Request for AR195 advice

[mdchachi]

Hi.

Unless something stops me, I'm thinking to go for a new AR195. My main fear is that the 190 will feel slow compared to my current boat (Seadoo Utopia 185 w/ 240 EFI Merc).

Questions about purchasing:
- Yamaha is offering summer sale options of special financing, 3 year warranty or $750 cash rebate.
Comments on what is best? I'm leaning towards the warranty although realistically how often does something go wrong the first three years on these things? (Especially when I'll only be using it during our short MI summers.)

The dealer is offering me a "negotiable" out the door price that is $1500 over MSRP due to prep and freight fees. Included is the "safety package" with anchor, preservers, dock lines.
Regarding the "negotiable" part, what kinds of things should I be asking for? I assume it's not possible to achieve a price less than MSRP, right?
What should I be negotiating? Are there accessories that would be good to ask for?

If the experience is like buying a car they will likely to try to upsell me things. What kinds of things should I expect? The only thing he mentioned so far is a spare trailer tire. No mention of a galvanized trailer. Maybe no need in a fresh water area?

Any advice you can give me will be much appreciated. This is my first new boat purchase.

 

[FLBulldogger]

The financing deals are good, the Y.E.S or $750 is debatable, but IMHO I would go with the warranty, you can easily run up $750 worth of repairs if things go wrong. I would START with the dealer and have them eat the PREP...and Freight or get a compromise on these items, if they need to sell the boat then that's where they have wiggle room, I would hold tight to the MSRP, plus tax as an OTD price and see where they take you. Really not much for them to upsell, except a maintenance agreement (maintenance is pretty easy). Also, make sure you get the "safety package, etc" thrown in also.
As far as the 190 vs 195 debate that is better suited for the speed demons on the boards here, we choose the cruising and enjoying mode vs. the throw me back onto the seat mode.
Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[Matts18]

I would get them to include the black mooring cover and take the warranty. You can probably beat the financing rate with a local bank if you want to explore that option.

These are great boats and I don’t think you will find the 195 slow!

 

[mdchachi]

I would get them to include the black mooring cover and take the warranty. You can probably beat the financing rate with a local bank if you want to explore that option.

These are great boats and I don’t think you will find the 195 slow!

I meant I'm afraid the 190 is relatively slow. I can get up to 50 mph in my Seadoo easily. I think the 195 will be fine. Not that the top speed is critical. But nice to have get-up-and-go when needed.
Thanks for the advice to both of you. My credit union is offering better financing than the Yamaha rate so Y.E.S. seems the way to go. Thanks.

 

[2kwik4u]

The 190 won't get to 50. I've seen a top speed of 43 on mine. The 195 runs in the 55 range I think. Someone else will have to confirm.

To get Yamaha's best financing offer you have to have stellar credit. I had a 785-ish (don't remember the exact number) score when I applied and was told I was "second tier". Promotion was like 1.9% they offered 6.9%. Bait and switch as far as I'm concerned. I won't finance through Yamaha in the future for just this reason.

I got mine for "boat show pricing" of $500 off MSRP. They threw prep in for free. That's it. I had to get all of the vests/lines/anchor/safety gear on my own. They were nice enough to tell me the items in their showroom were overpriced, and I should go next door to Academy Sports to get most of the stuff I needed if I had a day to spare and didn't need it to go out right then. Seems most folks pay around MSRP, with much variation in what is "thrown in with the deal". I think this is 100% dealer dependent. Keep in mind you're signing up for a long term relationship with this dealer, so if they are easy to work with now, chances are they will be in the future, and vice-versa. I really like my dealer, they're nice to deal with, fair on pricing and services, and easy to reach.

I have 55hrs on mine without a hiccup that needs a warranty claim. Only mods on my 190 are sealing of the pump intake path and an L13 cone to fight cavitation. Neither of which really worked like I wanted. I keep getting told to run fins to cure my cavitation, but that doesn't make sense to me. Otherwise the boat has been great for the first season and a half. With all that said. I took the 3yr Y.E.S. offer as well.

