How to buy a snowmobile

[EricD]

I've been toying with the idea of buying a snowmobile. I've done a not of research on brand and what I intend to do and I'm considering a 2 up sled. There are not that many out there, it seems. I've bought a lot of vehicles over the years and there's always a little room for dealing but I've never bought a snowmobile. Is haggling over price a common thing when buying a snowmobile? I apologize in advance if this isn't the place to ask this question but I really don't know how to go about this.

[Northlander]

Negotiating price happens with anything sold, or at least can be. Good 2 ups are hard to find at a decent price. Stay away from any triples and Im looking for a 500 polaris 2 up (dependable)in the 1995-2005 range. $2000 or less. I have friends who found some nice ones but it seems Im always a day late or a dollar short.

[leech~~]

There are not a lot out there right now because you are looking for them right in the middle of the season on one of the best snowmobiling years, in years! The best time is at the begaining or end of the season and the best way is to not grab the first one you see. Try and learn a little about what you want and the condition of that one by viewing a bunch of them in the sales ad's until you know what a good deal looks like. They can be found but you have to know what to look for.

Good luck!

[hydro]

I just took a look and there are quite a few in the metro area for sale. Try the C R A I G site in the RV section, type in "Reverse" for a search term, use $1000 for a "Min" price to get rid of the parts ads and then the "Max" price you can afford. Again I would say to stay away from the three cylinder sleds like the Polaris XLT's just because there is 50% more motor to have issues with. Good luck!

[Walleyehooker]

You probably picked the worst time in the last 10 years to buy one but there should be some nice sleds out there in the 2-3K range.Your only going to pay a little more right now but at least you will be able to ride it.

[EricD]

Thanks everyone. Yes, prices are high. I thought about going new because later model prices are so close anyway. I don't think dealers are in the mood to deal either. I'll keep an eye out.

[LightningBG]

Last couple dealers I looked at very very low on their new inventory. I've bought my last couple sleds on a big auction site. Bought one yesterday in fact. Its kinda tough because its not as easy to test drive them, but there are some deals to be had. There are lots of sites with sleds besides your common classifieds. Look up various snowmobiling forums.

[LightningBG]

Touring

is a great search term for a 2-up sled

[LightningBG]

Thanks everyone. Yes, prices are high. I thought about going new because later model prices are so close anyway. I don't think dealers are in the mood to deal either. I'll keep an eye out.

Keep in mind, prices for a lot of new sleds are $8K-$12K (with the exception of the Yama Bravo and the Polaris Shift line.)

And, you might need to come down to the cities to find one. There dont seem to be many listed in the Fargo area.

[EricD]

Yes, inventories are quite low new and used, especially for 2 up sleds. I suppose that's why dealers aren't in a mood to deal. I was looking at a Yamaha touring model and when I went back a second time with my wife it had been shipped out to Montana for a dealer that had a buyer.

[TXCharger]

Look at some dealers websites, compare to Kelley Blue book and go check them out. Saw a couple nice used sleds at Hill top sports in Hill City. Older Polaris trail fan-cooled one up and a nice 500 liquid cooled two up. I bought mine from a dealer after I looked at it on line and went and made the deal. Most times cash in hand deals well, just don't over play your hand

[Hookmaster]

I looked on Crai gs list last spring when I bought a used 2-up sled and a trailer with a SnoCap. I searched for "Polaris touring" or "Polaris 2 up" or "Polaris 2-up" since I was looking for a Polaris. After you look at a few you get a feel for which ones to follow up on.