MariStar line gone for '13

[thatsmrmastercraft]

Originally Posted by Hogwild

I have to agree with you smitty. I thought the cheesy graphics on the xstars were a small step in the wrong direction but the new mc boats are going way out there. It reminds me of the 80"s when neon was screaming at your eyes from every direction. Give me simple style and class any day. I wont be able to sell my pimped out graphics boat 10 years from now to anyone not tripping on lsd.

Makes a person think of orange shag carpet.

[scott023]

Originally Posted by JohnE

Yes, a lot of little things which added up to not much IMO. I was talking major (again IMO) differences.

Yes, minor cosmetic differences that don't mean much IMO.

[BigBarney]

Went to a dealership a couple of weeks ago to look at the new MC's. X55, X35, X25 were all walked through by me, the wife, and kids.

Honest to goodness truth, after almost 1.5 hours, the wife and kids all chose the same boat that they liked the best.....................

It was one of the Cobalts that they had 'visited' by mistake (dealer sales them too)!

Now don't get me wrong, I have over a dozen MC posters in our ski room. Several MC hats and a proud sticker on my truck. I love Mastercraft. I really really really want to stay with them.

But I also will not be blinded by any brand. And the giddy feeling that I had 10 years ago when I got my X30 just wasn't there. Quality is top notch. Performance it there too. But aesthetically, MC is behind.

I don't write this to stir the pot. Just to vent. And keep from crying

[Hogwild]

Originally Posted by BigBarney

Went to a dealership a couple of weeks ago to look at the new MC's. X55, X35, X25 were all walked through by me, the wife, and kids.

Honest to goodness truth, after almost 1.5 hours, the wife and kids all chose the same boat that they liked the best.....................

It was one of the Cobalts that they had 'visited' by mistake (dealer sales them too)!

Now don't get me wrong, I have over a dozen MC posters in our ski room. Several MC hats and a proud sticker on my truck. I love Mastercraft. I really really really want to stay with them.

But I also will not be blinded by any brand. And the giddy feeling that I had 10 years ago when I got my X30 just wasn't there. Quality is top notch. Performance it there too. But aesthetically, MC is behind.

I don't write this to stir the pot. Just to vent. And keep from crying

I know what you mean. I too love Cobalts. Great quality; classic lines; no unnecessary gadgets. If I could find a 222 or a 226 with a tower for the same price as I got my Maristar for I would probably switch. And I'm saying this after I dreamed of having a Maristar for 15 years.

[CruisinGA]

Originally Posted by Smitty

I have to say that after being at a major boat show over the past weekend that I'm dissappointed in the direction of MC. The Maristar lineup was centered around family and class. I would have considered it to be the Cadillac of the watersports boats. But the newest lineup of MC boats are ridiculous and gaudy. I felt like the boats were screaming at me. Too much stuff for too little purpose. I see very little in the way of clean and classic taste. I know that the market is leaning to the extreme sports demographic, but you have to give choice to family. And not every family is looking for $20K of unnecessary crap that has the potential of malfunctioning and breaking at a moments notice. What ever happen to having a solid, reliable boat that you would have been proud to hand down to the next generation? Now every boat has a "wrap", tower or a ballast. Sorry, but MC has lost me. I'm proud of my '05 Maristar and I love the fact that it still has style and class without being loud, obnoxious and insufferable.

Someone from MC needs to take a walk over to the Colbalt or Chris Craft display. These are the only boats that still understand form and function combined with class and style. These boats look stylish without being over the top and probably retain their value far better than what MC, CC, or MB does these days. Don't even get me started on CC, because that was just down right bad IMO.

Call me old fashioned, but I come from a day where MC, Ski Supreme, CC, and American Skier set the standard for what water sports boats should be... Reliable, competitive, durable, stylish and legendary. Now, we feel the need to be everything but that... Obnoxious, loud, distasteful, and deplorable. You can have your Xwhatever for all I care. I love my Maristar and covet my Dad's '84 American Skier. I'm sad to see MC make such a poor marketing choice by eliminating the Maristar/V line up. Even if it just was a stripped down X/whatever. It still had class and styling and would be passed down to the next generation.