 

[d_coyne1984]

If the warranty is just the engine/mechanicals, I would take the $750. If it is comprehensive, take the warranty. I wish I would have had the extended comprehensive warranty because my cushions all started tearing around the seat base right after my factory warranty expired. Of course the year after I think they beefed up the upholstery so I wouldn't let that scare you away. DEFINITELY make them throw in a mooring cover. As far as the spare tire goes, I would get some aftermarket aluminum wheels and upgrade to radial tires right away. Then keep one of the old ones as a spare and sell the extra to someone else to use as a spare. I think I got my wheels and radials for about $300 from recstuff.com.

 

[motoman006]

My sx190, just like the ar190
Does 45mph top speed with two people

With a loaded boat and max people about 36mph

I'm pretty happy with it, not worth the extra for the super charger for me, but then again I never drove one

I'm thinking about moving to a ar210 or 212x to have a larger boat

We are not speed demons and pulling kits on tubes anything over 30-35mph is way to fast

 

[McMark]

Get them to eat the prep. Get them to throw in the YES. Get them to throw in the cover. Ask them to also give you the shipping cover. They should also include a safety kit with fire extinguisher, throwable, and life jackets. Don’t pay over MSRP. Get them to throw in a galvanized trailer if available. If you finance, pay for the trailer up front and only finance the boat. Eventually the trailer will need replacing and if you have the trailer title in hand you can at least sell it and recoup a bit instead of having it tied up in financing.

 

[DavisAR195]

I purchased mine last year at the boat show and went with their financing which was the best I could find. It was 2.99% for the first 5 years and then 5.99% for years 6-15. They also included the 3 year warranty which I have already had to make claim to replace my stereo deck. After a little arm twisting they threw in the Y.E.S package and a spare tire mount. If you do decide to purchase the deluxe moorage cover don't purchase it from the dealership. You can save yourself some money by purchasing directly through this site. https://www.yamahasportsplaza.com/oemcatalogs/p/yamaha_boat_2018_ar195/yamaha_boat_accessories-covers/5632d33c87a866079834c7fa/deluxe-premium-tower-mooring-cover As for top speed with two adults and 2 kids plus gear and bimini up, I consistently run 52 mph.

 

[jsimanskey]

Good questions - I bought an AR190 about this time last year, here’s my experience:

I was coming from an old Speedster with the 240 Merc, probably similar to yours. I don’t regret choosing the 190 over the 195, which I primarily did for fuel reasons since I boat on a lot of lakes without marinas and I didn’t want to fill up every day. What I DO miss (and I knew this going in) is not so much the extra speed but that the bigger boat handles much differently. The 190 is a more comfortable ride for sure, but I miss the feel of driving something that feels like a big ski and being able to turn hard and kick out the back end. These hulls track pretty well in my opinion - I know a lot of guys prefer to add steering systems, but if I want a boat that drives even more like an inboard I’d just get one.

As far as the sale negotiations go, I got the financing AND the extra warranty. The 1.9% financing (probably higher this year?) was offered up pretty freely - we were considering some used 192s that the dealer also had and asked for a serious comparison of the financing options for used vs. new. I think they offered the financing as a way to sweeten the new boat and tip us toward the bigger sale, which I didn’t mind as I was leaning that way anyway. It sounds like your credit union is the better way to go but just in case keep in mind the Yamaha low interest is probably not for the entire life of the loan - our rate goes up in 5 years, but I’ll likely trade up or at worst refinance.

Negotiations really opened up when I shopped the offer to another dealer an hour or so away. As a result, the original dealer offered the mooring cover and the bow filler cushion at our insistence (which was not standard on the 190 as it is on the 195). Spare tire on the trailer seemsd to be a standard bonus with that dealer and of course I got to keep the shipping cover. They threw in some cleaning products and some fuel stabilizer. T-shirts for the whole family too, haha. Since I chose to trade in my old boat, they were also able to add some value to the trade for a net result that was somewhat below MSRP, plus tax (also a little less tax, because of the trade).

Also, don’t be afraid to ask the dealer to be creative if they want to make the sale, which I’ve done for any number of car purchases. You could ask for the first warranty service. We didn’t push it because the dealer’s location isn’t ideal for us, but I think there was also room to get winter storage for the first year thrown in.

