Centurion Enzo for 100K! and a few random thoughts for salesmen

Utah Water Sports in Salt Lake City was having a spring sale and I was sent a flyer by email to come and check out the new boats and grab a burger while I was there. I live 300 miles away, but happened to be in town. Seemed like a great opportunity to see the new Mastercraft X25 (they do both MC and Centurion) and grab a bite to eat. I don't plan on buying a boat this year, but might be in the market next year as I turn a boat over every couple of years after I get done modifying everything I care to do to it.

Anyway, I get to the shop about 2:30 after getting done with the business I had to do. I hadn't eaten since 7:30 so I was pretty hungry at that point. I found a nice display of lots of new MC's and Centurions. The salesmen greeted me and asked if I was in the market for a new boat. I said not this year but that I was a current MC owner purchased from them, and might be in the market next year. I told them I was interested in seeing the new X25. I did not see any other customers there. The sales guy led me indoors to the new X25. Very nice boat. Didn't like the way the rear storage hatches open or the armrests up front (I am sure someone will break them off within a matter of weeks, no matter how much they are reinforced). The fit and finish was nice and the hull is definitely different than any other boat. There are no burgers anywhere.

Then I got distracted by their new line of boats, Centurion. They had a very nice Enzo 240 that was very well decked out. Even Centurion has gone with the touch screen that I still hate on every model. I dread the thought of owning a boat with a touch screen that fails. My buddy has a TIge with a speed set that is no longer made and I am not sure he will ever have speed control again. I can't help but think the same thing will happen with these touch screens. Centurion has also joined the ranks of Malibu, Tige and Nautique with a broad based 2 attachment tower. I really liked the tower. It was rock solid and was taller than both Tige and Malibu's tower. I have yet to see a Nautique in person. At 6'9", I can stand underneath it and that is far better than most other tower manufacturers. I was completely surprised by the sticker price. The listed price was 104K!!!!! But they were having a spring sale and that brought it down to 94K. So after taxes and such, this boat would still cost 6 figures. I did not think that Centurion would move in that direction, but maybe the middle class boat buyer has been hit so hard by the recession, that only upper class folks are still buying them....Who know what these guys are thinking. Still no burgers anywhere.

They had a pro shop and the flyer stated that they were having 90% off some items. At this point I am starving so rather than browse the pro shop, I left. I would have loved to chat with the sales guy about what they are thinking with this price, but my stomach was beginning to hurt...not sure if it was hunger or sticker shock. I did not even browse the pro shop. So I leave and go to the nearest Wendy's and get some burgers with somewhat of a negative perspective of the experience. Maybe it is my old-fashioned upbringing, but I wasn't going to ask for a burger like I was ordering one. Am I wrong to have expected them to ask me if I wanted a bite to eat? I only got 2 emails and even a text message from them advertising this event.

Here is what I think should have happened: I walk up, and the guy asks how I am doing, then offers me a burger. Explains that maybe it will be a few minutes while they cook them. I say cool. Then he asks me if I own a boat and what my interests are, and when I might get another boat. While my burger is cooking he shows me the new X25 and the new line to them, Centurion. I crap my pants at the price and he explains why this boat is so much money. Maybe offer to actually turn on the MC or Centurion screen to show me how cool it would be to get out of my old analog guages. I eat my burger and I start to feel nice and satisfied. Then I ask a few more questions, search the pro shop (I often buy stuff I don't even really need if it is a good deal). Then I leave with a great feeling about what just happened, and I got a few closeout items from the proshop for a good deal. And I start to wonder about my guages the next time I am out on my boat, and how much better a new boat smells...who knows, maybe I call them back next week in a mood to upgrade this year? But they blew that opportunity.

Not getting my burger is not the worst thing in the world, and I will be back to them when I need service and when I am in the market again. But if someone else feeds me in the interim, I might have a better feeling about it.

Here is a pic of me with the new Centurion tower for anyone who has not seen it:

Like the tower but not 100k worth

Okay,now your screen name makes perfect sense to me.......

Going with PCM did raise the prices but 100K would have been MSRP
The digital dash is not a touch screen and is Standard on the Enzos but and Option on the Avalanche and Elite V
I have mixed fellings about the digital dash....it costs more but the gadget freek in says heck yes gota have that....but it cost more....gota have it..cost...gota...well you get the point
There is a video of the Dash in action at there website www.centurionboats.com

Nice story.... I especially like what you said about how you wanted it to work out. More dealers should read that.

