2023 Prostar

[Cnewbert]

Here’s a gorgeous new 2023 Prostar just arrived at Action in Polk City. Looks the same to me as the 2022, but since ours is a 2020 I’m not particularly familiar with last year’s model. Maybe a spec change or two? One way or another, a stunning boat! They’re getting hard to improve upon in function and beauty.

 

 

[LoopSki]

I bet the 2023 comes with a complimentary price increase!

[Ski2000]

Looks like zero gravity is a new option.

NICE. ?

[Cnewbert]

@LoopSki with our current inflation rate of roughly 7.9%, how could the price possibly not increase?

[MitchellM]

I was just there looking at that boat. The price is insane and that's a boat with very few upgrades!

[LoopSki]

Share the price!

[Cnewbert]

I never asked the price myself. Who needs the temptation? ??

[skimtb]

At least one ski rack and back seats. And I think I see speakers. So not stripped. Looks nice.

[Cnewbert]

I recall it had both port and starboard ski racks, plus it had Deckadence floor covering and one of the very expensive $900 mirrors. I do believe the stereo systems are now standard. I wouldn’t call it stripped.

[MitchellM]

When I spoke with them about this boat, I was informed that there are very few upgrades. Base paint on this model saves several thousand. It does have the convenience package (both ski racks, bimini, cover), deckadence floor, and bow cover. Price quoted to me was $140k.

[Mastercrafter]

Hooooollllyyyy smokes. I was told by Action that it’ll be hard to get one for less than $125. I guess the $95 I was quoted for a 2022 was a deal.

[hemlock]

The fiberglass swim platforms are super nice, but man... that wood platform is stunning.

[Horton]

@hemlock yeah I always order the wood

[tjs1295]

WOW!!! Wasn't one of the advertising points a few years ago that you could get one of these and be out skiing for $75,000?

[Drago]

A few years ago...

Probably ""Starting" at 75.

Trailer: 10k

6.2 liter :15k

Back seat: 1,500(?)

Mirror: 900

Bow cover, ski rack, Bimini, decadance, sea deck, etc, all upgrades

[MDB1056]

A BIG +1 for older boats………

[03RLXi]

I'm not sure about the hard to improve the beauty comment. Sure, I fully understand beauty is in the eye of beholder but what's with the if it's flat cover it in flooring foam style? Personally I much prefer the smooth flowing lines of all brands of ski boats in late 90s to mid 2010s with simple colours and gauges than the current pickle fork hulls with edgy geodestic patterned colours and touch screens. Time will tell what become classics and what don't

[6balls]

Bro Jim got a 6.2 liter with bilateral ski racks, bimini, the corner back seats, the bow cover, stereo, heated seats for $75K in 2015.

[slow]

Mastercraft makes a beautiful and functional ski boat. Everything costs a lot of money these days. Glad they create a great design and make money off it. Capitalism.

[Cnewbert]

$75,000 in 2015 is equivalent to roughly $94,000 today, so the price has exceeded the inflation of the dollar. I suspect the cost of vendor supplied equipment like motors, transmissions, LCD screens, fiberglass etc. might have increased at a higher rate than inflation, as well as labor and management. I only know two things for certain: these Prostars are simply gorgeous boats and secondly, I could own a brand new Prostar for every day of the week for much less than the cost of a single upper level competition horse in any of a number of different equestrian disciplines. So it’s not the cost of new boats that is holding the growth of the sport down.

[tjs1295]

@Drago I get it, there are options available. So, what could you get for the $75,000 in 2015 or whatever year that price was advertised? The marketing campaign must have worked, because I definitely remember it. I was under the impression that the $75,000 would have bought me a boat that would have at least skied similar to my 2007 Ski Nautique with no backseat, and Perfect Pass. I figured a brand new Prostar with a 5.7 or 6 liter plus zero off would do that. Did that price include a trailer? If not, then I agree $75,000 would not do it.

[Woodybc62]

In 2021 the msrp w trailer was 75k !

[chrislandy]

wasn't it 60k at release?

[tjs1295]

@Drago On second thought, I think I get your point. The boat above for $140K would not have been listed for $75K in the past. It would have been higher.

[Drago]

Yes, that was my point

Last year, if I recall, it was "starting at $85", but no trailer. That would be the bare bones boat that is often talked about.

Basic paint, 5.7, zo , fiberglass floor, no back seat, etc.

Maybe not generally what's on the showroom floor?

