The last few sleds I have had were great to ride - loved the 2004 Viper S - except for the no action suspension. Rode two of them over 6 seasons. Great sleds - reliable too. 8000 + miles nothing but a few spark plugs, belts and one set of needles and seats.
Loved the motor of the 2009 Nytro XTX - but heavy and cold. I think I owned it for 45 days.
2010 Renegade with 600 etec was awesome. Hard to steer and just like the Doo I had bought 10 years earlier, engine failure.
2012 600 Switchback ProR - Blast, reliable, comfortable. Nice sled. sold it at the end of march.
Started looking for a sled that was reliable, rode decent, was light and that I could work on myself. Going to go pick up a 2003 Polaris 600 Edge with an M10 tomorrow, hopefully I will not be too disappointed. I'm trying to figure out what I should do with the $10,000 I am saving.
As far as your sled choice goes - buy a 600 or 800 etec. better ride, 200 lbs lighter, better resale, doesn't need power steering or the extra weight that comes with it, great economy -you can't go wrong. Shame on Yamaha IMO.