- Joined
- Apr 5, 2012
- Location
- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
2011 Nitro Z-6 Long Term Review
In July of 2011, I posted the review of my Nitro Z-6. Now it’s been almost a year and a half, and I’m ready to give you the long term review of the boat. I’ve had a lot of great moments, and a fair share of not so great ones. I’ve also had some great fishing! This one is going to be a long article, and I’m going to readdress some issues from the first review, as well as some issues that have popped up in the forums. Hopefully, this will be a good guide for anyone thinking of buying a Nitro Z-6.
Let’s start with a recap... If you read the other review, I’ve rewritten and updated a lot of info in this section. So don’t skip over it.
Why a Nitro? Why a Z-6?
Within one hour of where I live, I have the choice of Nitro, Ranger, and...well that’s it. If I want to drive about 60 miles North, I can get access to Stratos and Triton, but there are only two Stratos dealers and one Triton dealer. One of Stratos dealers doesn’t even keep any boats in stock. To put it simply, my choices were limited.
Being that this was my first boat, and I don’t have exactly the most reliable tow vehicle in the world, I wanted to make sure I could get service close by. Ranger was out of my price range, so this left only one fiberglass option; Nitro.
As for why a Z-6 instead of larger boat? At the time I wanted to keep my finances loose enough that I could still walk into Bass Pro and buy a new rod or reel when I wanted to. Additionally, I had plans to store the boat in a single car garage. Had I known that I would end up keeping it outside in a storage lot, and that I would start bumping my head against the passenger limit of the Z-6 vs a larger boat, I probably would have shelled out the extra and gotten a Z-7.
Purchasing and Delivery
Purchasing a Nitro boat is like purchasing a car in Carmax. The price is the price. There is no negotiation or stress. Everything is ala carte so if you want the big graph at the helm, you have to choose it. As such, there is no standard package on a Nitro other than the base model. Dean, my sales associate, made the process incredibly easy and is a huge asset to the Dania Florida Bass Pro Shops sales staff. The guy knows his stuff, cares about his customers, and is a boater himself. If not for him, I might not have bought the boat.
Delivery, was also fairly easy. The tech shop staff were excited to give the intro to the boat, though I rushed them so I could go fishing right away. That was my fault. In retrospect, I should have forced myself to take the time and listen. It would have saved me having to ask a lot of questions later.
Nitro probably has the best purchasing process of any boat builder. Clearly marked prices on boat and accessories, no pressure sales, and a great staff. It makes the process enjoyable and stress free. The only thing they don’t have are demo rides, which is disappointing.
About My Z-6
I purchased the base model Z-6 with no upgrades, but even as basic boat, it will get you out on the water, and that’s what matters. Here are the specs for those that have forgotten.
Length 17'4" (Previously listed as 17’6”)
Max HP 115HP
Package Width 8'
Fuel Capacity 26 Gallons
Dead rise 12 Degrees
Draft 13"
Beam 90"
Weight 1300 Lbs
Package Weight 2360 Lbs
Package Length 18'11" (With Swing Tongue)
Transom Height 20"
Max Weight Capacity 1100
Max Person Weight 460 (or 3 People) PAY ATTENTION TO THIS!
These numbers alone can’t really give you a perspective on how wide and how much deck space this boat really has. The Z-6’s 90 inch beam is massive compared to older entry level Nitros like the old 640LX , and it’s wider than any current entry level 17 footer. For comparison, the Triton 17 Explorer has a Beam of 86 inches, while the Stratos 176 XT is 84 inches. The Skeeter TZX 180 is listed at 89 inches, but narrows sharply at the bow. The Ranger Z11 is listed as 90.5 inches, however, the Ranger, like the Skeeter, has much more narrow bow, and much less rear deck space than a Z-6.
To date, I still have not found a 17 foot class boat with as much room on the deck as the Z-6. It can easily fish two people on the front deck, and I’ve mistaken other Z-6s heading toward me for bigger boats based on the deck width. It’s one of the best features of this boat and Nitro did a great job with it.
Take a look at quick comparison of the Z-6 with the Skeeter TZX 180. It’s not to scale, but it will help you grasp how huge the Z-6 deck really is.
Layout, Design, and Storage.
