We head to the majestic backcountry of Saguenay, Quebec and bring along the winner of the Widescape Great Wide-Open Sweepstakes to experience the ultimate WS250 adventure.

AJ gets some help from his daughter reviewing what many would consider to be the perfect combo of snowmobiles for a snow-mo-focused family – the power pleasing and fun to ride Ski-Doo MXZ Neo+ and the versatile and capable Ski-Doo Grand Touring LE featuring the ROTAX 900 ACE Turbo R.

First and foremost, this is a ridiculous powerplant for a purpose-built twofer. Know what? We completely agree with SD on its use of the 185 HP turbocharged and intercooled ACE 900 mill. After spinning almost 200 kilometers on the GTLE I can honestly say I am thoroughly impressed.

Everything that makes an MX-Z or a Renegade awesome is here on this sled. Yes, it has r-Motion X, RAS X and Pilot TX adjustable carbide skis. The sled swings a 137 X 1.25 proprietary “Silent” track with Ice Ripper-ish studs. Traction – dare I say – is remarkable. I quickly discovered Ski-Doo has tightened up the coupling moment on the r-Motion X. The sled refuses to wheelie but rather “launches” with authority delivering a surprising amount of rear skid traction as a result of keeping the front end lower by coupling the rear arm early.

This posture is what you want for a sled which will be regularly carrying two. Keeping the skis on the ground with a second passenger out back provides nice even bite when exiting fast turns. I was shocked to see both ends of the GT Touring LE sporting “X” geometry. Truth is that a sled this fast and this power needs the new “X” parts.

Aside from a plethora of whiz bang features I have to say the coolest parts here are its power, suspension and handling prowess. This sled will not take a back seat to a Renegade or anything else in this HP class in terms of acceleration and top end jam. It carves trails and swallows craters like no Ski-Doo before it.

In terms of comfort I can say with conviction this snowmobile exceeds the standard equipment load of any other snowmobile in MY 2025. The comfort amenities run wild here with a full-on air-ride rear arm shock that compensates for passengers who have consumed a few too many cheeseburgers.

In terms of warmth the driver gets the expected heated grips and throttle, but the rear passenger is treated like royalty with a 2-speed heated seat, heated hand holds and even a jack for heated boots. The windshield may not be the coolest looking, but the GTLE is the warmest sled I’ve ridden in at least a couple years. I almost forgot to mention the standard 16-gallon capacity rear trunk. Stuff appears to stay dry and snow-free in both.

What impresses me most about this ride is the exceptional integration of a monster 4-stroke engine into a sled many would say is meant for Moms and Pops. The engine starts, runs and accelerates with uncanny smoothness and easy-to-modulate throttle control. BTW – no throttle lag here whatsoever.

With the aforementioned suspension tweaks aimed at better traction and cornering control the GTLE is not the least bit intimidating. I found myself cruising comfortably at any speed I dialed into the throttle. Its only unrefined issue is the music the turbo dump valve elicits when you blip the throttle. Frankly, I like that sound.

Needless to say, no one will have to apologize they bought this sled after a full throttle run down Kevlar Lake. Odds are your riding buds will be squarely in the standard rear-view mirrors.

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WINNER: SKI-DOO GRAND TOURING

With two new 2019 engines in tow, we fully expected this year would bring a change to Ski-Doo’s Grand Touring line-up.

The new 600 E-TEC is an exciting entry but the Grand Touring powered by a turbocharged ACE 900 is a mind-bender.

At 150 torque-laden ponies this power package is exactly what touring riders are looking for. Here you get the durability and reliability of a 4-stroke, the improved handling of the G4 platform and enough power to haul two riders and a load of gear to the ends of the earth… very quickly.

It’s been a while since the industry offered a turbocharged touring sled and those owners who bought them in the past have been hungry.

Ski-Doo has resisted the urge to stretch the track out further than 137-inches and that means Renegade-good handling and easy steering in the corners.

It looks to me like Ski-Doo has been very intentional with this new sled’s design. It could have been longer and heavier (the turbo’s extra weight is well-camouflaged in a touring sled) and the engineers could have bypassed this biggest 4-stroke and stuck with the 95-hp 900 ACE non-turbo engine. They didn’t, and now Ski-Doo leads the class in ride, handling, power and in fully adjustable air assisted comfort.

Mark, it looks to me like those are the only categories that matter in the 2-up class. Please stun us with your alternate choice and more of your weak logic.

-Kent

We had a chance to sample the new Grand touring Turbo for over 200 miles last weekend and got a pretty good feel for it as an all-new model.
“All-new” is hardly adequate to describe this sled. It uses the G4 chassis this year for the first time and combines the 900 ACE Turbo power package with a pDrive clutch combo and air suspension.

The GT is a 137-incher, short by comparison to other 2-uppers in the business and that means quick, responsive handling pretty much comparable to a Renegade.

We were surprised Ski-Doo kept the GT this length, considering space limitations when an extra passenger is on board. However, the seating layout, driver ergonomics and excellent luggage package is extremely well thought-out and thus, the sled never feels crowded or cumbersome.

When it comes to drive-ability, your first striking impression is the transparency of the turbocharged 900 engine. There’s absolutely no turbo lag and the engine spools up as smooth as a Rolls-Royce turbine.

Frankly, if you didn’t know its specifications, you’d never guess it was a turbo. Not until you tap the throttle and get into its power do you realize this thing is actually a monster. Seamless acceleration, near-perfect backshift and smooth, quiet operation are its hallmarks.

Oh, and just for the record, we hate the throttle. This too-soft-to-the-touch electronic flipper needs more spring to give the rider a better feel for the position its at.

There’s a lot of power on tap here and it takes a long time to adjust to it when you’re riding over rough terrain or making throttle transitions.

Unless your focus is lazer-sharp on holding the throttle steady, you’re jerking around like a rag doll. So simple, so basic – how did they miss it?

The GT’s comfort level is absolutely premium and the air suspension system is fabulous! It’s easy to toggle more comfort from the left handgrip and it all happens quickly and efficiently. Those numbers on the dash display really do signal noticeable change in ride compliance and it’s a wonderful thing when you’re hauling gear and an extra passenger.

Our verdict? The new G4 Grand Touring is an incredible improvement over the past and probably the most exciting 2-upper we’ve ever sampled!

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