Does anybody have any real world experience on either of these sleds? I really don't need the extra track length of the CF but love the way it looks compared to the F. Performance and reliability will decide it for me. Thanks. (New to Arctic Cat)

I have been around both of those sleds a lot. I would really want to know what kind of riding you are doing in what conditions. The F sleds are solid, comfortable and easy to ride. They will keep you a lot warmer when it gets cold.

The CF looks great and does everything. It is colder and a little less easy to manuver in the real tight stuff. Any time you get off the trail, the CF will shine. If you are on trail all day the F sled will give you the best day long experience.

i agree. I would go with the crossfire just because i think they are a little bit faster and i love the looks of them. I have a 08 F6 and i do enjoy it very much. Rides great and the comfort is amazing. I think it all depends on what kind of riding you will be doing with it.

Thanks for the quick replies guys. To clearify, I would say that 80-90% of my riding is ON-TRAIL, however, that is because the sled I currently ride tends to get stuck in 3 inches of powder! I think I'd really like to get off the beaten path a bit and play around. How about reliablity of F8 vs CF8?

i haven't had any problems with mine that were major. I had a very little problem with mine and thats about it. Nothing serious, and i haven't heard anything about the crossfires. If i were you, i would go crossfire just for the fact you wanna go off the trails a little bit, and if you can take a little workout lol. I beleive we are trading out 05 700 in on a crossfire this year, new one i mean, hopefully the crossfire 800R.

The CF will need tunnel supports and the ECU update. The F needs the ECU update. Either one would be pretty reliable with those updates. The F sled would fare a little better with the Cobra track if you do get off trail.

I wouldn't recommend an '07 F Series. They had a huge amount of teething problems. Nothing serious that caused alot of down time. Mostly just annoying. Bad sway bar design and other handling related issues. You can get them to go around corners with alot of suspension tuning and new skis, but never with 100% confidence. The redesign of the belt guard cover is reason enough to get an '08. Try to remove one on the '07 you are looking at. You'll see what I mean! There were wiring harness routing issues with the '07's (partricularily the 800's) and A-arms and rear suspensions were beefed up in '08. Many of the '07's were geared too low and had ECU fuel mapping issues resulting in limited top end, high fuel consumption and other quality running issues(backfiring at shut down, etc). Side panels melted by exhaust (hopefully updated), poor quality plastic that marks and scratches just looking at it, oil pumps hopelessly rich from the factory, drive axle bearings only good for 2000 miles, and others that I can't think of off hand.

For '09 the improvements continue. Spindle and tunnel angle changes to hopefully get them to steer around corners like they should and extra seals on the drive axle bearing so you don't have to change them every season. More improvements to fuel mapping to get better fuel mileage and better plastic quality.

For those of us that bought an '07, we had no idea of what we were getting into. But there is no excuse for anyone to make that mistake at this point in time. I know the money you THINK you are saving is tempting, but if you want an F Series (because in spite of all the above which are merely the facts and not bashing, they do have many positive attributes) you really should go for no less than an'08. If it was me, I would settle for nothing less than an '09. The old saying was never more true in this case. You get what you pay for.

As for the Crossfire, I have never rode one, so really can't tell you much. Other then, if it has to be an '07, I would go with the Crossfire, as it was pretty much developed to it's full potential in '07, having been a variation of the Firecat platform. The CF would really shine in the deep stuff up on the Bruce. Cat is really pushing it in '09, so that kind of tells you something.

Are you sure you want to go the Cat route? I'd take a good look at BRP before you decide. Regardless of what you decide, good luck and have fun.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^i would'nt let charlie there steer ya wrong .....07's are fine just need a little fiddlin around with and your all set , just like any other sled out there..the f's are great trail machines and the crossfires are good off trail machines

yes i agree, i dont agree to much with charlie.

I personaly have a 07 F1000 and it is by far the best TRIAL sled I have ever been on, but as soon as it hits the deep snow it sucks. It sounds like you are in the same boat I was when I ordered mine. I ride the trails most of the time but it is fun to get off the trail and hit the deep snow from time to time. These F series sleds are not made for the deep snow. I have ridden a CF in the deep and they blast right through it like a snowmobile should. Then again there is no compairning the two once you hit the trail...the f is much better on the trail. I hope this helps you out.

Charles smokes alot of weed before he posts..... I had an '07 and now have 2 '08's and also owned an '06 X-Fire. You can't go wrong with any of these sleds.
If you ride mainly on the trails....the F series is the best sled on the market....PERIOD!!!!!
If you are more into off-trail riding, the X-Fire is the better option.

If you are 50/50 riding.....get the F Series, it's benefits on the trail out weigh the X-Fires off the trail in my opinion!!!

Charlie likes hanging out with Willie Nelson. They like the weedies. I have a 07 F1000. I have to say these F-series sleds are wicked awsome. I had a couple small bugs to work out and now I have a great sled. Any manufacter on the market is going to have it's bugs to work out. I agree if you primarily ride on trail then go with the F-series. You will love it. It isn't like when you go off in a foot of snow you get stuck and can't move. You can still catwalk them and play around just takes more throttle and some more muscle. Charlie say's you might want to look at BRP. That's was a good one! aahhhahahahahha

On a serious note all manufacters make exceptional sleds, all in your taste and what you like.......but I just cant leave my F1000 alone and the F1000's favorite snack is a bumble bee.