Thanks to it’s wide design, the Z-6 has the storage space of a boat one class bigger. There are three large compartments in the front, all of which can be used to store rods as big at 7’6”. The center compartment has four rod tubes which work well at protecting your rods. You can store more rods in the bottom of the center compartment, but I don’t recommend that because the bow rises and you can catch the eyes if you you’re not careful. The right and left compartments store rods just as easily, and the right one has mounting points for your oar, pedestal stand, and running lights. The rear plastic drop in storage boxes are bigger than some 20 foot boat boxes, and are great for loading and unloading the boat. They have slots for Plano 370 style boxes, and once removed, allow easier access to the livewell, pumps, and bilge. If you make a mess in one, just pull it out and hose it down. Their only flaw is that they warp slightly which makes locking the compartments a pain. If Nitro made them about 20% stiffer, it would be perfect.
One note, and this isn’t a flaw of the Z-6 but more of a flaw of small bass boats, if you trim the motor up all the way you will hit the rear seat if it’s put on the back deck. Otherwise, the back deck is roomy and comfortable for any angler to fish off of.
When fishing out of the Z-6, the front deck gives you a lot of room, and as I mentioned before, can easily support two anglers. The recessed trolling motor foot control is perfectly positioned for stability, while the front motor tilt and trim controls give you quick ability to lift the engine out of the water if you get into the shallows. The front non-skid rubber step on the bow helps you keep your footing when you need to pull the trolling motor up and the waves are rocking. The deck also has rod bungee cord that looks cheap, but works really well. The cooler step doesn’t cut into the deck. Instead it moves out into the cockpit which gives you even more space to fish. I like this much better than how Triton and Ranger build their steps.
The bilge has plenty of room for additional accessories and can easily accommodate a 24V battery setup.
One of the best features is the reboarding ladder. It’s easy to see, easy to grab and extend, and looks great. By far the best in the boating industry. I just wish there was one on both sides. To be fair, no manufacture does that.
The Cockpit and Seating
Whoever designed the Z-6’s cockpit area deserves a raise. It’s roomy and comfortable for even six footers. The helm is well laid out, and has plenty of foot room. All of the controls are easy to reach, as are the abundant cup holders. The non-skid steps between the seats are brilliant,and have saved my seats from getting stomped on. But the best part is the seating.
Unlike most bass boat manufactures, Nitro builds their boats with true three across seating. We’re not talking about two full size seats and one tiny one. We are talking about three full size seats with room in between. Three adults fit comfortably in the Z-6 without bumping elbows. That’s absolutely fantastic when you’re fishing with more than two people, and I’ve had a lot of fellow boat owners outright say they wished their boat was laid out out like that.
Bottom line is Nitro has the best seating in the boat industry right now. The only thing that is missing from the Z-6 is some sort of tool holder and net storage.
Finer Details
In the last review, I focused more on the hull and layout than I did on the electronics. Well, this time, I’m going to give you a bit more for the long term review. First some stats.
Trolling Motor: MotorGuide 12V 54LB Thrust
Graph: Lowrance Mark 5X flush mounted at the helm.
Livewell: Single 32 Gallon, permanently divided livewell.
Bilge Pump: 500 GPH Manual cartridge style bilge pump.
Batteries: 2 Interstate Batteries
Battery Charger: 2 Bank, 4 AMP per bank piece of junk...ahem.... I mean battery charger.
I choose these six details because these are six pieces of equipment you will use on your boat often.
The MotorGuide trolling motor was exclusively designed for Bass Pro and has done its job, and done it well. It has a 360 degree rubber mount that flexes in any direction. That’s great for when you turn into a rock sideways. The only flaw has been that you need to tighten the clamp around the mount at least once or twice a day. It takes about It takes about 15 seconds. Take note though, that Nitro has switched to Minn Kota for their trolling motors.
Graph: The Mark 5X is a fine basic graph, and there is space to go up to an HDS5. However, like most pros do, I would probably do a side mount instead of a flush mount. The 2013 models come with the Mark 5X Pro.
Livewell: The Z-6 comes with a 32 gallon divided livewell. It’s aerated, and the other owners I’ve talked to have never lost a fish. Well, except for the guy who forgot it was in there, and left it in his livewell for a week. My only gripe with the livewell is that the divider is permanent and not removable. I’ve had no issue with the pumps, and they are all cartridge based.
