I'd kind of like to see a return to the basics. An AR240 now starts at 54k. The next step up with a tower is the Limited-S at 62k. And then the Limited S E-Series at 66k.
12k to go to an E-series. That is just crazy. I just don't see 12k worth of extra stuff in that boat. Yeah, I want electronic throttle but I don't care about touch screens, turning on my bilge by touch, or setting up a watersports profile.
Seadoo offered electronic throttle and engine sync standard on all their twin boats. The higher model boats then got extra throttle features like the watersports mode, auto cruise speed for best fuel econony mode, docking mode, etc.
It seems like almost every single new feature added to a Yamaha since '10 has been Yamaha copying from other brands. Hinged seats, nope, Seadoo offered that a long time ago. Yamaha didn't even offer folding towers for the longest time. We had 60+ mph (gps) seadoo 230 super wake models. That thing was a blast to test drive! Seadoo did charge more and people complained that seadoo charged too much.
Yamaha set the stage in 03 and 07. Not anymore. Now it's reversed. I don't see one single major creative new feature on new Yamahas. And the irony that seadoo stopped making boats and now Yamaha is just as expensive if not even more.
For the 1st time ever, one can now actually get the equivalent of a Yamaha boat cheaper. The 1' longer scarab 255 HO impulse comes with tower,wake bags and throttle control for 60k. $6k cheaper then the Limited S E-Series. Even the chaparral 243 is only 3k more than a Limited S E-Series, 66k vs 69k.
I wonder if Yamaha felt forced into adding electronic throttle since now all the competition has it since they're rotax based?
IMO, the single best thing about the higher boats is the electronic throttle. Of course Yamaha is hoping that that will lure people to upgrade and pay more. Will it work? I do like that new bimini too, but can the tower still fold? If so, where does the bimini go? If not, then no thanks, I need to store my boat in a garage and I don't want to also have to dismantle a bimini.
I'd like to see Yamaha reintroduce a basic boat, no touch screen, basic controls, but that at least has the most basic electronic throttle and engine syncing in place. No watersports mode needed. No RUDDER either! Also give me back a traditional stereo that when the time comes, I can upgrade myself. What happens when the next bluetooth or usb comes out? When apple changes connectors again? I don't want to be locked into Yamaha to fix or upgrade my stereo, although this is probably exactly what they want. Then again, things like this can date something quickly if future stereos quickly gain wanted technologies that can't be retrofitted easily.
In theory, I don't see why Yamaha can't design a single dash with a blank for the screen, or the blank becomes the traditional switch array. If somebody wants to pay to upgrade to a touch screen or more advanced throttle with watersports, remove the switch array and plug in the screen and upgraded computer. The servo's and all are the same.
This could even make it easier for dealers to sell boats they have on the lot that are not exactly what the customer wants. Somebody wants the touchscreen, they can add. Ask for it at time of purchase and get a better deal. Almost everything else can potentially be added by the dealer and or the customer themselves.
There is one dream feature I've always asked for, but Yamaha appears stubborn on this one. Fixed reverse gates. I love these on Seadoos and on my Yamaha PWC. It makes neutral and reverse TONS better.
Ok, maybe one more feature, the return of the convertible lounger. I hate the captian chair setups. I don't think our convertible has ever been in fwd seat mode.
I guess I kind of want a new project boat! The single only feature yamaha has finally added in the past 8 years that I want is electronic throttle control but I only want the core basics of it.