Tahoe Q5i vs. Q7i vs. SeaRay 185 Sport

[spatton]

Just found these boards yesterday. Great info and resources.

My family and I are looking to purchase a new boat. Our primary goal is to use it throughout the year with a variety of watersports - tubing, skiing, wakeboarding. I have it narrowed down to these three boats.

Tahoe Q5i, Tahoe Q7i, Sea Ray 185 Sport

Q5i vs. 185
The Q5i and Sea Ray have similar features, and I would opt for the 4.3 MPI 220hp motor as well as the folding wakeboard tower/bimini top. The Sea Ray also includes the boat covers, seat boosters, and removable carpet. The Tahoe boats have the walk-through transoms. I have quotes on both of these boats around $29,900 + TTL.

The thing that really chaps my hide is the $4690 price tag on the Tahoe wakeboard tower / bimini. I don't think some hollow metal tubes cost that much to make. The same option on the Sea Ray is half that. I also wasn't impressed by the sales guy at Bass Pro, and service after the sale is practically non-existent. The Sea Ray dealer talked a lot about service, and how he would take me on the lake after the purchase to go through the boat, loading/unloading, etc...

Q7i
To me, there was a considerable difference in the Q5i vs. the Q7i. The Q7i seemed much more roomier (yes, it is a bigger boat) and didn't look as "inexpensive/cheap" as the Q5i. Honetly, I really liked the looks and feel of it.

However, for the 5.0 220hp V8 engine and wakeboard tower for the Q7i, the price tag would jump to $32,430. If I picked the 4.3 MPI 220 motor, it would add another $1k.

Summary
I am probably answering my own questions, but my wife and I are not really sure which way to go. It's almost a no-brainer to pick between the Q5i and the 185 sport. I think I had my heart set on the Q7i, but the apparent build quality and service with the Sea Ray makes her lean towards that. The Q7i is obviously bigger than the Sea Ray, but is it worth it?

So, I am looking to see what the opinions are from the board. Thank you in advance.

 

[ktrahan75]

Re: Tahoe Q5i vs. Q7i vs. SeaRay 185 Sport

The Q5I and Sea Ray 185, though similar, the sea ray might be a better choice at that price point. Sea Ray is in a different class of boat than Tahoe. It'll have slightly higher grade finishes compared to Tahoe. Tahoe has the built in swim platform and walk through transom, sea ray does not, so you'll have to cross over sun pad every time, risking a tear or busted seam. Bass Pro won't give you the customer service your looking for, they are a big chain and just want to get the sale done. Try negotiating the price and bring them the comparison on the Sea Ray. Also, look for a individual dealer and you'll be better taken care of there, no matter what boat your get. If you have a large family and you can spare the extra change, go with the Q7i. You don't want to regret a smaller boat and smaller power plant later on, you'll lose on resale. With what your describing your use will be, you'll have a lot of gear and the extra space will benefit you. You won't be disappointed with Tahoe, I have the Q5I and love it. Yes it's not a Sea Ray, but's it's better than a lot of other boats in its class. If you want to compare Sea Ray, go look at a Chaparral 186 or a Crownline 185. Upgrade your prop to stainless so you maximize your performance on your boat and get the biggest power plant you can afford. Good Luck. And yes, it sounds like your wife has made up YOUR mind for you. LOL.

 

[maddog2112]

Re: Tahoe Q5i vs. Q7i vs. SeaRay 185 Sport

I agree with Ktrahan 100 percent. The sea ray is a much nicer boat, so you are not comparing apples to apples. I have the Q6 with the 5.0 which is the same size as the Q7. Our boating friends have a Q5 with the 4.3 , and I can only say they love the extra room in our boat. It makes a huge difference with 4 adults and a couple of kids along. The extra power is significant and very noticeable( you can never have too much). I never have to worry if I can pull a tube or skier with a full boat. My 2 kids 15 and 12 love to bring at least 1 friend apiece when we go to the lake. That may be something for you to consider. I don`t have to worry near as much with the extra passengers, as I know we have plenty of room. Hope this helps. Good luck in your decision.

 

[C-17 Pilot]

Re: Tahoe Q5i vs. Q7i vs. SeaRay 185 Sport

Check your PM's.

 

[TahoeQ5]

