I recently purchased an 03 240LR with 10 hours on it for a steal. My only dissapointment so far is the lack of a swim platform, but I plan to take care of that this offseason.
I owned a 2002 Stingray 18' bowrider for a year. A great boat for the size and price. We traded up for a cabin cruiser and the Stingray that we looked at came in second to the boat we bought. Not because of quality or performance, but because of the deck layout, helm seat, anchor pulpit, and aft cabin. Things that mattered to me and my wife but not necessarily to someone else.Stingray has a great owners forum on the Internet with lots of participation including company staff. Post a problem or question and you get answers from people with your model boat or even the factory. I miss that.
WHY would someone BUY a 249 GlastroN?? when they could of gotten a 240CS StingRay w/ more Room, and Better Warranty,, I am REALLY Confused? Please explain, SINCE our New 2006 240 sleeps Five and has Shore Power and A/C!! Just wondering/ and PRICE>> $47,900. ?? NOW I am baffled?? BILL D. Ft. Myers, FL
Originally posted by DeliveryCaptain: WHY would someone BUY a 249 GlastroN?? when they could of gotten a 240CS StingRay w/ more Room, and Better Warranty,, I am REALLY Confused? Please explain, SINCE our New 2006 240 sleeps Five and has Shore Power and A/C!! Just wondering/ and PRICE>> $47,900. ?? NOW I am baffled?? BILL D. Ft. Myers, FL
Glad you asked. I went to the boat show having researched the 240CS and in my mind, it was the boat to beat. The Glastron had a helm seat with a flip up bolster as opposed to the Stingray's bench style seat (I suffered a painfull back injury while sitting and driving the smaller Stingray so I was particularly concerned about being able to stand or lean while operating the boat). The Glastron had an anchor pulpit and roller, I don't recall the 240CS having one. The aft cabin on the 240CS had such a small entrance that one had to go all the way into the aft cabin and turn around to exit. My wife refused to even enter it. The Glastron had a solid transom door while the CS240 hade a wire gate. There may have been other issues that excape my mind at the present.Oddly, the Glastron dealer was willing to write a contract based on my word on the condition of my one year old Stingray trade in while the Stingray dealer who had sold me the boat in the first place a year ago would have required me to bring the boat in for an appraisal before quoting me a price.I wanted the Stingray to win out but in the final analysis, for us, it didn't.BTW: We looked at the equivalent Bayliner and other brands that slip my mind.
I was MOST curious about How much MORE> the Glastron was OVER The StingRay// SECOND.. It seems Kind of ODD> that a Dealer would not even give you an IDEA, of your Boat v. A NEW StingRay?? SHAME on them/ It seems to Me that When someone calls me, it is Very simple to Pick-up a BUC book, and Look up a Trade Value,, Even if I am WRONG, it stills Shows the Customer that I want to Earn his TRUST and His Business..Good for YOU on That Purchase..Your S.R. Guy in S.C. Must have Dropped the Ball, But Nice research on Your Part. Next Year, Jan. 2006 StingRay plans on Bigger 25CR>> to Replace Faults on 240CS..Hope we get better Interest on this ONE! Best of Luck on your New Boat; Bill D
I'm not sure now if it is a CS or a CR but it's the cabin cruiser model that compares with the Glastron GS249. The prices were comperable on both boats. Like I said, the Stingray dealer wouldn't give me a price "with trade" which is all that really matters.This was when I still lived in MD so it was the Stingray dealer near Baltimore and the (at the time) Glastron dealer near Annapolis.
SORRY, BUT I think that Dealer did more to HURT StingRay then HELP!! It is Really a shame, since you are In S.C. and StingRay is made in Hartsville, SC It would have benefited StingRay to contact, Even after you Bought your Glastron- BUT best of luck with your New Boat> Un-REAL what some Dealers Fail to Do> Makes the rest of Us look Bad! Bill D. Ft. Myers, FL
I own a 2000 180 RX 18 feet 135 mercruiser Stingray. I REALLY LIKE IT. Its fast, efficient reliable and fun. There are four of us and we tow it all over the country. It's our second Stingray, the first was a similiar boat made in 1984. Did I say fast and efficient on gas? It may be b/c of the "z" hull (the hull looks different from any other boat) or the fact that they tend to be a little bit lighter in weight than similarly sized other boats. They are not as smooth on really rough water, sometimes the waves can make a lot of noise. The original dealer we bought our 2000 from was a pain in the ***** and we don't use him any more. Cool thing about Stingray Forum... you find out which dealers are not too good, and Stingray has skewered some of them as a result. Stingray's web site makes it easy to get advise and parts, which on 6 year old boat gets important. I found that we had more trouble with the trailer. than anything else. This was a dealer issue of course. The guy sold me a trailer that was only capable of carrying 20 lbs more than the empty weight of the boat and motor. Make sure you get a trailer that can take at least 500 lbs more than the boat weighs. The trailer was the only issue we've really had and we replaced it with a higher weight rating and with surge / disk brakes. Stingray make basically the same boat today and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. Sure I've got some ideas for improvements, which Stingray, thru its website, actively asks to hear about. Several of the suggestions made by us have made it into the current model. What more could you ask for, they make a good product and seem to care about what the buyer thinks about it.
