SX192 or a Scarab 195?

[Heelz23]

Hello I have just decided to get into boating after moving close to Wilmington, NC. I've had Yamaha jet ski's for many years and have been very happy with them. Currently have a newer Superjet and a old Blaster so I have really always been a Yamaha kinda guy.

I have seen the SX192 online but the nearest boat dealer is about 2 hours from us so we went out looking today and saw a 2014 Scarab 195 at MarineMax at Wrightsville Beach. I had never heard of Scarab before but the guy said it had been around for years but recently jumped into the jet boat market. The retail price w/options is 34,946, they will discount it to 28,916 and out the door for 30,178. Is this a good deal? I am thinking I could get a SX for about the same price but really do not know much about these boats or which is better. In my mind the Yamaha has the history and reliability going for it...

Can you experienced guys help me out with the on the water experiences as well as a good price for a 19ft boat. I see Scarab has a 195 HO as well, is it worth the extra $$$?

Thanks

 

[Englewoodcowboy]

I have heard the SC Rotax needs expensive maintenance to the Super Charger. Personally not a fan of the fit and finish of the Scarab line of jet boats either, I feel knowing their past heritage they could have done a lot better. Still looks blocky like a late 80's boat but that is my personal opinion. I have seen the 2 side by side and I went with the Yamaha. Now on a side note I am selling my 2014 AR192 in the classifieds if you are looking. It only has 16 hours on it, has the 5 year warranty and lots of upgrades already done. I am looking to go to a 212X. My loss will be somebodys gain, I am only hoping it is someone from this forum.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/va-2014-yamaha-ar192-for-sale.5876/

 

[buckbuck]

Welcome Heelz23. I have no experience with the Scarab but I love my Yamaha 212X. ScarabMike will probably post soon about his findings.
My encouragement to you would to not shy away from the used Yamaha market. As you know they are quite reliable.

 

[buckbuck]

Also, I believe we have several members near you. Someone may offer to take you out to see how they handle.

 

[Heelz23]

Hey, I appreciate the feedback. So can you tell me the difference in the AR192 vs the SX192? I went to the Yamaha site and compared them and the specs look identical???

 

[Speedling]

I would think you would need to compare the ar192 and the 195ho as you will enjoy a tower! This would bring the costs up but will make you happier down the road especially if you plan on doing tow sports. Both boats are excellent and some will say one way or the other on quality.
check the hulls for straightness and do some good water testing on both. Also, if you can swing it, look at the 21 foot twin engine boats from either side. I do believe that some get better fuel economy on the twins, you get more room, and can still get home if one engine goes down for any reason.
if you plan on going saltwater I may be swayed towards the closed loop cooling of the scarab/chapp/glastron but a properly maintained yamaha will do just as well.

 

[eggwhite93]

My dealer had a Scarab on the floor along with the Yamahas. I liked pretty much everything better about the Yamaha. As you can see I ended up with the AR192.

The only difference between the SX192 and the AR192 is the a edition of the wake tower and the SX has 2 captain chairs as the AR has a bench seat on the port side.

 

[Heelz23]

Cool, thanks 93. Can you give me some specific reasons you chose the Yamaha vs the Scarab? I have not been able to see them side by side but the Scarab in person did look like a nice boat, but again, I am new to the boating thing and all of them looked nice to me

 

[Englewoodcowboy]

The SX and AR differences are in the AR has a tower and bench seating for the pass where the SX does not have the tower and has twin captains chairs. I am about 5 hours from Wilmington and if you want to make a weekend trip I will gladly take you out on my AR192.

As for the tower, sports or not I don't think I would have one without it. It finds itself useful for something to hang onto plus the way the bimini is attached to it with no straps for me was a big plus. But who has this style of boat and does not do something water sports driven with it?

 

[ScarabMike]

@Heelz23 Welcome to the site, and to Jetboating!

Good luck with your search for your future boat, and I hope whatever you purchase will bring you years of fun and trouble free operation.

I will keep my personal opinion out of this thread, but I can tell you that I have over 40 hours of trouble free fun so far, and that the supercharger rebuild at 200 hours is about $260 and that's with oil, plug, and filter change. The Rotax powered boats are reliable, and their maneuverability is far superior to anything in the market right now.

I would recommend as @Speedling said to check out the Chaparral, and Glastron boats as well. Research with an open mind, and take everything said by fanboys on both ends of the spectrum with a grain of salt.


All I can say is shop, test, look, like, enjoy. Take care.

