Two all-new 700-class sport UTVs have entered the 60-inch-wide market. The Arctic Cat Wildcat Sport is an inline DOHC twin, and the Yamaha Wolverine R-Spec has a DOHC single that displaces 708cc. Although both have scary-sounding names, they’re really user-friendly and loaded with creature comforts and high-end suspension components. Since the Wildcat Sport and Wolverine R-Spec are shooting it out for 700-class customers and market share, what better place to compare them than Tombstone, Arizona, which was made famous by the shootout at the O.K. Corral?
WHAT’S NEW FOR 2015/2016?
Both machines are all new, although the Yamaha is officially a 2016 and the Sport is a 2015. The Wolverine takes the Viking’s lower end and lowers gearing by 5 percent, and the new DOHC top end has a 103mm piston and 85mm stroke for 708cc. Yamaha placed it 148mm forward in the frame for more centralized mass. The frame is 140mm narrower than the Viking’s, and the sides are swept up 60mm for ground clearance. The new frame is kept narrow for longer A-arms, and high-end dual-compression piggyback shocks provide full adjustment and 9.7 inches of front and 10.6 inches of rear travel. A rear torsion bar fights body roll on the 60-inch-wide R-Spec, and dual-piston hydraulic calipers squeeze four 207mm discs. The CVT has the normal sprag clutch with EBS, and the rear transfer case has a safety buzzer in case the parking brake is left engaged. The non-tilting bed holds 300 pounds and has a tailgate, and a large console with an airbox underneath replaces the Viking’s center seat. The wheelbase is 81 inches, and the Wolverine has a full length skid plate. Fuel capacity is 9.7 gallons.
Arctic Cat took the 50-inch Wildcat Trail 700 and added frame gussets, longer A-arms, axles and brake lines, plus longer JRi ECX-1 shocks with 70-position compression damping adjustments to deliver 12.2 inches of front travel and 12.6 inches in the rear. The LTD EPS comes with Elka Stage 5 shocks with high- and lowspeed compression adjusters, dualrate springs and adjustable rebound, chosen to better match the Yamaha’s high-end shocks. It also has full doors and variable-assist EPS.
HOW DOES PRICE COMPARE?
Arctic Cat set the Wildcat Sport MSRP at $13,399 for the base 700, $13,999 for the XT, and $15,699 for the LTD-EPS. The Yamaha starts at $12,199 with a roof but no EPS, and the EPS version runs $13,199 to $13,799 for the RealTree AP-HD Camo version. Our green Wolverine EPS is $1900 less than the Sportcat LTD-EPS.
WHICH IS FASTER, THE 700 TWIN OR 708 SINGLE?
Definitely the two-gun Wildcat. It leaps ahead of the Yamaha out of the hole and pulls away to a top speed of almost 70 mph. Low range is good for about 40 mph. The Yamaha has a smooth and torquey engine that pulls harder than its Viking cousin, and it tops out at 51–52 mph. It’s really good on twisty trails where it can put all that midrange torque to work.
WHAT ABOUT THE CVT/4WD DELIVERY?
Yamaha takes this one. Both have similar servo-controlled 2WD/4WD systems with a locking front differential, but the R-Spec has an effective Engine Braking System (EBS) and more positive range selector. It has a three-position selector knob that’s more user-friendly than the Arctic Cat’s toggle switch, which can be mistakenly left in locked mode, hindering turning prowess. The Wolverine’s CVT clutching is more predictable in delicate rock-crawling situations, as the Rapid Response clutch on the Wildcat requires a more deft right foot. The sprag clutch on the Yamaha keeps constant tension on the CVT belt for durability too.
WHICH IS MORE AGILE?
The Wolverine R-Spec. It has a wheelbase that’s 3.3 inches shorter than the Sportcat’s, so it turns in easier and snakes around turns quicker, making it a sharper woods weapon. The Arctic Cat is more stable at speed and predictable on loose surfaces like BLM/USFS gravel roads and sand washes. The Yamaha is more at home on tight trails like you find in the east, while the Arctic Cat is more at home in wide-open western deserts and mountainous terrain.
