2003 Avalanche Or 2000 X-Star???

I am Planing on purchasing a used wakeboard boat and have narrowed it down to a 2003 Ave or a 2000 X-star. Just looking for some comments.

P.S. Also I anyone has one these to sell let me know the details.

that's a toughy. hours on each? engines? we need some more info buddy.

Personlly, I would get the xstar. That boat produces what is probably still one of the most preferred wakes.

Ave. has less than 100 hrs and the X-star has over 600 with similar options.

ave 4 sure

What about the price?

Whats the price difference? Jarrod is right though, It seems no matter how much weight you put in that X-Star hull the wake keeps getting bigger and cleaner.

Av For sure... Just my 4 cents

Is the Avalanche the same hull as the Air Warior?

The 06 Air Warrior is a smaller boat, but similar hull. it looks like they did away with the older Lightning hull in 06 (my boat). The Avy is a lot bigger than an Air Warrior.

The two boats are within $500. I just can't decide between the two.

Mastercraft

IF you don't mind how much are we talking?

600 hours is a lot of hours on any boat. The Ave. is going to give you more room and it is a newer boat . The X-star is a nice boat but you are looking at a 5-6 year old boat vs. a 2-3 yr old boat with minimal hours.
Make sure you buy it for the right reasons. If you are looking for a boat with the best Wakeboard wake then go with the MC, If you are looking for a Boat with a lot more room, newer and a good wakeboard wake, the go with the AVE.

If you are not an Inter/advanced rider you are probably not even going to need a huge wake.
If you have family or like to hang out, the extra room sure comes in handy.
You cant go wrong with either boat, but just make sure you look at all of the factors that are important to you and what you want in a boat and not just "How big is the wake".

I have seen some people who all they cared about was how big their wake is and they suck as a rider and they never get better because they are always biff-ing it every time they jump. vs. emptying the 6 Sac's they got filled and learning how to jump oin a wake 4" smaller.

My .02

E Double is right on his reasoning.

But, that MC is going to run strong for a couple thousand hours without major problems. 600 is more hours than we are used to seeing, but it's really not a lot of hours.

J-Rod,
"But, that MC is going to run strong for a couple thousand hours without major problems. 600 is more hours than we are used to seeing, but it's really not a lot of hours. "

No disrespect and I hate all the bickering that goes on in these forums so I'm not trying to go there but that statement is a little narrow minded.

Just for reference and as you know its not a Mastercraft Engine!!!

If we were talking about a Moomba with 600 hours what would you answer be?
I guarantee you would be saying " Go with the Ave."

It probably has the same kind of engine or one of the big three in either one. (PCM, Indmar, Merc)

600 hours vs. 100 hours is a lot. it doesnt matter what Brand of Boat it is in.
Think about resale when you put 300 hours on it.

Then you have a boat with 900 hours or one with 400. Tell me what boat is going to be more attractive to a buyer then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im going to have to strongly disagree with you e double up....first off both boats will last a couple thousand hours on motors maybe not trannys but at least motors..Secondly the fit and finish of a mastercraft is hard to beat.

The fit and finish of centurion has only started to come up in the last couple years, and its still not that great.

MC hands down in my opinion, buy the mc and see how well it holds if value compared to a centurion, there is a reason for that..


We haven't even mentioned wake here im sure you know the 00 x star is one of the best wakes for the money!

Nate,

I was just responding back to J-rod on the Motor issue. I have no doubt that the fit and finish on the MC is better but that is not what I am talking about.

I agree with you on MC holding its value better but it is all relative to how many hours are on the boat.
Nate ,
Can you honestly say that you would buy a boat with 600-1000 hours on it. I for one would not. I dont care what boat it is.

Anyway I dont want to get into a pissing contest here, so for the sake of arguement buy whatever the hell you want. None of us are going to be driving it or taking it to the shop when it breaks down.

What a difference in size.
The Avalance is 22' long and 100" wide
Much more room! 1998- 2000 was not MAsterCrafts best years! 2000-2006 Centurion has made huge gains in quality and fit and finish.

Plus the boat is 3 years newer no brainer go with the Avalanche

Sorry to Hijack:
I'm looking at alot of used boats 1999-2000 models. Is 500-700 hours that big a concern??

Mike,no just make sure you look it over just like any other purchase.

What is fit and finish? I hear a lot about it on this forum. Can anyone give an example of good and bad fit and finish? If I look at let’s say brand A and brand B, what are 4 or 5 meaningful things that I should see and how valuable are those things?

1. Plastic vs. Stainless steel interior accents.
(cup holders, control knobs, Hardware)
2. Billit Vs. Plastic Dash Inserts and handles
3. Better Quality Vinyl and color options/designs
4. Better carpet 28oz vs. 40oz
5. Board racks ( standard vs. Swivel)
6. FLow of the cockpit ( this is subjective)
Those are off the top of my head.