Maybe today's Xstar funky wraps, colors and graphics will be retro and cool in 30 years. Just like the Centurion "Tru trac II" will be retro never.

Originally Posted by Hogwild

I know what you mean. I too love Cobalts. Great quality; classic lines; no unnecessary gadgets. If I could find a 222 or a 226 with a tower for the same price as I got my Maristar for I would probably switch. And I'm saying this after I dreamed of having a Maristar for 15 years.

Cobalts are nice boats for sure. I like them a lot
But when it comes to any kind of watersport.... They are another I/O.

[jakethebt]

Originally Posted by JohnE

At one point some electronics were standard on the X series and optional on the maristar/ prostar but afaik they all would be
the same today. (Not real up to speed on the newest electronics)

I know almost everyone wishes the electronics were optional these days.

Why is this so hard for the mfg to figure out? It is like "If we dont have touch screens then we suck." Maybe a cheaper version of the MC line will come along and shock the heck out of the marketing dept... of course they will dismiss it and say it sells more because it is cheaper, which would be true but many may choose because it is simple.

You could take a 351W and fuel inject it... drop that in a nice looking hull and interior with MC quality and it would sell... Look at how many extra parts are on the 214 compared to a '93 S&S... there are brackets and covers, sensors...

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by CruisinGA

Cobalts are nice boats for sure. I like them a lot
But when it comes to any kind of watersport.... They are another I/O.

You just don't get it. Not everyone in this market is looking for a tripped out wake boat with skull graphics and 10K lbs of ballast. Many of us are here because we know that the integrity of the MC product is generally superior from companies like Colbalt and that we trust in a product that comes from generations of quality engineering and craftmanship. We pay the extra price for product that is going to be reliable and trustworthy. But, the trend inside of MC, and most other watersports boat builders, is to cater to a demographic that drinks diet Mountain Dew, has a Red Bull tattoo, and thinks that Bruce Jenner is famous for being Kim Kardashian's creepy dad.

All we are looking for is a little class. And MC has lost that. I know how the other guy feels when you take the family to look at boats and they don't like the MC. My wife and kids were drooling over the new 2013 20' Chris Craft and my son was asking when we were going to trade the Maristar in. I was floored! Even a 13 yr. old knows what style and class looks like. Leather wrapped dash board, clean lines, LUXURY appointments. It's the difference between owning a Cadillac that will have years of style, and owning a Camaro that was made to look like a Transformer.

[mikeg205]

Good point jake, after looking at some of the competitive boats I can't see why MC would appear to be abandoning a segment of the market that would pay for a new boat if was $40K. I don't see that model cannibalizing sales at the high end...unless factory capacity could not handle it. Saw some nice competitive boats that had less bells and whistles which would have to be considered. Anyway, we don't have all the inputs that are being used to drive the development of the MC lineup. It will be interesting to see it unfold.

[02ProstarSammyD]

Good point jake, after looking at some of the competitive boats I can't see why MC would appear to be abandoning a segment of the market that would pay for a new boat if was $40K. I don't see that model cannibalizing sales at the high end...unless factory capacity could not handle it. Saw some nice competitive boats that had less bells and whistles which would have to be considered. Anyway, we don't have all the inputs that are being used to drive the development of the MC lineup. It will be interesting to see it unfold.

Rich people wouldn't want to own a benz if everybody could afford one. Hate to say it but it all sounds like MC trying to stay as a "premium boat". They could make a cheaper boat all day long but it'd be like lexus coming out with a yaris.

[02ProstarSammyD]

BTW checked on something

I can go get a handful of brand new 22' boats ready to roll for what I can but a 7 year old x15.

I mean I'm not trying to be a snot here but the cheapest x15 (not ss) on OI is like 50k and 7 years old haha. I can go buy a new boat with a warranty for that kind of $$$. At that point MC won't even sell us new skins for the boats!