Our testing ground would be a swath of trails in the greater West Yellowstone , Montana , area . Our mission would be to take three 2025 trail rockets through as many varying conditions as we could find and ruthlessly nitpick the heck out of how each machine managed each situation .

In a change of pace from how most of our trail shootouts have been written in recent years , we ’ re going to break this story down by category , comparing and contrasting each machine in various ways until a winner is named at the end .

Due to machine availability from each factory , the sleds in this test weren ’ t as ideally matched as we would like . However , the feedback related to the chassis , engines , suspension , skis , brakes and more can often be applied across a broader range of ZRs , Indys and MXZ .

The Competitors

Our motley crew of testers asked for the highest-output , naturally aspirated two-stroke trail gunners from each brand for a winner-takes-all throwdown , and these are the machines we were able to procure at the 2025 Rode Reports / Snow Shoot event .

From Arctic Cat , we grabbed a 2025 ZR 858 Sno Pro 129 . It featured the debut of Cat ’ s new 858cc liquid-cooled engine , matched with the second-year Catalyst chassis platform .

The Sno Pro package means that it came with Cat ’ s new five-position AC5S shocks on all four corners . The “ 129 ” references its 15- by 129- by 1.25-inch RipSaw track plus an uncoupled version of the SlideAction rear suspension .

The Polaris available was the Patriot 9R Indy XCR 136 . This is a new combination for Polaris this year , taking the big bore 900cc engine originally just found in RMK models and sharing it with flatland-focused Indy XCR and Switchback Assault machines .

The “ XCR ” in the name references a number of durability-focused upgrades , including a four-wheel rear axle , rail braces , stiffer springs , bigger bore shocks and stronger pull rods and coupling blocks in the Pro-CC rear suspension compared to other Polaris with the same skid . Also , it had an upgraded brake disc and pads plus stronger Pro Taper handlebar with bigger bar end hooks .

The obtainable Ski-Doo was the MXZ 850 E-TEC Adrenaline with the Blizzard Package , Ski-Doo ’ s top in-season model . For 2025 , it received new RAS RX front suspension geometry with taller spindles , higher-mounted and more widely spaced A-arms , more tilted shocks , longer steering arms and updated sway bar . Designers ’ mission with these changes was less body roll for flatter cornering . The Blizzard retained its Pilot X skis , though , while spring-order models received new Pilot RX boards .

Otherwise , the machine returned unchanged in the REV Gen5 chassis layout , with power from the 850 E-TEC twin engine plus the rMotion X skid frame tucked under the tunnel . Compared to the regular Adrenaline , the Blizzard Package gave this model KYB Pro 36 EA-3 shocks above the skis and on the skid ’ s rear arm , a rack steering system , an Ice Ripper track and the 7.2-inchwide digital gauge .

The Lynx Rave RE 850 E-TEC would be the other machine that would naturally fit in this class , but BRP officials did not bring a naturally aspirated 850 Rave to the Rode Reports / Snow Shoot event . Therefore , it was not included in this shootout .

For 2025 , the Rave RE 850 received a 15- by 137- by 1.6-inch Ice Ripper XT track plus updates to its gauge package , but otherwise it was unchanged . Earlier this season , we reviewed its two new siblings : the Rave RE 600 E-TEC ( November 2024 issue ) and the Rave GLS 850 E-TEC Turbo R ( October 2024 issue ).

The ChasSis Layout & Ergos

The newest chassis of the bunch belongs to the ZR 858 with the second-year Catalyst platform . Compared to the previous Arctic Cat Pro- Cross / Ascender layout that housed the ZR 8000 that this model replaced , the Catalyst is significantly lighter and smaller feeling .

The rider on a Catalyst sat on a short-inlength , firm seat , with tight-fitting body panels directly in front of the knees . That helped make this sled easy to move around on and made the rider feel in full command of the vehicle .

“ The rider position is awesome ,” one tester wrote in his notes . “ There ’ s plenty of room in the cab to move around the tank , and I feel like I can put my kneecap almost right on top of the spindle .” He did add one critique , however . “ I think the seat certainly contributes to the aggressive riding position , but it ’ s quite uncomfortable for long rides ,” he said .

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