2001 Tige 20i Opinions

I'm considering buying a 2001 Tige 20i and would like to know your opinion of this boat. It will be used on small freshwater lakes for my kids (14 and 15 yrs. old) to wakeboard and kneeboard behind. Is this a good boat for these activities? Is there any problem areas I should look into before purchasing this boat. Any information would be great.

it matter what type of wake your trying to get out of it. for a beginer wake it will be fine but trying to progress up to the advanced level will be a bit tough. tige made that boat to be one of the best ski boats out there which it was. it wasn't ment to be a killer wakeboard boat. also how many people are u planning on taking with you on average. having around 6 people on the boat and it will feel real small. if you could find a 20 foot v drive that would be a hole lot better for the wake and for holding a good amount of people.

With some weight, it will throw a sufficient "non wakeworld preferred" wake. You will have many hours of fun with it. It throws a great surf wake.

Thank you for the info., I think we'll love it regardless of the wake since we are all beginners.

Here is an opinion: Avoid that boat.

Sorry to be blunt but there are better options out there. 1998-2002 was not a good era for Tige. That one in particular is not a good option, nor are the early "riders edition" v-drives.

And before what some refer to as the 'Tige Defence Force' unites on this thread, just look at the resale on a 2001 Tige direct drive and that of a Malibu, Supra, Nautique or MasterCraft direct drive. Its a 10-12k difference and with a boat that is not a good thing. Just like the "lowest bidder" is not always going to give you the best end result.

If you're a smart consumer and you're looking at a bevy of negative comments about a certain boat, particularly in this date range, the smart comsumer looks elsewhere. Note that Tige is the only manufacturer that suffers this reputation on such a grand scale, apart from disgruntled customers from dealerships with bad customer relationship practices. So - be that person. Supreme, Malibu, CC and MC all made good boats in that timeframe that will be more reliable, less prone to electrical problems and will generally result in more quality time spent on the thing.

Google Tige Sucks. One of the results says "I have heard too many "Tige sucks" posts to even consider them." That is accurate on so many levels and the comment hits home for me. I was recently looking at a certain brand of TV and read the same sorts of comments, time after time. Guess what. Didn't buy the tv.

And it doesn't matter if you're beginners or not. Just be informed that Tige, of all "major" manufacturers, has a persistent PR problem that shows no sign of letting up, because they refuse to price their new boats where they belong, and instead price them right up there with the big quality players - except without the quality history to back up a 60,000 price tag.

that boat will fit your family perfect. tiges of that era dont have a lot of bling factor to them but the are the best built boats hands down. and thats the great thing about them they dont over price them either. it will not be the biggest wakeboard wake no but you could add ballast and the wake will be fine. i work on all brands of ski boats and you cant go wrong with a tige you just cant.

Would you stake your professional reputation on that statement? "Tige the best built hands down."

Really?

Details?

Opinions are like butt holes, every has one, some just stink more.

Mark,

There is little truth to what The Truth says. His profile says "own 2 boats, so don't hate, but yet he has no problem doing it himself.

Truth, You are correct about googling "tige sux", but when you get done, change "Tige" to any other brand, and you get tons of hits also, so that it's self should has no relevance her

As far a resale value, this boat sold for quite a bit let then Malibu, MC, and CC, so it would stand to reason that the resale value would be less for the same yr boat of similar options.

Mark, no matter what yr Tige you would look at, The Truth will tell you it sux and don't be a stupid consumer like the rest of us (a growing number every year) and stay away from that boat.

If that boat was taken care of and checks out good, go for it, it will be a great boat for you and your family. I ride with a friend who has a 2000 21i and that boat has never let him down, is in perfect condition, and couldn't be further from what The Truth describes.

Mark post your question on www.tigeowners.com and you will find plenty of owners of similar yr/model boat that will be more then happy to tell you about thier ownership experience.

Yes you're right posting the question on Tige Owners is a great place to get a neutral opinion about whether or not to get the thing.

I had a 99 21i. Nice boat but bow was way too low in the front for me

Most boats of the pre-large-swollen hull are very low in the front; not just the Tige's.

As far as resell. That boat sold new for around $27k-$30k. Current selling price is around $22k-$26k. I would say it held on pretty well. Is it one of the best of the past, no. Was it overpriced when it came out: maybe a little considering there wasn't a ton of improvements over previous year models.

It is one really good surf wake.

