Looking into buying a V-drive

Alright, so I just got married and am looking into buying a v-drive with my wife next spring. I currently own a boat with two of my good friends but am hoping to sell this spring and break even on it. So, my questions are:
1.) What years were the super sport nautiques that have the same hull as the super air?
2.) What is a decent price range for those boats? (I am hoping I can find something nice in the $25,000 range)
3.) How far should I be willing to drive to pick up a boat? (There aren't many options in this area as far as inboards go.)
4.) Is there anything in particular I should watch out for while looking?

Any other advice or info you guys could give me would be great. My first boat was kind of a freak accident, and I plan on putting some quality time into finding our dream boat this time around.

Thanks for any help!!!

Look into a Centurion Elite V-Drive or Cyclone C4. You can find them decetly priced but a little bit over your price range NEW. A few years old...not a problem. Your in Minnesota so go look at Crystal Pierz!

Ryan, what was your experience with the Ski Ray? I looked at those when they first came out in the early 90's. The one I test drove vibrated like a freight train. Could have been an alignment issue, but it was enough to scare me off as a first-time boat buyer.

While there are lots of great boats out there, to answer your questions:

1) 1995 and up. SuperSport and SuperAir are the same boat, just different options.

2) $15,000 and up depending on year, condition and options. A 1999 will run in the mid 20's or so to give you a midpoint.

3) A long drive is well worth it for the right boat. Plus there is always delivery.

4) Lots of things. Post again when you narrow your search some and there will surely be people who will tell you what particulars to look for in a certain boat. Searching around in the forums is also a good place to start.

Rich, the boat has been an excellent starter boat. It runs like a champ and gave us lots of exerience with tower and speaker install stuff. I have nothing bad to say about it, plus, the wake is really nice once you get some weight in in it. It throws a nice steep wake!

Shawn, Thanks for the info. I was poking around boattrader after posting yesterday and there are quite a few options out there, and I am sure there will be even more once spring gets closer.

RL, I would love to get one of those choice new centurions but I haven't heard the greatest things about Crystal-Pierz customer service. The dealer we usually get our work done with is a nautique dealer so I am hoping he can help me find an older nautique for a good price.

You could probably get a 2000 or 2001 wakesetter VLX for around the price you are looking to spend.