Re: Tahoe Q5i vs. Q7i vs. SeaRay 185 Sport

I am going to chime in here if you and the other members don't mind. I have owned (4) Tahoes along with numerous other makes, Stratos, Mariah, Bayliner (nick named "Bottom Liner") so I think I am somewhat qualified to give an opinion.
The Tahoes I have owned were (2) Q5's, a Q4 and I am currently refurbishing a Q7. I think Tahoe has come a long way in the mass production boat business and typically turns out a decent vessel for the price point you are interested in. There are horror stories, as with almost any mass production brand so I would not allow that to be your deciding factor. I also would not place a mass produced Sea Ray in the same category as a Crownline, completely out of scope and price point too!
The larger vessel will have a tandem trailer, does that work for you? Will it fit in your garage, if that is the plan. My current Q7 will not fit in my garage, however my Q5's had folding tongues and did just fit. Do you prefer the "comfort factor" of a tandem trailer, I personally do. I have lost wheel assemblies with single axles and it can be a nightmare. Make sure the trailer has disc brakes, not the cheap drum type.
Always, Always, Always go with the largest power plant offered, not only for performance, but also for longevity and resale value. Absolutely go with MPI, hands down.
There are online sites where you can get wakeboard towers for a 1/4 of what the dealer is asking, try Great Lakes Skipper. They have numerous Tracker wakeboard towers. Put the money in the engine and drive unit.
Take someone with you to the dealership who is not awed by the prospect of buying that shiny new hole in the water, money pit, as you are. A good neutral party. Look the vessel over in detail. And I mean in detail. Look everywhere, you are thinking of spending a considerable sum of money and you should not be limited or hampered in your efforts, please remember to remove your shoes first though. If this is your first vessel purchase consider taking someone you may know whom is accustomed to boat ownership and can point out areas that may be of concern. Test every hatch, door and window for proper closure and locking. Look under and around every screwed in device for stripped heads or loose fitting hardware, especially in high use items such as, cleats, seats, dash hatches. Check the engine compartment for loose items, battery trays, vent blowers, hose connections. DOES THIS CRAFT HAVE A PLASTIC POWER STEERING COOLER. Have the dealer change it to a metal unit if it does. There is a recall on those units and it will fail.
The Q5 with a 220 MPI V-6 and Alpha drive is a good combination and will perform well under most circumstances. Mine was not MPI but it would haul 4 adults and 2 kids and once I propped it correctly (stainless 15"x23p) it had a decent hole shot and top end, around 45-47 mph. The Q7 is a heavier boat by far and will suffer with a V-6 power plant. I would not consider anything under 260HP for that size of vessel. The Alpha drive will handle up to a 300HP engine, anything over that and you will be looking at a Bravo 1 drive. I think the Q7 has a Bravo 1 option with a 6 liter power plant, now thats a great combination and the Bravo drive has terrific resale value. It does add considerably to the cost though. However think of it as, buy the most power you can get and then add the other bells and whistles later on as you become proficient in seamanship , AND discover great places to get marine parts much cheaper than the line items the dealer is showing you. And lastly, I am somewhat anal about the construction of a vessel and have in every single case of owning a boat methodically gone through from bow to stern and changed out screws to through bolts with backing plates where ever I could. Stainless hardware can be expensive if you don't shop the internet. I use white starboard from Wal Mart (cutting boards) for backing plates, cheap and easily shaped AND will not rot or rust. Also, Tracker Marine has a 10 year vinyl replacement policy, you can get replacement vinyl for almost all their vessels ready made as "skins" that just slip over and staple on. Albeit a rather inexpensive 15 ounce grade vinyl. I do typically recover all my crafts with a much better grade of vinyl, like 29-30 ounce marine vinyl.
So , good luck with your choice and remember to take a safe boating course if this is your first vessel.
P.S. I almost forgot, get a container of Marine Stay-bil for your fuel tank and use it, you can thank me later.

 

[spatton]

Re: Tahoe Q5i vs. Q7i vs. SeaRay 185 Sport

Thank you for your responses.

My wife and I have decided to purchase a Q7i with the 5.0 MPI 260hp motor. Hopefully we will be picking it up this week after I get the financing squared away and a place to store it.

The larger vessel will have a tandem trailer, does that work for you? Will it fit in your garage, if that is the plan.

No, we don't have room in the garage. We will be looking for offsite storage this week.

Always, Always, Always go with the largest power plant offered, not only for performance, but also for longevity and resale value. Absolutely go with MPI, hands down.

I have come to that realization, and thus we are opting for the 5.0 260hp MPI.


In addition, I will be getting the wakeboard tower down the road, not at this time. I have been looking at various vendors online, and yes they are 1/2 the cost of the dealer option.

I use white starboard from Wal Mart (cutting boards) for backing plates

Where do you use these at?


Thanks again for the responses; I'll post pics once we get the boat.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Tahoe Q5i vs. Q7i vs. SeaRay 185 Sport

I think you will be happy with the choice. After having had the Q7 for so long, (mine is a 2001) I started looking for a newer model. I figured a Q5 or a Q4 would work, until I sat in one. No where near the room, and there is only 3 of us normally in the boat. We usually bring coolers, chairs, toys, etc etc and never run out of room. It handles well too. Ours has the 5.7l. It jumps out of the water. My Dad has a 215(I think) deck boat with a 4.3 and it is grossely underpowered.

We used to store ours in the garage, but it took up most of the garage. We had a swing away tongue and had to really play with it to get it all the way in there. We do have a fairly large garage though. We could still fit one more car in there with the boat. I just prefer to store it at the marina where it can be in the water in about 5 minutes.

I have been in a lot of boats, and for the money it is a nice boat. I had a 21ft Chaparral that was a nicer boat, but also came with twice the price tag.

 

[TahoeQ5]

Re: Tahoe Q5i vs. Q7i vs. SeaRay 185 Sport

I use white starboard from Wal Mart (cutting boards) for backing plates, cheap and easily shaped AND will not rot or rust.

Where do you use these at?

I typically look for weak areas behind fiberglass, like cleats, engine cover gas strut mounts, ski rings, etc. By cutting and fitting in the white board behind the area it adds considerable strength and helps the overall structural integrity.


Thanks again for the responses; I'll post pics once we get the boat.[/QUOTE]