Bilge Pump: The nicest thing about the 500 gallon bilge pump is that it’s a cartridge based unit that can be upgraded by the owner to a 1000 gallon model just by swapping the cartridge. Nitro has upgraded the 2013 models to come standard with the 1000 GPH model. I’ve never had a problem with mine, and it’s been used often. However, it is a manual bilge pump which becomes annoying to deal with in the rain. Nitro does offer an automatic model, but charges an excessive amount for it. Still, it’s a solid upgrade that should be strongly considered.
Batteries: The two Interstate batteries have been reliable, and I’ve never had an issue. The only concern is that they are very expensive to replace, so you’re going to need a good charger. Which brings me to the last piece of equipment.
Battery Charger: The Guest 2 bank, 4 amp per bank, charger is junk. Seriously. It was the first upgrade I did as I got tired of my boat taking 12-16 hours to recharge. Upgrade immediately. Do it to save your sanity. I use a ProMariner ProTournament and Minn Kota.
A Word About Wood and Construction
There have been a lot of questions and confusion as to exactly how much wood is used to build Nitro boats. Recently I found some pictures of a factory tour that shed a lot of light on the issue.
First, Nitro absolutely does use fiberglass encapsulated wood in their boats. It’s used in decking, backing, and some support areas. Nitro also does use “composite” which is simply two woods blended together. Remember, even plywood is a composite. There is no wood in the stringers which are foam filled and massive. That’s excellent for hull strength.
Now, in the pictures you can see that the wood they use is actually pretty beefy, and it’s only been in the last decade that wood has been replaced by non-wood composites. Think of how many Bass boats from the 1980s and 1990s are still out there. Dozens of current top-tier manufacturers like Grady-White, Yellow-Fin, Dusky, and LCB all still use wood. Done right, wood is a not an issue. Even if there was some sort of failure, Nitro provides a 10 year hull warranty, and the wood could easily be replaced.
So the answer is yes; Nitro does use wood. However, they do it the right way.
One thing about the pictures that was very telling is that the factory was clean, well organized, and the workers were doing things right. The fiberglass mats in the photos were huge, and fairly tightly woven. That’s excellent for strength. Moreover, the molds looked spotless.
Long Term Fit and Finish
Nitro did a great job building the Z-6 with a lot of pieces that you wouldn’t see on entry level boats a few years ago. Cleats are stainless steel, and solid as a rock. My trolling motor mount is solid, as is the decking. The carpet’s only issue is a little bit of excessive glue, but has otherwise had no issue, and is an anti-hook snag design. The gauges, plastics, and seats all looked great when I got it, and still do.
My only real issue is the built in cooler. It’s really nothing more than a fiberglass bowl that drains into the bilge. The first problem is that it has no insulation, which means your ice is gone in about 6 hours. The second issue is that the drain isn’t at the lowest part of the cooler. That means you need wipe the cooler down to avoid mold. Nitro could definitely step up here in future models.
Second there is a common sense flaw with the two cup holders next to the cooler. They drain into the cooler and not directly into the bilge. If you spill your drink, you will contaminate your cooler. I use them exclusively for bottles that are sealed.
A lot of Nitro owners were concerned about the pull straps for lifting the compartment lids, but I’ve had no issues. The rear compartments were a little tough to get locked when I first got the boat, and they still are. It’s due to the plastic bins being slightly warped. Nitro needs to up the quality of those by about 20% and they will be perfect. My lifting strut in my center console has died, but that is easily replaced for a couple of dollars. All of the compartments have glassed in water channels on the deck to keep them dry.
One thing that has been surprisingly nice is the finished battery compart. The fiberglass back there is a smooth, white, and looks great. A lot of more expensive boats don’t have it and now, when I see them, they look cheap. Nitro did a great job with that.
The Mercury Optimax 115
Since you are only offered one motor option for the Z-6, the Optimax 115 in standard or Pro XS form, it essential to talk about this little motor. Truth is, I love it. It’s a 1.5L 3CYL that’s as quiet as fourstroke at idle, and sips oil and gas. It can get the boat running upward of 55MPH in Pro XS form, and looks great. I have never had a single problem with mine, and it has started every single time. The only thing I want to change is for it to say 125hp instead of 115hp on the side as the hole shot is slow, but that’s not the Mercury’s problem.
The biggest compliment to this little engine is that my Yamaha-is-life friend even complimented it. That huge for him.
Performance
The Z-6, pushed with an Optimax 115, is an excellent performer. The boat is slow out of the hole, but once out, it gathers speed quickly. Flat out, with a tournament load and two anglers, you will see about 50 MPH on the GPS. I actually got 52 MPH on a GPS with a very light load. There is absolutely no chine walk, and the boat is beautifully stable. You don’t need to trim it up much, and you won’t see a huge rooster tail, but it will get you to where you need to be.
