2016 scarab 195ho

[Benjamin]

Hey guys we just put a deposit on a 2016 scarab 195 ho. Did we make a bad decision? I read a post where some have had serious problems out of the scarabs. I'm Hoping that was with some of the earlier models. Please advise.

 

[captras]

Really, the only thing I have read, for the most part, seems to regard dealer customer service. Now, that can be a big deal, but the boats themselves dont seem to be the issue. There are plenty of Scarab owners on this forum that can probably answer your question.

 

[Benjamin]

Thanks so much for your reply. I was so pumped up until I read a post last night about a guy that had went through a huge ordeal and even been givin another model with issues. We are going new to try to avoid a money pit. We have looked at all brands and of course there is pros and con with each. I am on here to try to make a sound decision before we take delivery. I am excited to be apart of this site.

 

[captras]

I have learned not to make a judgement on one bad review. I look for a trend. No matter what brand you go with, it is a big investment, and one you wnat to enjoy for years. I went thru exactly what you are going through last Apr-May. I read many posts and the appropriate forums. I decided on going with the Yamaha. Wasnt a right or a wrong decision, just my decision. Scarab makes a beautiful boat, as does Chaparral. Both have proven engines in the Rotax. My decision was based on several issues:

1. Warranty - Chaparral and Scarab have better factory warrantees, except in their promotion, Yamaha gave me 4 full years, bumper to bumper at no additional cost.
2. Jetboat experience - Though Scarab and Chaparral have been in the boating business for many years, they are relatively new in the jetboat arena. I believe Yamaha has been doing it for 30 years.
3. Single Manufacturer - As far as I know, Yamaha makes everything on their boats except the sound systems. So when it comes to service you have one company to deal with, be it hull, engines, drives, electronics.
4. Price - Although at first glance it appeared that Yamaha was the least expensive, with some research I found the Yamaha's prices were pretty much set, unless you find and end of year special. The others will deal....and the end result was the prices were all pretty close across the board.
5. Options - Yamaha has almost no options...their boats come fully equipped. This could be viewed as a disadvantage because you may end up paying for options you may or may not want. For me....I wanted pretty much all the bells and whistles, so not having to pick and choose made it easier.
6. Dealer availability - This was a wash....there are dealers for all 3 brands in my area. The dealer I bought from, however, sells both the Yamaha and the Chaparral. The one thing that had a huge influence was when I asked the dealer about comparisons between the Chap and the Yamaha, which were both their products, their answer was both were comparable in features, performance, and reliability, but bang for the buck, they recommended Yamaha.

I am sure some Chap and Scarab owners will chime in, and even disagree with my assessment and that is what is great about this forum....loads of info to make a decision on. As I said, these are the reasons I made my choice, and not a slam on any of the brands....they are all awesome boats.

Good luck, and no matter which you decide on, welcome to the crowd!

 

[Benjamin]

Thanks again for your great info!!

 

[subysti]

When I was looking a couple years ago I had the same concerns. My big reasons for Yamaha was 1 company for the whole boat, proven reliability, clean out ports and pricing when comparing all the options. Prices were similar but when you started adding all the things the Yamaha came with the prices weren't close at all. 2 years ago none of the dealers would move much on price. That's just me though. I have Yamaha snowmobiles and know they always get us home, even when towing other brands back behind us.

 

[Benjamin]

You make valid points. We initially chose the scarab or chaparral due to the closed cooling system. I have been to our Yamaha dealer looking for answers on why I should purchase one over the other. What we found out was that I seemed to be more informed than the sales guys. I have had a boat all my life, two master crafts and a centurion.We are wanting a jet boat for the simplicity, functionality of fresh and salt water and mostly the safety for our 4 yr old. Our lake house is on a small lake with some areas of heavy Hydrila.

 

[FloJet]

@ Benjamin. Just like all things in life, I'm sure you made the best decision for you and your family. I hope you enjoy the boat and don't go thru any horrors like the posts you read. I truly believe no matter which boat you pick, just like a brand new car of the lot, it can have problems no matter the manufacturer. It's pretty slim chance but things happen as that's part of life. As long as it happens within the warranty time and they take care of it, just another test life is throwing at you. I was very skeptical about getting a jet boat after selling my sea ray. But now I would never look back. I sleep dreaming about my boat now. So love it. Welcome to the forum and maybe keep us posted thru out the year in how the Scarab is doing! I'm curious to learn about them so maybe next boat buying experience I will have more knowledge on other products to make sound decision.

Make sure you dedicate a few days to read this forum. So many endless great posts out there. Get your pocket books ready as so many mods that will start getting your attention. The good thing is 99% have step by step instructions and so may gurus on here you shouldn't have any trouble pampering and toying with your new baby!

 

[WaltB]

For me I wanted a very good looking boat that had high horsepower so I chose a new 215 HOI Wake with 500 HP. Time will tell what the maintenance requirements end up being but in my opinion it's simply a better looking boat than the Yamaha.

Walt

 

[Benjamin]

Thanks and you do have a sweet sled.

 

[tdonoughue]

Make sure you dedicate a few days to read this forum. So many endless great posts out there.

He actually meant 'weeks to read this forum'. Sincerely, it is a wealth of information, and I highly recommend it.

I don't have much to offer on the original question (other than that I am satisfied with my Yammy, which really doesn't help much), but it is great to have you with us and I am sure others will offer other more substantive things.

 

[Benjamin]

Well you Yamaha guys will like that somehow or another we are going to pick up a 12 Ar 190. With 57 hours on it. I told my wife two days ago that I wouldn't buy a Yamaha!! Lol. I still really like the scarabs but the clean out ports are appealing to me being our lake has an abundance of hydrila and the fact that we are keeping an extra 15k in our account made it look really good to me. The dealer we are going through had this one on there site, made a call today and the rest I guess will be history. We will definitely be apart of this great community and hopefully meet up with some of you in the future. We will give an update on how it goes and again I appreciate your comments.

 

[captras]

Congrats....I love my YAMMY!

 

[blacksapphirez]

I think chaparral and scarab offers better looks and different(upgraded) component. But for engine, i find the yamaha marine 1.8 HO to be a proven reliable engine. Yamaha is less flashy but still sporty

 

[FloJet]

Well that didn't take long to convince him

 

[Eric Ballard]

I think chaparral and scarab offers better looks and different(upgraded) component. But for engine, i find the yamaha marine 1.8 HO to be a proven reliable engine. Yamaha is less flashy but still sporty

The Scarab's are very good looking but not woth an exrta 10k imo. why cant Yamaha use cooler colors? Its just paint.....

 

[FloJet]

I think cooler colors from Yamaha would equal 10k up charge?

 

[Benjamin]

Got it!!!

 

[blacksapphirez]

from Bama? Join us on Alabama Jet Boaters FB page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/560040874173861/

 

[FloJet]

Very nice. Congrats!