The dealer I bought my XP850 sells both AC's & PoPo's & I was there when a customer asked what he thought about the Prowler,his response was "if I had to pay $10,000 more for a Ranger than a Prowler than I would still buy the Ranger" & he is an Arctic Cat Dealer also. So what does that say for AC when dealers think so little of them?

 

get in each one and test drive them, its a personal choice. then when you decide, come back on here and ask what problems people have had with their machine. if the problems are small then consider that machine. if the problems are big consider something else. going by what someone says may not apply to you or your thoughts. for example: do you like bench seats (ranger)or bucket seats(prowler)? is ground clearence a factor for you? do you like the way it stears? (ranger steers easier) you gonna haul lots of cargo? warrenties, who has what type of warrenty? the list goes on and on. if you go to an arctic cat site, 99% will tell you get the arctic cat. Go to a polaris site and 99% will tell you get the ranger. best advise is to figure out what you like and want in a machine then narrow your choices. Obviously one will have something the others dont. the only ones ive ridden in are the prowler and rhino. if i had to choose it would be a tough one. they both have pros and cons to me. good luck!

 

I am a hunter in Arizona, and used my 2009 prowler a lot scouting deer this year. I enjoy my prowler a lot, but there is a major flaw it it that I don't think I can over look. When you apply the breaks on an Prowler, there is a grinding noise from around the engine compartment. The dealership says it has something to do with slack in the drive something? I don't know, they say it is just the way prowlers are. Hard to stop and check out a buck with binos when he gets spooked from the noise coming from your prowler. I went and test drove a 2011 Ranger this last week... no noise when you stomp on the breaks...

I am not a small fella, and I like the room the prowler has to get into the drivers seat, but the extra room may not compensate for that noise.

 

I really do like the looks of the Prowler a bit better and there are a few features that appeal to me, the shifter location and bucket seats come to mind, but, personally, I get the sensation of them being a little top heavy with a bit to much of oversteer...excessive engine noise in the cab is also a common complaint!
On the other hand, the Ranger has an excellent ride and handling is about as good as it gets in a utility machine! As work capacity goes, the Ranger really shines and the Prowler isn't really in the same class here. As with the Prowler though, the Ranger does have it's issues also, probably the biggest would be excessive engine heat in the cab area! Though polaris seems to be addressing this in the latest models.
With this said, I would add to Nightclerk's post...my local dealer is a Polaris/Artic Cat dealer also and has been since the early 70s. They sell more Artic Cat sleds then Polaris but in a normal year they sell in the area of 200 Rangers and MAYBE 5 Prowlers! That isn't the dealers decision, it is what the customers want to buy!
Another interesting option from Polaris is the new midsize Rangers, 400 HO/500EFI, in a slightly smaller size that is closer to the size and capacities of the Rhino, for $2000 to $3000 less! (the 400 HO MSRP is $7999.00!)
Good luck with your choice and enjoy your new machine!
Cheers