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We've lost count of how many versions of
side-by-side ATVs are now on the market, but we may have just found
one that will set a few standards for those still to come. You may
have seen in a previous issue of Off-Road.com that Arctic Cat has
recently released their UTV, the Prowler.
[Editor's Note - And we know you all saw it,
judging by the barrage of email we got suggesting our comparison to
the Polaris Ranger wasn't fair, and the comparison to the John
Deere Gator wasn't quite right either... So we were glad to have a
chance to see in person, what the Prowler really is!]
 Arctic Cat invited all of us
Press-types to visit their neck of the woods outside of Bemidji,
Minnesota to ride the new Prowler and other 2006 ATV models. Those
of you not up to speed with Bemidji history; it's the first city to
see the running water of the Mississippi River and home to Paul
Bunyon. We, of course, had to visit and photograph the famed statue
of Mr. Bunyon to prove we were there. (We opted not to take home
the souvenir T-shirt.)
 We met up with Kale Wainer of
Arctic Cat and had a wonderful dinner with a handful of the design
team managers of the units we'd be riding. They answered a few
initial questions we had and explained how the riding would go the
next day. We woke to rainy and cool conditions on the day of the
test riding. By the time we had been given the details of all the
units, it was time for lunch and luckily the sun came out to
present a beautiful afternoon for riding and photos.
 The test course was a
five mile loop through a heavily-wooded area that took us over a
few different types of terrain. In the first ¾ of the first
mile, we had a chance to get on the gas and get an over-all feel
for the units. At the end of the first mile, we had areas perfect
for braking and suspension tests. There were several short quick
turns and areas with natural whoops and tree stumps of all sizes to
maneuver around. The second mile of the course was where all the
water had gathered from the morning rains. It was at this point I
realized I shouldn't have brought my newest riding gear. This was a
good area to see how the units handled slippery conditions. At the
half-way point, we encountered the only hill climb to speak of,
with a 30 foot climb up about a 20-25 degree incline on a cleared
grass trail. This was one spot I tried the 4x4 low gear modes to
see how much torque the units had. The final stages of the loop
consisted of a few rock and red clay fire roads with winding turns
and more of the same conditions within the woods.
 The Prowler is the
result of three years of design and testing, and it shows. Arctic
Cat chose this unit and the 650H1 ATV as units to debut their new
motor (641cc) built by themselves. The motor sits between the
driver and passenger under a “doghouse” canopy, which
believe it or not, doesn't make much noise. It has plenty of
low-end torque to pull loads up to 1,500 pounds or climb hills up
to 20 degrees. (We guess it would climb steeper hills in perfect
conditions, but they don't recommend it.)
 They told us the top end speed
is near 50 mph. Although a speedometer was one of the many (14)
read-outs on the display panel, I never looked down to see what top
speeds I made. I was a little too busy at the time looking for
obstacles along the trails. The motor is also rubber-mounted to the
frame to cut down on noise and vibration. It fact, the only time I
felt any vibration is when I leaned backed and put my helmet
against the head rest, then when I talked if sounded like I was
talking into the front of a fan.
The engineers at Arctic Cat, continuing their
reputation for high-ground clearance, made sure this was Best in
Class for the Prowler. It rides with 12.5 inches of clearance and
10 inches of travel in front and rear, with adjustable shocks and
double A-arms all the way around. They did decide to put a sway bar
on the rear of the Prowler, to limit the amount of lean, which
makes a great fit with the rack and pinion steering.
The other thing they decided to do was to use 14
inch wheels to increase handling and reduce sidewall stress. They
said it also gave them an extra inch of ground clearance.
 For all you fans of the mud,
you might like to know they put in a 4x4 front locking system to
insure maximum grip and minimum slip on the front wheels. If you
plan on using a Prowler for work and play, you might like to know
it has a standard two inch receiver hitch in the back and
front of the unit.
If you're more impressed by comfort features,
you'll be happy to know that the engineers took into consideration
that the Prowler may from time to time have a female passenger. It
comes standard with a glove box and a closing lid, large enough for
a medium size purse and even a pair of sandals. (It could also hold
several boxes of ammo or a small weather radio). You can even bring
along a couple of toys that require 12 volt current. The Prowler
has two plugs to power whatever you can think to bring. If you
thought they'd leave out the cup holders, think again. There is one
for the driver and passenger.
If you're planning an all day trip or if this
vehicle will be used as the cargo vehicle…these brilliant
engineers also thought to put a storage box under the hood of the
Prowler. It will hold up to 25 pounds of material, which could in
fact be a bag of ice and a 12 pack of grape Shasta. (Don't worry;
it also has a drain at the bottom. Flipping the unit upside down
won't be an excuse to drain the cooler.)
 Overall , this unit was
as a blast to drive. It had plenty of torque to climb and didn't
really seem any slower with a passenger. The seat was plenty
comfortable for a person of my size, 6'2” at 220 lbs. The
controls were all easy to see and use. It did take a little getting
used to after riding quads all day, but many people will appreciate
the value of sitting in a seat similar to a car as opposed to
straddling a seat. I will say it would be nice to have a tilt
steering column to use for getting in and out of, so that it could
have a slightly bigger steering wheel overall, but
hey…nothing is perfect.
Available in green, red or lime, MSRP
$9,499.
 And another
thing… although we primarily went to this product
debut to drive the Prowler, Arctic Cat did make available all of
their ATV's for us to ride as well. As a journalist and fellow ATV
enthusiast, I'd be doing you all an injustice if I didn't share my
thoughts on another ATV I rode while I was there.
Arctic Cat and Bombardier are arguably the only
manufacturers that make true 2-up ATVs - models that are
specifically designed to safely carry a passenger as well as a
driver. I salute them both for doing this, and would love to
compare them in a side-by-side test. But, at this time I've only
been able to ride the 500 TRV from Arctic Cat. And let me say I was
very impressed.
 I took one lap (five miles) on
this course without a passenger, and a second with a passenger. I
didn't put a stop watch to it, but I'd be willing to bet my time
was within 10 seconds of each other. It's been redesigned for 2006
and makes a great ride. The eight extra inches on the wheel base
makes a huge different with how the machine handles tough bumps.
This unit also has a rubber-mounted engine to reduce vibration and
comes with 10 inches of clearance with eight inches of travel. Just
to let you know, while riding with a passenger I didn't bottom out.
As a passenger however, we did once. It may have been because with
the driver's weight and mine, we were pushing 460 pounds.
For the passenger, there is plenty of leg room
and handles to hold onto. The only thing I might change is offer a
taller version for the passenger seat and maybe padded hand grips
as well.
If offering a smooth ride with plenty of motor
wasn't enough, Arctic Cat is also offering a rear Speedrack™
for this ATV as well as a cargo box for hauling gear. As a bonus,
they put two inch receiver hitches in front and back (just like the
Prowler) in case you wanted to do a little work before hitting the
trail.
Available in green, red or lime, MSRP
$7,499.
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