Looking for input on the Tige R23 vs the competition

[Jabberwocky]

So last weekend I went to the boat show and drooled over several boats.
I wasnt really going to buy a new boat....But....
I currently have a 2006 22Ve that I'm selling and I've been really happy with that boat.

My take from the boat show was-
The 2019 Axis T23 had some pretty impressive features for the price until I saw the analog gauges. The finish materials felt cheap and I'd worry about resale value on that boat
The 2019 Moomba Craz looks like a nice boat, but I don't know anything about the wake or the surf system,
There is a 2018 Mastercraft NXT22 in my price range, but the color combo is fugly and I don't like the pickle fork front. But from what I'm researching people really like the wake behind the Mastercraft.
The Nautique, Malibu, Supra, Centurion are all out my budget, unless I go several years older, which doesn't seem to make sense.
I'm realizing that I care mostly about the wake and the amount of room in the boat than most other features like big speakers etc... So a digital and accurate speed control and the ability to dial in a perfect wake are priorities. And I'm obviously looking for the most value per dollar and solid resale value

So I'm considering a slightly used 2018 Tige R23. I'm wondering, has anyone surfed behind one that can give their input?
There is also a 2018 Tige Z3 that's in the budget. Whats the difference between these two?

Any thoughts would be helpful.

[chpthril]

Whats the difference between these two?

In those years, options and appointments is the difference. They surf the same, as the hull and TAPS-3 is the same. The R23 is a cheaply built version, they just limit some options and offer less expensive appointments.

IMO, the Z3/R23 TAPS-3 wave is off the hook.

[cnote]

the R23 and Z3 are identical boats, the only difference being in how they are optioned. surf system and hull shape are the same. there actually is no z3 anymore. only R23 that can be optioned up as much as you want. Possible functional differences may be power tower, engine size, vinyl stitching, screen size, and stereo, steering wheel controls, but again an 18 R23 could have been optioned with everything on the 18 Z except the screen and steering wheel.

the boat surfs awesome. You are going to want additional ballast (we run up to an extra 900# in addition to water bags) to really set it off depending on where you are surfing, but that's the same with any of these boats except maybe the centurion that has a ridiculous amt of water ballast capability out of the box (that also comes with tradeoffs). regardless of surf system and wave size/ length it's about displacement.

the axis is a good surf boat, Malibu guts, but to your point pay attention to build quality and features.

for best balance of quality and value you can't beat tige, imo. But, you are asking on the tige owners forum

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[sandm]

if it was my coin I'd keep the 22ve as that is an awesome boat. I really miss mine.
but if it's time to upgrade:

I'd take the z3/r23 over the mastercrap and moomba. surfed a craz and didn't like it at all. hard to set up, finicky and it'll feel quite a bit smaller than the r23. not a fan of the mc boats. I can't get past the fugly axis design but heard they are great surf boats. mpg's with surfgate and wedge are awful.

if z3/r23 are both in the budget, get the one that feels like a better value.

[JohnnieMo]

It amazes me how that R23/Z3 is now considered an entry level boat. This industry is insane.

The R23 is an amazing boat, great craftsmanship, with an elite surf wave when done up right. There are leaving nothing to chance with that thing.

[wired1236]

if it was my coin I'd keep the 22ve as that is an awesome boat. I really miss mine.
but if it's time to upgrade:

I'd take the z3/r23 over the mastercrap and moomba. surfed a craz and didn't like it at all. hard to set up, finicky and it'll feel quite a bit smaller than the r23. not a fan of the mc boats. I can't get past the fugly axis design but heard they are great surf boats. mpg's with surfgate and wedge are awful.

if z3/r23 are both in the budget, get the one that feels like a better value.

2nd that. I rode/demoed the Craz and wasn’t even close in surf capabilities and potential to the R23.


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[bsreid]

Go buy that 18 Z3 if it’s in your budget. The z3 is a great boat and I honestly feel like the r series is now going to de value the model even though you can option them up to be equivalent.

[Bamer]

In those years, options and appointments is the difference. They surf the same, as the hull and TAPS-3 is the same. The R23 is a cheaply built version, they just limit some options and offer less expensive appointments.

IMO, the Z3/R23 TAPS-3 wave is off the hook.

Wasn’t the Z3 Tige’s flagship boat ? What years was that? Starting when ?


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[chpthril]

Wasn’t the Z3 Tige’s flagship boat ? What years was that? Starting when ?


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First Z3 was a 2012, and rolled out fall of 2011, IIRC. Id say it was their flagship until the late 2014 ASR released.

