Failures are just part of the game. You have a tiny machine with SO much power and you literally FLOG that poor SOB all day long over shitty trails, heavy throttle, long days, low fuel, drinking oil, etc etc etc....
It's a tough life the snowmobile machine has to endure at the hands of even the tamest of riders. Then there's the assholes like [MENTION=2616]Chester Copperpot[/MENTION] and I who beat the ever living shit outta their machines.
By few exceptions ever, do you have a trip where if you have 4 or more guys, that one sled doesn't break down and need work to continue. Probably 1/4 trips where the failure is terminal and takes that sled out for the rest of the trip. Even with newer sleds.
But like [MENTION=16]PANDA[/MENTION] says, every sled has its strength. I would prioritize my own preferences this way:
1. power - because you KNOW I need to be fast.
2. weight - honestly, this one belongs first, because a heavy stuck sled will fuck your life up. Lighter sleds are just more enjoyable to ride as well.
3. durability - because no one likes to wrench on their shit in the morning with a hangover.
4. styling - really? Does this matter at all? Yes. Yes it does. Styling is what makes so many people bite the bullet and buy a sled that is more than they really need for what they'll be doing. But a purdy sled is killer when you see people turn their heads as you're riding by...
As stated though, get out there and ride as many different sleds that you can. Ski-doo will be a solid contender for sure. The Rev chassis is no joke and REALLY is probably the best all around option for trail riding with a little off-trail mixed in. Polaris is also making a killer sled line up right now that is well engineered, easy to work on, and has killer performance right out of the box. The AXYS chassis is a close second in my opinion, although most of the market favors it as the best out there. Arctic Cat & Yamaha were aligning very closely over the last couple years, but not that Arctic Cat has sold off, you might see them start to drift apart again. Time will tell. The turbo powerplant they offer currently is all they can thank for their sales increasing. Their chassis are nothing crazy to write home about, AGAIN, IMO. (and I own one).
I for one cannot wait to see if Yamaha does anything crazy to the 2018 Sidewinder platform and also what Polaris releases as their powerplants are a bit long in the tooth (but still better than all non-turbo alternatives).