edit I forgot the punch line so now I will start with it: the gp 1800 only seats two adults comfortably or a Mix of three adults and kids for a short period/distance. Since kids don’t seem to stay short and small for long your better off getting the vx/ cruiser seat.
We're looking at a GP1800r HO right now said:
My local dealership had both in stock when I bought the gp1800. I was able to put them side by side on carts. Both you and
@VitaminSea are correct about the similarities and differences between the two. Basically the GP is 60 pounds lighter and has trim control. The shape of the top/deck is slightly different as well but nothing that improves performance or safety.
The hulls are the same (other than what they are made of / weight) which is, I think the biggest factor in how they handle. The VX may not be as nimble but mostly because of the weight difference and also because the gp has auto trim control.
The seat shape is very important where multiple riders/passengers are concerned. This doesn’t really matter for the driver since the sport and cruiser seats are scalloped but the sport seat is flat for the passengers so they are more likely to slide off of the sport/standard seat than they are the cruiser seat. The cruiser seat will give the passengers the support they need to keep from sliding off of it and will reduce their need to hold on to the driver during aggressive acceleration or high speed maneuvers. For context I had a 2006 FX cruiser and an fx non cruiser for several years, so I’ve experienced the difference but on different / older hills.
my wife and I both went with the non cruiser seats this time around but this was mostly a cost based decision. The seat upgrade is $500 on the FX and there is no upgrade path on the GP which means the only ways to get a cruiser seat on a gp is to buy it separately (about $800 for both parts) or buy a VX instead. Unlike you we didn’t buy with others in mind so the non cruiser seat was fine for us. In your situation I would opt for the VX with a cruiser seat, the fact the the VX has pop up cleats and I believe a usb charger/light in the glove box are just bonuses over the gP. The are reasons the VX has been the best selling pwc model in the world for three years straight now, it’s definitely not just the slightly lower price.
I have driven 500 miles before, several times actually, to pick up boats and jet skis, not quite 10 hours but still a lot of time. Price wise you would probably ended up breaking even if you have to drive 10 hours and back to get the VX, especially if you have to stay overnight.
Between the two I recommend the VX cruiser for you/your situation regardless of the engine size. However if you can swing it and they are available, consider getting two EX models instead, with or without cruiser seats, they have seating for 3 and top out around 52 mph (not 60 something) so towing won’t be a problem, having two usually means you always have one to tow the other back with or to go looking for the other one with.
Good luck with whatever you decide. One last thing, I would not trust any dealership when it comes to delivery times this year. If they don’t have it on the showroom floor there is a good chance they are not getting it this season. This forced me to upgrade into a model with integrated speakers for $880 (including tax) more. The speakers are cool, not $880 cool though. The VX and Gp have the same accessory mounting points so you could mount aftermarket speakers on either for about $120 ($40 per 20w speaker at cost co + $40 for the ram mount parts) if speakers aren’t your thing consider cup holders instead as neither model comes with any.
