i am brand new here and am looking to purchase a sled for the upcoming season. i started riding in 1977 and spent many winters on the farm in ND riding the fields, ditches, and farmyards but since moving away i haven't done much. now i live outside seattle and will be sledding in the cascades around stevens pass, snoqualmie pass, and other spots in the area.

i know this is a very open question but i am looking for advice on the best mountain/powder sled to buy in the $2000-$2500 range. priorities in order are: 1) reliability, 2) performance, 3) comfort 4) brand (see 1). iow, i don't care what brand i end up with as long as it's reliable. i know there may be many opinions on this but i am looking for all feedback. if you have a sled you've owned for a long while and it's been good to you, i want to know, if you've purchased something recently and have had many problems, i want to know.

also when buying a used sled, please let me know the 5 tops things to look for.

cheers,
pnwsnowninja