needing info/reviews on tahoe boats

[riverbottomhunter]

I posted this earlier, but I think I put it in the wrong spot.

The wife and I are thinking hard about getting our first boat next spring. We looked really hard at a Tahoe q5i at basspro today. Looks to have everything we want, plenty of room for our 2 kids, LOTS of storage and more than enough power. I don't ski, but do enjoy tubing every now and then.

I have searched all over the internet for reviews on these boats and haven't been able to find too many. Most of the review I found were on the 2004-2006 models. Alot of talk about some problems with a piece of molding (i think). Also said had problems with hardware falling out.

Can anyone give me some reviews on the newer models 2010-2011? Any problems with screws falling out of the seats or motor? Any problems with molding cracking?

We are looking at new boats because Im not someone you want working on engines so we are wanting something that will last us for many years (since we will probably have to finance it for many years:facepalm:.)

Any help you can give me would be great

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: needing info/reviews on tahoe boats

When I'm wanting to know about a boat, I go to BoatTest.com. Sign into the site, and you can get into their test numbers. There are some articles about later model Tahoe boats.

Of course Tahoes are part of the Tracker family. They have a single nationwide pricing system, and a very large dealer network (which is a plus.)

I personally prefer to do business with a dealership that's willing to compete on price--not a single price system. With the internet, it's easy to figure out who the "players" are in your retail market, and which dealers are willing to earn your business with a reasonable price. I try to deal locally, but it often pays a lot to drive a little.

 

[riverbottomhunter]

Re: needing info/reviews on tahoe boats

The closest Tahoe/Tracker dealer I have near me is BassPro. I watched a youtube video about testing the Tahoe q5i and they said good things about it, but sometimes I wonder if they are paid extra to give good reviews.

 

[maddog2112]

Re: needing info/reviews on tahoe boats

My boating buddy has the Q5 with 4.3 MPI and is very happy with it. I`ve driven it and like it. I`ve got the 06 Q6 which they don`t make anymore. Its been replaced with the Q7. I`ve got 4 in the family. 1 teen and 1 tween and love the extra room, as mine usually want to bring at least 1 friend apiece along most times. Thats the only thing my buddy has mentioned a few times is how he wishes he had the extra room. When they are anchored together at a swimming hole the width difference is very noticeable. If you plan on having the boat for years, that may be something to consider. Sometimes when your making the purchase is the time to spend a few extra grand for the long haul. Just a little food for thought. Good luck in your decision.

 

[kailec00]

Re: needing info/reviews on tahoe boats

We love ours. We have had 4 kids and 2 adults on our boat and there is plenty of room. When our younger one gets older we will upgrade to the Q8. Ours has plenty of power to pull a 3 person tube with my son and his friend each weighing 135 and then my daughter weighing in at 70. We wakeboard, kneeboard and tube behind it. Usually spend all day out on the water every weekend and there is plenty of storage for that. It is not too big, but the right size for us. This was our first non fishing boat, so we decided to go with one that was just our size and then upgrade to a bigger boat later. I would recommend the boat to anyone. Has plenty of power and is a smooth ride.
Some owners have had issues with the boat wandering at slow speeds, but I have not had any issues with mine. I checked the screws on everything after last year and everything was nice and tight.
Check out this thread in the Tahoe forum. I am not sure how to paste a link to it.
2010 Q5I review
Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

 

[Last Train]

Re: needing info/reviews on tahoe boats

We bought our Q5 S/F about 11 months ago (4.3, 190 HP). In our years before retirement we wanted a vessel that would allow us to make some memories with our adult kids and our grand kids. We wanted it to be large enough to handle several people and yet manageable enough for me to launch, operate and load on the trailer solo. We wanted something to be able to handle operating in both fresh and salt water (largely in our Texas bay systems) for some fishing in "bigger waters." Further, we wanted a boat that was capable enough for towing the kiddos and then ski the grownups, too. Before we made out decision we reviewed various manufacturers that were affordable for us. On thing I did was ask a local repair facility about their experience with different brands. They were very complimentary of the Tahoe line for relative ease of maintenance and generally low incidence. That was key in our decision. Since we bought the Q5 S/F, I have had it one the water for probably 75% of the weekends that have ensued since the purchase. I have used the boat in both fresh and salt water and have pushed it through its entire performance envelope. There has not been one problem with loose hardware or issues with the upholstery. I have been through some challenging water on occasion, but nothing has come loose or rattled. The MerCruiser package has been outstanding, but I carefully managed the boat in the break in period and have ever since been careful to maintain fluids. Performance has been on target with what BoatTest.com reviewed; eg. after the break in period when I could actually run the throttle up all the way, I reached just under 54 Mph. That was with two adults on board with our fishing gear on a totally calm day. That was last year, and performance has not diminished at all. There have been a couple of very minor problems. The screws that mount the bow power plug for the Motorguide wireless trolling motor have stripped out, but the dealer said they will fix that when I bring it in for my annual. I do have an ongoing issue that has been raised to the manufacturer level: operation of the trolling motor totally cancels out an AM radio signal on the Jensen radio in the dash. It seems that they have run the wiring for the trolling motor in the same wiring harness as the Jensen, and that appears to be the source of the problem. They have promised to figure out a solution, but that is not resolved yet. Last weekend during a drive to a bass lake, we discovered that the wiring for a rear trailer light had come loose. I reattached it on the trip and that should be that. In summary, I have used this boat a lot over this past year, and it has been all that is advertised. I don't draw a check from Bass Pro Shop nor Tracker nor Tahoe! But our experience has been positive. That's not always the case, and exceptions happen, but we have been very pleased - especially given the fairly intense use we've given the rig.