Mike,
I don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll keep it brief. I get a great price on a boat through my local dealers. I've been fortunate to get pretty much whatever I've wanted over the past 7 years (MC, CC, BU, etc.) I've had an xstar, vlx, 3 SANTE 230's and two Axis A22's. I liked the 230's I had a lot. However, I wanted a boat that would produce a very consistent wake in a variety of conditions at a variety of speeds. I wanted a boat that would be easy to flip each year. I wanted a boat that would have enough power to run 3-5k in ballast. I wanted a boat that had all of the essentials for wakeboarding and surfing, but not tons and tons of billet this and that, touch screens, etc. - because those items ran up the price of the boat. In 2011 I switched from a SANTE 230 to an Axis A22 with the big motor (400hp raptor). The Axis is much more basic and utilitarian. There's no fancy screen, no uber elaborate vinyl, cheaper dash and other trim pieces, etc. I saved like $30k getting a loaded A22 as opposed to a 230. To me it was worth the savings, because I got (IMO) a better wake with the A22, as well as everything I needed to use and enjoy my boat as I intended. I was also able to pay off the A22 (thus saving interest), and was able to flip my '11 for a great price. I now have a 2012 A22 with the LS3, and I have really enjoyed it. The things I have missed about owning a 230 are the extra room it had, the bling factor, and it was quieter than the A22. At the end of the day, you just have to weigh the extra cost of buying a premium boat like a CC, MC, BU over a budget brand like Moomba, MB or Axis (Tige and Supra fit somewhere in between these two categories in my mind), and spend your money where it matters to you.
Last edited by chattwake; 11-28-2012 at 11:45 AM.
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