Good luck!

 

[motoman006]

Yep that's also true

87 octane and more efficient on gas for the 190

195 I think requires high octane and uses a lot more fuel

 

[2kwik4u]

Yep that's also true

87 octane and more efficient on gas for the 190

195 I think requires high octane and uses a lot more fuel

About double I think I'll have to go back and look at my numbers. If range or fuel availability is of concern for you then this is something that should definitely be considered. The 195's run on premium and use about the same amount of fuel as the twin engine boats, but have a smaller tank.

We can take our 190 out for an entire weekend on a tank of fuel with medium usage. I've also ran two tanks through it in a single day with heavy use.

 

[mdchachi]

About double I think I'll have to go back and look at my numbers. If range or fuel availability is of concern for you then this is something that should definitely be considered. The 195's run on premium and use about the same amount of fuel as the twin engine boats, but have a smaller tank.

We can take our 190 out for an entire weekend on a tank of fuel with medium usage. I've also ran two tanks through it in a single day with heavy use.

This is not a big concern for me because I really only have max 3 months of boating a year. Granted with a nice, new reliable boat, I'll probably take it out a lot more but still unlikely to take it out more than a dozen times a year. And while I pull the towables of course, we also spend a lot of time parked using it as a swim platform and just hanging out.

 

[Robconn]

Hi.

Unless something stops me, I'm thinking to go for a new AR195. My main fear is that the 190 will feel slow compared to my current boat (Seadoo Utopia 185 w/ 240 EFI Merc).

Questions about purchasing:
- Yamaha is offering summer sale options of special financing, 3 year warranty or $750 cash rebate.
Comments on what is best? I'm leaning towards the warranty although realistically how often does something go wrong the first three years on these things? (Especially when I'll only be using it during our short MI summers.)

The dealer is offering me a "negotiable" out the door price that is $1500 over MSRP due to prep and freight fees. Included is the "safety package" with anchor, preservers, dock lines.
Regarding the "negotiable" part, what kinds of things should I be asking for? I assume it's not possible to achieve a price less than MSRP, right?
What should I be negotiating? Are there accessories that would be good to ask for?

If the experience is like buying a car they will likely to try to upsell me things. What kinds of things should I expect? The only thing he mentioned so far is a spare trailer tire. No mention of a galvanized trailer. Maybe no need in a fresh water area?

Any advice you can give me will be much appreciated. This is my first new boat purchase.

Go with the warranty. I opted for extended warranty. Had total engine failure at three years from purchase. Only frustration is the turn around time to get back on water, but that’s probably any manufacturer though.

 

[mdchachi]

If all goes well, I'll have it hooked to my car and heading home by noon Saturday.

Question about the bow roller since I haven't ordered the recommended upgrade yet. Has anybody tried any temporary measures to protect the hull from the stock roller?
For example I was thinking you could cut the bottom off one of those neoprene beer can insulators and then use it as a sleeve around the roller. Or maybe just wrap it in some kind of tape, like the tent/awning fabric repair tape.

 

[2kwik4u]

If all goes well, I'll have it hooked to my car and heading home by noon Saturday.

Question about the bow roller since I haven't ordered the recommended upgrade yet. Has anybody tried any temporary measures to protect the hull from the stock roller?
For example I was thinking you could cut the bottom off one of those neoprene beer can insulators and then use it as a sleeve around the roller. Or maybe just wrap it in some kind of tape, like the tent/awning fabric repair tape.

I ran mine for a season and a half before upgrading the roller. The marks on mine came off pretty easily with some elbow grease, a microfiber, and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Once cleaned off I rewaxed the affected area. Took maybe an hour.

Also, if you dunk the trailer a bit further, you can pull right up to the bow roller, then slowly pull the boat/trailer combo out of the water and it should get your close to centered on the bunks. Depends on the angle of your ramp of course.

 

[FLBulldogger]

I ran mine for a season and a half before upgrading the roller. The marks on mine came off pretty easily with some elbow grease, a microfiber, and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Once cleaned off I rewaxed the affected area. Took maybe an hour.

