Advice on new purchase.

[Donato]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to the forum, google searches have led me the forum. Very impressed with the info available, much of which has helped me in deciding certain features I want in my next purchase.

Ive narrowed down my purchase due to space constraints in my garage to a 2018 Ranger z518 with 150 g2 ho or a 2018 z518c with 200 pro xs / g2 ho.

My current boat runs 47 mph on a good day, the longest runs I make are around 15 mins just to give you an idea on how big the water I fish is. I fish around 10-15 tournaments a season against many boats powered by 250s.

The price difference locally for a 518 150 g2 ho vs 518c 200 pro xs is around 5k, vs 518c 200 g2 ho 3k more than pro xs. Hole shot is a big deal as I'm running with full wells often and a fair bit of gear. A friend of mine is running a 518 with a 150 pro xs and he said it can be a real dog when hes tournament loaded hence the 150 pro xs is not in the running for me.

1- Realistically what would I be looking at top end with a 518 150 g2 ho tournament loaded and how would my hole shot be?
2- If the 518c with 200 is better suited for me will the pro xs provide enough hole shot and top end vs the 200 g2 ho, this way I can save my sell a few thousand.

[dukhntr]

the 518 with the 200 will be easier to sell if you ever decide to. You won't be disappointed at all with the 200. I would want the boat with a 150 after having it with a 200....no way. It's an awesome boat. My dad liked mine and bought himself a brand new one last year.....

[bassbama]

Tell your friend to look into a Chris Bailey foil

[coloblt]

I have a 2018 z185 with a g2 150 HO. I am at 5500 feet elevation. With me and a buddy fully loaded I'm getting about 53mph top speed. I will say the 150 g2 ho has an incredible hole shot, sub 3 seconds. I went with the g2 over a merc 4 stroke for this reason, incredible torque. I think at lower elevations guys are seeing 60 mph...

[Jbass2]

Check the warranty on the G2 versus the Merc. G2 ran a recent promotion with a 10 year warranty. That would be worth an extra 3000 in my opinion. It would also make selling an 8 year old boat a little easier if the warranty transfers.
I would not get the 150. Most people would view that as under-powered and it would be harder to sell eventually.

[CaymasRodney]

If hole shot is what you are after either one will give you that on the G2. Personally like the Z518C and it would be an animal with that 200 G2 no matter how much load you put it under.

[Donato]

Thanks for the insight gentleman, much appreciated.

I'm going to find out what the warranty on the 200 pro xs would be vs the g2. I know there is a promotion for 10 years warranty on the g2 so that may make up for the 3k savings along with the added confidence in performance.

[Rangerdawg]

Get the 200 in either

[Binder]

I would go with the Z518c and the ProXS. It’s hard for me to justify the cost of the Evinrude G2. So if it was me purchasing I’d spend my money on the bells and whistles of the Z518C paired up with a 200 ProXS. Even though I don’t think you can go wrong with either 200 HP engine.

[jc2bg]

Thanks for the insight gentleman, much appreciated.

I'm going to find out what the warranty on the 200 pro xs would be vs the g2. I know there is a promotion for 10 years warranty on the g2 so that may make up for the 3k savings along with the added confidence in performance.

Different promotions pop up periodically, but the last I heard, Pro XS warranty was 3 years and platinum extension out to 7 years would cost you more than $3000. My advice, for what it’s worth, is to always purchase the best performance you can afford on a boat, whatever your research convinces you is best. Otherwise, you’re making a big investment that is setting you up for disappointment—or at best, limited enjoyment—from the start. You also can change/upgrade many components on the boat you purchase—for example, electronics or trolling motor—and even recoup some of that expense by selling or trading in your original, less expensive equipment. So there’s money to be saved right there on your initial purchase, if an extra $3000 would put you in a bind. But it’s a lot harder to trade engines on a practically new boat if, after you run it for a while, you decide that you want the better engine after all. In short, the engine is one thing you want to get as “right” as possible the first time. Good luck with your purchase!

[n2ratfishin]

What does your local dealer specialize in servicing? If Merc get that, if Bombardier get that. I'd get the 200 either way, especially if you carry heavy loads. They are both 2S DFI motors so long term expect some routine maintence. I can vouch that cost on an Opti can can get up there when you get past five years. I've not heard of anyone needing injectors cleaned on a G2 yet, but none of the guys I fish with run one yet. My dealer is primarily Merc or Yamaha.

The 7 year Platinum on my 115 4S ProXS was 1100.00. The bigger the motor the more they cost for a Merc.