Blast Through the Snow with These Top Snowmobiles

Can't get enough of the snow? Love to race through the wild on a power-packed snowmobile? Feel the thrill of sledding the powder in these top snowmobiles, from new models for 2011 to older, yet still awesome, models. Check out these top snowmobiles for affordability, power, and youth-friendly models.

Best Affordable Snowmobile
As a fan cooled model, the 2010 Polaris 550 IQ Shift is a bit older in design than many other snowmobiles on the market today, but probably helps keep this snow machine more affordable. Coming in with a twin 550cc fan cool engine, the 550 IQ Shift from Polaris is not the most powerful snowmobile on the market. However, don't let it fool you, this is certainly not just a snowmobile for kids or teenagers. Instead, the 550 IQ Shift can hold its own out in the wild, with decent suspension and a forward ride design. The clutch is similar to the version used on the 2009 edition of the 550 IQ Shift snowmobile, and supposedly is designed to help lower overall belt temperatures (think: longer life expectancy of the belt, definitely a good thing!). Tracks are a little smaller than usual, coming in at 15 inches wide and 10.08 feet long, something fans of larger tracks might find disconcerting. However, it's really hard to find such a reliable and top of the line snowmobile, from a reputable company like Polaris, for such an affordable price. Look for it online and at retailers for a little under $6000.

King of the Hill Snowmobile
Are you looking for flash and power, all in awesome snowmobile bundle? Look no farther than the 2011 M1000. Produced by top snowmobile company Arctic Cat (long famous for making snowmobiles and related gear), this big sled rocks a powerful 999cc engine through two 50mm throttle bodies, boasts a beastly 162 horsepower and has an overall length of 11 ft. It's won praise from popular snowmobile website, Snowmobile.com as being the "mountain superman of mountain supermen" and is surely no exaggeration. Interestingly, the Arctic Cat M1000 uses a tapered seat design, helping improve rider stability on bumpy rides on this hardcore sled. With a MSRP of almost $16000, the 2011 Arctic Cat M1000 is quite pricey, but certainly a memorable sled. Check it out online or at your local snowmobile retailer today!

Best Youth Snowmobile
It's hard to beat the 2011 Arctic Cat AC Sno Pro when it comes to newly released snowmobiles for youth. Sure, there are many models out there, but Arctic Cat comes through again on this fun filled youth snowmobile. With a single cylinder, 123cc fan cooled 4-stroke engine, the Snow Pro is from a line of youth models initially started in 2007 but it keeps going strong this year. It does not have a reverse transmission, so make sure junior knows how to handle it before letting him or her off into the snow on this fun little ride. Coming in at a little over 6 ft long, it is fairly compact and uses a pull starter to get going. It's fairly affordable too, with retail price of around $2599 for new models.