what about the commander?
I have family members with a new Teryx 2 seater, and new 900s. I have ridden and driven both. The teryx, honestly, you could not pay me enough to ride in one or drive one ever again-unless it was on a smooth road. The ride is so unbelievably harsh, and there is so much cab heat and engine noise and vibration, it is seriously torture. I don't know how people can possibly recommend them. The 900s on the other hand, is like riding on pillows. The suspension is pretty damn good. Power is great, what the Wolverine should have been. If I was near enough to civilization(you mention Yukon) I would feel OK recommending you go with the RZR, as long as you have the luxury of being able to afford the downtime and repair bills that it will surely see. My extended family has several RZRs, always needing repaired...As for the Commander, run, run, run away as fast as you can. BIGGEST POS made for the money...poorly engineered, assembled, etc. The only thing they have going for them is the engine. The Crisco-Lock 4wd is a joke, even worse than the RZR, and that is saying something, because the RZR's AWD is worthless in anything but groomed trails, fire roads, or sand. Forget crawling over rocks or logs int he RZR or Commander, it's a PITA because one wheel has to slip before it engages the "AWD". Honestly, the wolverine is just like the Grizzly 700 has been for several years. Good at everything, but not the fastest, nor the lightest, just good. The upside, is it isn't BAD at ANYTHING. It is dependable, and will not leave you stranded, yet still a joy to drive. The one and only reason I would suggest anything else but the Wolverine is if you are a speed junky at heart, and won't be happy unless you are going fast. The wolverine will not keep up with a 900s, or a commander. It will outrun a teryx, but we already eliminated that one lol. I agree with others about all day comfort. I can put 100 miles on the machine and still be ready to ride 100 more, its crazy coming from atvs where 100 miles would beat you up pretty good. As for clearance, and the skid plates, it needs more clearance for sure. Cranking up the preload helped a lot on mine, and improved the ride because it was sagging so bad with all my gear in it. The factory steel skids are welded in place, integral to the frame. They are thin, look to be approximately 16 gauge, but enough to do the job. You mentioned protection for your 3 yr old, you can always enclose the cab, there is a vendor on here that makes kits I believe. Obviously if you ask this same question on the other forums, they will all tell you to go with their machine, but I would love to see the excuses they make up...since the wolverine is better lol. Either way, I am sure you will find the one you want as you do more and more research. Good Luck!