Re: Baja H2X....quality & performance???
What everyone else said about care/maintenance and the longevity of the 7.4 MPI. If they get reasonable maintenance and aren't run hot they're damn near bulletproof.
Baja is at the low end of the price range for sport boats. You get a lot for your money, but don't expect custom workmanship and rigging. That said, it's the same Mercruiser engine/drive package that the expensive boats use. The H2X is a lot of fun; small enough to pull a skier or wakeboarder, but big enough to run in the chop if you need to. A good friend of ours has a 496magHO powered H2X and it runs 70+mph at wide open throttle. He runs it pretty hard and keeps up with all the big boats until the water starts to get rough. That it's a "sit down" boat (no stand up bolsters) makes it a hard to run in really sloppy water; you can do it, it's just uncomfortable taking the impacts with your back instead of your legs.
If it's been maintained and the price is right I think you'll be very happy with that boat. It's not a purpose built tow boat and it will never be as good for towsports as a Malibu, Tige, Nautique, etc, but a tow boat won't go 60+mph when you want to, nor will they cruise at 45mph and get decent fuel economy like the Baja.
It's a good idea to have a survey and a mechanical inspection done on any used boat, with the purchase contract contingent upon a successful survey/inspection. Especially want to check for rot in the transom and stringers as sometimes the folks at the Baja factory didn't seal the wood very well in places (this isn't just a problem with Bajas). You'll get some additional info from H2X owners at teambajamarine.com.