Also, if you dunk the trailer a bit further, you can pull right up to the bow roller, then slowly pull the boat/trailer combo out of the water and it should get your close to centered on the bunks. Depends on the angle of your ramp of course.

Agree with @2kwik4u not a big deal especially with a new boat, our new to us 190 last year had some really bad looking scars from the bow roller and with some wet sandpaper and rubbing compound it looks brand new. One thing we have discovered that helps with loading the boat on is this product MaryKate's Liquid Roller you can find it locally. I spray the bunks down after I drop the boat off and when we get back she slides up the bunks and up to the bow roller. The bow roller upgrade is easy and can be done while on the trailer in the garage or driveway. Found a good price here and they match + 10 % Yamaha Stoltz Bow Roller Good luck tomorrow!

 

[mdchachi]

Picked it up Saturday and she's safely in my garage now. There was factory damage to the port/rear seat cushion from the engine compartment, the dealer is ordering a replacement. They caught it and pointed it out to me during the run-through.
Had to take her home in the rain which was a bummer. When I got back to my home I found that my trailer valet bracket bolts weren't long enough so I hurriedly put on the shipping cover and left it on the driveway until I could get new bolts. (I have a side entry garage so I use the Trailer Valet 5X to crank the boat in/out for the 90 degree turn). I put new bolts on and was able to get it into the garage later and wipe it down. Only inches to spare but it fits without having to fold the tongue. By the way is there a way to lock the trailer on the car? On my old trailer, I put a padlock through the traditional latch on the coupler which also served the purpose of making sure it doesn't pop open by mistake.


Sunday I took it out for the first time, getting by with only two stupid mistakes.
For various reasons (getting distracted), I had the trailer hooked up with chains, electrical, brake cable but not set on the ball with the jack/wheel still on the ground. So when I started off, the car pulled it with the chains causing it to bump into my bumper. The emergency brake cable was very taught. I was afraid it had been triggered but fortunately it was not and I was able to quickly couple the trailer without further incident.
Then, at the launch, I started backing up. Started getting resistance and realized I had forgot to put in the manual brake deactivation thingamajig. (I need to upgrade my harness to the 5-prong harness).

Got the boat in without incident. Started the engine and was immediately met with a piercing alarm. I was concerned at first but I saw on the console that the 3 ft depth was highlighted. The piercing sound continued for sometime until I was able to move 30-40 feet away. Finally stopped. (Later took out the manual and figured out how to stop the alarm as well as change the depth trigger setting).

Started the 5 minute break-in at 2000 rpm. Actually initially at 2 mph until I realized I was looking at the wrong dial. Then upped it to 2000 rpm.
Followed by 90 minutes of <5000 rpm. The excitement of the kids quickly became boredom as we tooled around the lake at 5000 rpm so after 30 minutes I dropped them off at the beach while we continued. Later I picked them up and we parked and used the boat as a swim platform. It's nice to be able to keep most of the wet business in the back. It's much lower than my Utopia though so the kids can't climb up and jump off and do cannonballs like they used to. But definitely easier to get back on with the long ladder. Finally, we did about 30 minutes of tubing without going over 6000 rpm and then called it a day. Nothing came out when I pulled the drain plugs. Nice that most of the water that makes it in the boat doesn't make it to the bilge level.
Also love the storage space in the boat. Now we can transport with most everything we need pre-loaded. Also like the water and depth sensors. And nice to finally have a working speedometer.

 

[Robconn]

Depth alarm still gets me every time I launch too. Lol, i had to call sales guy in order for him to walk me through connecting 4 pin to trailer 5 wire connector. Then the trailer seemed to roll backwards. I have purchased an adapter since then. not sure about locking trailer to car. I have seen other boaters with swing tounge trailers take the pin on the tounge with them as a deterrent thus making the trailer Untrailerable. Glad you are enjoying your boat!

 

[Arcadyus]

I need to upgrade my harness to a 5 prong also, but I've never had it actually engage while backing into a ramp since they are typically downhill, but i have to use it every time i put her in the garage as my driveway is uphill while backing up. I suggest buying a strong magnet to hold that little fucking key in place. Then just take it out when you hook the boat back up again. Since you are leaving it in your garage.