I have the 700 Dragon and my main riding buddy has the 09 M8. If my financial picture was just a little bit better I would be riding an M8 this year, hands down. The only "plus" to the polaris is that the throttle response is snappier, but that is misleading as to overall power as the m8 holds speed much better on hillclimbs. When we line up for a hill and take off its nearly a dead heat then we hit the hill and the m8 just seems to maintain speed and I seem to just slow down and he marks me by alot. The powerclaw is better then the 5.1 in every department. Boondocking and downhill turning the m8 is way predictable and does what you want when you want, the dragon is easy to turn yes but not in a predictable fashion, it likes to lay back down on its skis on slow sidehills, and downhill it will go straight downhill on its side until you apply an alarming amount of throttle and then hook suddenly nearly slinging you off. The m8 again is predictable and easy. Uphill the m8 stays on-line and stable unless you choose to turn, the polaris is knocked off-line and is all over the place unstable as a one legged table. I don't understand how a machine can be unstable and not turn but that is what a stock RMK is. I am doing alot of mods to my RMK to try and make it handle more like the M8. OH YEAH! and I almost forgot the wet noodle A-arms of the Polaris! I bent about five or six last year, to zero m8 A-arms (and that included one tree shot that I thought totaled his bulkhead!) I know I need my flame suit now but those are my impressions after many many miles of riding both machines in all kinds of snow conditions and alot of trees.