Possible new owner, questions between 210 and 230

[Matty_gs]

Well my wife and I are looking into our first boat this coming winter/spring. I have been riding mostly behind and 04 210 team for the last few years.

Initially we would get a "bargain" boat now and then upgrade to our "dream" boat in a few years. We looked into the A22 but a quote from our closest dealer came at over $60k, I decided that the bargain boat is just not there like it used to be.

I was hoping to get the A22 around $50k. So the search continues. I have always loved the 210, but after being in a 230 this past weekend at a boat show, I must say that i have become in love with the boat. I think it all is equal, I would much rather go with the 230 and let it be our dream boat for many years to come. My question comes between the two boats though and I have been doing a lot of research about the two.

We will only have a crew of 4-5 most of the time. For me and my wife, this will get split between wakesurfing and wakeboarding. The rest will be mainly teaching new people how to ride since my crew has started having kids. I have seen that the 210 is using between 4-5 gallons/hour, but I have not been able to find anything on the 230. What kind of cost difference other than the gas consumption should I be concerned with? Also, I will be pulling with a 4.6L v8 F-150 with 3.55 gears. The 230 would be pretty close to my comfort level with pulling the boat, but I also am only a mile away from the ramp. Do you guys think the truck would be able to pull both boats out of the water fine? It is a 4x4 BTW. I appreciate the help guys. I know that this is a lot.

M

[shag]

Always use 4 low and you should not have any problem. I would not hesitate being only a mile away. My vote is the 230. You can find used 230's for probably less than the A22, in excellent shape. My .02

[msbowhunter]

I have a 210 and would suggest the 230 for the walkthrough transom alone

[swankster]

I have the 230 and a Ford F150 Lariat 5.4 and pull it all the time. My 230 burns about 4 to 5 gals per hour which looks comparable to the 210 and the truck gets about 8mpg pulling it on the highway. Most of my hauls are within 15 miles and I've never had a problem on the ramp. I only used 4WD once.

[grnking]

I have a 2011 230 I will be selling this fall/winter. As for your truck it will be fine to pull it out. 5k in weight is fine for that truck and engine. If you want a deal on the 230 pm me

[Miljack]

We were in the same "boat" and my wife fell in love with the walk through transom. The boat is bigger and heavier, and won't ski like a 210 will, but the wakeboard wake and surf wake are awesome! I'm happy to ride my boat empty if we don't have a lot of time, and with stock ballast it's a great wake. We have Fly-hi add on for surfing, but it comes in handy to balance the wake out side to side when riding. My $0.02 on the wakeboard wake is the 230 is a better wake for me (I ride a bunch behind a buddy's '08 210) than a 210, surf wake is better, and the extra room is nice to have.
We tow ours with Durango R/T V8 and so far it pulls it no problem.

[Laptom]

Owned a new 210 every year until we got an 230. This is the first boat we got for 4 years... Great boat for boarding, surfing and cruising!

[Nautiquehunter]

You cant go wrong with either . If you want the extra room and dont ski go with the 230 . If you want a nimble do all boat that will easily hold 6 comfortably go with the 210. If you are still looking for a bargain boat you can get into a 08 210 in the 50s and a 230 in the 60s keep it for a couple years and then buy the dream boat . You will not loose as much as the A22 in resale.

[Matty_gs]

I appreciate all of the feedback. You guys pretty much just said exactly what I was thinking. If I can find a good deal on the 230, it looks like that will be the boat. If not, I will be super happy with a 210 and if we need the 230/G23 later, I am guessing that will be the boat for the dream. thanks guys, I really appreciate it. GRNKing, you have a PM, but I think a 2011 will be a little bit above my price range.

M