Your newer boat give you that older boat wouldn't?

I know that this forum is going to attact the most dedicated enthusiasts, who are also usually the kind of people that will invest the most money in their hobby. However, I'm still surprised at just how many 50k, 60k, even >70k boats are on this forum.

So why do you buy new/newer models? Please don't missunderstand. I'm not being critical. If I could I'd buy a new x35, SAN 230, or something else large, loaded, and brand new.

But I'm wondering what made you buy a relatively expensive New(ish) boat. Did you want something under warranty, something that didn't have the wear put on it by a previous owner, some new feature that wasn't on older boats, a custom color scheme, or just the old "I can afford it so why not"?

wanted to surf at the basically push of a button and got an MB B52. Also wanted PP and V-drive, had a DD.

We went from a 99 22ft DD Supra launch to a 2005 Supra 22ssv. We wanted a v-drive with some features are DD did not have. It was well worth it.

I had a SN 2001 and I upgrades to a 93 sport because I wanted the room and an open bow.

Now I wanted to upgrade because the wife and I didnt want to chase a near future kid around a motor box, have a low freeboard, and have a boat that can be used for easy surfing and socializing. Having a boat more dedicated toward wakeboarding is a plus too.

More room to take friends and gear. I went from a 04 22' Centurion Avalanche to a 07 23' Typhoon.

You would also be suprised at how many people buy wakeboats because its the cool thing to do.I know of several in my area with 70+ boats and can't stand up on a wakeboard.

I got pretty lucky. I found myself in a good paying job where, at the time and prior to the economy falling, I could make extra money doing overtime. I worked an extra overtime shift every week for several years and saved that money knowing I was going to buy my dream boat. I got to my target when the economy crashed, so I got an even better boat than expected for less than I saved up for.

Just like boating, I love watching TV too. Its just much nicer on a 60" LCD than on a 20" with dial knobs and antennaes.

Went from a 19ft. I/O to a 21ft. V-drive. better wake, better handling, easier to maintain speed, much more fun to drive, safer, less maintenance, etc...

Went from a closed bow SangerDXII that had maybe enough room for 5 ish,to a Sanger V210 with more than enough space for people and equipment.

canoe to an 2007 x star, wanted an engine

basically I am only going to live once.....and I am going to fulfill my and my families dreams if at all possible. One was to have a nice relatively new and shiney wakeboard boat with a strong tower, pp, 2300lbs of automatic ballast, and all the creature comforts of a new boat.....because when its over its over and I want a smile on my face at that point.

"canoe to an 2007 x star, wanted an engine." Awesome!!!

I went from a 1985 Mastercraft to a 2009 Malibu VLX. Wanted to have a large wake to jump with the push of a button and the option to surf with just one sac when the wind and the rest of the boaters picked up. Love the customizable presets for each rider offered by the Malivue for ballast and wedge set up. Also a family of five and friends didn't fit. I've had six adults and 4 kids and it wasn't a problem.

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool used vehicle consumer. I had an old 17' I/O for about 3 yrs, then a 6 yr old Prostar 190 that I only had for a couple years, to a 96 VLX that I bought in 2001. Sometimes I wish it were a little bigger, especially with the kid around now, but it's been paid off for years and I have no reason to upgrade. The only other boats I'm interested in owning have a/c.

It's all about who you are. To some people, having the most brand new badass toys is really worth it. Others can't or don't want to spend time working on things, and want their stuff under warranty. I enjoy tinkering with and beating the hell out of my toys.

One more comment on the warranty thing - in my experience, if they're maintained and used regularly, boats are very reliable. If anything, some spend more time in the shop their first year for teething issues than they do in the next 15 yrs of regular use.

wanted something bigger and planning on a family, so i decided to upgrade before the kids came vs after.

plus, you only live once.

First boat purchase. Wife said get what you want now cause you're not upgrading for a long time.

Growing up skiing and boarding behind outboards, I/O, and a jet ski; I knew it was time to get serious and stop the upgrade insanity every 2 years my parents did with used boats. Sold off stock when the market was over 14,000 to buy the boat so basically got the boat for half price cause that stock is and was crap just a few weeks later.

Joe, what have boat prices done since the market dropped?

My newer boat (02 SANTE) compared to my old boat (91 Sunsetter) gave me V-drive, fuel injection (vs carb), no wooden floor, built in ballast, Perfect Pass, and a much better wake.

Once you get a fuel injected v-drive open bow composite wake hull with speed control, tower, racks, some form of significant automated balast and maybe a trim plate you have the 'essentials'. Now getting newer means getting fresher equipment that will require less time working wrenches or replacing vinyl and some of the creature comforts are pretty cool with the newer boats and a lot of them can be easily added with aftermarket updates, but wouldn't consider them necessities.

^^^what bmartin said! I bought a one year newer Vdrive with integrated ballast tanks to replace my D drive with automated sack. Both have PP, tower racks etc. New boat has a heater which is an easy add-on

I went backwards 700hrs, new boat has 285 compared to 1k on the old.

I couldn't really justify spending money on a new or even a newer used boat. There's nothing to gain, and in my case, the Toyota Epics I've owned have unbelievably low gas consumption and extreme reliability. If I bought a new boat, I'd spend 200$ a weekend on gas instead of 70$, and have to do maintenance every 50 hrs instead of every 200. Plus, my boat is paid off, and the property tax man says it's worth 6800;)

Half the fun, for me, of owning a boat is fixing it up like you want it. It took me FOREVER to save up money and do stuff to my first boat, which I bought new. I took most of that stuff off the old boat and transferred to the newer one. It's still not done yet but that's what the off season is for;)

I upgraded from a 94 MC 205 to an 05 Vride a couple years ago. Besides the v-drive interior, better tower, better EFI, PerfectPass, & automated ballast, I find that I really like the high gunnels. With all the surf boats out there, we get hit by giant rogue waves all the time. I was always on the look out to make sure we didn't get swamped in the 205. That just doesn't happen on the Malibu. So I kick back & relax a lot better.