Is it me or does anyone else think the new 210 Elite looks like a Champion or did it replace the Champions.....
Is it me or does anyone else think the new 210 Elite looks like a Champion or did it replace the Champions.....
2003 Stratos 18XL 2019 Mercury pro xs 150 4 stroke. Model # 1152F131D. Serial # 2B649764
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Les Young »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Champion rebadged with Stratos stickers.</td></tr></table>
This...
Champion was absorbed into the Stratos namesake...
2019 BassCat Lynx 2019 250 Pro XS 4 Stroke - 2B573410
"Reality Is Often Disappointing."
That explains it....thanks
It's just to bad that they got it backwards.
+1 If champion followers stop buying the rebadged champion stratos will drop the elite boats totally because of not selling just my 2 cents.
Garmin Stiker 7sv and 7cv
2017 Crestliner VT17 - Mercury 60 4S
I'm not sure if you are referring to me or not. I own a stratos and never have owned a champion. I do know that champion is a more elite brand with a better reputation. I also think they screwed up putting the stratos name on a champion. Though I had heard that the last few years of champ the quality wasn't there like it used to be.
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by 5bites »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I'm not sure if you are referring to me or not. I own a stratos and never have owned a champion. I do know that champion is a more elite brand with a better reputation. I also think they screwed up putting the stratos name on a champion. Though I had heard that the last few years of champ the quality wasn't there like it used to be. </td></tr></table>
Easy tiger....There was a reason it went the way it did....
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Jason Phillips
Ok there uhhhh..... Lion?
I'm not sure what the objective of your post is? Or for that matter why I was quoted?
Because we aren't going to go down this road again about which is better and such. I apologize if you missed out on those discussions, but trust me, they never turn out nice.
The current Stratos lineup (VLO, XL, and Elite) is the best it's ever been. The Stratos brand was more marketable and selling a lot more boats so that is the one they went with.
Sorry if you thought I was calling you out specifically. Was sort of making a joke. I'm just wanting to stop something before it gets started (and believe me, it will get started).
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Jason Phillips
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Jason Phillips »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
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LMAO![]()
Ooooooookay. I did notice you did not call out the people on the other side. No biggie. I own a stratos but I know that the champs were a step above in quality and respect in the industry. It's no mystery lol. Just like bullets are faster and rangers have a better resale value.
Anyway I'll start talking about what we are allowed to in a public forum about boats. Even if the topic was started about a topic that might get someone's feelings hurt I'll just post what the popular opinion is in this specific board to avoid confrontation even if it isn't my opinion.
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Unfortunately, there are people on here that do get there feelings hurt over boats and others will jump in and really enjoy stirring it up. I tried to curb that before it got started on this thread.
But, if you feel the need, carry on. They are your opinions so that's your right.![]()
Jason Phillips
To me they are prices of fiberglass that keep me from getting wet when I fish in the lake. My first post was the only one I intended to make. If anyone disagrees with me that's sure fine with me. If their weren't different opinions then their would only be one boat manufacter. I like my stratos. I'm grateful to have a boat at all! I do know that their are higher quality boats out there. That said my very next boat may be another stratos!
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by 5bites »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Ooooooookay. I did notice you did not call out the people on the other side. No biggie. I own a stratos but I know that the champs were a step above in quality and respect in the industry. It's no mystery lol. Just like bullets are faster and rangers have a better resale value.
Anyway I'll start talking about what we are allowed to in a public forum about boats. Even if the topic was started about a topic that might get someone's feelings hurt I'll just post what the popular opinion is in this specific board to avoid confrontation even if it isn't my opinion.
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I think what Jason was trying to tell you was that building Champion boats under the Stratos name was done to try to save the Champion boat line. The Champion baots were not selling good enough to stay above water. So if they had started building Stratos boats under the Champion name both lines wouild have gone under.
That may be correct but at the same time it doesn't add up. The champion name has a reputation of being an elite class boat. A step above in quality. Kinda like ranger. Rangers are slow and ride so so but people buy them mostly because of the name. I guarantee if ranger was going under (again) then they would come back as ranger no matter who bought them.
I wish they woulda just promised a even more refined quality boat, said its better than ever and go with it.
It is a more refined, better quality boat now. It's built in a state of the art facility. I think Stratos and Triton have both improved due to where they are now being built.
But as far as the reputation, I would have agreed with that 10-15 years ago. But in all seriousness, the reputation and quality took a couple of big hits in the time since then. A lot had to do with management decisions. Sales actually struggled due to marketing and unpopular changes to the hulls. But also a lot due to the fact that the older owners didn't buy new Champions. They bragged about the new boats, ooh'd and aah'd, but held onto their old boats. Withouth new sales, less and and less could be put into the brand. When Champion was built alongside Stratos in Murfreesboro (same building, side by side), there were three assembly lines. Two were for Stratos, one was for Champion. And the one for Champion also was used for other boats as well. That's how significant the sales difference was.
The thought of Champion's being a step above is really an older thought. Sort of like Ranger's resale value being higher. That's only because they are higher to start with. If I buy a $64K Ranger now and sell it for $50K in a year, I lost $14K or 22%. If I bought a new Stratos for $45K and sold it in a year for $38K, I lost $7K or just under 16%. So, did the Ranger bring more money used? Yes. Was it actually better? Nah.
Jason Phillips
Not a bad point. I still stick with the champion being universally regarded as a better boat and the name carrying more worth. If stratos bought bullet and ran the assembly lines ( I know those words made the bullet owners cringe) side by side the bullet line would make fewer boats but the quality would be better. Obviously this assumed they'd be made the same way
Those people can buy whatever boat name they want but to change the name seem silly regardless the reasoning behind it.