Yes, a great website. You can access your boat (the actual one you bought) and get a parts list of what was installed at the factory as well as any available options. And as I said above, great boats.
I just purchased a 2000 Stingray 220LX with a 5.7 EFI Merc and 180 hours on it. Has anyone had good luck with this boat over the years? I bouth it on teh web and towed it all the way from Atlanta to Salt Lake City.
Had mine out once so far and loved the speed and performance with 4 adults and 4 kids aboard. It does seem to be a little rough in the chop, and a little cheap and basic compared to my 1997 Mariah Shabah 198. The Mariah was a very heavy boat with a 4.3 Litre that could not plan when pulling a 4 man tube. The Stingray is a much lighter boat for the size, but not sure how well it will hold up in the long run. They use generic guages, canvas and windshields, and amazingly enough no storage under the front center bow seat. Any feedback on long-term quality and durability of this boat, as mine is in perfect condition and plan to keep it for years.
I have a 2005 Stingray 185 LX that my wife and I like alot, but we are considering trading it in for a Pontoon boat. We are retired now and would like something alittle bigger to better accomodate the kids and grandkids.
We bought it new in 2005 and it only has about 36 hours on it. It is in great shape but we are looking at some pontoon boats.
i own a 1999 190 rx and so far am pretty happy... this is our second season with it and although it does seem a little light for its size i am sure we will get used to it.
so far everything seems fine.
the 4.3 190 hp seems plenty powerful for our family of 5 and it is a sharp looking boat imo.
i have a 1992 656zp with a 5.7 quadrajet 4bbl carb. it sings ! can go 8 hours on half tank of gas at 3-4mph to catch stripers ! IO is smooth, quiet, nonsmelly. can cruise at 40mph on a slow prop and 6 people.
tubind and skiing is good, but the OEM line is too low. perhaps an overhead that can also hold removable fishing stuff for the Chesapeake would be a good addition. handling is excellent.
trailering is great too...just the right size for my family !
minimal maintenance once you write up your annual maint plan.
my first boat....and craigslist ings don't show anything near as nice for the money
I bought in 2008 a new Stingray 195 LS boat with a Volvo Penta 4,3 l (225 HP) engine, SX drive, via their Hungarian dealer. I had actually ordered a boat with a 3,0 l. motor but committed the mistake to ask the Dealer if he (she) was sure that this motor would be able to pull water ski. She did not miss the opportunity to sell me a boat with a 4,3 l. motol, (ca. 5000 USD price markup) as available with their shop near Metro, Budapest, saying that a 3,0 l. motor would be hardly able to pull water ski.
I use the boat in Greece and would say now that it makes sense to buy a 4,3 motor only if one intends to tow a parachute, or 2 skiers simultaneously. The boat is in general very good and it is a pleasure to drive it, however I can never drive at full open throttle when I have people inside, because they get scared and any unbound baggage proceds to fly away. Also the all-round stern lamp flew over board since I had not fixed the rod into the base correctly .
Obviously I have now the fastest boat in the bay, thanks to a smart dealer although it has never been my intention...
Only I am puzzled to see that the SS cup holders got rusty in 1 year !?! Obviously the manufaturer has implemented low-grade SS holders.
Good that I had odered an extended swim plattform befind.
Good also that I did not order this hull size with a cabin. I checked such a cabin at dealer's shop and my legs protruded far out of it.
The boat was originally equipped with a Mercruiser propeller that I just broke, hitting a rock, and now I expect to receive 2 Turning Point Legacy ALU propellers, (14.25 x 21 and 14.25 x 19). Will see how they will behave...
I would advise potential buyers to use this forum for consultations before they place an order. In general I am happy with this boat.
Stingray Powerboat Owners
Linear Mode