[SGT-G]

I have a well loaded 2018 R23, I used it about 3 trips to the lake. Deploying in April to Germany for 2 yrs, will be putting up for sale in March. I am located in Lubbock TX.
Txt or call me at 972-900-7474

[talltigeguy]

Wasn’t the Z3 Tige’s flagship boat ? What years was that? Starting when ?


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Just don't buy the first 16 units made in the first year...they abruptly changed the hull design after that.

[smoothtoup]

I was looking at used Nautiques and MCs until I stumbled onto a brand new, ordered from factory R23 for cheaper than a 4 year old boat. It was the same price as used Z3 that was 2 years old with 300 hours on it.

Holds lots of folks and feels spacious even though we dont do a ton of surfing. Look r thos boat for cruising, and it does "decent" in the rough chop of Lakr Lanier in Ga.

[sandm]

my .02. we went back and forth last fall with a new '17 r21 in that same color layout. was a dealer leftover for 2 years. they lost their tige dealership end of '17 and this was the last boat they had. salesman was honest in that the reason it was still in the showroom was color. said a lot of looks and some talked about wrapping it but can't get rid of the color in the inside. we ultimately decided to go a different route as resale will be tough knowing how long it took them to peddle it.
r21 we looked at was pretty loaded up including the 400raptor for 59otd. only thing missing really were ws tower speakers. that was quite a bit less than other r21's for sale with hours so it def was not selling due to price.

[Jabberwocky]

Thank You guys for all your input. The Z3 is no longer made, the R23 is replacing it. Its the same hull, same boat. But what I like about the 2019 R23 is that I can order it with the options that I want. And that way I can keep the price down by not having to pay for options that I don't want or need. For example, having big honking speakers hanging off the tower is not important to me and I don't want to pay for it. Sparkly paint, I don't want it. I don't need it. I'm fine with regular colors. The new 10" screen might be super cool, but its new, whereas the 7" screen has been used for years and has proven reliable. So, I can save some dough with a 7" screen. No offense to the guys that want these options, to me they are not a priority. Bottom Line is I can get into a brand new 2019 R23 the way I want it for around 80K by keeping the option list small as my local dealer appears to be pretty aggressive with pricing right now. And comparing to what else is out there in this price range, I thing that's a hell of a great deal. I'll focus on options like the Raptor 400 Motor (who doesn't want more power), dual fuel fill, rear view camera, fresh air exhaust, extra cleats, bimini (for the wife), a heater (nice in spring and fall). I'll be able to pick the color combo I want and get into a new boat for about the same as a used boat that has a bunch of options that I don't really want. I think Tige is hitting it out of the park by selling their boats this way as opposed to optioning the hell out of them with stuff that people don't really want or need. To each his own, right....

[talltigeguy]

Thank You guys for all your input. The Z3 is no longer made, the R23 is replacing it. Its the same hull, same boat. But what I like about the 2019 R23 is that I can order it with the options that I want. And that way I can keep the price down by not having to pay for options that I don't want or need. For example, having big honking speakers hanging off the tower is not important to me and I don't want to pay for it. Sparkly paint, I don't want it. I don't need it. I'm fine with regular colors. The new 10" screen might be super cool, but its new, whereas the 7" screen has been used for years and has proven reliable. So, I can save some dough with a 7" screen. No offense to the guys that want these options, to me they are not a priority. Bottom Line is I can get into a brand new 2019 R23 the way I want it for around 80K by keeping the option list small as my local dealer appears to be pretty aggressive with pricing right now. And comparing to what else is out there in this price range, I thing that's a hell of a great deal. I'll focus on options like the Raptor 400 Motor (who doesn't want more power), dual fuel fill, rear view camera, fresh air exhaust, extra cleats, bimini (for the wife), a heater (nice in spring and fall). I'll be able to pick the color combo I want and get into a new boat for about the same as a used boat that has a bunch of options that I don't really want. I think Tige is hitting it out of the park by selling their boats this way as opposed to optioning the hell out of them with stuff that people don't really want or need. To each his own, right....

I think you are on the money here. Especially about the idea that you can get your new boat for the same price as used ones with those options. That tells me that your dealer is indeed pricing things aggressively. Some will chime in to remind me how they sell their boats every year for the same as they bought, but I think reality will hit most sellers and they will eventually negotiate and have to drop price. So you could call and talk to some of those sellers, but it seems to me you are going to be happiest ordering it with what you like.

On a side note, I was surprised when ordering a 2019 Malibu how many things are also options. I thought the idea of carpet on the floor went the way of the dinosaur, but that is the base flooring and SeaDek is an upgrade. Can you even get carpet flooring on an R23? You can order other brands stripped down as well. The converse would be the Nautique G series, where many options are standard, and you can't 'unorder' a good number of things.