Charlie likes hanging out with Willie Nelson. I have a 07 F1000. I have to say these F-series sleds are wicked awsome. I had a couple small bugs to work out and now I have a great sled. Any manufacter on the market is going to have it's bugs to work out. I agree if you primarily ride on trail then go with the F-series. You will love it. It isn't like when you go off in a foot of snow you get stuck and can't move. You can still catwalk them and play around just takes more throttle and some more muscle.

On a serious note all manufacters make exceptional sleds, all in your taste and what you like.......but I just cant leave my F1000 alone and the F1000's favorite snack is a bumble bee.

HAPPY SNACKING!!!! LOL

Thanks Charlie and all the rest of you. I'm scared #%$less that the F is going to seem like a tank in the deep stuff. I really do want to try it but I'm starting to think that I'll regret not having the CF. As far as the CF's on-trail ability...it's gotta be better than my 2000 Polaris. Thanks for all the advice but I'm now officially looking for an'07 Crossfire!

Ok after reading a few post everyone is on the right TRACK! But here it is, go with a 08'-09' F? Sno Pro get that 1.25" TRACK and your in like flint!!! AWESOME trail and 10% off trail sled! Honestly for the amount of trail riding you do don't give up the ride of these F-series! XF is just going to pouind your back on the trail!!! Good luck!!


F-Series ROCK 5 in our group out of 8 riders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Yes, if you do more riding in powder then anything else...get the X-Fire....it's a no-brainer.

For everything else the F-Series is the FAR superior sled.

It just comes down to where you ride your sled and yes an '07 X-Fire will make your 2000 Polaris look silly everywhere...including the trail.

Snow-Balls: Good choice to go with the CF. The only disadvantage you might have is that the riding position might not be quite as comfortable on the CF. You ride up nice and tall on the F, because of the adjustable seat. But I don't think the Sno Pro F has that feature anyway, so there probably is not that much difference. I have only sat on a CF, but you seem to sit up nice on them as well. Not at all uncomfortable.

I don't see a big down side to the CF over the F. The F does ride nice, but not the huge difference that some would leave you to believe. There is alot of travel on the front arm of the F and that makes a difference, but only under certain conditions. With the extra length of the CF track, I bet they are very close. I wouldn't give it a second thought. Besides, with the F, you have alot more to worry about than the ride or them being a pig in the deep snow.

The '07 F handles very poorly out of the crate. I would go as far as saying they are a safety hazard. Terribly unpredictable in the turns. Hopefully the CF handles more predictably.

In my opinion the F is a poor design. Definitely has it's strengths, but ease of maintenance is not one of them. None of the new sleds are easy to work on, but the F is just plain dumb. If you do your own maintenance, the F is a real nightmare.

Cat is trying to tweak the F every year, but there are certain inherent design flaws that are not fixable. The tunnel that is too narrow for a 15" track is one of them. The removal of the instrument pod to get to the plugs and other maintenance items is another. The ACT Drive (on the '07 Crossfire as well) is a $2000.00 accident waiting to happen that robs performance and adds far more complexity than ever could be imagined or needed. The F is stuck with the ACT because it is part of the design and cannot be changed. It allows your feet to move forward by repositioning the secondary. Nice try, but not satisfactory!

You are just outside of London, so I see why you get up to the Bruce on a regular basis. Lots of good running around Owen Sound as well. Cat is strong out that way. You see alot of them on the trails. May I ask why you are choosing a Cat? I see you have had a Formula and a Polaris. Do you ride with alot of Cat's? Alot depends on the dealer, but my experience with Cat has been less than wonderful. Not alot of support from Cat, so if your dealer is weak, you are pretty much screwed. I am just curious, because you are trying to decide between an F and a CF, and I think there are better choices than either out there. But each to his own. If I was forced or stupid enough to buy another Cat, it would be a CF. Cat is pushing them in '09 because they realise the unrepairable design flaws of the F. The F will be replaced as soon as possible. Hopefully they get it right next time!

Good Luck and don't be afraid to look at alternatives.

Don't listen to a word this guy says! He is so anti-Cat that it makes me sick! If you hate Cat so much Charles, why the hell do you still have one? Also if all your going to do is put Cat down, get off the Cat forum and sell you dam sled!

Charles, I'm so up-in-the-air right now I don't know what to do. You've made some good points and I'm not necessarily stuck on AC, I just wanted to try something new. Any other suggestions? P.S. If you've never done Wiarton to Tomermory you're missing out.

Snow-Balls: Wiarton to Tobermory is definitely on my to do list. Others as well have told me it is one of the best trips you can make.

