Snowmobile Performance..... 300 Rev Tundra vs new 550 Peg LegTundra

First of all I would like to point out that there is no overall snow machine.  They are like cars.  You have to fiqure out exactly what you expect from a machine before you buy it.  We have a 800 Skandic Super Wide track.  It's our 1 ton pick-up.  It will haul anything or tow anything but it's hard to handle.  In certain conditions it won't climb very good and when you're stuck..... you're really stuck.  It weights 800 lbs dry.
Then we have a Skidoo 550 Tundra super long track on Rev Platform.  It's a great machine and will go anywhere but again hard to handle, not relaxing ride, hard on fuel, weighs 460 lbs dry (making it manageable).  It's the best of our trail breakers.
Then we have the 2 300 Tundras on Rev platform with Macpherson strut suspension (dry weight 350 lbs).  These are not old machines.  We have a 2006 and then when we found out Bombardier was discontinuing this line in 2010,  we asked Satnam, the owner of Yukon Honda in Whitehorse to try to find a new 2009 for us.  With great difficulty and a lot of phone calls, he located own down south and freighted it up for us.  Also our good friend Ray, down south found and shipped up to us.... a great find....the engine, with total wiring harness including handlebars with all the goodies complete with glutch and shive  from a 300Tundra that the owner put a 550 into.  Now if something goes on either of the 300 Tundras we have parts which is really important out here because these machines all have to be flown out here in either the Beaver or Helicopter.
The single biggest factor with snowmoble performance is weight.  The two little Skidoo Tundra 300's are a pleasure to drive, they go anywhere , are quite capable of pulling a tobagon with 2 moose quarters in it but they have their limitations.  They will break trail in 2 ' of powder.... after that you will have trouble.  They are no good for doubling.  They won't keep up with the average groups of skidooers (especially in Alberta).  They are geared for 40 km but can top out at 80 km but you'll kill the engine if you keep it there.  But they use 1/3 of the fuel of the 550, making them not only economical but also almost impossible to burn a full tank of gas in a day.....for that matter even burning half a tank is hard). 
The new (really an old idea from the late 70's) 550 peg leg Tundra is cheaper to manufacture (probably why they went back).  Can you imagine this confirmation on a race car.  Also the right hand side is very hard to grease.  You have to remove the cowling (and on my 800, the muffler also) to get at the grease nibble on the right hand side.  The single advantage to the peg legs is they are far more durable encase you hit stumps or big rocks.  This is not a factor for us because we have removed those from our trapline trails also we very seldom go faster than 20 km on our twister, windy step trails which is when the Macpherson struts really shine.  If you buy a Bombardier get the mechanic to show you all the grease nipples.  Bearing failure on the track drive shaft opposite the chain case is common because the grease nipple is hidden.
In my opinion the 550 Tundra with peg legs is closest to the most all round machine of the new bunch out there.  It's very easy to ride but not great for really windy trails like ours.