Now what they mean to you is a different issue.
If I had the money I would choose to buy a Malibu LSV. They are absolutely beautiful. Everything looks classy and clean.
But I dont have the money so I bought a Moomba XLV.
Very functional for my needs ( 3 young kids with a lot of friends) and im an average wakeboarder at best.
Now with the XLV you still get everything the LSV has but the attention to details is less than the Malibu. But I am fine with that and for my needs and Funds its perfect.

As for bad fit and finish.

I dont think there is any bad fit or finish new boats out there. The low end of the totem pole boats have made huge strides when it comes to the F&F. Of all of the new boats this year I still think the moomba's are a bit behind but then again that is why the pricepoint is lower and more people can afford those. (And Moomba Owners don't be offended I just bought one and it is true)
Trust me on this , In the past month I have been to every Brand Boat dealer there is and sat in every wakeboard model boat there is. I compared all prices, standard options, add ons, F&F on each boat.

E Double. Take it easy Bud. My statement had nothing to do with the make of the boat. I was just referring "the MC."

I current have an MC. But I used to own a Wakesetter that I ran for more than 750 hours without a single problem. People blow the hours thing out of proportion. 600 really isn't bad.

Nothing about my statements are narrow-minded. Especially when it comes to boats. Go look at the 247 Vs. X45. You simply misinterpreted....and then overreacted I might add.

J-rod,
I know you own a MC. And I know they are great boats. And this is not directed at you but I am sick of people being so Biased about MC, BU, and CC. We all know they are great boats. People come on here any try to get unbiased opinons about stuff and then all of the boat owners go nuts over what boat they think is the best. It happens on almost every thread!!!
In my previous posts I was simply trying to make reference that the engine has nothing to do with MC or Centurion, but in fact the engine company only.
And when you said this
"But, that MC is going to run strong for a couple thousand hours without major problems"
without mentioning the Centurion would probably run just as long makes it seem that the MC has a superior motor.
And since I own neither a MC or a Centurion It seemed a little Biased on your part.

As far as the engine running for 200 hours, I don't disagree with you. If you think about it
an engine running for 2000 hours at roughly 30 miles an hour and convert that to a car and your only talking 60,000 miles. Not high at all.
But resale is a issue with high hours.

Thats all.

Who has the best dealership in your area? Personally I would go with a MC, I had a 91' PS190 with over 1200 hours when I sold it never had any major problems. Both boats will do the job you want, and do it well, and since both boats are out of warranty, dealership customer service goes a long way. That being said, with both boats selling within $500 of each other with the hour difference, that should tell you something...

Either way, go with what you prefer.....

My friend bought a 190 with 1200 hrs from April Cobles(sp?) ski school back in 2000. The boat was a '98 model. He has over 2300hrs without a single problem. MC's are known for their reliability. As far as resale goes, the Avalanche will probably be better. Some one looking for a boat with 900+ hrs isn't going to pay a whole lot.

Can't skip an '03 Avalanche thread. Our friends have one (a red one, and we all know that red boats throw sick wakes :-) and I really like it.

Main things are that the rough water ride is awesome, the wake is really fun with just the tiny stock ballast and in your case, it's three years newer.

Interior layout in the Avalanche is a little busy for my taste, but the driver's area is really comfy and visibility's great. Theirs has the walkthrough on the starboard side which was a big selling point for our friends. Definitely drops the wear and tear on the engine hatch and rear seat upholstery.

Our friends bought theirs new in 2003 right when we were buying our three year-old S22. At the time, ours was as clean as a new boat, and even though it was three years older, I still would've chosen mine. In fact, if we still had easy access to dealers, I'd probably pay an equal price for the new Centurion and the used Epic.

That's all hypothetical, but I agree with what E-dub said earlier...it depends on what you're after. If you're really after the wake, you'll want to go old MC. If you want a fun wake with a lot of pop AND a boat that's quite a bit fresher, go for the Avalanche.

Call me lame, but one of the best indicators for me of a boat's 'age' is simply how the interior's aged (including under the cushions). Even though the '00 MC may have started life with better vinyl than the '03 Centurion (not sure of that, just playing to the stereotype), I bet those 500 hours and three years have more than given up the advantage.

Look at both boats hard. Check them out closely . Touch them . Feel them. Smell them. Spend some time with them and get to know them, and then if you feel a strong attraction to them and if she is built well then that's the one you will take better care of and have a better relationship with. Just like a car it's all what feels your needs. If you plan too keep it for a long time than the hours don't matter too much because the MC finish may end up holding up better after 10 years .