The Z-6’s handling is also very good. The V isn’t as deep or extend as far as some boats, so you need to plan high speed turns a little further ahead, but low speed handling is excellent. Ninety degree turns can be executed at 25 mph without any slipping. When the boat does slip, it’s easily controlled into a nice aquatic drift.
Rough Water Handling:
I don’t get a lot of opportunities run rough water in the Everglades. The main canal I fish, the L67A, is about 30 miles long, 200 feet wide, and can get a good chop of tightly packed 1 footers during heavy winds, with the occasional 1.5 footer in the mix. It’s rare event, but I was out fishing on one of the days it happened. My partner of that day drives a 26’ Contender, and is used to running the big stuff offshore. Well, he didn’t like the idea of me pointing the bow directly into the waves and wind, gunning the engine to full speed, and plowing forward. He looked rather nervous actually. It didn’t help that I was laughing maniacally, while yelling over the engines howl that I’d never done this before.
The little three cylinder Mercury growled loudly as I buried the throttle down. The Z-6’s bow rose up a little higher than normal, and then I felt the thump of the first wave smash against the hull, and watched the water blast out to either side of the boat. Two more waves quickly followed as the Mercury pushed the Z-6 out of the hole, and up onto plane. The large flare of the hull kept us dry as the Z-6 gathered speed. A few seconds later, the Z-6 floated up on top of the waves and we were skipping our way down the canal at 45mph. Every few seconds a larger than average wave would slip under the bow, giving a little thump under our seats, a splash out to either side, but that was the end of the drama.
I was very surprised, to say the least. I expected to spear at least one of the waves, but the Z-6 flew above them as if it simply didn’t care. I did lose some top end speed, and I had to trim it down a bit for stability, but there was simply no issues. The Z-6 was easy to handle, and not one drop of water hit us. One the return trip, running with the waves was truly like they weren’t even there.
In comparison, I watched a nice flats boat try to follow us down the canal. He eventually gave up after spearing a couple of the waves, and headed back.
Rough Water Fishing:
In the same waters that I described in the Rough Water Handling section, I stopped and fished one of the canal junctions, near a rare clear spot. The wind pushed the boat pretty hard, and the trolling motor struggled against the gusts. The waves rolled in a tight pattern, but the Z-6 held it’s own. A couple of waves broke over the back deck, but the water quickly washed out. Whatever direction I had the Z-6 in, it stayed stable. My Contender-driving-partner commented that the Z-6 was really stable even when sideways into the waves. I’ll take that as a compliment.
Shallow Water Running:
If there is one flaw with this boat performance, it’s shallow water running, though it’s not the boat design itself. The Nitro Z-6, even equipped with the 2-stroke 115 hp Mercury Optimax, struggles to get on plane. The engine drops dramatically as the bow lifts, and the boat has trouble popping out of the hole. The issues gets worse when you have a full tournament load with full livewells. Many owners have equipped their Z-6’s with hydrofoils and pulled the PVS plugs completely out of their props, which has improved hole shots immensely.
The bottom line is that the Z-6 needs more power to dig it’s way out, and Nitro would be wise to upgrade the maximum horsepower rating to at least 125. Moreover, avoid fourstroke outboards on the Z-6 because of their lack of low end torque and added weight will only make the issue worse. The added weight of Power Poles, 24V trolling motor batteries, and heavy equipment in the rear storage will definitely increase your time pulling out of the hole. I suggest moving as much forward as you can, and getting the lightest batteries possible. If you have to make a lot of launches in less than three feet of water, then you’re going to need the hydrofoil and a hydraulic jack plate.
Once on plane, the Z-6 does a solid job of running the shallows. Depths of two feet aren’t an issue, though you’ll need more water than that to come off plane. I’ve run the Z-6 down a weed choked canal that time forgot, called the S-9, in the Florida Everglades. The weeds in this canal are as thick as walls, tend to sit about twelve to eighteen inches below the surface, and can easily knock you off plane. I’ve only had one incident, where I hit a patch of weeds located about 6 inches under the water. The water pressure alarm went off, and I had to clear off the lower unit. Otherwise, I’ve had no problems.
