Best and worst ideas....

[tdc_worm]

I realize that every boat manufacturer does their own market research on what their target audiences want from a feature standpoint. I have to believe a lot of that research comes from the experiences dealers have selling boats to customers that are looking at a CC and maybe one other boat. Given that the majority of the sales are to people whom dont post/research on these forums, and they likely dont spend 100s of hours on towboats each summer, I have to wonder how accurate their data is...

With that in mind, I thought it might be fun/useful for people to voice what they think each builder does well or misses the point on from a feature standpoint, with the intent to keep it as objective as possible. "Brand X makes a better wake" is useless as it is subjective while "Brand Y offers more __(fill in the blank)___ options" is very useful. I realize this forum will be a bit biased, but some of us have experience on just about every boat out there...hopefully (patents notwithstanding) it will open boat builders eyes to what people really find valuable, especially those of us whom use them A LOT, not just for 30 hours a summer...

keep in mind that this is based on the theory of the feature, not the application (or eappearance) of the feature. for example, MCs theory on the power tower, i think will revolutionize towers, and as much as I hate the way it looks (subjective), i think it solves a ton of tower issues....

I will hit a couple of my observations:

CC got it right:
--Reversible seating (on this reason alone, I can't consider another brand)
--Two way ballast pumps (easiest to plumb in extra sacks on the market)
--230 engine clamshell/walkthrough

CC got it wrong:
--Hydrogate (makes wake more foamy in down position)

MC got it right:
--power tower
--surf tabs

MC got it wrong:
--towers only allow attachment of one set of board racks

Bu got it right:
--power wedge (like it or hate it, the wedge and the switchblade are the easiest ways to create downforce)
--gel coat pattern and color options (not referring to graphics)

Bu got it wrong:
--non reversible ballast pumps

[DanielC]

My opinion.
Correct Craft got it wrong by abandoning a no compromise dedicated tournament three event tow boat, originally designed as a closed bow boat, to develop a hull that you could just slap a open or closed bow deck on.

Correct Craft got it wrong with the digital Teleflex gauges in 2000.

[Miljack]

MC: best board racks on the market, X25 rear sundeck "convertible seating", available big block engines

Wish the CC 210 had a 50 gallon fuel tank

CC: agree on the reversible seating arrangements

[jdarwin]

best / worst

Best:
CC (PCM) the fuel control cell and fuel delivery system is the best. The "feel". No other boat has it.
MC - graphics (until this year's TT boat - too plain). Support of competitive watersports events.
Bu - color options

Worst:
CC - graphics - and lack of choices - CC should have a dedicated tournament boat - makes resell much easier for promo members.
MC's in tank fuel pump has caused countless headaches that they have yet to resolve.
Bu - overall quality - joining of deck and hull is substandard and screws are always falling out - don't know where they come from! Cheap feel.

[tdc_worm]

Best:
CC (PCM) the fuel control cell and fuel delivery system is the best. The "feel". No other boat has it.
MC - graphics (until this year's TT boat - too plain). Support of competitive watersports events.
Bu - color options

Worst:
CC - graphics - and lack of choices - CC should have a dedicated tournament boat - makes resell much easier for promo members.
MC's in tank fuel pump has caused countless headaches that they have yet to resolve.
Bu - overall quality - joining of deck and hull is substandard and screws are always falling out - don't know where they come from! Cheap feel.

the intent was for it to remain objective out design features and options that can be built upon. best/worst graphics, best/worst feel is all opinion..

[2gofaster]

Well, even the best/worst design, features, and options is subjective and based on opinion.

[swc5150]

CC got it right:
Std gear reduction
saddle bags
tunable rudder
cab forward CB design (196)
Non-wrap around windshield (196)

MC got it right:
heated seats
trailer designed per each hull
brought fuel injection to ski boats

All got it wrong:
No dedicated CB 3 event boat specifically designed as a CB only.

[jdarwin]

the intent was for it to remain objective out design features and options that can be built upon. best/worst graphics, best/worst feel is all opinion..

C'mon tdc, lighten up! It wasn't all subjective. Graphics are a design feature in my book. Someone has to "design" them. Right?

[Shooter]

I agree with faster, this is all opinion...Worm; you wouldn’t get any responses if you didn’t want opinion (I.E. I almost fell out of my chair when you said MC's got it right with the power tower)

It’s hard to compare different years because something may have been flawed, but it could be the best design of its time.

