Best Sport Utility Snowmobile - BRP, Yamaha, Polaris or STELS?

This node is a fundamental element of the snowmobile, which determines its cross-country ability and high-speed qualities. There are three types: skid, roller and combined. The latter is considered the most productive design. The slipper is great for deep snow, it is easy to clean, but the ride comfort is significantly reduced on bumps, even if the slides are spring-loaded. The roller works great on any surface, but it has a more complex design and, accordingly, the cost of repairs. Our members have the following rear suspension characteristics:

Thus, the Polaris snowmobile has the best rear suspension travel, and its design is equally practical both in the forest and in open spaces. Despite the relatively small amount of base suspension actuation, Yamaha's utility snowmobile is in second place. The reason is hidden in the design features. Thanks to the raised ends of the rails and powerful shock absorbers, an impressive ride comfort has been achieved. Stealth, due to the skid suspension, is still less passable and comfortable, but has a large suspension mobility, which also has a positive effect on its driving characteristics.The BRP (Ski-Doo) has a universal design, but the suspension travel is one third worse than that of the comparison leader in this category.

The width of the track and the features of the lug directly affect the snowmobile's patency. For utility-sport models, it is important to stick to the "golden mean", as too wide a track reduces the dynamics of the car. Our participants have the following parameters of this important structural element:

In terms of track parameters, we have identified two leaders: Yamaha snowmobiles and BRP (Ski-Doo). Polaris has a slightly smaller track size, but has the largest lug. The combination of these factors makes the car more maneuverable and dynamic. Closes the results of the comparison snowmobile Stealth. With equal dimensions, the track lugs on this snowmobile are 8 mm shorter than those of the nomination leaders.

The front skis of a snowmobile are most susceptible to shock loads.To soften them, the front struts are equipped with shock absorbers. The width between the runners also matters. The cross-country ability and maneuverability of the machine depend on the track. These characteristics play an important role in the forest, swamps and other rough terrain. In this comparison, our participants showed the following results:

The Polaris 650 Voyageur 146 has the best performance - not only does it have the widest track, but also the best suspension travel. The second place went to BRP (Ski-Doo). Its track is narrower than that of the Yamaha by 111 mm, but the suspension travel is longer, which determined the leadership. Yamaha VK Professional II EPS has moved to third place, and the Stealth snowmobile closes the comparison. It has a medium track and low suspension travel, which can be an advantage in the woods when hunting. With a narrow track, it is easier to maneuver between trees.

The speed of a snowmobile and its traction characteristics largely depend on the motor and its power. Our members can boast of the following units:

As you can see, the American snowmobile shows the best power, despite the rather modest size of the four-stroke engine. The Yamaha engine surpasses it in terms of volume and number of cylinders, but it is significantly behind in power, which does not allow it to remain in the lead. BRP (Ski-Doo) lags even further behind the comparison flagships in this category.In addition, a carburetor system is used to supply fuel, and the engine itself is air-cooled. True, given the predominantly winter operation of equipment, this is not so sensitive. Closes the rating of steles with a motor, which in terms of power lags behind the leader by half. However, the volume of 800 cubes and injection injection make themselves felt - the model is picking up speed quite quickly, but we'll talk about that later.

Driving dynamics depends on the transmission as much as on engine power. To accelerate well off-road, snowmobiles must have an effective braking system. We decided to combine these two characteristics since they both directly affect the engine torque. Despite the fact that a variator is used in all models, the units have differences. See our summary table in this comparison:

As you can see, Polaris again bypassed Yamaha - the presence of a chain drive makes the transmission more reliable and responsive in operation. The third place was shared between the models from Stealth and BRP (Ski-Doo) - both have manual variator switching and belt drive.The brake systems of the models, in fact, have the same type of design, which, of course, differs in quality characteristics. The differences fit right in with the established snowmobile rankings in this comparison.