You mean you didn't buy an overpriced boat and get 'free service for life.'? I have a few stories of my own about another dealership in their group.

Heck with the boats what happened to the Hamburgers! I say Bait and Switch. They better send you a gift certificate in the mail for a burger from Wendy's, if not we all need to boycott them! Boats & Buns, Hamburger buns!

I still want to know, where was the beef?

Is there anybody from Utah Water Sports that can enlighten us as to what happened? And don't blame me saying I ate them all! I wasn't in Salt Lake and I'm on a diet too!

Tall did you by chance check out the loaded falcon? 70k Plus! That's about 30k more than what they were a couple years ago! Oh wait, it's in a masterraft dealership therefore costs more? Jk. I belive centurion has upped their pricing significantly from last year. Prices like that, nobody is going to sell crap. Somebody is smoking crack.

At those prices I will never own a new boat again. I'll wait a couple of years and let someone else take the hit.

at 100K it would be a no go as you can drive down the street and get a NEW last years model for $49K. For my money I would save the 50 grand and put up with last years NEW boat

I don't know if they actually expected to get that price or not. I know they don't budge so much on their MC's. But typically, I would not put them side by side at the same price. I thought Centurion and MC would be a perfect pair for a dealership. The guy who wants an MC but can't afford it can then be walked over to the Centurion side of the store, and be pointed out that the Centurion is a great boat too, but for not as much money.

One point being that I was too hungry to stick around and find out how much they expected to get off of MSRP.

There is no doubt that this boat was fully loaded, nice rims and tires on the trailer to boot.

"At those prices I will never own a new boat again. I'll wait a couple of years and let someone else take the hit."

Or just wait a year for the dealership looking to unload older inventory.

Got a brand new (2007, zero hours) XStar last year for a steal.

Buddy just picked up a 210 (2008, zero hours) for the cheap.

Regard MC and Centurion at the same dealership, I have noticed the Issaquah WA (near Bellevue/Seattle) MC dealer with some Centurions on site now. Kills me as I drive by there to our gym and all of those boats are calling out to me!

People need to quit paying those kind of prices for any brand. No boat under 30foot is worth 100K + to me. They do it because people pay it.

You have to wonder about the correlation of these boat prices and the closing of boat dealerships. It seems all too often now that many wake boat dealerships are sinking.

They'll continue to sink with unrealistic pricing. Cuddos to Centurion for bumping the pricing out of the ball park and giving it to an MC dealership to sell it. I must be in the wrong crowd, none of my friends make enough to justify a 100K boat. What happened to good boats for good fun for a decent fair price?

I could be dead wrong, but the owner of that dealership probably has a boat load of money and is not going anywhere. They have Utah, Spokane & Seattle. Just added Centurion to all 3 plus Supra/Moomba to Spokane. They obviously try to hold margin.

I definitely wouldn't have left without asking where my burger was, considering they had been spamming me about it AND I had waited to eat because I was going by there.

I like the story. Good read and good points.

I think I would have said "Man I would love to stay and talk boats and prices but I have to get something to eat" . Even if a person says they are not buying or next year etc. They are a potential sale and must be treated as if they were buying today more especially if no one else was there. I'm a Supra person my self and all of my local dealers know this.

Brandon at Texas Tige and his sales crew always treat me the best knowing that more than likely I will not buy a new boat. They go over all the new features with me and take the time to explain everything. They have a great attitude and appearently think like I do. You never know who or when some one will buy regardless what that person is saying that exact moment. The sales person might say just the right thing to change their mind. I want to mention that my Supra dealer Rinkers Boat World does an out standing job for us.

Originally Posted by 99_slaunch

I think I would have said "Man I would love to stay and talk boats and prices but I have to get something to eat".

Much better worded than my thoughts above.

Tall... you own an X-45! Act like it! What are you looking at Centurions for? You already have one of the very best boats on the water! I don't want to hear about you looking at any boats unless their names are X-55 or SANTE 230. Is that understood?

All joking aside, I really liked your story (and your boat, btw). I travel to Utah on occasion and have visited that dealership twice just to poke around. I was never very impressed. It just seems too "corporate" for me.

