I am currently Sea-Doo 150 Speedster owner, and I am looking for an upgrade in terms of size. I am coming down to between Seadoo challenger 180 vs Yamaha SX190. Though I might be asking the wrong crowd here, but let me know what you guys think...
I have driven a Challenger 180 255hp, which was a nice boat and had enough power for what I would want to do, although I am not sure how well it would pull someone up on a wakeboard or ski if fully loaded. I like all the "gadgets" and the digital layout on the Challenger, including depth finder, temp, etc. I really like the look of the Challenger more, especially with the new dash.
I have not driven one, but from what I have read, the Yamaha is supposed to be a pretty nice addition to their lineup. The high output 185hp non supercharged, 4cyl engine is offered as the only option. The good part about this engine is that it gets better fuel economy than the SC Challenger. I imagine in the future, they will add the supercharged one to the lineup. However, I would rather do without the worry of having a supercharger if the power was sufficient. The dash is a little sparse, although most of the options you need seem to be there. It is really their way of keeping the price low. You can get the AR190 with tower and trailer for 27k or so, while the Challenger is 32K, give or take. You can buy a lot of extras for $5k. I looked at one at the boat show and was really unimpressed by the interior as it just looked cheap. It may be fine, but that is just me and I am a little more critical than most. Bottom line is go drive one and see what works best for you. Yamaha makes a fine product though.