Prostar 197's - Good deal? Which is better?

[getoutside2play]

I am considering upgrading my '93 PS190 and really like the open bow 197's. My lake has a 20' restriction so I can't buy a 214 which I think would be my ideal jack-of-all-trades boat. I have a couple teenagers so we do a mix of tubing, surfing (neighbor's boat), foil surfing (my boat), wakeboarding, skiing, and barefooting in that order of frequency.

There are 2 options that are close enough to me to pick up:
1)'07 PS197 with all of the bells and whistles - $31,900
400HP Indmar w/670hrs
tower, ballast, heated seats, double axle trailer, perfect pass etc
2)'11 PS197 Tournament Team Edition - $33,750
763hrs, ZeroOff single puck

The negative of #2 is it is really a dedicated ski machine (no tower, ballast, bimini), but it is newer.

Are they good deals? What would you recommend? Thanks for your feedback.

[Maristar210]

Without question, option #1 !!

[paintpollz]

Without question, option #1 !!

Agreed. Get the bigger engine. I go from driving a friends Response with the 383 Hammerhead to my Prostar LTR 330HP, and every time I miss driving the boat with the stroker.

[EricB]

Go with #1. It has the options you'll want for all the other activities.

[mmskiboat]

I cannot comment on what a fair price is but option #1 will do what you like to do on the water way better than option #2. Even the trailer is much nicer being a dual.

[Ski-me]

Curious why the two prices are only a few thousand apart. Is that the going market for 2007 197?

[dabeej20]

I sold my 07 TT w/MCX in MCOCD condition for a fair amount less that that 07 in July of this year. Could I have gotten a bit more? Probably, but I would still say that 07 is a bit high price wise. Obviously the big motor is a nice upgrade, but for a 197 not sure what you really NEED the bigger motor for. Just my .02

[epnault]

If you aren't a dedicated slalom course skier go with that 07 197w/tower. It is priced to high as other have mentioned - probably 4-5k off especially if the seller wants to move it this time of year.

[getoutside2play]

Excellent feedback! Thank you to everyone for your input. I was leaning that way but the prices were so similar that I wondered about getting a boat 4 years newer.

So it seems that $27-$28k is a fair price for the '07?

[dabeej20]

If it’s close to you and things check out as you expect, I would think the low end of that would be appropriate. (Things are worth what people are willing to pay for them)

Now, if I were in your shoes (only ski in the course) I would pay the extra for zero off. But if you aren’t strictly a slalom skier get the one that saves some money and does what it needs to for you.


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[JohnE]

Well I may be in the minority. The LY6 400 hp engine would not be the engine of choice for me, unless footing was the priority. The torque/ HP curve makes it more of a "dog" out of the hole.
The MCX would be my choice. You didn't mention transmissions. Does either have the gear reduction? And which engine in the '11. The vinyl in the '11 should be in much nicer shape and be of the newer style vinyl. Personally I'd prefer the single axle trailer, by a lot, with such a light boat. I chose that on my first 2 X14's and confirmed the decision with my 3rd X14 which had a tandem. Also the newer trailer should be in a little better shape. The factory ballast in a 197 isn't enough to matter, it adds such little weight. The tower is a bigger "concern". If you need a tower, your choices are limited as to what will look good on a 197. New Dimension is the only real option, IMO. And they still look good. But that's around $3K, plus installation.

I can't believe how these 197's hold value.

[Covi]

I just sold an 08', 197. Big motor, mini tower, racks, no ballast, wet sounds, etc. It sat on a 2013 matching trailer. I think both these are priced fair. The 07' id probably go a little lower than what is asking price.

I do not like a dual axle trailer. Also the 07' trailer front "v" bunk is at a different location (I understand) making it a tad harder to load and unload.

The tower is great for getting items off the floor and allowing more room. The open bow of a 197 (to me) is useless. It doesnt matter how good of a driver or how careful you are, its going to get wet. The room really only allows 1-2 very small children or 1 smallish adult. Not bad for sitting eating lunch in a calm cove though.

I like blue better than red also. Especially metal flake.

I loved the LY6.

I do not like the drivers seating position of this vintage.

I think you'll find the interior of the newer boat nicer. Better quality, fit, and finish.

Check your garage width and height if you go with the tower.

Good luck both nice rigs.

[slalomjunkie]

Thoughts:

What is YOUR favorite activity? I would never base my purchase on the kids. They will grow up and either not want to go to the lake / go to college and then you’ll be stuck with a boat you possibly hate…

If your passion is slalom/trick/jump, go with the 2011. Nothing wrong with either boat wake wise, but you can not upgrade the 2007 to ZO without serious expense. I also think for the 2007, you're paying for the extras. I would see what a 2007 similarly equipped to the 2011 goes for.

Personally, I feel your current boat drives and skis better than both of your options and the only thing better would be a Nautique.

[3event]

Echoing slalomjunkie, could you prioritize your watersports needs?

We do slalom, barefoot, and a bit of wakeboarding on our 197 so I would be going for Option 1 with the bigger motor. Mine gets by with less HP as an early PS197 that didn't have the rear hull surface hook to push the nose down, but I'd want more HP if I were to upgrade to a model from 2003 onwards.

We are also on a small lake (I assume the OP is similar with the length restriction) and I do find the bow seating usable but I don't ever put 2 full size adults up there. It's great for a couple kids when the lake's not too rough. Gotta learn how to drive it and assume you will get water up there. ("Dad, you made a swimming pool!!!")

Nice boats good luck !

[getoutside2play]

@3event, you are correct. It is a small lake so other than the occasional surf boat wave, it's always calm water and we are not driving any distance. I like the idea of the open bow to put extra people in when necessary and also ease of access for equipment. We don't have a slalom course so I only free-ski nowadays.

I just love being out on the water. I don't necessarily have a "favorite" and a typical calm day would start with a quick foot and/slalom. But, I don't have a ton of stamina for those so we switch to wakeboarding and finally to foil surfing. The nice thing about foiling is it's not as physically taxing and can be done in rougher conditions, so from a volume stand-point it's my most common watersport. The kids are 75% tubers, but I make them "earn" it by skiing or boarding.

@slalomjunkie - My boat runs great and the wake is great for skiing and footing. It's not so good for anything else. I do use a center pole unless I am on slalom and it's a bit of a pain. But otherwise I can't use the back seats for anyone so there is no room in the boat for people. I also don't have a perfect pass so there are only a few people I go with that can drive reasonably well. I could spend a couple K to put one in and I have seriously considered that. But, the boat has over 1400hrs and I am tired of dealing with a carburetor and potential issues of an older boat (my '87 gave me a lot of problems). I have only owned MC's since '87 and hadn't considered a Nautique. Which model do you like?

@Covi - A typical season I will only trailer the boat twice, once to put in, and once to take out. Every few years I may trailer it up north or somewhere else but that is rare. I always like the idea of the tandem in case a tire blows, but don't feel strongly one way or another. It seems people either really like them or hate them. I guess it depends on your usage.

The description of the blue one says 2011 on the first page but 2010 in the details. I will have to clarify. But, it does mention a transmission. The '07 doesn't say about a transmission.

It's a tough decision. Both are also in storage so I can't really check them out.