When evaluating the selected snowmobiles, we took into account the maximum possible speed declared by the manufacturer, the range of travel with a standard load. Comparison of parameters is best demonstrated by a pivot table, which is indispensable in this nomination:

Of course, the speed, as well as the fuel consumption of a snowmobile, are quite subjective characteristics, and depend on the conditions in which the measurements are taken. Benchmarks were taken from the calculation of the movement on the rolled crust and the absence of passengers and luggage in those snowmobiles, where possible. The power reserve was calculated based on the maximum fuel consumption. According to the results, the leader in this nomination was BRP (Ski-Doo). Second place went to the Stealth snowmobile - by the way, it also has the largest fuel tank. Practically on an equal footing with him, the power reserve of the model from Yamaha. And Polaris, despite good speed performance, was at the end of the list in this regard.

It is far from always possible to go on a snowmobile trip right from home.It often happens that the owners have to transport their cars to the launch site using a trailer or van. And here it is important to know the dimensions of the model and its weight. At the same time, the mass of the snowmobile does not particularly affect the characteristics of the cross-country ability - here the track area, front track and traction are taken into account more. In this comparison, we also present all measurements in the form of a table:

As you can see, the Polaris snowmobile turned out to be the lightest. Its weight of 216 kg has a positive effect on both the convenience of transportation and the cross-country ability of the model. In second place is the longest snowmobile of the participants - BRP (Ski-Doo) Skandic Sport. Stealth turned out to be only 34 kg heavier than it (a larger fuel tank affects), but the Yamaha VK Professional II EPS is at the end of this comparison list.

Each model has its own outstanding features. All participants have an electric starter to start - this option unites them. At Polaris, it is worth noting the presence of a towbar in the basic configuration and a high smoky windshield. There are optional mirrors, heated handlebars and throttle. STELS ATAMAN SA800T also has a high protective glass and quite comfortable seats that allow you to cover long distances off-road without much fatigue. The Yamaha VK Professional II EPS also has heated grips and ergonomic seats, a convenient digital keypad and a socket for charging a smartphone or other gadget. BRP (Ski-Doo) Skandic Sport600 EFI is distinguished by high-strength glass, there is a tow bar and heated handles.In addition, the modular seat offers additional storage space.

Summing up the comparison of additional options, one can argue about the quality of certain solutions, as well as their practicality. It is worth noting that the key usability criteria were taken into account by the manufacturers of all participants. The fact that the saturation of options directly affects the cost of models forced us to proceed from the basic minimum of solutions. As it turned out, it is observed in absolutely all participants. Thus, all 4 snowmobiles in this nomination are leaders.

Average market prices in some regions of the country may differ slightly from the results from our table:

The undisputed leader is the domestic STELS ATAMAN SA800T snowmobile with an average market value of 639,000 rubles. A serious advantage in price makes it an extremely attractive snowmobile in the category of sports utility models in the domestic market. The BRP model is more expensive, and this difference is quite noticeable. The reasons are obvious - a more powerful engine, an ergonomic suspension, a wider track. "Financial" heavyweights Yamaha and Polaris shared third and fourth places: the cost is fully justified not only by the thoughtfulness and comfort of the models.The price tag is fully justified by reliable and powerful units capable of trouble-free operation in the most difficult conditions.

The Polaris is expected to lead, and here are the reasons: it has the most powerful engine, high performance rear suspension and front skis, making it one of the best sleds to handle. Do not forget about the premium level of comfort - for models of this brand, this aspect is implied a priori. The comparison results are clearly shown in the table:

The second and third places in an extremely stubborn struggle (one-hundredth difference!) were shared respectively by the BRP snowmobile (Ski-Doo) and the Yamaha VK Professional II EPS. As it turned out, with a more thorough comparison, the cost of a snowmobile is far from always an indicator of the advantages of the model. This was confirmed by the ratings that the STELS ATAMAN SA800T model deserved.In our comparison, she showed a truly "sporty" character, unexpectedly for us, showing herself far from an outsider. The participant demonstrated quite comparable capabilities with models that cost twice as much or more. This made our comparison one of the most compelling and entertaining we've ever done.