Used SX210 Pricing aka Captain Hook's quest for the Jolly Roger

[jdonalds]

I doubt if towing a 210 is that much lighter than a 230. You said you can handle either. I'd scratch that for a factor unless a few hundred pounds will make a difference to your towing vehicle - say 4,500 pounds vs 5,000 (including ice, drinks, tubes, wake boards, full tank of gas, etc.)

Even if the 230 has 200 hours on the engine I'd overlook it if the boat was otherwise in very good condition. By all means pull the ECU data off the boat or both boats before you decide.

 

[captainhook]

Buy the 230. I upgraded from the 210 and know at least four others who have done the same...

So the power and the room is that much more worth it, then?

I thought of one more thing; the 210 comes with wakeboard, towable raft, tow ropes, and boat bumpers. Not a deal breaker either way, but mostly stuff I have to buy anyway. I guess that is one plus buying privately over a dealer.

 

[jawsf16]

Those toys are inexpensive in the big picture. The hole shot on the 210 is good until you get in a 230 or 240 or 212x and see that they are great! The 230 has some more storage capability, but the room for bodies is not tremendously different. The 210 has a bigger bow due to the design. The 230'rides better in big water too.

 

[captainhook]

Yes, definitely inexpensive in the long run.

I called the dealer after thinking about this all day and all night and of course they are closed on Monday. I will have to call back and get the engine hours tomorrow.

This is stupid, but both my wife and I prefer the black color that the SX210 was we looked at over the 230. We both agreed that the 210 looked more "sporty" even though there are minor differences other than the paint.

Edit-missed this above. My tow vehicle is an F150 FX4 so no issues with the boats or gear either way.

 

[OCMD]

The black is very nice. I like the blue better than the red of the 230 I own, but the red is acceptable. Don't let the color affect your decision. Unless you are buying new, I would not worry about the color. Go for the best deal for the money and product. If you are in the 20K range, a few K either way shouldn't break you and if it does, you shouldn't own a boat, which if you don't know now, stands for "Bring On Another Thousand!" Keep us posted.

Keep under your hat that this dealer let a 2008 SX230 go earlier in the year for $2000 off what they were asking so know for a fact you can wheel and deal with them. Remember what their main mechanic told me as he showed me the boat - "we can't sell used, everyone's buying new." The folks in this area who own homes in this vacation town are financially pretty well off. It is not a depressed locale so folks buy new toys. My opinion is why go new? Let someone else eat the depreciation. Wheel and deal. This was taken on a trade. I have no idea what they got for it, but it wouldn't surprise me 15-16 K, so anything above this is pure profit and on a slow day? Who knows what deal you can make. Do not let them know you were talking to anyone, just go in "dumb," ask the standard questions, then make the offer.

Here is the preview of our boy's new boat! Sorry for the poor quality photos, but I was using my old school "flip phone" camera. Ha ha old school - I remember the bag phone I used to carry around in my car!

 

[Zarrella]

I would go with the larger 230....most people always want more after the sale. Do not let some ropes and a board be a deciding factor.

 

[Julian]

Do you slalom ski? I've skied behind both, and it is harder and slower to get up behind a 210. Not sure how old and/or fit you are, but for me that would make a difference. I'm not saying you can't get up behind a 210 (as I did), but it takes more effort. I love the 230 (I'm biased though!). Funny how colors impact our decisions....I prefer the blue or red, but ended up buying a black one as it was in great shape! And as @OCMD said, go ready to deal. It takes work and time, but if you are serious, stick to your guns. Car and boat dealers have lots of time to wear you down.....be prepared to do the same. I literally psych myself up for an all week back and forth when going to battle with a dealer. Figure out the price you want to pay and keep telling them that. I have fun with it now, and my wife just watches and laughs. You worked hard for that money....they should work just as hard trying to pry it out of your hands!

 

[captainhook]

I do not slalom ski and it's been about 15 years since I've waterskied at all. I never got a chance to try wakeboarding but I plan on it very soon. I just need my wife to want to drive.