Good,
Epic- Masive under floor ballast & transome speakers
Tige- Tower with intagrated lighting, speakers & low fold hight.
Axis- Plug and play ballast
MC- Large storage configuration (IE port seat pass through and extra space from the pickle fork), board racks
CC- Stadium seating, Old hull 210 wake without a ton of weight

The bad is regarding over the top bling including touch screens, cameras, power towers, ugly styling, decline in quality and unnecessary outrageous prices. I would say all brands are guilty of this to some extent. As long as there is an option not to buy this stuff, I don’t have a problem with it.

[ers906]

I agree with shooter. There are so many good things that the manufacturers are doing these days to advance the boats insofar as design and style, however, a good majority of the companies are tying in the "optional" equipment as standard equipment now. That being said, I am sure that auto ballasts, tower speakers, lights, etc were all considered "bling" and excessive before they became commonplace.

[Stef_Jelos]

Walkthrough transom!

Why doesn't every boat have this feature?

[gride300]

they all got it wrong on the warranty. as it's been stated before, the warranty for all the stuff should be straight from cc, not from cc, pcm, z.o., etc.

mc had jabso pumps before cc

cc's quality control is lacking

ram-lin trailers suck

only tige has the right stereo stuff ala wet sounds

it would be nice to have a 4 legged tower choice for a cc

might as well make all the engines standard with closed cooling for all brands and sizes

cc got it wrong having fiberglass between the rear compartments and stern backrest in my 05

cc got it wrong on the itty bitty teeny weeny platform on my 05

[core-rider]

All my opinions are about wakeboats since that's all I really pay any attention to these days.

Good:
Epic - Largest internal ballast period. "Green" wakeboat market with introduction of their hybrid boat.
CC - Introduction of wakeboard towers. 210 hull design created the standard for wakeboat wakes. Keyless ignition (I hate toggle switches) Still retains classic boat lines for the most part.
MC - Picklefork hull design adding more room to interior.
Axis - Entry level, price-point boats that do what a wakeboat should do.
Tige - Wet Sounds stereo equiptment options.

Bad:
CC - Starting to follow fads with towers, graphics, etc. (Form > Function mind-set) Loss of colored decks choices.
MC - Too much bling! I don't care about CNC'd millwork towers, gauge bezels, etc.
Just about all manufactures - Spinner board racks... Just don't care for them.

Questionable:
Just about all recent manufactures have gone down the road of large screens displaying boat info. I can't help but think a few more years down the road this may be a reliability problem/expensive to service. This may not be the case, but I personally prefer analog style gauges, one gauge for each reading.

[teamseal]

With all the manufactures when the new newness of the gadgetry wears out so does the gadget. My point is to much technology to do very simple tasks.

My list of the non needed or poor thought out ideas: Key pads, digital gauges, TV screens in the dash. Drive by wire.
Ballast pump location in the 211????? What was up with that?
Bulkhead removal in the rear motor compartment of any CC V-drive,
Access of the motor box on ski 200??? would rather have the full lift of a standard clam shell motor box. Still cant find the wing nuts from when I serviced the boat.
Can any one tell me how to turn off the auto volume on my new boat? got to the 55's in the course last night pulling my wife and Led Zepplins dazed and confused turned up and was blaring full blast!! Karma???
Any thing Malibu: Since they went to their behemouth LXI (ECH!). Dont mind the pre 07 Bu's.
MC: I can show you a 08 PS-197 with 3000 plus hours and it still runs!!! Not the best but still runs none the less. MC seems to have better access to the motor compartments in their V-drives then anyone. ?!?!?!?

Being in the service business of ski and wakeboard boats I could go on and on with good the bad and the ugly. Most manufacturers have processed to the point of very good products. It seems now the wakes and driveability are getting pretty equal accross the board (I still prefer to drive Nautiques in competition). It is now who can out gadget whom!!

All in all my new 200 is a great ski boat we like the way it skis and performs just would LOVE TO HAVE A TEAK PLATFORM!!!

[NautiqueJeff]

Can any one tell me how to turn off the auto volume on my new boat? got to the 55's in the course last night pulling my wife and Led Zepplins dazed and confused turned up and was blaring full blast!!

Go to the User Settings screen and adjust the Audio Intensity setting. Setting it to zero should disable the feature. By the way, I love that feature. I leave mine set at 4 and it seems to work very well.