*It does need to be stated right up front - our test riders are hard-core mountain sled fiends.  While they do have technical familiarity with and extensive seat time on the entire range of sleds, a truly "performance" model is going to have a harder time impressing them. So take that for what it's worth. If that's not your riding style, you may not agree with these opinions at all.

So after all the hype, were our test riders dazzled?  Well, not entirely.

As expected, the RUSH scored high and impressed on power and throttle response.  "Rips for a 600", "Great response, feels very snappy", and "Motor pulls hard!"  Braking scored well too, which is important if you've got 600cc's of clean-fire power you are needing to stop.

However, with all the suspension technology one rider felt the Rush rode heavy. Of course, we'll admit our snow conditions on the morning we rode it were not optimum. Polaris specs state estimated dry weight of 459 pounds.

While it's not intended as a touring or really even a trail sled - it's all performance - we had to ding it for having zero storage capacity, but you can pick up some accessory bags.

For looks, one rider liked it, one not so much, one said it was "interesting". One rider felt the windshield was too narrow, a larger rider found the bars too wide when cornering.

Here's our reviewer first impression scores from SnowShoot at Grand Lake CO:

Undoubtedly mags will be naming it Snowmobile of the Year all over the place, because it really is about the only thing new and different for 2010. What did our sled guru think? We are still awaiting his decision, but he asked we prepare an award for Mountain Sled of the Year and Trail Sled of the Year, so who knows what he's thinking... We do know at over $10k, he is concerned about price...

Stay tuned for Dan Canfield's detailed Expert Opinion on the RUSH, as well as the entire 2010 Polaris line up, coming to Off-Road.com's Snowmobile section in a couple weeks. 

And Yamaha reviews will be up for your reading pleasure next week! CORRECTION - Yamaha Line up is UP!