WHAT’S NEW FOR 2015?
Arctic Cat: The engine, CVT, driveline, cabin and plastic are the same as
on the 2014 Wildcat Trail (tested March
2014), but the new Sport has the basic
Trail Cat frame with a few extra gussets,
longer A-arms, shocks, axles and brake
lines, and 26-inch tires. Sport and Sport
XT 700s get new JRi ECX-1 piggyback
shocks with 70-position compression
damping adjusters on the shafts, while
Sport LTDs get Elka Stage 5 shocks
with separate high- and low-speed
compression adjusters, plus rebound
and preload adjustments.
Polaris: In response to the Wildcat
700s, Polaris completely redesigned its
50- and 60-inch RZRs and scrapped the
original 760cc twin in favor of a slightly
detuned ( 75 versus 88 horsepower)
ProStar 875cc inline twin from the old
XP 900. The 800’s frame is replaced
by an all-new frame that’s identical to
the XP1K from the cabin forward, and
rolled IRS replaces the XP1K’s trailing
arms. On the S 900, travel is 12. 25
inches in front and 13. 2 inches out
back, with piggyback Fox Podium X
2.0 shocks on all corners. The 27-inch
GBC Dirt Commanders replace the old
800’s 26-inch rubber. The 1000-based
frame is much more solid than the 800’s
and has much more elbow room and
creature comforts, yet the ProStar power
gives it one of the best power-to-weight
ratios in the industry.
The S 900 has 6. 3 horsepower per
100 pounds, while the Wildcat Sport
has 6. 2 horsepower per 100 pounds
and is 154 pounds lighter than the S
900. While we’re looking at numbers,
wheelbase is 84. 6 in the Sport Cat, while
the S 900 is 5. 6 inches shorter at 79
inches and has 1-inch-taller tires. The
Wildcat has a 1/2-inch advantage in
ground clearance, but the riding position
is much lower and the hood is longer, so
it’s harder to read terrain in tough-going.
HOW DOES COST COMPARE?
The Wildcat Sport starts at $13,399,
and the Sport XT is $13,999, while the
Limited with EPS goes for $15,699.
Polaris’ RZR S 900 starts at $14,699
and jumps to $16,499 for the EPS
model, while the 55-inch 900 XC
Edition is $17,299 with EPS, EBS and
Turf mode rear diff. Can-Am’s 60-inch
Maverick 1000X xc with EPS is a pricey
$18,299, and the 61-inch Yamaha
Wolverine R-Spec is 12,199 without EPS
and $13,199 with it.
WHICH 60-INCHER IS FASTER?
Both sport UTVs wind out to around
70 mph of top speed in high range,
but the RZR S 900 gets there quicker
and pulls harder from turn to turn. The
875cc, DOHC ProStar twin has serious
torque and good yank out of corners
with 75 horsepower, some 40 percent
more than the 53-horsepower 760cc
twin it replaces. The Sport Cat produces
60-plus horsepower with new closed-
loop EFI, a 40mm EFI throttle body and
Team Rapid Response CVT clutch. It’s
not quite as torquey as the Polaris motor
and wants low range sooner in nasty
terrain.
WHO HAS THE BETTER 4X4 DELIVERY?
This one is a tie. While the S 900 has
more user-friendly on-demand 4WD
and a new close-ratio, quick-engaging
front differential, it still depends on rear
wheels spinning to engage the front,
and it never engages the front drive on
steep descents. This is most noticeable
in extreme rock crawling. We really like
the way the system pulls you out of a
slide on hardpack, though, and that
it doesn’t push as much going into
sandy turns. The Arctic Cat has a three-position 2WD/4WD/diff-lock switch, so
it’s got full-time 4WD with limited slip
in the middle position and no-slip 4WD
in diff-lock, which is confirmed with an
indicator light on the switch. The Sport
Cat also has the advantage of four-wheel engine braking on steep descents,
26 www.atvaction.net
A
R
C
T
I
C
C
A
T
WI
L
D
C
A
T
S
P
O
R
T
7
0
0
L
T
D
EP
S
V
S
.
PO
L
A
R
I
S
R
Z
R
S
9
0
0
E
PS
T
ES
T
ED
:
While five clips hold the Wildcat 700 airbox
lid on, the RZR 900 has a removable bed
panel and two rubber straps holding the
airbox lid in place. Both have pleated paper
air filters and high-routed ducts for deep
water and mud.
