Yea, but the gas mileage . . .
Printable View
Yea, but the gas mileage . . .
whats the old saying, "if your worried about the gas, you shouldnt buy the toy"
My thoughts . . .
Moomba vs. Supra. I don't think it's a quality thing at all. I think both are equal "quality." Same indmar power, same hull process, built next to each other. I don't think a Moomba is more likely to fail than a Supra. I may be wrong.
I think it's a design and amenity thing. The boats are slightly different in design. You could prefer one over the other. I would suspect at equal price most would pick Supra but could be wrong, LSV is a great hull and very positive reviews thus far on performance of the hull in the Mojo. There is no doubt the Supras have a nicer interior, a bit cushier, have more things that are options on the Moombas that are standard, and have other things you can't even get on the Moomba. I don't know how much more one costs to build, but suspect there is higher margin in the Supras. I don't know this, but I suspect that if there is a $25k difference between a given Moomba and Supra in sticker price, you could make up a not unsubstantial portion of that in negotiations if there actually is more margin in the Supras. Don't know that.
As far as fun on old boat versus new boat, I see your point and agree that you can have a ton of fun on your older boat. BUT, come on - new boats are more fun! Not just because they're new, but because of all the new features they have that make your time on the water less of a hassle and easier to do fun things. Hulls more designed for boarding and surfing, things most people like, instead of left over ski hulls. Ballast systems that are built in, less of a mess, more reliable, quicker fill times. Bigger, deeper interiors that most people prefer and find it easier to bring along friends. All that equals more fun on the lake I think. I guess it depends on what you are upgrading from. For me going from an '01 direct drive to a '12 v drive, it is more fun. If I was going from an '07 LSV to a '12 LSV, I'd still appreciate the updates but there would be little there other than improved fill times that would equal more fun I think.
And finally, yes I bought a new vdrive last year but I still care about the gas! These things suck the gas and hold a lot of gas and at $4.49 a gallon at my dock last summer, I was putting $500 to $1,000 in gas/month in that thing when we were in season. OUCH.
I know my family had a blast in our old direct drive, but as the kids grew, that boat had serious limitations. Difficult to bring friends. Difficult to set up to surf, even for kids and me forget it. With the new vdrive, time on the water is more enjoyable and more fun for all.
There will be a time where the price of a boat and demands will entertain more competition both domestic and foreign along with innovations to reduce costs. It will be interesting when that or if that ever happens.