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23 LSV Comparison Thoughts?


badinlake

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Finally upgrading my boat and think I am settling in between a 2019 and a 2018 23 LSV.

They both have the 450 engine, heater, power seat and most other standard items.  The big positive differences are:

2018 - 53 hours, G4 tower w/ 4xrev10 speakers, tinted windshield, heated seat, center step pads on rear seats/engine cover - but kind of a average color

2019 - 8 hours, G3.2 tower w/ 4xIcon8 speakers, rear stereo control, platform w/ fold out step - love the color

Getting in my garage is going to be close and the G4 gives me 2-3 more inches lower.

2019 is about $6K more (haven't fully negotiated both).

Any thoughts on which of these options matter the most?  Leaning toward the 2018 because of the G4/stereo upgrades (and save a little more), but want to bounce this past those who know ;-)

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2019 will always be worth 3-4% more b/c of price increases.  I thought I heard the G4 rattles?  G3.2 is a solid tower.  I would prefer Icons over Rev's but that's personal preference.  I hated the pads on the sundeck on my 18.

I always buy everything thinking about resale, so make sure the colors are on the neutral side.  You may like a yellow boat but it will DEFINITELY impact resale.  If you are going to live with it long term .. get the colors you want.

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If your garage door is 8', the 2019 with G3.5 tower isn't going to fit. You should be ok with the G4 tower since it lowers below the windshield level but you'll have to remove the board racks to make that work. 

Dealer will be able to fix the G4 rattles as that's a known issue with a fix, and it's covered by warranty.

If you find a way to store either one, and take clearance out of the equation, then it becomes a harder decision with the better color, engine (PCM 450), fold out platform step and newer model year of the 2019 vs. better tower and speakers but just average color scheme on the 2018.

Edited by NWBU
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It either fits or it won't, so I don't quite see the point.  If the G3.5 won't fit in the door, you can't have it anyway unless you are prepared to start going crazy and flattening tires and so on and so forth.  Or if you are willing to store it outside.  I would never store a boat of this magnitude outside.  

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1 hour ago, TallRedRider said:

It either fits or it won't, so I don't quite see the point.  If the G3.5 won't fit in the door, you can't have it anyway unless you are prepared to start going crazy and flattening tires and so on and so forth.  Or if you are willing to store it outside.  I would never store a boat of this magnitude outside.  

Exactly... while you might find a way to fit the 3.5 under a 8' door (flatten the tires, remove the tow bar etc or use the modified tow bar) you will hate taking your boat out (unless that is just for winter storage)   A 2018+ 23LSV and an 8' door (and certainly any less than a 8' door) is going to limit your options or it is going to be a PITA to every time you want to get it in the garage.  The G4 is the way to go, if you don't like the one you are looking (color wise) then keep looking.   I have an 8 foot door and just went with the  Gx tower on my 2019 just to keep it simple and I am very glad I did.

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I have had three boats that I wasn't thrilled about the color and I didn't keep them longer than a year and a half. I now have a color that I love for a year, and I will keep it another 3-4 years or until the next best thing comes out. But take color into consideration. It is a deal breaker for me if I don't like the color scheme. 

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It may be a moot point based on clearance here, but I'd never buy a boat without the swim step (or something similar).  My family and kids absolutely love the swim step and it makes getting in and out of the boat a breeze.  I really think this is an amazing option for utility as a leisure boat.  If you are just going to use it to surf, then it doesn't matter.  But when we are anchored and the kids are swimming or on the paradise pad, I love having the swim step.

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G4 all day long.. taller towers and with rev tens!! More headspace don't hit your head when you stand up from the seats room for the board racks to swing them in and not hit speakers.. looks way more modern... the G3 or a 3.5 tower looks 10 plus years old nobody can tell the difference on the lake unless they own a Malibu.. you can put a four or five year older g4 tower boat next to a brand new G 3.5. people on the lake will say all day long that g4 boat is newer just because of the tower.. 

If your g4 tower squeaks there's a quick fix for it.. it locks down for trailering and it's way more functional.. frankly speaking the G 3.5 tower is a sorry excuse that they couldn't keep producing the g4 and it was a backward step until they got their power tower finished.. 

What kills me is they made a g 3.5 power tower and called it a gx.. if they made it look like the g4 way better looks.. just like the supra tower looks good now... 

In my opinion anything with a G 3.5 already looks 10 plus years old from 100 feet away you can't tell the difference if the boat is a 2012 or 2018.. I know I'll catch heat for saying that.. it's easy and cheap to make.. looked cool a decade ago..not anymore it's probably the oldest looking tower on the market of any brand now

Edited by The Hulk
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