What you don’t hear, is what sells so many people on the Prowler Pro and Prowler Pro Crew – Get behind the wheel, and you’ll quickly realize this Side-by-Side is the hands-down leader when it comes to engine and in-cab quietness. I’ve spent a solid 6+ months with my long term loaner 2022 Prowler Pro Crew LTD and have come to enjoy the noticeable upgrades to the drive system, suspension and ground clearance versus previous models.
PROWLER PRO CREW IS MADE FOR YOU
The Prowler Pro Crew comes in three flavors for 2022: Base, XT and LTD.
The Base model gets you started with Electronic Power Steering, 12.5-inches of ground clearance, newly designed 14-inch aluminum wheels and trimmed out with a new premium front bumper, standard doors and medium green bodywork.
The XT and LTD are two choice models upping the Prowler Pro ante with nearly three more inches of ground clearance than 2021 models (13- vs. 10.75-inches), 4,500lb winch and roof kit. The XT is available in Phantom with medium green accents and suspension springs, while the top-of-the-line LTD adds a storage console to the roof kit, comes in Fossil bodywork with Spark Orange accents, ROPS and matching Spark Orange suspension springs.
POWER
Like I mentioned above, the heart of the Prowler Pro is the industry’s quietest engine (58db), a 50-horsepower, 812cc EFI engine that’s as reliable as it is capable of handling a workload. Noise, vibration and harshness are all dampened by well-tuned engine mounts and an isolated exhaust system. I can’t stress this enough, the quietness of this engine is enough to sell me. When you have a people hauler like this one, the noiselessness (that’s a word) is welcome when you have passengers with you, especially kids. And as a hunter, who wouldn’t want to be stealthy traversing your hunting grounds?
Speaking of hunting, I used the Prowler Pro Crew LTD on mostly hunting land and the CVTech TrailBloc clutches provided smooth take-offs when towing loaded utility trailers with logs, brush and equipment and loaded with passengers willing to help with the day’s chores. The throttle response was always quick, even on back road recreation rides.
When it comes to top speeds, the Prowler Pro Crew hovers between 55-60mph which is really respectable for such a large unit and 50-horsepower. It has plenty enough ponies to carry out any utilitarian task thrown at it, but if I could wave my magic wand for the times I really want to haul the mail on a spirited pure recreation trail ride, or take a long pull down a repurposed rail bed, I’d love to see the 998cc triple-cylinder Wildcat XX engine in a Prowler Pro. (Yes please!)
RIDE
For 2022, Arctic Cat greatly improved the stock ride quality of the Prowler Pro suspension with a lift kit to achieve increased ground clearance and the ability to run larger tires. The LTD I have, comes standard with 27-inch tires on 14-inch rims and they do a great job finding traction in both soft- and hard-terrains. If you own a Crew (of any brand), you have to drive it a bit smarter in rolling and off-camber terrain because of the elongated wheelbase to eliminate any high-centering. You’ll appreciate the 13-inches of ground clearance, but the handful of times I did scrape the bottom, I appreciated the full-length skidplate which helps glide over obstacles and protect from damage.
STORAGE
Storage capability is also another major selling point with me. I’m not sure what 17.95 cubic-feet of overall storage capacity means, but the Crew is capable of hauling a lot of stuff. If there was a space open during hunt-prep outings, we had it filled. The modular cab design allows for easy removal of the passenger seat to free up additional floor storage space. This came in handy several times for hauling deerstand parts, packs and work tools. The behind the seat storage was also welcome – when we didn’t have precious cargo like our cased rifles stashed back there, we filled it with miscellaneous things like tow straps, bungee cords, hand tools etc. The rear tilting cargo bed was designed to house a full pallet, and although we never had one in the back, we shuttled our fair share of rocks, gravel, black dirt and brush and firewood.
LAST THOUGHTS
For my needs, the Prowler Pro Crew LTD checks the majority of my boxes with greatness outlined above, and I’d recommend purchasing one if you need major hauling capability either for passengers or “stuff”. One of the drawbacks of any UTV in Crew trim, is their size – They’re really big. For me personally, this is an inconvenience because I don’t have room to store it in my garage (It’ll take up a standard third stall) and if you are going to transport it, you’ll need an appropriately sized trailer. (I have a 16’ car hauler with a beavertail, and the Prowler Pro Crew LTD used up most of its length) For those personal reasons, I would purchase a standard Prowler Pro for all its same great attributes, but shorter length.