Oh I am right there with you on pricing and negotiation. When I was buying my truck my wife was apologizing to the sales guys for having to deal with me. They usually break before I do.

 

[captainhook]

Here is the preview of our boy's new boat! Sorry for the poor quality photos, but I was using my old school "flip phone" camera. Ha ha old school - I remember the bag phone I used to carry around in my car!

The more I think about this the more I think that maybe Bayside has a different boat on their site than the one you have seen. They list it as a 2006 and it also has a different cover on it than your pictures. http://baysidejetdrive.net/pwc-yamaha-kawasaki-sales-pre-owned-inventory/

 

[OCMD]

That's a different boat; kept on the lot outside. They only bring good used ones inside, which is the blue one they just got in on trade. It was not there a month ago. The blue one was there last Saturday. Inside.

 

[captainhook]

Okay, makes sense now. I guess part of the reason they can't sell used is because they don't tell anybody they have them by advertising.

 

[jdonalds]

OCMD when I see your screen name all I can think of is Obsessive Compulsive Medical Doctor.

 

[captainhook]

I see it on a lot of vehicles around here standing for Ocean City, Maryland. A lot of people have vacation homes or just vacation there.

 

[jdonalds]

I like my interpretation better. If I had a doctor with OC it could be good or bad depending on how he/she is compulsive.

 

[Yamborghini]

Do you slalom ski? I've skied behind both, and it is harder and slower to get up behind a 210. Not sure how old and/or fit you are, but for me that would make a difference. I'm not saying you can't get up behind a 210 (as I did), but it takes more effort. I love the 230 (I'm biased though!). Funny how colors impact our decisions....I prefer the blue or red, but ended up buying a black one as it was in great shape! And as @OCMD said, go ready to deal. It takes work and time, but if you are serious, stick to your guns. Car and boat dealers have lots of time to wear you down.....be prepared to do the same. I literally psych myself up for an all week back and forth when going to battle with a dealer. Figure out the price you want to pay and keep telling them that. I have fun with it now, and my wife just watches and laughs. You worked hard for that money....they should work just as hard trying to pry it out of your hands!

@Julian does the getting up behind a 212 also apply here? I'm not a skinny person at all. 300lbs

 

[jawsf16]

212 has same motors as 230. 320hp vs the 220 in a 210. New 212s have 360 hp

 

[Yamborghini]

212 has same motors as 230. 320hp vs the 220 in a 210. New 212s have 360 hp

2012 and up?

 

[Julian]

Yup....plenty of power in the 212x, and it is not to say the 210 is underpowered....just not AS easy!

 

[OCMD]

My nephew, all 6'5" 300 plus pounds of him (will redshirt at Clemson this season) could not get up on a pair of skis, with my 230. Knee board? Yes. Two skis ? No. And not from lack of skill he just wasn't going to pop up no matter how hard we tried. Maybe he needed a lesson?

 

[jdonalds]

Randall, Take it from someone who has owned an SX210 for 5 years. I want more power. I've never had a problem pulling up a slalom skier but none of them have been over 210 pounds. My problem is when I want to whip some teenagers around from side to side on the tube I'd like to be able to throw a burst of power in the right moment to make that happen but the reserve power just isn't there. I've had to learn how to make S curves and keep the speed up to work the tube.

My Honda jet ski was actually much better at towing a tube than the boat. I did have lots of reserve power and could whip the tube around. Granted in CA we are limited to one person on the tube at a time behind a jet ski but I find the more weight on the tube the easier it is to whip it. It's that experience with the ski that lets me know I don't have the reserve power I wish I had.

The other place I find I have insufficient power is when I make a radical turn. The boat really loses forward motion and it takes a while to recover.

It's not at all about top speed for me. I don't care about going 40 or 45 or 50 mph because it is too windy and consumes too much fuel (my boat tops out at 45mph at 1,000 ft elevation). We cruise on the PerfectPass at 30mph. By the way if either of the boats you are looking at has PerfectPass it's worth $1,000 or more.

Unless the 230 has issues I'd go with it.

If I had the money my boat would be a 212ss and the main reason would be for more power.