Fishing Shallow Water:
This is the specialty of Florida Bass anglers. We take boats where most people take airboats. As such, shallow water fishing is important aspect we look at. The Z-6 does this very well. It sits slightly stern heavy so you’ll need to trim up the motor, but you can navigate in about a foot of water with no issues. If you use a push pole, you should easily be able to get into some of the flats. Is the Z-6 a dedicated flats boat? Absolutely not. But it will do quite well in the shallows.
Running in Deep Water:
I can’t really say I’ve run it in deep water. In South Florida, aside from a single old phosphate pit that’s about 40 feet deep, the deepest waters you’ll find are man made canals that are at most 20 feet deep. It’s just not really possible for me to test how the boat makes runs across windswept submerged canyons without going into the salt. Anyone who takes a freshwater Bass boat in the ocean is just begging for trouble. So if your definition of deep water is 20 feet, then the Z-6 does just fine.
Deep Water Fishing:
I put the boat in the middle of my 20 foot deep canal, and proceeded to drop a line to the murky, lifeless bottom. It did fine. Again...this is South Florida. That’s as deep as it gets without trolling the continental shelf offshore.
Repairs and Problems
Nitro haters looking for ammo against them are going to be disappointed with this section. My hull didn’t break in half, nor did my top cap collapse. My deck is still as solid as day one, and the carpet looks fine. All of the typical rumors and assertions about what happens to a Nitro after they are sold didn’t come true. Sorry. Nothing dramatic. Not even a stress crack.
I did have a few problem with the Z-6 though. First, the electronic horn stopped working, and was fixed under warranty. After that, my trim gauge and fuel gauge stopped working. Both were fixed under warranty, but went out again shortly after.
...and that’s it. I’ve had no other issues. A lot of owners have reported an excessive amount of water in the bilge. Some were victim to a factory defect where the rub rail area wasn’t properly sealed leaving a small gap. I did have water in my bilge, but it ended up being owner error. My issues came from the plug, in that it has to be put in exactly straight or leaks slight. It will look like it’s in either way. When I figured that out, I had no more water problems.
Now, there is an issue that I did address in my previous review about the Z-6’s steering issue. The boat would snap steer to the right if you let go of the wheel for even a split second. When at rest, the motor would fall to the right as well. I called it a safety issue that was dangerous. Nitro, at the time, claimed that the boat was set up properly. I objected, and with the backing of my services reps, Nitro installed a Teleflex mechanical no-feedback system. That completely resolved the issue. Hundreds of owners have now had the same system installed, and Nitro has made it a standard feature on the boat. Since it has been rectified, I won’t slam Nitro too hard for it. However, the boat should have never been handed to a customer with a steering system like that, and there is no way the factory didn’t know about it.
Trailer
The trailer continues to run strong, with no visible rust, bearing issues, or flexing. The bunk carpet shows a little wear, but the boat has been loaded and unloaded about fifty times. So nothing out of the ordinary. It’s still a difficult trailer to load the boat on, but with practice it can be done quickly. I did have my trailer jack fail after the first year, which is about the only fault I can find. The stock trailer jack is very, very cheap.
The trailer doesn’t come with a spare tire, and as it’s single axle, you need to get one. The spare tire Nitro offers is very expensive. I was able to get a spare with rim for $90 locally.
Service
I have a conundrum here. My first year of service was fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for a more helpful and better service staff. I was extremely happy and ready to hand Nitro more money when I upgraded to a Z-8 or Z-9. Then, on my annual service, I began a nightmare that lasted two weeks and cost me a fishing trip, which I detailed in this thread.
Long story short, I was forgotten, given the runaround, overcharged, forgotten again, and lied to. It was by far and away the worst service experience I’ve had in the last decade, and so vastly different from my first year that it was like night and day. Other board members at Bassboatmagazine.com have had excellent service at other Bass Pro Shops, so it may well be an isolated incident. However, when it comes down to it, sales will sell you the first boat service will sell you every one after that. Nitro lost a future sale from me that day.
Warranty
Nitro offers a 10 year hull warranty, and a 1 year component warranty. The one year warranty is short, and I would like to see it be 3 years. I’ve used my warranty on a trolling motor hinge repair without issue. However, I would like to see Nitro step up and back their boats and equipment a little more.
Resale Value
Okay... I admit it. My time with my Z-6 is coming to an end. As it turns out, I needed a slightly bigger boat due to how many people I wanted to bring with me fishing. After searching around for great deals, I found a new Phoenix 618 Pro for the price of Nitro Z-7. It was too good to pass up. The good news for readers is that I get to talk about the trade in value.
