Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Bergheim, TX
    Posts
    745

    Falcon F215 or Phoenix 921 Pro XP

    Looking for thoughts from anyone that has rode in or have had both brands? Give me the lowdown if you have rode in them. Pro's or con"s of both. Thx

  2. Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Grant, AL
    Posts
    254
    #2
    I have a 215 with a 250 Yamaha. It rides good and fishes good, but most 21ft boats do or at least should. I've had most brands and this is my 14th boat and its as good as any I've had. I hear people boast about resale value and let me be the first to tell you....resale sucks on all boats. What I like most is the boat does most everything well. The customer service has been top notch. I can't help you with the Phoenix side, but everything Ive heard has been good. I don't think you'll go wrong with either boat.

  3. Member Finlander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    St. John's, FL
    Posts
    711
    #3
    I can second that. Most 20 plus rigs ride better with every inch of hull so it really comes down to which one fits you best.

  4. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Forsyth, MO
    Posts
    2,113
    #4
    Both are very nice boats that ride as good as you’ll find. The front deck of the 921 will be a smidge wider. But in front of the consoles the 215 is a smidge wider. But, for 8-10K less, I’d pick the 215. 8-10K buys a lot of gas, pays down/off the truck, pays a lot of entries, etc. But, take both to the water and see for yourself!

  5. Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Castaic, CA
    Posts
    151
    #5
    I might be one fo the few that had both, even though my Phoenix experience was cut short. For persepctive, I had an 03 Ranger 521 before the Phoenix. I bought a new holdover 2017 Phoenix 921 PHX. Fantastic boats and I got a great deal. Loved the boat, rode very well and fished great. The clamshell console is nice and looks great. That main compartment is BIG. Maybe too big even for a 6'2" inch guy like me. Tough to reach some of the stuff in the front of the box when retieing etc. There are lots of great things on a Phoenix. The wiring system is the best I have ever seen on a bassboat. Rear access to batteries and bilge is a tad tight but nothing crazy. Boat rides great in rough water and lands very softly. I do not have a bad thing to say about the Phoenix. I got a great deal on mine and insured it as a great deal..... Unfortunately the Phoenix was so nice looking someone decided they needed parts of it. Stolen, stripped and burned less than 4 months after I got it. After the insurance settled everything, ( for exactly what I had insured it for so any mistakes were on what I chose to cover i.e. I had 5k fishing tackle.. was not even close to what replacements cost) I really could not afford a new 19 21 PHX rigged the way I wanted. Phoenix boats and resale have continued to go up. I got a great deal on the 17 and was 15k short of what a new 19 would have cost. So i kept looking and thinking.

    I ended up with a Falcon 215 with the 4 stroke Merc. I love the boat. I have several in-depth reviews posted here that you can or have read. I read everything I could when i was thinking about my Falcon. A few areas that are less on the Falcon than on the Phoenix. Wiring is much better on the Phoenix. Phoenix has a fully developed dealer network and staff who work only on customer service issues at the factory. Falcon has great people to work with but they have other hats they wear as well as answer questions and work to fix problems. Falcon is just smaller at this stage but is growing fast. The consoles are not as nice but they are much easier to access if you are adding your own electronics, which I did. Both boats ride and fish great. The Falcon lands just as soft as the Phoenix but it does ride flatter so it does not seems to go up and down as much as the PHX. It just kind of uses the bow to part the waves and you just ride on through it. I wanted to test it at Havasu so when I saw a big loaded wakeboat turn a big curve in front of me I nailed it. Play stupid games get stupid results. Hitting the 3rd 4 foot plus wake at that short intreval put my bow about 10 feet or more into the air.. feathered the hot foot to bring her back down and she landed loud but soft and kept on going. Not a suggested course of action for most folks. ( ok I already said I was playing a stupid game) The Falcon is solid and very well built. The bilge and battery access is great. The two compartments in the front work perfectly for how I use them. She will turn as sharp as you have the balls to ask her too and mine have not been big enough to test the limit. You get more color options on the Phoenix but I also have the ONLY Falcon in California and I cannot overstress just how cool that is.

    If I won some contest and had to pick between a free PHX and a free Falcon it would be a toss up. If I am buying another one, no question the Falcon is my choice right now. The Phoenixs are a bit faster but both are great boats. (both need a smaller front seat.. what is the deal with these wide pedestal seats.) Both of the boats share a Stratos heritage and it would not surprise me if both sets of owners know each other. To me, the boats are more similar than they are different.

  6. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Ofallon, MO
    Posts
    2,825
    #6
    good review littleluk

  7. Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Clyde, Ohio
    Posts
    316
    #7
    A buddy of mine has a 16 921 and its a nice boat....I really do like it. Agree on the soft ride. Has a Pro XS on it and definitely plenty of power. The front storage is wayyyy too big. Two separate compartments would have been perfect for that boat.

    Im a new Falcon 205 owner but as of right now im definitely impressed. Quality....soft ride. Power "G2".....I tore into mine running all new power, Ethernet and I was impressed with how the wiring was. Everything is nice and zip tied together clean. No slop anywhere. Was pleasantly surprised. The drivers compartment has all the room in the world to do electronics and run wiring its insane. My one complaint I do have on the Falcon 205 is the console sitting room in general....between the consoles and such. My last boat was an 08 Champion 200 Elite and I had all the room in the world. Another thing I wish the Falcons did was have the spot to put your hand on the front of the center compartment instead of having to use the handle. My only complaints so far really other than that I get a TON of compliments and love everything else on it!
    Last edited by scum_frog; 05-29-2019 at 08:00 AM.
    2019 Falcon 215 Yamaha Sho 250, Lithiums, X2, Poles, Ultrex, Birds, Mega 360 & Livescope.

    Previous-2017 Falcon 205 Evinrude G2 250HO, Lithiums, Poles, Ultrex, Birds and 360.

  8. Member
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Bergheim, TX
    Posts
    745
    #8
    Great reviews guys, keep them coming if you can.

  9. Member
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    East Tennessee
    Posts
    91
    #9
    I have been in both the 921 and the 215. They are both great boats. As mentioned above the wiring and such is better on the phoenix. As well, the latches are much better in the phoenix and I like the seats better, but obviously the phoenix is more expensive so thats not a surprise. I like the switches in the phoenix better. The both ride really well and will turn like a go cart. I think the nod for ride edges towards the phoenix but thats not to say the falcon is a slouch and everyone feels different when they are in a boat so its probably a toss up depending on who is driving or riding. The bilge area is much better on the falcon. About the only other difference would be livewells. Phoenix has a pretty decently bigger livewell capacity than a Falcon. They are both on the same trailers. Its really a toss up and what you want to spend. I would take either boat if it were free. I chose a 921 because it felt better. Flip a coin. I will add that something to consider is dealer support, its always nice to have a dealer close by, especially if buying new.

  10. Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Clyde, Ohio
    Posts
    316
    #10
    I'll tell you this much.....ive never gotten so many looks and compliments in my life than in my Falcon....fished by first BFL this year on St Clair over the wknd and no exaggeration minimum 20 people said something to me about my boat or drove past and gave me a thumbs up. I was boat 53 in our launch and had most run the way I did in the morning and I was catching and passing people in the boat wake while everyone was slamming into the waves. LOVE this Falcon.
    2019 Falcon 215 Yamaha Sho 250, Lithiums, X2, Poles, Ultrex, Birds, Mega 360 & Livescope.

    Previous-2017 Falcon 205 Evinrude G2 250HO, Lithiums, Poles, Ultrex, Birds and 360.