 

[eggwhite93]

I really liked the Graphics on the AR192. I thought the Yamaha looked better in general. I also like Yamahas history with Jet boats. And for me there is a dedicated Yamaha dealer in my area and there is not a dedicated Scarab dealer.

 

[Vandyman]

@Heelz23 Welcome to the site, and to Jetboating!

Good luck with your search for your future boat, and I hope whatever you purchase will bring you years of fun and trouble free operation.

I will keep my personal opinion out of this thread, but I can tell you that I have over 40 hours of trouble free fun so far, and that the supercharger rebuild at 200 hours is about $260 and that's with oil, plug, and filter change. The Rotax powered boats are reliable, and their maneuverability is far superior to anything in the market right now.

I would recommend as @Speedling said to check out the Chaparral, and Glastron boats as well. Research with an open mind, and take everything said by fanboys on both ends of the spectrum with a grain of salt.


All I can say is shop, test, look, like, enjoy. Take care.

Ditto @Heelz23 . I just picked up my Chaparral with the twin Rotax setup and am not overly concerned about the supercharger rebuild. My dealer said that the 200 hour rebuild period (which forme might be 2-3 years) may be expanded to 300-400 hours, but I can't confirm that. I can say that my 2006 Seadoo jetskis have performed flawlessly for years and are fairly easy to maintain (but they are not supercharged). I think the reliability is there whether Yamaha or Rotax, and it comes down largely to personal preference of boat layout and design. I am not familiar with the new Scarab though, and have had a few nits with my Chap but nothing making me regret my decision.

 

[Heelz23]

Thanks, I will google the Chaparral and Glastron boats and see what comes up. Is a 2015 SXX192 OTD price of around 30,000 realistic out there today? Asking because that is the price for the 2014 Scarab 195, with minimal options.

 

[soundshark]

Heelz23: I bought an SX190 just a week ago, and went through the same process as you. Started looking at Scarabs, then Glastrons, then finally ended up with a Yamaha.
I also had a Yamaha Waverunner prior - that played a huge part in choosing another Yamaha product. They just feel "down to earth", simply straight forward, with easy maintenance and parts are available everywhere. Yamaha's engines are said to be the most reliable.
As far as looks go, I almost bought a Glastron 207. Design-wise that was speaking to me the most. But there aren't many dealers around here (read: there is ONE) and while they gave me a decent price, it still ended up being too expensive for my wallet. Plus, Yamaha had the 2.99% financing deal (which ended today FYI) and that won me over.
I am very happy with my boat. I'm sure the other brands are fine too, but I would go with Yamaha again.

 

[Heelz23]

Hey Soundshark, lol yes I was just looking at those Glastron's online and they seem to be a little less expensive, looks like the closest dealer is outside of Charlotte, which is about 3 hours for me but they do look good in the pics. Is the 207 pretty comparable to the SX 190/192's?

 

[soundshark]

Not exactly; the Glastron 187 would be comparable to a SX192.
The 207 is a 21 ft boat. Altough every Yamaha felt larger to me than the equivalent Glastron.
Keep in mind the price on Glastron's website seems to be great, but somehow by the time the dealer prices it out, it's a lot more.
The difference is, Yamaha includes all options in the base price. Glastron adds everything on top. XL package (a must), tower, radio, etc. are all extra.

 

[Heelz23]

Thanks, yes it sounds like the internet car salesperson, they get you in the door, then let you have it with all the add-ons...looks like I might as well just see what kinda deal I can get on a Yamaha, I think if I buy anything else and have trouble with it, I will be kicking myself for not going with the Yami.

 

[eggwhite93]

Please take our advice with a grain of salt. Of course I think my boat is the best, that's why I bought it. This forum just happens to be dominated by Yamaha fans. If you were on a forum with more Scarab or Chaparral owners you may be swayed in that direction. I looked very hard at the Chaparrals too. I thought the interior was nicer than the Yamaha. But like most of the brands out there, the price jumped a lot once I started adding options to the base boat. In the end for me dollar for dollar and option for option, the AR 192 came out on top.

 

[soundshark]

I drove 2 hours to NJ to get my boat. I basically started calling all dealerships in an increasing radius around my house to check their inventory. These guys had exactly what I wanted and we handled everything over the phone. I even had Amazon ship a Garmin GPS to their address and they installed for me. I walked in, signed the paperwork and left with my new boat. They waived all fees they usually slap on, like freight, prep, etc. Make sure you make that part of your deal wherever you buy.
And the best thing is, there are many dealers around me for all my servicing needs.

 

[ACRDSPORT14]

I would look at the 190, the 192 just uses too much gas.