I decided to trade the boat in and actually was able to get more than I owe for it. Now a lot of people are worried about Nitro boats depreciation, but I will tell you it wasn’t the nightmare it was made out to be.
One thing I should say is that the biggest thing dealers were looking at was the condition and color of the boat’s hull. They didn’t care about the motor hours, nor about features. They wanted to know if it looked good. That’s food for thought for someone ordering a really odd color scheme, with plans to resell in the future.
Recommendations for Nitro
I’m going to take a second a write to any Nitro execs who might possibly read this. I know the chances are slim, but maybe, just maybe, this might reach them.
First and foremost, Nitro needs to secret shop their service centers, and do it often. The behavior of mine cost Nitro a boat sale. If I had been treated well, I probably would be buying a new Z-8 instead of Phoenix.
Second, it’s time to say goodbye to wood construction. Wood isn’t nearly as big a deal as people make it out to be, but simply put, there are better materials out there. All fiberglass, or wood-free composite construction would help with the resale and long term durability of the boats.
Third, every trailer should include a spare tire, period.
Fourth, the nickel and diming needs to end. If Nitro put about $100 more into the building of every boat, they would be king of the hill. Little things like a stainless steel plug and compartment locks, a plastic shroud to cover the outboard cables, retractable trailer tie downs, stainless steel screws, and more metal instead of plastics can make the difference between a sale and just someone looking.
Fifth, just slow down. There is no excuse for boats coming out of the factory with improperly sealed rub rails. None. Take the extra 5 minutes to really give each boat a solid inspection at each step of the build. You might add an hour to your build time total, but you’ll save time, effort, money, and customer frustration in the long run.
Finally, the Z-6 is right on the edge of being perhaps the best 17 foot boat in it’s class. Building it with composites instead of wood, a decent battery charger, automatic bilge pumps, using more stainless steel parts, tool and ruler holders, adding the RPS hull, and giving it a little bit more power would all help elevate the Z-6 well above its competition.The options for the Z-6 are very limited compared to those for the other Z Series boats.
Conclusion
Now that the sun is setting on my Z-6, I really feel like I’m going to miss this boat. It’s been an awesome fishing companion, and I have had a lot of great memories in it. I have a few trips left and I know the last one is going to be hard to end. I’ll probably take a hundred “one last casts”. I take heart in knowing that someone else will get to enjoy her as I have.
I’ve had no real issues with the Z-6 or the Mercury Optimax powering it. Nitro really did build a quality product. As this is a review, I tend to focus on the negatives, but overall the Z-6 is a great package. With the fact that a lot of aluminum rigs are at nearly the same price point of the Z-6, it is a bargain in the bass fishing world.
And that’s where you’re going to find Z-6 buyers. People debating between an aluminum Bass boat or a fiberglass need to take a hard look at the Z-6. When I was shopping for it originally, I checked out a 17ft Lowe Stinger that priced out at only $1500 less than my Z-6. I’ve since had the chance experience the Lowe and I’m extremely happy I went with my Z-6 over it. Stability, deck space, ride comfort, features, design, speed, handling, and fishability are all light years ahead of the Lowe. The same can be said about the Pro Team 175 TXW I fished out of. I didn’t have the heart to tell the owner.
The Z-6 just stomps all over the aluminum rigs in every way.
Nitro does deserve a lot of credit for not falling for the Bass boat creep issue that has befallen a lot of manufactures. When the Stratos 176XT debuted, it was $14,000 with a 50HP motor. Now it’s $20,000 for the same setup. A lot of people compare that boat to the Z-6, and while it does have a few features I would have liked, the Z-6 just is just a way better bargain; bigger, faster, more stable, and with higher end components. I see the Z-6’s biggest competitor as the Triton 17 Explorer, which I haven’t been able to fish out of yet.
Bottom line: If I had a family member asking if they should get a Z-6, I would absolutely say yes. I would just tell them to check out their service centers history and reviews. Going back in time, would I have chosen the Z-6 again? Absolutely.
One Last thing...
A lot of people ask about what I would have done differently if I ordered the boat again. Well, here is how I would have changed it. I would have add a 24V trolling motor, hydraulic steering, auto bilge pump, HDS 5 with GPS, and a spare tire for the trailer. I also would have more carefully thought about how many people I intended to take with me.