Warnings/advice on 2005 sx230?

[dalcini]

Hi all,
A local dealer has an '05 sx230 up for a great price. It's a few years older than I planned to consider, but fits my budget better.

Does anyone have any warnings/advice/comments about a 230 this old?

Here are some considerations that pop into my mind:
- 280hp vs 320 for the newer ones
- might be an MSI trailer vs Shorlandr (not sure which is better)
- older hull has less room in bow

This will mostly be a family boat for me, the wife and our two children. I wouldn't mind having a tower but don't know if the premium is necessary as we will likely do more tubing than skiing or boarding.

 

[Bruce]

Does she have HO engines? If not are they 140 HP or 120?

 

[Bruce]

Since it is local you should look at the stickers on the hood and near the starters to see what engines are in there.

 

[2nazt]

I wouldn't be hesitant if you can live with the different bow size. The motors are reliable.

The only advise I would give if you even consider trying water sports then I wouldn't look without the HO motors. Will they do it yes but it will not have much power to do so. And kids I'm sure will want to try boarding at some point. Plus I like tubing more from the tower but that is a topic I will not start on your post.

 

[Bruce]

Have a look at this Boat Test review http://www.boattest.com/oem/403/boats/664/0/on/640x360

For some reason the test results show that the engines consume a lot more fuel. For example the non HO is getting 2.4 MPG at 28 MPH while the HO is getting 3.7 MPG. A 50% difference in fuel economy may make a difference depending on how you use it. For me it would mean I needed to carry extra fuel to get to Bimini.

 

[dalcini]

Thanks much for the info Bruce. The ad lists twin 140hp so not HO. This is also interesting:
boattest.com: 2.4MPG @ 22mph cruising = 114 miles range (which works out to a strange 45.6 gallon capacity)
boats.com: 3.4MPG @ 26.5mph cruising = 170 mile range (based on a stated 50.0 gallon capacity) - still less efficient than the HOs!

Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between for fuel efficiency.

2nazt, those are good points to consider as well. Thanks for bringing them up.

 

[2nazt]

@dalcini no problem. That's the great thing with this forum. People think of things you don't. Boat buying is exciting and you miss things. We all have been there at least once haha.

 

[swatski]

@dalcini Also - check out this thread, one of my favorites:
https://jetboaters.net/threads/2005-sx230-upgrade-exterior-wrap-new-interior.9976/

@MX71 totally pimped out 2005 230 - sweeeet!

--

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

Hi all,
A local dealer has an '05 sx230 up for a great price. It's a few years older than I planned to consider, but fits my budget better.

Does anyone have any warnings/advice/comments about a 230 this old?

Here are some considerations that pop into my mind:
- 280hp vs 320 for the newer ones
- might be an MSI trailer vs Shorlandr (not sure which is better)
- older hull has less room in bow

This will mostly be a family boat for me, the wife and our two children. I wouldn't mind having a tower but don't know if the premium is necessary as we will likely do more tubing than skiing or boarding.

@dalcini I had a 2006 SX 230 with the Non-HO Motors, it was a great boat and did absolutely everything we wanted from wake boarding, skiing, tubing, etc. Have the dealer check the hours on the engines with the YDS Software, and also ask for a compression test to be performed on both engines, if the hours are decent and the compression is good and you are comfortable with the price, buy the boat - you will not regret owning it - great boats!!!

These engines are the same ones that are used in the Yamaha VX110 Waverunners, I have heard of them running upwards of 3000 hours if well maintained. Heck I worked on my neighbors skis that were beat to crap rentals, both have around 800 hours on them.

 

[Julian]

My last boat was an 2005 SX 230 HO. Not sure the HO vs Non-HO would be a deal breaker for me. I'd want to know

• Number of hours (and hours in the various RPM ranges--this comes from the engine SW-if they say they can't provide...walk away)
• Crawl in that engine compartment looking for signs of water damage
• Have them pull the plugs and show them to you-don't want to see crappy looking plugs....#3 being a little rusty..is ok.
• Get a compression check
• Check out the seats..in particular the seams, and the tops of seats for sun damage.
• Test the boat on the water - should accelerate with no cavitation
• Get under the boat an look for hull damage...specifically under the stern 6 feet.
• Check out the stereo....stock unit had faceplate issues that resulted in dead head units. See if remotes work.

 

[Bruce]

@dalcini, what is the dealer asking for her? The price could be a big factor.