HOW IS THE HIGH-END SUSPENSION?
Excellent on both, but the Wildcat has better ride quality and more travel. The Elka Stage 5 shocks on the Sport deliver a plusher ride on cross-grain desert terrain, and the longer Wildcat A-arms deliver 2.6 inches more front travel and 2.0 inches more rear travel than the R-Spec. Both have separate high- and low-speed compression damping adjusters, plus rebound adjusters for fine-tuning the ride, but the Elkas deliver a smoother ride than the Yamaha’s Kayabas.
WHICH GOES BIGGER AND DEEPER?
Duners will prefer the faster Wildcat Sport—it finished on the podium at the King of the Hammers desert/rockcrawling race this spring; however, the Yamaha is a very capable rock crawler, with a smoother CVT, EBS, upswept rockers and down-swept hood, which makes it easier to see the best line. The Wolverine has a taller seating position and short, steeper hood for better vision, while the low bucket seats and long hood on the Wildcat restrict vision. The Yamaha rocks tight-woods trails and also has more splash protection for creek crossings and deep mud. The sprag-clutched CVT has higher-placed ducting too. Yamaha hits this bull’s-eye.
WHICH HAS STRONGER BRAKES?
The Yamaha. Both have strong four-wheel hydraulic brakes, but the Yamaha has twin-puck calipers on all four corners, while the Wildcat has single-piston rear calipers. Also, the Wolverine’s EBS means you don’t have to use the brakes as much on descents. The Yamaha also has a wetpack parking brake on the rear transfer case, so it really has five brakes—six if you count EBS.
WHAT ABOUT TRAIL COMFORT?
Both have strong points, but Yamaha takes this one. The Wildcat has great bucket seats that can be removed and used as chairs around camp, and the LTD full doors are nice, but we broke a latch on our passenger-side door. The Sport Cat has a small glovebox with a net instead of a latching lid, and it has a nice storage compartment under the hood, but the hood latches on the Sport aren’t nearly as nice as the Yamaha’s hood latches. The Wolverine has a large storage compartment between the seats, and it’s big enough to hold a small camera bag. The glovebox is larger than the Wildcat’s as well, and the adjustable grab handle has cushioning foam for the passenger. The Yamaha has great, easy-to-use doors, a nice roof, less noise in the cabin, less vibration, nice seats and an easier-to-read instrument cluster. It’s much easier to climb into and out of too.
WHAT’S OUR FINAL ANSWER?
In any shootout, speed and accuracy reign supreme, and the Wildcat Sport is much faster and predictable at speed. It’s the more capable duner and desert sled and can carry higher speeds on deep western whoops. It delivers a smoother ride on chop too; however, the Wolverine R-Spec is more agile in tight woods and rock crawling, and it’s a better work and hunting vehicle with more refinement and creature comforts. It’s more versatile and comfortable, and the Yamaha is better equipped with a $1900 lower MSRP. That buys a lot of guns and ammo.
