'07 Chaparral 190ssi vs Monterey 194fs

[jerlane]

Hi there, new member and potential first time boat owner here. We are looking for a bowrider to take our family out cruising and tubing. 19' is about the biggest we can get and fit in our garage.

Monterey and Chaparral both seem to have good reputations. I've identified two contender:

The first is the Chaparral, it comes with a 4.3tka mercruiser. Looks nice and clean and has a wake tower.

The Monterey comes with a 5.0 Volvo Penta GXI. No wake tower.

Both have low hours, approximately 130 or so. Both are priced similarly. Both are out of state, so it will take some work to see them and get them here. I have a friend of my brother in laws that could see the Chap to give it a once over. I would get a survey on either before buying.

Anyone have any thoughts on these two? From photos I've seen, the Montereys seem like they might have more interior room. The Chaparral sure looks nice and clean in the photos. The biggest difference seems to be the engines. 5.0 fuel injected Volvo vs 4.3 carbed Merc.

Thanks in advance!

 

[SkiGuy1980]

Hi, welcome aboard! Make sure you read the stickys at the top of this section - good info on buying.

I happened to look at a lot of Chaps and Montereys last fall - both are good boats. The Chaparrals I saw seemed to have a bit higher quality fit/finish compared to the Monterery but you'll need to assess the condition and appearance on your own to see what suits you.

Just a couple of things... the wake tower can be a pain to deal with. I had to build a support when collapsed to keep it from resting on the windshield... and even then, it wouldn't fit through the garage door. I finally did locate a storage facility with doors tall enough that this is no longer a problem.

I lake tested a 19 foot '06 Chap with a 4.3. It accelerated well and got on plane pretty quick. However, the boat would porpoise with even the slightest adjustment of trim. I passed on this beautiful boat for that reason.
I’ve had the carbureted 4.3 in an older 21 foot Rinker. That engine is strong and although I wanted EFI for easier starting (did I mention the Rinker was old?? ) I thought it moved the boat really well. That said, I’d still probably rather have the 5.0 EFI (just prefer not worrying about the carburetor).

I’ve always had Mercury and don’t have any experience with the Volvo outdrive. I’ve just observed that the outdrive looked rather large and sticks out from the boat quite a bit farther than the Merc. I’ve heard good things, though, about how smooth the Volvo shifts. Several have mentioned that you might want to make sure you have a Volvo dealer in your area.
Hope this helps. I wish you the best in your search! Dave

 

[jerlane]

Thanks for the feedback, Dave. I'm going to do some local research about service for Volvo. We're in Minnesota, so there are quite a few shops nearby.

 

[BRICH1260]

I say pretty much a coin toss. Prefer the Chap, but also prefer the 5.0 also. However, I really don't think in a boat of that size that the 4.3 would be a disappointment though. I say buy the one that is the best overall deal considering condition and price.

 

[SkiGuy1980]

jerlane... I should have mentioned that you would feel the considerable difference in HP between the 4.3 and 5.0 MPI. I don't think you'd be disappointed in either. If you can get a lake trial, do so.

 

[jkust]

Well, I can speak first hand on the 190ssi as I owned that exact boat for 8 years. Chap does what many brand didn't do in the early and mid 2000's but that those brands have caught up to now. They build their small boats as nice as their largest boats. They didn't give you a toyota and hope you'd move up to a lexus as other brands did and instead they gave you a smaller lexus. That was a rarity then. For example you will notice Cobalt didn't even build small bowriders in that time period as they stopped making a small bowrider i believe in 02. The 190ssi Is i believe the heavies 18foot 3 inch hull you will likely find anywhere. Try to find a heavier 18 foot boat. They are heavy because they are built solid with accessories and details that are normally not included in small boats and no corners cut which adds weight. Where i'm going is that I had the 4.3 carbed engine in my 190ssi. In the beginning it seemed great as the new boatness was all about excitement, and then I quickly realized that the carbed 4.3 struggles when you load it with people along with what is a massive gas tank of 33 gallons. Large gas tanks are another hallmark of nicer boats as an 18 footer will generally have a tank well under 33 gallons. Again, more weight for the carbed 4.3 to push. Sure, I got a top speed of 51.3 out of it in just the right conditions, no one else abord and an empty tank of gas with no gear. Load it up and then you see the mismatch of an engine that is usually pushing a 700lb lighter hull.
My point is that the chap is a beautiful boat, I was a trailer boater back then before I owned lake homes and everywhere I went I got compliments on it in my state of mediocre glastron and larson bowriders. Don't settle for the 4.3 carb.
There is a reason the 190ssi was offered with a 5.0mpi...becasue it really needed it. Also, I disdain carbs. No reason in the world to have a carb on a mid 2000's boat in the used market where you aren't paying any more for the MPI.

 

[jerlane]

Here's another boat that just came along. '08 Crownline 19ss. 4.3merc MPI. Also low hours. Much closer to me. I would be able to drive to and pick it up.

It seems like Crownline is in the same tier of quality as Monterey and Chaparral.

 

[SkiGuy1980]

I think when you look you'll find the Crown is a higher quality boat. Bottom line is it really will depend on how well it's been cared for.

 

[jkust]

Here's another boat that just came along. '08 Crownline 19ss. 4.3merc MPI. Also low hours. Much closer to me. I would be able to drive to and pick it up.

It seems like Crownline is in the same tier of quality as Monterey and Chaparral.

I'd say decent but still some corners cut especially for an 08. A touch on the narrow side as well. I think I even recall that model has carpet in the engine room and doesn't have covered storage but only divided storage in the engine room. There will generally little tell tale things. Still not a bad 19 footer.

 

[jerlane]

I just talked to the owner of the Crownline and it sounds very promising. The photos of the engine online show the engine compartment to be divided and i don't see any carpet there FWIW. I going to see about getting a marine surveyor set up to have a look at it.

 

[SkiGuy1980]

You might ought to take a look yourself before paying a surveyor. It would be a shame if you paid for that and then determined in person that the boat wasn't for you. Dave

 

[jkust]

I just talked to the owner of the Crownline and it sounds very promising. The photos of the engine online show the engine compartment to be divided and i don't see any carpet there FWIW. I going to see about getting a marine surveyor set up to have a look at it.

Correct divided but not covered with hinged Starboard as in the 190ssi was my point. Googling that model and year shows carpet in the engine room...it's not uncommon, it's just a cut corner to carpet over plywood or unfinished fiberglass instead of using starboard in certain areas and gelcoated/finished fiberglass in others. The same model on boattrader is what i was seeing so who know what I say I suppose.
Marine surveyor in my state starts at 2k but much more common and reasonably priced in many other states.
Crownline was one that had a more judicious use of carpet than some others for a longer period of time.

 

[JimS123]

Both are quality boats, so how well they were cared for is the key. If one was driveway stored and the other garage kept, its no contest.

Mercs are serviced everywhere and parts are always available. Volvos are hit and miss. Some areas have a poor dealer network.

Personally, I wouldn't own a 4.3 V-6. No comparison with a V-8.

If I were to buy a new boat it would have to meet 100% of my requirements. I would pass on both of them. Just my opinion.