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

According to my subscription with NADAguides Connect, average retail for this boat is $ 15,700.00 and average trade-in to a dealer is $ 11,490.00 - so if it's clean and checks all the boxes mentioned in this thread, buy it between those two numbers and you should be in great shape.

 

[Julian]

Can look up NADA prices here: https://jetboaters.net/faq/how-can-i-look-up-the-nada-price-of-my-yamaha.92/

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

Can look up NADA prices here: https://jetboaters.net/faq/how-can-i-look-up-the-nada-price-of-my-yamaha.92/

@Julian The Pricing I supplied is based upon NADA Connect, I pay $ 160.00 per year for the subscription, this is what most every dealer utilizes vs. the consumer version that you have linked. These boats come with trailers, bimini tops, etc. so checking the boxes on the consumer version will give you a higher retail number than it should, it's great if you are selling private party and want to inflate your price and hand a print out to a potential buyer. The importance of the pricing I supplied is potentially what the dealer bought the boat for vs. what their asking price may be.

http://www.nadaguidesstore.com/Store/powersports-connect

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

 

[Julian]

@Julian The Pricing I supplied is based upon NADA Connect, I pay $ 160.00 per year for the subscription, this is what most every dealer utilizes vs. the consumer version that you have linked. These boats come with trailers, bimini tops, etc. so checking the boxes on the consumer version will give you a higher retail number than it should, it's great if you are selling private party and want to inflate your price and hand a print out to a potential buyer. The importance of the pricing I supplied is potentially what the dealer bought the boat for vs. what their asking price may be.

http://www.nadaguidesstore.com/Store/powersports-connect

Got it...but if you don't check any of those boxes you end up with the same number you provided, you just don't get the dealer trade in price as you point out. Was just making sure people knew there is a free option too!

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

Got it...but if you don't check any of those boxes you end up with the same number you provided, you just don't get the dealer trade in price as you point out. Was just making sure people knew there is a free option too!

I have found paying $ 160.00 a year for this subscription has saved me thousands buying & made me thousands selling as I buy and sell dirt bikes, quads, motorcycles, jet ski's, and boats. The key is knowing what the dealer most likely paid for the boat, this will give @dalcini some idea of negotiating room he might have with the dealer.

The free option is good for private party sales, especially if you are selling, not so much if you are a buyer as the free option & subscription both use low & average retail numbers that a dealer would use, so in essence buying from a private party is no better than buying from a dealership with the exception of not having to pay sales tax depending upon the State that you live in.

When dealing with a dealership you need to be in the know to get your best deal. This works the same way from when I buy something private party, I let them know what a dealer would give them for their item, then I negotiate a number that is good for both parties and a number that allows me to make a decent profit between trade-in and retail.

 

[swatski]

@AZDANSX230HO Great info, thank you.

I wonder though about the dangers of over-reliance on those NADA generated numbers, even with the paid subscription database. The obvious mistakes that people tend to make (like doubling up on the features already included or pricing add-ons and extras that no dealer gives a shit about) notwithstanding, some of the core information in the database is just not accurate. Choice of engines, for example, does not appear to be well curated when it comes to jet boats and jet skis. At least to the extent I've looked.

But -- the bottom line is -- it really helps to have access to those paid NADA guides!

--

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

@AZDANSX230HO Great info, thank you.

I wonder though about the dangers of over-reliance on those NADA generated numbers, even with the paid subscription database. The obvious mistakes that people tend to make (like doubling up on the features already included or pricing add-ons and extras that no dealer gives a shit about) notwithstanding, some of the core information in the database is just not accurate. Choice of engines, for example, does not appear to be well curated when it comes to jet boats and jet skis. At least to the extent I've looked.

But -- the bottom line is -- it really helps to have access to those paid NADA guides!

--

The engine choices the NADA gives you is more geared towards traditional boats that have options of engine sizes for each model, since modern jet boats are overgrown jet skis you do not pick an engine choice as the engines are what they are based upon the model you buy. Dealers do not give a shit about mods we do to these boats, they look at straight book value typically. If anyone ever wants anything booked out let me know.

 

[Julian]

The engine choices the NADA gives you is more geared towards traditional boats that have options of engine sizes for each model, since modern jet boats are overgrown jet skis you do not pick an engine choice as the engines are what they are based upon the model you buy. Dealers do not give a shit about mods we do to these boats, they look at straight book value typically. If anyone ever wants anything booked out let me know.

Would you mind if I added that comment to the FAQ? I can always remove it if it becomes a hassle...