SPECS
ARCTIC CAT WILDCAT SPORT 700 LTD EPS YAMAHA WOLVERINE R-SPEC 4X4
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION
Engine type ……….. Liquid-cooled, 8-valve, DOHC I-twin ………………. Liquid-/oil-cooled, 4-valve, DOHC 4-stroke
Displacement ………………………………………….700cc …………………………………………………………….708cc
Bore x stroke …………………………76.9mm x 75.3mm ………………………………………… 103.0mm x 85.0mm
Compression ratio …………………………………….. 10:1 ……………………………………………………………10.1:1
Lubrication system …………………………….. Wet sump ……………………………………………………….Wet sump
Additional cooling ………………………………………… Fan ………………………………………………………….Auto fan
Carburetion ………………………………………. 40mm EFI ………………………………….Yamaha EFI w/ 44mm body
Starting/back-up ………………………………Electric/none …………………………………………………… Electric/none
Starting procedure ………………….Turn key to the right ………………………………………………..Turn ignition key
Air filter:
Type ……………………………………………..Paper pleat …………………………………………………Washable foam
Access ………………….. Undo five clips, remove cover …………..Tool-less, lift center console and undo 6 clips
Transmission …………Dual-range CVT w/reverse & EBS ………………………………….. Dual-range CVT w/reverse
Reverse procedure………… Move range selector to “R” …………………………………. Move range selector to “R”
Drive system ………… Selectable 2WD/4WD w/diff lock …………………Selectable 2WD/4WD w/ diff-lock & EBS
Final drives ……………………………………………. Shafts …………………………………………………………….Shafts
DIMENSIONS/CAPACITIES/WEIGHTS
Fuel capacity ………………………………………… 7.4 gal. …………………………………………………………..9.7 gal.
Wheelbase ……………………………………………… 84.6” ……………………………………………………………..81.3”
Overall length/width/height ……………110.5”/60”/64.3” ……………………………………………116.9”/60.6”/74.2”
Ground clearance ………………………………………… 13” ………………………………………………………………11.4
Claimed weight …………………………….. 1,074 lb (dry). …………………………………………………1,311 lb. (wet)
Bed weight limit…………………………………….. 300 lb. ………………………………………………………….. 300 lb.
Hitch ……………………………………………….2” receiver ……………………………………………………… 2” receiver
Towing limit………………………………………….1500 lb. ………………………………………………………… 1500 lb.
ROLLING CHASSIS
Frame ………………………………………………Steel tube ………………………………………………. Steel round tube
Suspension/wheel travel:
Front ………. Dual A-arm w/ hi-lo comp./reb./prel. adj. …….. Dual A-arms w/ prel./comp./reb. adj. shocks/9.7”
shocks/12.2”
Rear ………….IRS A-arm w/ hi-lo comp./reb./prel.-adj. …… Dual A-arms w/ prel./comp./reb. adj. shocks/10.6”
shocks/12.6”
Brakes/actuation:
Front ………………………….. Hydraulic discs/left pedal ………………..Twin-piston hydraulic discs/left-side pedal
Rear ………………………… Hydraulic discs/right pedal ……………….. Two-piston hydraulic discs/left-side pedal
Steering …………………..EPS, rack & pinion w/tilt wheel ………………………………………………………………. N/A
Parking ……………………………………………………..N/A ……………………………………………….Lever on console
Tires:
Front ………………………AT26x8-12 Carlisle Trail Pro …………………………………. 26×8-12 Bighorn 2.0 2-ply
Rear ……………………..AT26x10-12 Carlisle Trail Pro ………………………………. 26×10-12 Bighorn 2.0 4-ply
ELECTRICAL
DC outlet …………………………………………….. Console …………………………………………………………..Console
Lighting:
Front …………………………………2 halogen headlights …………………………………..2 30W Krypton headlights
Rear …………………………… Dual LED brake/tail lights ………………………………….Dual 21/5W brake/tail light
DETAILS
Instrumentation ….. Speed/odo/trip/hour/rpm/fuel/gear/ ……………………Fuel sight gauge, 4WD indicator lights
………………………………………………clock/2WD-4WD
Colors ……………..Matte Black or White Metallic paint ……….. Steel Blue, Hunter Green, red, Realtree AP-HD
Minimum recommended operator age ……………….. 16 …………………………………………………………………16
Suggested retail price ………… $13,399, XT $13,999, … $12,199; camo, $12,799; EPS, $13,199–$13,799
…………………………………………….LTD-EPS $15,699
Contact ……………………. Arctic Cat, (218) 681-8558 …………………. Yamaha Motor Corp., (800) 962-7926