“It’s Turbo Time!” was all that rang through my head every time I hopped on a Ski-Doo Turbo. I found all the mountain models to be amazingly refined yet violent machines. I thoroughly enjoyed every model that I was able to test. However, the 2025 Summit X eked out as my favourite. And here’s why.
The REV Gen5 Chassis
Due to life happening, I have not been able to ride the REV Gen5 chassis until this year. I have to say that it impressed me very much. My personal snowmobile is a REV Gen4 165″ Summit X turbo. Initially, just looking at the two generations, I did not think there would be much difference. Happily, I was quite wrong. The REV Gen5 chassis somehow felt similar but just flat-out better. I could initiate carves effortlessly, just give it a slight lean and a pop of the throttle and it would come onto edge.
After getting it there, it did not fight me in any way, it held a nice neutral feel. When cranking on it to really lay it into a power carve, I never felt as if it wanted to wash out and almost all the tight carves it would be able to pull itself back out of instead of lying over. The revision of the body itself was noticeable too. Its narrower running boards, slimmer body panels, and the 34″ ski stance made sidehilling on steep terrain a breeze without having to worry about “panelling out.”
The Rotax 850 E-TEC Turbo R Engine…Perfection?
Coming from the REV Gen4 turbo, again, I thought how much difference can that 15 HP make? Going by the well-calibrated butt dyno, it is significant! My sled always amazes me in how well it pulls. Well, the REV Gen5 turbo just does it better. It still has the same unbelievably smooth power throughout the entire range of RPM with a very linear feel. At no time was I ever surprised by the response of the throttle (see also: turbo lag). It was always snappy and right there.
A couple years back, I had a sled with an aftermarket turbo and I literally had to relearn how to ride in the steep and deep. I felt that I always had to anticipate and get on the power much earlier than I thought to give enough time for the turbo lag to catch up, but not too soon that it would throw me off the line I was trying to do. With the 2025 Summit X, it just felt like a regular engine, just pulling harder than any naturally aspirated machine I’ve ridden.
The Cockpit
Again, the REV Gen5 refinement just shines through when hopping on. My first notice was the new adjustable brake lever and how natural and comfortable it felt. Coming across the handlebars felt just right, not too narrow or wide, and just the right height for me. The 10.25″ display is a very impressive piece of technology. Another feature that has ruined me is the SHOT starter. I never realized how much effort I expelled having to pull on a cord at the end of a long day of getting my buddies unstuck. Once I had a SHOT, I would have a tough time going back to a pull start.
Why the 154″ Track?
I found 154″ to be the perfect intermediate length applicable across a wide range of terrain and snowpack types. The 146″ (available on the Summit Adrenaline and Freeride) was extremely entertaining. However, when trying to play in the steep and deep it wasn’t very forgiving. Conversely, the 165″ shined in the steep and deep. It was very forgiving when I made mistakes to be able to claw its way out. But this longer track seemed to be lacking in the fun and poppy mode to be able to pull off the ever-entertaining wheelies. The 154″ was nestled perfectly in between these two. It is still super fun and playful, and wheelies were a breeze. But once we got into the deep and steeper terrain, it was able to hold its own and not get stuck with just a little bit more finesse.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 Summit X was my pick for Ski-Doo for a multitude of reasons. Above all else is the amount of refinement that is on every piece and angle of this machine. Riding is predictable and effortless. The Rotax 850 E-TEC Turbo R engine is a powerhouse, again, with the refinement showing though in the tuning and clutching. The suspension setup we demoed had the right amount of ability to pull the skis up in the air, but still be able to pull a steep, treed line without trenching out and be able to get up on the snow.
