Arctic Cat ZR-120
Highs:
Real shocks up front. Looks like an AWS-V ZR 900. Nice standard amenities: Gas gauge, headlight and plastic skis. Lots of Cat cachet.
Lows:
Needs a rear shock to control the boing-boing. Doesn’t look like a Firecat.
The Verdict:
Tons of value here. If your underwear is green and you have a kid, there’s no choice but to buy this sled. The company that started this parade with the venerable Kitty Kat has another enduring winner.
Polaris XC-SP 120
Highs:
Real shocks up front. Wide stance. Potent stock mill. Plastic skis. Under seat storage. Of the three minis offered, the Polaris is the most true to its big brother’s dimensions – in other words, it doesn’t look like a cartoon snowmobile.
Lows:
Needs a shock in the back. Doesn’t look like an IQ Fusion.
The Verdict:
It’s so well styled you could mistake it for a full-on XC-SP – at a distance. Ride and handling are best in class. Pure Polaris offers – among other things – a complete high performance rear suspension with shocks. In the hands of the right tuner and pilot, the Mini Polaro is formidable at the races.
Ski-Doo Mini-Z
Highs:
The original mini-rocket. There’s a Honda logo on the engine. Many REV styling cues. More off-the-shelf engine mods available than the other guys combined. Easy and cheap to modify for any level of competition.
Lows:
Looks a little over stuffed. Fit and finish departments are a little cobby.
The Verdict:
The popular choice for racer/tuner Dads. Go ahead, let your kid(s) try to wear one of these things out. It’ll likely bring you within a few hundred bucks of what you paid for it when junior outgrows the thing. There are lineups for used Mini-Z’s.
