Cat’s new Turbo touring is essentially the same sled as it was last year, but this year we actually have one in our Supertrax press fleet all winter.

We rode this sled 2-up the other day on a 70 mile run and we continue to be impressed with it.

After the ride, one of the editors commented: “I’m glad we’ve given this sled high status in our Best in Class Awards the last couple of years. It really is an amazing piece of equipment.”

Incidentally, we like this sled in its non-turbocharged 2-up iteration just as much as the Turbo – but, WOW, does the turbocharger ever make this thing fast!

Frankly we think most 2-up buyers will be completely satisfied with the 123 hp EFI version but this one with 175-plus ponies is a rocket ship!

The comfort amenities, like seat heaters and easy-to-adjust hand heaters front and rear certainly add to the level of comfort but it’s the overall handling of this chassis and the great ride that make it a perfect choice for long rides with two onboard.

We especially like the removable seat and long cargo area at the rear for single passenger riding and pick-up truck sized room for bags.

Old technology? Yeah, but only because Polaris has already introduced its next generation Pro-Ride chassis.

Frankly, we still love the IQ and especially the way it handles. This Switchback is a great sled with a warm and comfortable cab area, an already EPA 2012 approved mill and a skidframe that rides stupendously.

We rode about 75 miles in fresh snow on ungroomed trails and the IQ Switch handled the bumps like a champ and its Cleanfire 600 provided smooth throttle tip-in and great response.

We were especially impressed with this sled’s throttle response in the midrange and up. It’s a very strong running mill here and exhibits no flat spots anywhere.

This one came with Walker Evans adjustable gas shocks (piggybacks up front) and a 1.25-inch deep track. We took a bit of compression damping off and the sled really started to perform well in the bumps.

We’ve noticed our 2011 Polaris press sleds don’t smoke much when they’re left idling or on initial start-up. We really like this feature and although we’re not specifically sure how Polaris has done it we suspect it has something to do with the oil pump.

We know for a fact the 2011 800 has a special pump but we just don’t know for sure about the 600… yet. At any rate, smoke is way down compared to last year.

This sled comes with a 16-wide 137-inch track and we can’t help but think it’s the best crossover combination for both deep snow and trail riding.

The actual flotation and ground pressure stats are almost exactly the same as a 15-wide 144-incher but the handling on-trail is way better.

We rode the sled in powder for a couple of hours and really liked the way this 1200 4-stroke package worked.

This particular version of the Renegade will likely be grossly overshadowed by the same sled powered by an 800 E-TEC but we’ve gotta say, in most crossover situations, this one works exceedingly well.

There’s never the feeling the sled is overly nose-heavy and although there is some extra weight from the 4-stroke triple underhood, the sled handles very crisply and, in powder, doesn’t feel like it’s trying to mole itself under the surface like so many 4-stroke sleds do.

Although this mill doesn’t make the same attractive exhaust noises as the rear exiting exhaust Yamaha triples, when you’ve got the RPMs cranked and the sled is being accelerated hard, it makes some great sounds.

The throttle response at these moments is neck-stretching strong and this sled feels like it’s making way more than its 130 claimed ponies.

We think a lot of 2-stroke-only lovers could be converted to a 4-stroke with a couple of rides on this one.

This is the 144-inch tracked version of the new Apex with power assisted steering and after a brief ride in Yellowstone, Montana last March we were wondering if the sled had been changed.

This sled has tons of rear travel (14.5 inches) and uses the same skid as the Nitro XTX with dual shocks and torsion springs.

Instead of the Fox air shocks used on some Apex models, this one has aluminum bodied gas shocks with clickers front and rear.

First, there’s no shortage of power with this EXUP equipped mill and the power steering is much appreciated on a 144-inch tracked sled that isn’t particularly happy turning on tight trails and hardpack.

We rode mostly in powder (about 6-8-inches deep) so didn’t get a good feel for how well the suspension worked in stutters and moguls.

Traction is excellent with this longtracker and its 1.25 lugs deliver pretty good bite for a sled with this much motor.

From what we can tell, depending on your weight, you’ll need to set up the calibration on these shocks very carefully to get the maximum ride benefit from this sled.

It feels fairly heavy in powder situations and we’d hesitate to take it into the same deep snow off-trail situations we would a lighter sled with this much track.

We think riders will be happiest on lakes and open right-of-ways where there’s plenty of room to maneuver and keep the power on, using it to the sled’s maximum traction advantage.