The boat above, if I had to guess, would be $10k less last year

[Cnewbert]

@drago. The 6,0 became the base motor in 2020.

[Woodybc62]

Guys, you can find the 2021 specs. Advertised 75k w trailer. 6 liter motor. 22 was 85k msrp. Was quoted 92k nicely equipped for a 22. Now about 130k.

[chaloux]

Hmm. 40K increase feels pretty bad. I'll keep watching the '21 and up prices and see what happens in a year or two.

[DW]

Taking a broader view, a $27k ski boat in 1994 would theoretically go for $55k today using an inflation calculator off google. I then googled MSRP for a '94 Prostar 190 (came up $27,300 w/ single axle trailer) to see if my guess / memory was close.

 

My conclusion is, like many other sports, the price of admission for the sport has doubled inflation and thus priced much of the populous out. It does not seem to matter if the build slots are full for whatever variant boat trundles down the assembly line therefore plenty of buyers out there so it's a demand driven pricing index.

[Kwoody51]

Price will be what market can bear.

 

$140k for prostar is nuts! Yes I’m fully aware the MC wake boats are $200-300k. Which is just silly!

 

Public company has do all they can to keep profits up…

[MitchellM]

@Kwoody51 they did have 5 other massive MC wake boats in the showroom when I was there. Those were all priced more than double the Prostar. You have to be very wealthy to get into those boats.

[escmanaze]

@DW

 

There are many folks out there who believe that the way the government puts together the CPI numbers is erroneous, and many believe it is intentional in an effort to hide their poor fiscal policy. So if that is the case, then of course the numbers don't pencil out using a standard CPI calculation.

 

Now I cross my fingers and hope I didn't just veer far enough into politics to get banned. Fingers crossed.

[escmanaze]

More importantly, with each passing year recently, it becomes more and more apparent to me that I probably need to start dumping money into my old '97 SNOB instead of saving up for a Prostar replacement. As much as I love that boat, the numbers are just making the equation simply not work anymore.

[Kwoody51]

@escmanaze the thing with the crazy prices of boats is it makes ‘all’ boats worth more.

 

It seems many that have purchased board in 2015 and after can and have sold boats for more than they paid.

 

Will be curious if rescission sticks around to see if boats are off loaded for steep discounts.

[chaloux]

@Kwoody51

Will be curious if rescission sticks around to see if boats are off loaded for steep discounts.

 

This is what I'm hoping for

[Jody_Seal]

it used to be mfgr retail price was based on a multifacation factor of 2.5 times the cost to manufacture the boat.

I think it is probably closer to three times now.

 

general cost of resin to the average consumer is about $2k per 55 gals. the large amount that manufacturers utilize they of course buy at abput 40% less. average weight per gal of resin is 9 pounds.

last year the price of resin was very high and scarce. this year the price per pound of resin

has

decreased dramatically over last year.

reminder frp products and materials are still

Petroleum based.

the cost to build these boats is probably in the high $30k to low $40k . due to the very low production #s for the ski dedicated boats profit margins are held higher then the bigger boats being produced with higher production

numbers.

 

how this all impacts the competitive aspect of the sport of watersking can be seen in the rules and policy's as well as long standing elitest ideolgy.

 

 

 

 

[Drew_Wright_OBXtoFl]

Just buy used for now. The new PS are awesome. The market on the bigger WB Boats is getting saturated and prices are soft there. It’s going to take more time for new ski boats. MC is really the only one building any real numbers and even theirs are to low.

[jcamp]

For years I've wondered aloud if a bare bones boat could enter the market at around $40,000. Now it seems a newcomer could come in at $70-80,000 and still significantly undercut the big three. Maybe that'll encourage new players in the market?

[chaloux]

I've skid behind a 2020 and loved the ski, only gripe was -22 but not that big of a deal. I'd like to upgrade from my 94 SportNautique, and I had settled on either a newer 200 or a Prostar - need open bow, tower would be nice as kids wakeboard, but slalom would be the focus. New 200s are (were?) 30k more than a Prostar, so I settled on a Prostar.

Are all the upgrades/updates worth it to focus on 21 boats and newer? Seems like 2019+/- is a real sweet spot in terms of boats on the market and pricing. If I was buying new I'd finance half three boat or so. I think my best course is to watch the used listings and see what happens by next spring. Only trying is if I decide to order new I'll be waiting an unknown amount of time, but at least a year and a half.