How is the 2016 Nitro Z18?
How is the 2016 Nitro Z18?
I have a 2020 Z18 Pro and love it. To my knowledge, nothing has changed on the hull since 2016. I think the 2016 was the year the new hull design was introduced. I have a Merc 4S 150 Pro/SX on it and it goes 60mph with me and a full load. I do not have powerpoles or a jack plate yet as I am unsure what that will do with performance. I think I may put one PP and a manual jackplate later on, but not in any hurry. The boat rides well and handles chop ok for a 18' 8" boat. Storage is ok for one angler ... two would be a stretch unless your co-angler packs light. It is not a 21 footer for sure, but it also does not cost 75K. I bought mine new for half that price.
Thank you for the info! Appreciate it.Originally Posted by CDFord
The 2016 Z18 I owned was almost flawless. It ran well with the 175 Pro XS, and was a consistent 67 mph boat loaded with just me. It touched 68 once on a cool fall morning. It would run 64-65 with 2 225lb guys and our gear. Build quality was good. Id say the carpet was about the only thing sub par. I think it was only like 16oz vs the nicer 20oz that comes in the Z21. It started to show some wear after about a year. Never had any other real issues other than having a fuel pickup hose replaced under warranty that came apart due to ethanal in the fuel. Storage was exceptional for a smaller boat, and It fished like a much larger one. Take the rod tubes out of the port locker and you can fit 20+ rods in the lockers. Two of us could easily fish from the front deck together. I was surprised how well it handled rough water. We were caught out in some strong storms more than once and it handled the waves like a much bigger boat. Id say the hydraulic jack plate played a big roll in that and I would highly recommend it on these hulls. Made the boat much easier to adjust for heavy loads and changing water conditions. I traded it in for my Z21 and there are times I wish I still had that smaller boat, especial when trying to fish small canals, or creeks.
Last edited by TXZ21; 04-15-2021 at 01:28 PM.
'17 Nitro Z21, 250ProXS serial # 2B399616, 24p Fury4, 12" Atlas, Apex 16 @ console, Apex 16 & Apex 13 @ bow, Mega 360, Ultrex, 8ft blades
Thanks for the additional insight TXZ21. I now feel even better owing a Z18 ... and nice setup on your old Z18 BTW. Were there any problems with your single axle trailer on that boat? After reading several reviews about the single axle trailer having weak leaf springs, I opted for a tandem trailer with disk brakes. I am really glad I did that due to the many rough dirt pot marked roads I travel in Florida to get to the ramp. I have heard many stories of broken leaf springs leaving folks stranded. Reportedly, the Nitro single axle trailer does not sufficient max weight margin to handle rough road conditions.
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