Buying a new sled is a big decision, but should also be part of the fun as well. When someone puts out a question I try to answer it as honestly as possible. I point out the good and the bad; the stuff that I hate and drives me crazy and the stuff I like. I am not brand loyal so it doesn't bother me to tell it like it is. Some "Green Underwear Types" give the old "everthing is wonderful, it's the best ever line", with out stating anything concrete to back up their statement. Meanwhile, if you have been following these forums for a few years you know that lots of problems exist. I feel it does a great discredit to someone like yourself that is looking for an honest opinion. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, so when things aren't right I take note and tell others. The quality of workmanship and parts used on all the brands is rediculous considering the prices we pay for them. And it's not as though there is an excuse for the poor quality other then good old greedy capitalism. If we shut up and put up, the big four get away with it. If we let them know we have higher standards, maybe something will be done.

Alot of the buying decision for me is to watch what is happening with other sleds in the group that I ride with. I have been the only Cat for over 10 years; there is one Polaris and at times a couple of Yamahas. The rest are all Skidoos. At times I bought a Cat just to stir things up and give us something to rib each other about. It's all part of the fun. The Rev moved SkiDoo to the top and for good reason. The ones I ride with have been very good. Not perfect, but very impressive. I couldn't ride them because of arthritis developing in my legs. The Rev just cramped up my legs too much. The F has been good in that respect and is why I went for another Cat. The ergonomics are as good as it gets. Cat did a wonderful job of giving us rider forward, without the sardine can feeling. But it is all downhill from there as far as I am concerned. My F5 has had less problems than most and after 2 years I have got it to where it is about as good as it is going to get. But paying $10,000.00 and then spending 2 years banging your head against the wall to solve Cats poor engineering and lack of quality problems is not exceptable to me and I hate to see anyone else have to go through that even though my honesty and opinions are adversely affecting the resale value of my sled.

I am looking hard at SkiDoo and not ashamed to admit it. The XP eliminates the leg cramping problem. They too have had their teething problems, so it will be interesting to see how attentive they have been at coming up with fixes for the '09's. The technology they are using for their 2-strokes is so far ahead of everyone else, it has to be embarassing for the others. Cat's EFI is right out of the stone age by comparison. SkiDoos are the lightest, burn the least fuel and oil and give you a choice of #1 technolgy in either 2 or 4-stroke. I tried an E-tec last year and was very impressed. Admittidely, the suspension was not up to my F5, but close enough to get the job done. The light weight made it agile and FUN to ride. It burned about 6-7 MPG less than My F5, burned virtually no oil and went about 40 MPH faster. What's not to love? I also had a short ride on the 4-tec and it makes Cat's 4-stroke seem like something that was used on a farm implement 40 years ago! Very smooth, quiet and refined.

I would love to try a Yamaha, but they just don't measure up. When in our group, they are always the ones that won't start in the morning, overheating and sliders melting in limited snow conditons, heavier than even the F and below standards in handling and ride. The potential is there, but they just can't seem to make it happen.

As for Polaris. They really screwed up over the last few years. They are trying to come back and are having some success, but I'd wait and see for a couple of more years.

If I were you, I would look real close at a Renagade. Having said that and all of the above, you will probably enjoy a Crossfire as well. It's really about what is best for you. Keep an open mind, enjoy the decision making process, don't get in a hurry and above all else; Have Fun!

It's time for you and your bum-buddy Charles to move from this forum!! It's obvious you are trying to make this into a Cat bash fest...this is the WRONG place for that!! You both will get shit-owned, but Charles is used to that.

Charles is well known around these parts for being a dim-witted jackass, he doesn't know shit about snowmobiling as you can tell by every statement he makes. "'07 Cat's are unsafe to ride?" If this jackass can't get his '07 Cat to handle good on the trail, god forbid if he was given any other sled....he would spend his days in the trees.

The ACT drive system is easily the best is the business. Smoothest shifting, best braking and no fucking chain slack....yes but that's bad!! LOL

As for the X-Fire VS F series comparison...how the fuck would Charles know??? Has he owned a X-Fire??? But if you think he has all the answers....why did you come here in the first place????

What's ironic is how Charles was telling people on another topic how he could beat much larger sleds on the trail with his "unsafe" '07 Cat. He just must be the best rider ever!! LOL

I think I speak for all of us here when I say: THE DAY CHARLES SWITCHES FROM CAT WILL BE A GREAT DAY FOR ARCTIC CAT AND EVERYONE WHO RIDES THEM!!!!!

I just pity the next brand he rides....are they in for a treat!!! LOL

PS. I rode the XP quite a bit last year, it's a real nice sled. Lot's of fun in the powder because of it's light weight. But it is nowhere close to the F series on the trail, for ride or handling.

But I am NOT like Charles and going to tell you the XP is shit because I prefer my F series, because that would be a lie. The 2 XP's we ride with experienced some growing pains as well, but it's a first year sled, why should I class them as garbage with no chance of improvement?? I will leave that to Charles! lol The XP is nice as are the New Yamis I have but some miles on. After riding all of them and the X-Fire I know for my riding the F series chassis is the class of this field, but that doesn't mean it's the best for you.

You have to buy what suits you, but if you came to the Cat forum to learn about Cat and are taking Charles advice....it's time for you to move on, because you obviously have no interest in learning the TRUTH!