When I accepted the mandate to find the best purchases to make amongst used snowmobiles at Polaris, I told myself that it would be easy to do. Classified ads, prices, a visit to the Polaris dealership and voilà! That would be it.
So, I’ve been trying to figure out how to approach the subject to document it properly. And that’s where it all got complicated when I put myself in the shoes of a reader who wants to have as much information as possible to choose the best snowmobile on the market according to his needs and budget. And I know for a fact that, in general, a reader likes for us to commit ourselves to mention specific models and names.
The last thing I wanted to do was make a guide to buying the best used snowmobiles. Still, it might have been interesting to take a shopping guide from 2010 or 2015, revisit the models from then and make it a current guide. In this way, we could have seen the evolution of these models and what they went through ten or five years later, considering their successes, their reliability, their current value or their depreciation. Unfortunately, I do not have the time or expertise to do this assignment. Notice to interested parties!
So, I decided to look for an expert who would have the courage to offer me specific models according to different price categories and types of snowmobilers. To help this person in their reflection, I prepared an interview grid that would try to define the types of snowmobilers on one side vs. the price categories on the other side.
I found this person very close to my home at Moto Sport 4 Saisons in Trois-Rivières. It is Mr. Alain Roy, sales consultant and owner for whom there are no secrets at Polaris snowmobiles.
Alain Roy, Owner and Sales Consultant
In order to define the type of snowmobiler you are, the reader must define himself or herself as a man, a young man, a woman, a young woman. Yeah, I know, they’re stereotypical categories, but it’s all about image. And don’t throw snowballs at me right away, because, let’s be clear, this article is meant to be inclusive. So even if not all the categories on the LGBTQ2+ list are identified, it doesn’t matter.
If you are a young man who wants to ride the groomed trails and visit the country without getting into intense off-trailing, you might want to choose the Men’s category. If you are a woman who likes extreme off-trailing, you can choose the Young Man category. Or if you are a man who likes safety, lightness and no off-trailing, then choose the Women’s category. Just as an LGBTQ2+ person will choose the category that corresponds to his or her personality. You understand the principle!
Then, two price categories were selected: $5,000 and less, and between $5,000 and $10,000. You know that the selling price displayed for a used snowmobile is always relative and can vary greatly depending on its condition, year and mileage. In general, the lower the odometer, the higher the price. There will always be room for negotiation, and the actual value of the snowmobile will ultimately be the price agreed upon between the seller and the buyer. The models presented by Mr. Roy are only suggestions; it is up to you to take them into account or not. A model not listed here might be the best deal for you.
We also agreed not to mention the year of the model, because the names of the models speak to us more than the years.
So, let’s start with the Men’s category for budgets between $5,000 and $10,000 for the lightness, manoeuvrability and driving pleasure of these snowmobiles. Obviously, hybrids are in the spotlight:
- 1st option: Switchback Assault, 800 cc engine, 2-inch x 144-inch track.
- 2nd option: SKS 155 or 146 inches – 800 cc engine
- 3rd option: Switchback Pro-S or Adventure, 800 cc
SWITCHBACK ASSAULT 800
Men’s category for snowmobiles of $5000 and less, here with a smaller budget, the options are limited:
- 1st option: Switchback Assault 600 cc or 800 cc
- 2nd option: 4-stroke IQ model
- 3rd option: Trail Rush Pro R or Widetrack
SWITCHBACK ASSAULT
Next, let’s move on to the Young Men’s category for the $5,000 to $10,000 for handling and overall lightness:
- 1st option: Pro RMK or Assault with 155 to 174-inch track and 800 cc engine
- 2nd option: Assault 144-inch caterpillar track with 2-inch spikes
- 3rd option: 155 or 144 inch SKS
PRO RMK 800
Still for the Young Men in you, but with a limited budget of $5,000 or less:
- 1st option: RMK or Switchback 137.
For the Women’s category with a budget between $5,000 and $10,000, for safety and lightness:
- 1st option: Switchback Pro-S, Rush Pro-S and Switchback Adventure, 800 cc or 600 cc engine
- 2nd option: Switchback Assault 144, 1.35 stud
- 3rd option: Voyageur
RUSH PRO-S
For the Women and Young Women categories, we did not receive any suggestions for restricted budgets of $5,000 or less.
For the Young Women’s category, for budgets from $5,000 to $10,000, for security and its all-purpose side:
- 1st option: Pro RMK 600 or 800 with a 155-inch track
- 2nd option: Voyageur
RMK ASSAULT
Some of you will tell me that they don’t find themselves in this kind of classification by considering these gender-based categories. So, we started the exercise again, but considering the kind of snowmobiling you do.
So, here are Mr. Roy’s choices, considering the type of playground where you like or would like to express yourself.
For the Trails category between $5,000 and $10,000 for its agility and excellent handling:
- 1st option: Pro-S 137 inches
- 2nd option: Indy 600 cc or 800 cc, 121-129 inches
INDY 550
Still for the Trails category for budgets under $5000, for its agility and good response:
- 1st option: IQ Dragon 136 inches
- 2nd option: Pro-R, 121 or 137 inches
- 3rd option: Fusion 600 or 700
IQ DRAGON
In the Hybrid category, between $5,000 and $10,000, for its lightness and manoeuvrability:
- 1st option: Assault 144 or SKS 146 with 800 cc or 600 cc engine
- 2nd option: Switchback Adventure 600 cc or 800 cc
SKS 800 155”
In the Hybrids category with a budget of less than $5000, also for its lightness and manoeuvrability:
- 1st option: RMK 144
- 2nd option: Assault 144
RMK 600 144”
Utility category with a budget between $5,000 and $10,000 for its reliability, it's very good coverage on snow and its manual transmission:
- 1st option: Widetrack 550
- 2nd option: Traveller 550 144 or 155 inches of track
- 3rd option: Titan SP
WIDETRACK
Utility category with a budget of less than $5000, for its transmission system:
- 1st option: Widetrack 550
- 2nd option: Voyageur 550 with 144-inch track
INDY VOYAGEUR
And finally, in the Off-trail category, for its lightness and agility for a budget between $5,000 and $10,000:
- 1st option: Pro RMK
- 2nd option: SKS
- 3rd option: Assault
And for budgets under $5,000, in the Off-trail category:
- 1st option: RMK
This is what Alain Roy says about the best purchases to make at Polaris in used snowmobiles. You can contact him at (819) 374-4444. In fact, you’ll find at Motosport 4 Saisons a list of used models to consult.
MOTOSPORT 4 SAISONS in Trois-Rivières
But beware, the suggested options are strictly personal and may be debatable depending on one’s opinion. So, why not comment on this article and put your opinions for discussion to fuel the topic and help anyone document their research.
The reader who would like to deepen their research will always be able to visit interesting sites that give the specifications of previous years’ models. Here are two examples:
The Polaris shopping guide from the excellent Sledmagazine.com site: https://motoneigistes.ca/actions/showGuideAchat?y=2019&m=Polaris&request_locale=fr
And the archive of previous Polaris models: https://snowmobiles.polaris.com/fr-ca/models/
