Input on Value on upgrading to a new(er) boat

[Indyxc]

Long story short, I bought my boat 2 years ago (530 hours), and absolutely love it. It's mint and doesn't everything perfectly that I want it to. I was planning on keeping it for many years. Stereo, board racks, tower, interior I've made exactly on how I want it.

On the dark side a local dealer posted an Axis A22 for sale, that really got me wanting to upgrade for just the man reason. Newer is exciting. After thinking about it, on a whim I decided to post my boat for sale on only inboards. I figured my boat was getting up in hours (615) and approaching a psycological barrier where it might start to depreciate because buyers mentally I think consider over 500 hours some sort of hurdle. While in reality, the interior/exterior of my boat is mint, and it runs like brand new. Engine will be good for at least 2000 hours..

Now the A22 I was looking at sold, while my boat is for sale. My boat has generated suprisingly a lot of interest. So I've started looking for other newer boats (malibu vtx, newer vlx, Nautique 210, moomba LSV, etc), and the reality of the situation is stark. I will basically pay 15-20k over what I sell my boat for to upgrade to a boat that seemingly is only slightly better feature wise, but may even not as well taken care of my boat. Fundamentally its the same boat (v-drive, tower, ballast, speed control, board racks). So is 15-20k worth a newer boat, with essentially all the same features (I dont need larger), and slightly newer interior?

I don't know, I don't think so? To me the 04 era VLX, 05-07 era Vride are the best value out there. Should I just keep my boat and rack up the hours, probably 30 a season, as it's wakeboard only (pontoon for cruising), or sell it now, and upgrade?

I'm really torn. Thanks for the input.

Peter

[kennyo]

Peter,

I was/am in a similiar situation. Love my SLXI but would also love to get behind the TXI. My SLXI is in awesome shape and really hard to justify selling and buying something else for over twice the cost. Yet I'm still thinking about the TXI all the time. Oddly enough, my wife is pushing for the TXI and I'm the one hesitating. Good luck with your decision, looking is so fun though.

[shawndoggy]

If all you do is wakeboard you really won't be buying a better wake with a new boat. And certainly not a $15k better wake.

If you were super into surfing or always have a huge crew I might have a different opinion.

I'd keep what you have. You know it and trust it.

[petefranc]

From reading your post it sounds like you talked yourself out of it towards the end. I'd stay with your current boat, we just picked up an 02 vlx and I love the wakes size and volume with just the factory ballast and the wedge. Unless your willing to shed a fortune and get a new 4th gen star or g23, I'd stick with your current boat. In my opinion the hull produces a wake that can still compete with a lot of the modern boats on the market.

[Indyxc]

Thanks for the input guys, after the input and more consideration/looking for new boats, I decided to keep my boat. I am really happy with it, just wanted to preserve the value of it, but given that a newer boat would be a cost increase of around 50%, in the end a newer boat isn't twice as good.

The way boat prices are going it's clear the value for newer models of my boat is just questionable at best. It gets even worse for a boat like the new x-star or g25. For that kind of money, you can but yourself a yacht, or an off shore racing boat wirh 2 supercharged 502s.

[Steve B.]

I'm in the same boat too. Now, I'm thinking just wait for the right deal, that when it is time, I'll know.

Mines much older with more hours, but simply runs like new and the interior is literallly perfect. But like you guy's above, I'd just like to upgrade, possibly. Hope we all end up with our dream boats !

Steve B.