got a ski up it was pretty easy to keep it up. Trouble was, as soon as you started to think about putting it back down, the sled would flop down like someone pushed you over. The 09 I rode on the trail, and it was a squirrely sum beach compared to my sled. I guess the ski's are to blame, but either way it was a freakin' handful.
I've never rode an M-sled, but I did ride a Firecat once last year (IIRC same basic chassis but with a short paddle track). I've never been so freakin' cold on a snowmobile in my life, and it wasn't all that cold of a day outside. Maybe I just had sand in my man-gina that day, but it sucked. The sled was okay, did nothing great but also did nothing bad.

 

[Cheynespub]

I am looking harder at the cat now because even my friends on Skidoos are saying that the xp's have lots of problems. Is 6250 a good deal for a really low mile 08 m8?

 

[winter brew]

I don't think they are touch to throw around, however, I do believe, and from my experience and same day comparisons, both the m chassis from 05 up to 09, and the dragon that I rode(08 700 and 800 I believe), that they are defineately more difficult to pull over and hold in a side hill.

That being said, I believe equal riders on an M-cat, and an XP, will both do equally as well in the trees and such, just more effort on the XP.

If it comes down to suspension setup( and that's certainly a part of it, but I don't believe so in this case) then I'm all for it. Who knows, I may be surprised! Let me know what I should do.( Overall suspension is fairly good IMO).

Sorry for the rabbit trail!

Yes, the handling of the XP is ALL in the setup.....nothing fancy required, it's just that most guys have them adjusted goofy and make them alot tougher to ride than they should be. I couldn't hardly ride a stocker setup from the dealer.....make the right adjustments and they are right with the M-cat as far as ease to lay over/sidehill/etc...