Both machines are good and will do fine tandeming. Do not get a two up seat unless you are planning to go drink wine in the BC with your girlfriend. If you're smart, you are spending time on your road and any modern sled will get you to the top. I would suggest buying the sled you want to sled on. Like every skier who is getting started, you are buying for sled skiing but you will evolve into a sledder given enough time. Once you learn to ride, sledding is as fun (or more) than skiing and you are going to probably split your time between the two.
The G4 doo is easy to ride, has a great fit and finish, and awesome power. The first year (17) had some issues with the motor mounts and clutch and a moderate percentage eat belts. The 18 and 19 seem to be doing better. If you aren't experienced wrenching on sleds, having a good dealer nearby is an important factor. For doo, everyone goes to Tom's in Sierra City and for good reason. He has one of the best shops in the country.
The poo is a scalpel in technical riding situations and better suited to those that want to progress their mountain riding skills beyond the intermediate level. The 800 has been around forever and is reasonably reliable. The 850 has some issues which are supposedly being corrected for the 2020 model. Rent a sled video and 90% of the riders will be on a pro. There is a reason for this.
Given all that, you may want to throw the cat in the mix. The 18 and up mountain sleds are amazing machines. I have an 18 mountain cat and couldn't be happier. 1400 trouble free miles, it tandems great, and crushes technical riding in the mountains. The ctec puts out awesome power and the cat has the best 3" track of the three. Also, the clutching is fantastic out of the box.
All of this is imo of course. I've been using my sled for skiing for about 10 years and we have all three manufactures in our riding group. If you get something newish, you really can't go wrong. They all are very capable.
Best of luck!
Snowmobiling is not a crime.
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