The big question is this: How much power do you really need?
Sure, a lot of snowmobile shoppers would argue, “If you’re in for a penny, you’re in for a pound”; meaning if you’ve got your wallet out, why go for a 95-130 horsepower sled if you can spend a few more bucks and get a 160-200-hp one?
The hard truth is this – and it’s challenging to get power-hungry buyers to fully understand what we’re proposing here – not everyone wants or most certainly, needs more than the 130-hp ceiling this line-up offers.
Here’s a look at some of the most popular (and largest selling) trail sleds that fall splat into the middle of the power wars.
2021 ARCTIC CAT 6000 LIMITED: Incredible Adjustability!
Cat hasn’t been spending a lot of time or money promoting its snowmobile products these days and the most common question we’re asked is how the company is doing rather than what do we think about this or that model?
This is a shame because Cat has been working hard on its model line-up and has been trimming its selection and keeping prices down across the board.
One of our fave models this year is the 6000 Limited. This sled competes strongly in this midrange class and offers one feature you simply cannot get anywhere else in a 600 – ATAC.
ATAC is Arctic Cat’s acronym for a remote suspension adjustment system that allows you to fine-tune the sled’s shock dampening from the handlebars. This will be its third year in production and it’s an option worth every penny!
Even if you don’t spend extra for ATAC, the Limited still uses QS3 3-position adjustable compression damping shocks – and that’s always a good deal.
As far as the 6000’s 599cc Dual Stage or “slot” injected engine goes, it’s hard to find a better 600-class engine in the marketplace. Remember, this is the engine everyone else had to match a few years ago, and it still runs as strong as any other 600 out there.
Using a roller secondary and excellent clutch calibration, with 600ccs you’re pretty much guaranteed good belt life and solid shifting.
The 6000’s wide-spaced A-arm front end is also a strong point with this model. Cat has been tuning and tweaking this front end in harmony with skid-frame mods the last few years and the result is a very good handling sled that will not disappoint.
Probably the biggest area of improvement could be ergonomics. There have been complaints about the shape of the seat and the grade of foam being used, especially when the rider is seated far forward.
It might also be time to consider a more fully equipped digital gauge package on a high-end sled like the Limited.
Over all, the 6000 Limited is great value, and although its chassis is a bit long-in-the-tooth, Cat has been on a march to steadily improve the ProCross platform and this particular sled is still very competitive in this category.