I am going to guess that you are making your jump into the inboard towing market. For that, I think you are looking at a good boat. It will sell without much depreciation, and it will give you a taste of different types of towsports. You will be able to ski, slalom, board, and ski behind that boat without much effort. It is a great starter and will allow you to make your next purchase with some insight on exactly what you want. If it has the Marine Power engine, it is also VERY easy to work on a maintain. There aren't any specialized electronics or FCU on there. Maintenance is easy with readily accessible filters, impellers, and plugs. You can pull the heads in 30 minutes or less, and oil and fuel filter changes are cakewalk.

You have to consider that posting on here nets you very opinionated, elementary responses that aren't always well meaned. You are looking to get into the sport. Sure you could drop an etra 10k on a similar era X-star or a bu, but why would you do that when in 2 years you may not even want to own the boat anymore. It isn't going to be a boat a pro is going to want to board behind, but it will let you get into the sport in an affordable boat that does perform and will save you thousands over a more specialized hull that many on here feel everyone (or at least their dad) should own.

(Message edited by olskooltige on February 02, 2008)

We all have our own opinions, and that's what this poster asked us for, opinions. All I would say is that if you like the boat and it's in good shape, go for it. There are a lot of nice boats out there, but price is a huge factor. The fact is, yeah, the Mastercrafts, Nautiques, and Malibus have been around for a long time, and their names are synonomous with competition quality boats. Just because they are the standard, it doesn't mean there aren't other great boats out there. I also don't think that all of the "big three" boats are created equal. For example, from experience, I didn't think a Malibu Sportster performed nearly as well as a Mastercraft 190. Just because it's a Mastercraft, Malibu, or Nautique, doesn't mean it will be nice. All of these companies have their high end and low end lines. By going with a 2001 20i, this guy is getting an open bow inboard. He would have to go to a closed bow or at least several year older Nautique, Mastercraft, or Malibu in the same price range. I know boats are different than cars, but the same rationale applies to buying a car. It's like buying a new Chevy for the same price you can buy a 5 year old Caddy. It's really personal preference. Some people value newer over older with more amenities, and others prefer the nicest they can afford regardless of age. Keep in mind, people used to think Toyota's were junk. These perceptions change over time as manufacturers improve and people accept new players in the market. As for things to look for, I might have trouble helping here. I recently bought a 2000 20i, but I haven't had it on the water yet. I hope I like it. I read the negative comments, but I pulled the trigger anyways. In all honesty, I was initially looking for a Prostar 205 and stumbled across mine. It appears to be a lot of boat for what I paid. Check the taps to make sure it goes up and down. Check your gauges to make sure they work. Take a look at the engine; is it the 315 HP fuel injected or the 265 HP carb. I'll agree with some of the negative comments above. There aren't a lot of frills. The interior is fairly plain. I can't speak for an 01, but my 00 has some seams in bad places. The engine cover and the sundeck have what I consider to be too many seams in bad spots. A few are cracking, and thus, I'm having both redone. That being said, it has the same powerplant that is in a lot of the Mastercrafts and Malibus. It also is equipped with perfect pass. This is something to check for, though. Perfect past is a nice option and is used even by the bigger name companies. I ride behind a friend's mastercraft a lot. The throttle on it is silky smooth, and it is easy to keep at a constant speed even without perfect pass. I also ride behind a friend's moomba of similar age, and it is difficult to keep at a constant speed. This might be an area where the more expensive boats have an edge, I don't know. Good luck on the boat search. I had a blast doing mine. Your kids will have a great time with whatever you get.

Thank you all for your input, good and bad. I have owned a Mastercraft 190 in the past and loved it. I got a good deal on that boat since I bought it from a friend. We sold the boat due to a move out of state. It was a closed bow and I realized I don't care for closed bows. I bought the Tige and I'm curious to see if we'll be happy with it. Would I rather have a Mastercraft??? Probably, but I'm not willing to pay the ridiculous prices most people are asking for them. Sure, they might be worth it to someone who boats every week or everyday, but I'm lucky to get out every other week end. I can't justify paying $10k more for a MC when the Tige will serve me just fine. I'll let you know how it turns out, once the ice melts in Illinois. Thanks again for the input, I think I'll head to the Tige website and see what they have to say.

Mark,

I actually bought a 2001 Tige 20i in 2001 when it was new. It was a great boat for us. The wake is not great but it's a small 20' direct drive so what do you exepct. It handles great and with a little weight, does ok with the wake for beginners. I resold mine 2004 for 2K less then I paid for it so the resale for me was great. People always say the resales are bad but they forget that the starting price is much less then the other big name boats, at least then it was. I now own a 2004 SAN and love it too but the 20i was a great boat for the money. Feel free to ask me any questions about the boat and my experience with it.