I will do my best to answer your questions. I have put your questions in RED. My answers in black.
Trying to read between the lines as to whether you would be into a new sled after this season anyway
Through my business I buy between 15-20 sleds a year. So, purchasing a new sled for myself each year is purely a decision I make based off a few factors listed below. As for my personal one, some years I buy new every year and others I hold onto a machine for a couple years. The biggest factor determining if I purchase a new one is primarily if I feel there is a machine offered that I feel is a good performance upgrade (translation: one I think would be more fun to ride) over what I currently have. Other factors include resale value and reliability, but these take a back seat to what I think would be the most fun to ride. So basically if I felt the Axys would be a more fun sled to ride, then I would be making a purchase of it next year.
From the ride review you posted you said the motor was awesome quick, caught you by surprise. Good as your Etec? Better? Apples to oranges?
The new polaris motor is awesome. I loved it. Especially the low end. I think it is more snappy than the etec. Or in other words the low end quickness is better. I don't think it felt more powerful overall, but definitely better low end / snappiness.
You stated that the new higher CofG chassis may not be for everyone, tippy, especially in the snow you got to test in, maybe a bit too single purpose, maybe too "Burant" style.
Comparing the T3 platform (probably all Doo's next season because of it's success) and it's higher CofG is the new pro tippier, more single purpose yet?
I am having a hard time figuring out exactly what you are asking here. But, here are my thoughts. Let's keep in mind the overall snow conditions this winter and that my time on my T3 and the Axys have both been in mostly set up snow. I don't know if I like using the word tippy to describe how a sled handles. I will say that I felt like on the off camber set up snow that I felt like I was fighting the machine (Axys) a bit and it felt like it wanted to pull me downhill. Going straight up a hill that was really packed out I got into a rut or maybe better described as a deep trench (not side hill, just straight up the hill) and I ended up on my side wondering what just happened. That never would have happened on my pro. So on my pro I went from feeling extremely confident in all conditions to very insecure on the Axys in the set up off camber snow. Now, once I got the Axys into the trees in soft snow it excelled and I had that total confidence again. Maybe a little jekyl and hyde personality?
On my T3 I have simply jumped on the machine and felt at home since day one. I can sidehill, boondock, climb, jump, etc, etc. I had confidence immediately on it.
I do think the Axys was purpose built and obviously with a ton of feedback from burrandt. I think steep soft snow is where it will excel and should be an incredibly fun machine. Last Friday I rode out of Willow Creek and there was about 12 - 18" of new snow on some really set up snow. It was pretty heavy snow. We rode in the trees all day. One particularly steep side hill we tore up pretty good. Then some other guys dropped into the canyon and added to it. By the end of the day that side hill had trenches, holes and pits all over it. When you tried to cross it you'd be thrown from soft snow into hard snow into a deep trench into somebodys pit and back into soft snow. If you stopped on the side hill as soon as you would give it gas your machine would wash out because there was not enough soft snow to give you traction. It would just slide out from under you on the set up snow underneath. It was brutal. I was riding with 3 Pros. At the end of the day we ended up on that side hill again as we worked our way out of that canyon. There were Pros stuck on that side hill quite a bit. I had my issues with it on my T3 but felt every bit as confident on it as I would have on my Pro. However, I thought to myself at the end of the day that side hill would be scary on the Axys with the inconsistency of the snow.
Here is a photo of that side hill earlier in the day prior to it getting hammered.
A year ago the Pro sucked on the trail compared to the XM and now the opposite compared to the T3 package. Is higher CofG all of this?
I try not to base my criticisms of a mountain sled on how it handles on the trail. That honestly doesn't matter to me. What does matter is how it rides off trail in all conditions and how confident I feel on the sled. Regardless of where the CofG comes into play it simply comes down to this for me. I have felt extremely confident in all conditions on my T3 163 and on the Axys I lacked that confidence in the set up off camber snow.
Now, I have yet to ride either sled in the extremely light, bottomless deep pow (thanks old man winter:face-icon-small-dis). However, most sleds handle really well and are easy to turn in this type of snow. What I would like to compare is how both the Axys and the T3 get up on the snow in these types of conditions.
Oh and just to rile up all the Poo die hards. My T3 never ended up stuck like this pro.
Hope all this rambling actually helps a bit.
