skis , once again provided the sharpest handling in the class . One tester wrote , “ I think if the MXZ Adrenaline would have had the new skis to go with its new RAS RX geometry it would have challenged the Polaris for the top spot in handling . It didn ’ t , so it didn ’ t .”
The Pro-CC skid , meanwhile , offered a decent ride in most regular trail conditions . It still bottomed quicker than we ’ d like if pushed hard , and still wasn ’ t as numbing as an rMotion-equipped Ski-Doo . But it provided a predictable , mostly comfortable ride and felt connected to the trail .
Not surprising was the performance of the Patriot 650 engine . Yes , it ’ s true that it carries a 50cc displacement advantage in this class , so we ’ ll listen to the “ It ’ s not exactly fair ” arguments from competitors .
That said , since it was first introduced , it has been the middleweight engine to beat and offers performance well beyond its displacement . It ’ s quick-hitting right from the bottom , strong when reapplying the throttle coming out of corners and had long enough legs to run with the big boys .
Best yet , it was always “ punchy ,” meaning if you want to blip the throttle to raise the skis over a rise or when trying to time moguls in a playground , the influence of a quick throttle jab was immediate .
The base Stealth brake was a good match for this sled – some of our most aggressive testers prefer the stabby feel of the Race Radial brake on XCRs , but that would likely be too aggressive for the customers of this model .
The Message Center gauge was adequate and easy to read . We prefer the Polaris 7s display but realize such features must be trimmed to hit a price point . The higher price for 2025 , though , caught us off guard . “ It ’ s an absolutely great bargain at its price ,” one tester wrote in his original notes . When we later told him the new price , he said , “ OK , then it ’ s a pretty good bargain at its price .”
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