Nautique 226?

Has anyone actually purchased one of these things? Or at least ridden in one? Last I heard was a post by Tim Krasin a while ago but nothing since.

A Nautique 226 for $65 thousand, are you kidding me? My 1989 Ski Nautique 2001, that I bought for $10,000 last summer, when loaded up has just as good a wake as the Naut 226. I ain't spendin' no $55,000 for the same thing I already got.

So you've ridden in one? How was the storage space and overall handling of the boat?

No, I haven't

i havnt ridden in one... but our club president rolled up in one.. looks like a bitchen party boat. engine sound is unbeleiveable.. never riddin in it though..

The boat handles amazingly for its size! Drives as good as my SAN in most areas. The wake is fun but in no way as good as the SAN. It is really rampy where the SAN is vert. Tons of storage, tons of room, good, not great, but good wake, and amazing handling! A perfect family boat for recreational wakeboarders.

Kaiser, chances are if you haven't ridden in one you probably have no idea if the wake is as good as your 2001. I agree that it might be a little pricey but just like the new X-Star I'm curious as to what might make it worth buying.

Anyone else had any experience out there? Kind of disappointing that all the hype about the new X-Star was enough that everyone and their mother has been trying to get a look and a ride but there isn't much about the new 226.

Ridin' -
That was sarcasm aimed at all the folks automatically dissing the X-Star because it is ALLEGEDLY $30,000 more than an X-2. I've never even SEEN a 226 but even if it is $55k more than an '89 Ski, it could still be worthwile to somebody.

rode in one this past weekend...handles like a dream for its size. it had the biggest engine upgrade you can get. i simulated a water start and before i could look down to see the speed i had already passed 30mph...

By the way, this boat has absolutley ZERO bowrise! It's truly amazing how they made a boat this big handle this well! We had about 1000lbs. in ballast and 8 people and it still handled perfectly.

While the wake is not as good as the SAN, the interior space is amazing. You would believe how many people you can fit in the boat (comfortably) and how large the storage compartments are!

Chase is right (although I hate to admit it)... the boat handles amazingly well...

Please help clarify what you mean by a 1989 Nauti 2001, what is that? Is it a 1989 fitted with 2001 motor and other stuff or what please explain.

Is the wake RAMPY?
I would imagine it does because of the width.
Does it suck the fuel?
I would imagine it does because of the size.
Is the interior space/storage better than a 21' VLX?
I bet its a close call.

The interior space is more like the 23' LSV, so better than the VLX.

JMS got any data? measurement?
I doubt that.

Andy,
The 2001 Nautique is a make, sort of like the SAN is. It is a 1989 year model boat, but is called the 2001. It is a pretty decent boat to wakeboard behind from what I hear.

i don't think that boat is really geared toward hardcore wakeboards like the new x-star. I think its more for a family boat kinda like a runabout/comp boat hybrid

C-DUB is right. I think it was made for a "different" kind of buyer. The interior is far more sophisticated and plush than the new X-STAR, in my opinion, and the wake is probably about half as good as the X-STARs. It was still really fun and would be perfect for intermediate riders.

Dane, What does the VLX have to do with this thread? The VLX is a totally "different" boat with a totally "different" market. I can tell you that I have ridden in and behind both and the VLX has an incredible wake but it is not nearly as roomy inside. The bowrise on the VLX was quite noticeable, however, where in the 226 there was none at all. The VLX is a great boat but it's entirely different.

it was designed more for a family boat and rough water. i think the wake is washy from what ive heard.

Dane, the 226 is longer, wider and deeper the the VLX. It is a bigger boat, just as the Malibu LSV is bigger than the VLX. When I said 'better than the VLX' I was only referring to space.

226 length-22'6.5", beam-96.5", draft-31"
VLX length-21', beam-93", draft-20"
All specs from Manufacturers' website

JMS, sure, the external specs show that the boat is 1.5 feet longer and 3.5 inches wider. But, I wonder how well the space is utilized.

For example, a BU VLX feels like a 23' boat compared to the MC X2. The cockpit space difference is absolutely HUGE! Meanwhile, the boats are almost the same external size.

I am sure hopeful that BU simply narrows the hull on next years VLX. The VLX topside on the SAN underside would yield the near perfect wake boarding boat.

Dane, your'e right about some boats the measurements don't tell the story. I haven't measured the 226's interior, but I own a 23' LSV and the interior seemed similar. It appeared by the layout of the boat Nautique took some queues from Malibu, MasterCraft(X10,X30), etc. for a more spacious Vdrive. We purchased the LSV over the VLX for the extra space. We gave up some in the wake for the extra room, but for us that was the right call. We have 6 in our family and always have extras, so space was very important to us. And I love Malibu's interiors.