To give you a point of comparison, my local MC dealer, Portland Ski Boat Center, is a small hole-in-the-wall where they manage to squeeze 9-10 boats inside as opposed to Utah Water Sports where they had only three boats inside that big, fancy, freeway visible location. The boats at PSBC are always spotless and shiny (like new boats should be). While at UWS I couldn't help but notice the few boats on the floor were dirty, dusty, and missing things like tower speakers (wires hanging out), swim platforms, etc. Finally, at PSBC each boat has a stand next to it clearly displaying the options, list price, and most importantly the real asking price (aka "boat show price) which is typically $20k below MSRP. There are no $100k boats in that show room... not even close!

Nice photo...I miss those mountains!

Who would of thought...a $3 burger might of been the ticket to a $90,000 boat sell !!!!! LOL The way to a mans wallet is thru his stomach....no wait...its gotta be your bull.

I live in Utah and have to say that those "two" dealers down in Draper there are both not ideal. Story to show how these so called "professionals" act.

We own a 2004 23 foot Malibu LSV. Took the boat into "the new dealership that does Malibu now" (who as bad as they are is still way better than the previous guy) for a service. Had a summerization, thru-hull bearing and impeller replacement. While the boat was stored there (about 4 days) some theves broke into our boat and stole:

1. The Malibu rocker switch panel to the left of the steering wheel.
2. My custom made Subwoofer enclosure under the drivers seat with the L7 kicker sub.
3. Stereo Amps.

So this obviously sucks really bad and to put fuel on the fire the theives are obvioulsy boat owners themselves or why else would you steal a panel of switches and a custom subwoofer box that would look TERRIBLE in any other situation as it has a CRAZY shape.

"The Dealer calls me and says: Sorry your boat had a bunch of stuff stolen and we won't pay for any of it or help you. You can come pickup your boat and you owe us 800 bucks for the above mentioned service"

So I say "well we can't exactly use our boat without that panel of switches".

He says and this is the unbelievable part: Well Malibu doesn't make that color panel anymore so we can put a non matching one in. The one that doesn't match will cost you 250 for the part (that is insane by itself) and 140 dollars for labor.

To end a long story we fought with them for two weeks until our lake powell trip was coming up and then paid the bastages so we could go to lake powell.

They wouldn't even cover labor!!!!

Crazy man... I would not give them any more business if I was you.

So, while the boat is stored with them, they are not liable? What do they have insurance for? Did you file a police report? A report with the BBB? Maybe they stole the stuff?

I second the BBB complaint. That puts a red flag up to that business.

I have filed a BBB complaint before and it is amazing how quickly that business resolved my issue.

m-

My brother was in law school at the time and was supposed to draft a letter and go into small claims but he never got around to it and so we are past the statute of limitations. Just beware, all these guys are greedy terribly people.

Every dealer I have been to has a sign that says they are not responsible for items left in boats.

They sure do. I guess that means you should take all your gauges out of your boat before you leave it haha. And unbolt your sub woofer and amps. We used that line with the dealer and they basically told us to stick it.

That dealer should have garage keepers insurance which will cover boats in their care, custody and control.

WOW!!!! Thats all I can say. An Enzo for 100k? Thats the most retarded thing I have ever heard! No offense to the guy that posted this thread. I bought a 2008 Enzo SV230 for 50,000$. And now I cant get Centurion to fix my pile of **it boat! Do yourself a favor.....STAY AWAY FROM FINELINE IND. Trust me on this. I have a cracked tower, cracked trailer tongue, and tearing uhpolstry on a boat that is stored at an indoor storage facility, and well takin care of. All this with no return emails, and dodged phone calls.

Here's my jewl

Just because they may have a sign saying they are not responsible for your stuff, that does not mean they are not responsible for your stuff. A lawyer told me that. If you put a sign on your boat saying you are not responsible for killing people who step on your vinyl with their shoes on, that won't work either. A judge told me that. )

Very true, and well put! The best thing I have going for me though is I have all my warranty info paperwork. All the way down to my uhpolstry! Good lesson for all those future boat owners to. Get EVERYTHING in writing.

I got a flyer today from the Centurion dealer. The boat with me in the pic at the very top of the thread is still available. The listed price is now $66,171.00 if someone is interested. It is a 2010 Enzo SV240.

Sorry,I couldn't find an internet link for it. If interested, you could just google, Utah Water Sports.

That's just crazy.