Which is the Best Ski-Doo to Buy? [With Review Videos!]


The best Ski-Doo to buy in each category are as follows:

  • Deep snow: Sea-Doo Summit X
  • Trail: Ski-Doo MXZ X 600/850
  • Crossover: Ski-Doo Renegade
  • Utility: Ski-Doo Expedition
  • For woman: Ski-Doo Grand Touring 600 ACE
  • Ice Fishing: Ski-Doo Tundra Sport

Would you like to know why these models are the best buy? Keep reading!

The Best Ski-Doo for Deep Snow

Based on Snoriders’ research, the best Ski-Doo for deep snow is arguably the Summit X. Many dealers report that this is their best-selling Ski-Doo every year, along with other models in the Summit family. The Summit X is powered by the powerful 850 E-TEC engine, which is comes with a factory-installed turbocharger!

The Summit is designed and equipped for mountain and deep snow conditions. Thus, it’s safe to say that by releasing the Summit family, Ski-Doo created a new market segment for mountain sleds!

Its power source, the 850 E-TEC is arguably one of the best and most powerful snowmobile engines at the moment. It’s a 2-stroke, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected twin that delivers no less than 165 HP.

Aside from the amazing performance of the Summit X, riders appreciate its light weight and superb suspensions, which make this sled easier to ride in powder.

The Best Ski-Doo for Trail Riding

According to Supertraxmag, the best Ski-Doo for trail riding is the MXZ X. Thanks to the REV GEN4 platform, this sled is available with both Rotax 600R E-TEC as well as 850 E-TEC engines. Both of these power sources are 2-stroke, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected twins that offer amazing performance and gas mileage. Moreover, this Ski-Doo features the best skid in this class!

The Best Ski-Doo for Beginners

Many say that the best Ski-Doo for beginners is the MXZ Sport. Why? First, if you are a beginner, you should stay away from deep snow. Thus, it’s recommended that you select a trail sled in the MZX series. Although the MZX Sport is the cheapest Ski-Doo in this category, it still features a powerful 600cc engine, and many other accessories that a beginner may need.

The MZX Sport is exclusively available with a Rotax 600 EFI power source. This 2-stroke, 2-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine comes with a fuel injection system. The dry weight of the Ski-Doo MZX Sport is only 437 pounds, and it features a 9.5-gallon fuel tank.

What is the Best Ski-Doo for Women?

One of the best Ski-Doos for women is the Grand Touring Sport 600. This is because contrary to popular belief, many female riders prefer a more stable touring sled. Let’s face it, most lightweight snowmobiles can be unpredictable, which makes them hard to keep on the trail. This is where the Grand Touring comes in handy. It’s stable, easy to control, and very comfortable. All good points for women!

Another key point of the Touring Sport is that this sled is available with a Rotax 600 ACE engine. Women are not typically performance-minded drivers, so most women are completely satisfied with the performance of the 600 ACE.

Another important factor is that it has a 4-stroke power source, which is much more appropriate for female riders. Why?

Let’s face it, 2-stroke sleds are not clean, smoke like hell, and require continuous oil refills. Moreover, they burn more gas so must be refueled more often. These are not what a woman wants to deal with!

What’s more, 2-stroke snowmobile engines are much louder compared to their 4-stroke counterparts.

While many male owners like the sound and the smoke of 2-stroke sleds, these can be disturbing for women. (Just think how your clothes would smell after a long tour on a 2-stroke!)

When it comes to weight, it’s safe to say that the Grand Touring Sport is nearly as lightweight as a 2-stroke sled, as it’s dry weight is only 509 pounds.

Beyond trail riding, you can surprisingly find women among mountain snowmobile riders as well!

The Best Ski-Doo for Ice Fishing

According to Snowmobile.com, the best Ski-Doo for ice fishing is the Tundra Sport. Besides the Tundra, another popular choice of many buyers is the Skandic. Are you wondering what makes these utility Ski-Doos the best sleds for ice fishing? In a nutshell, they are very durable, reliable, can haul a lot of cargo, and offer a lot of comfort. Moreover, the Tundra Sport is the cheapest Ski-Doo on the market!

This great utility Ski-Doo is available with either a 2-stroke 600 EFI or a 600 ACE power source. Both of these engines are 600cc, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled twins manufactured by Rotax.

Many buyers prefer the 600 ACE. It’s not only better for towing and hauling your gear, but is less prone to overheating.

Speaking of performance, beware that the Tundra is not the fastest sled on the lake. However, you probably don’t want to break speed records while carrying your expensive ice fishing gear!

When it comes to customizing the Tundra, the good news is that you can choose from several accessories to customize your ice fishing Ski-Doo! Beyond these bells and whistles, don’t forget to add studs to the track before hitting the ice.

What is the Best Utility Ski-Doo?

Based on our research, the best utility Ski-Doo is the Expedition. Although this is a working snowmobile, it’s designed for adventure as well! Thus, you can expect to have more fun on the Expedition compared to the “classic” utility models. Besides the Expedition, the Tundra and Skandic are also great utility sleds from Ski-Doo. Let’s compare these sleds side-by-side!

The Expedition comes with the durable but still lightweight REV Gen4 platform. The main advantage of this platform is that it can accommodate several engine options. Consequently, the Expedition is available with several Rotax engines, which are as follows:

  • 600 EFI (2-stroke twin)
  • 600R E-TEC (2-stroke twin)
  • 600 ACE (4-stroke twin)
  • 850 E-TEC (2-stroke twin)
  • 900 ACE (4-stroke triple)
  • 900 ACE Turbo (4-stroke triple, turbocharged)

As you can see, Ski-Doo offers plenty of power sources for this family! The skid of the Expedition can accommodate tracks up to 24 inches wide, which ensures great traction and flotation.

What’s more, according to Ski-Doo, you can select from an assortment of many different accessories specifically designed for this model!

Conclusion – Which is the Best Ski-Doo to Buy?

It’s hard to tell which is the best Ski-Doo to buy, as all of them are amazing machines! However, we at PowerSportsGuide have done the research and gathered the best Ski-Doos by category:

  • The best Ski-Doo for deep snow: Summit X
  • The best Ski-Doo for trail riding: MXZ X 600/850
  • The best crossover Ski-Doo: Renegade
  • The best utility Ski-Doo: Expedition
  • The best Ski-Doo for women: Grand Touring 600 ACE
  • The best Ski-Doo for ice fishing: Tundra Sport

Since everyone has different needs the final decision often boils down to personal preferences, and budget of course. If you are in the market for a new Ski-Doo, it’s recommended that you do extensive research before making your purchase.

A good start would be at the manufacturer’s website, where you can find all the info you need about the models.

Additionally, you may want to search the selected model(s) in online forums as well. Every sled has its own pros and cons, so it’s always wise to read some honest opinions to get the full picture!

References:

https://www.ski-doo.com/

https://www.snowmobile.com/parts-gear/gearing-up-your-snowmobile-for-ice-fishing-fun

https://snoriderswest.com/article/gearboxx/best_selling_snowmobiles

http://www.supertraxmag.com/features/2020-best-in-class:-best-trail-sled/n3938

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