Formula 271 fastech vs Donzi 26ZX
 

Hey gang! Been a lurker for what feels like a decade. I've been dying to buy my own performance boat since about 2001 when I was in high school. Had my powerboat magazine subscription back then drew my own boats up in CAD.. got the fever after riding in a friend's 26 Baja outlaw.

Well long story short on the history I'm hoping to jump in next summer/fall timeframe so being about a year out I'm trying to narrow it down a bit. Boat would mostly be myself, the wife and two kids under 7 years old. Lake boating 75% of the time and sound/ocean the other 25% with the ocean only on super nice days. Would like to trailer to Florida occasionally as well.

I've considered heavily the Donzi 28ZX but I feel like twin engines are pushing my 9,500 lb towing capacity in the F150 too tight for comfort. No point maxing out the truck.

That brings me down to the Donzi 26zX and the Formula 271 fastech as my front runners. Possibly a 26 outlaw or similar Baja as well. Trying to stay model years 2001 and newer and a budget of mid 40k's

What are your thoughts between them. I'm leaning towards a formula with the right motor. Preferably a 500efi/525 or a 496 HO if I can find it. Should I avoid the 502's?

Would like to be able to hit 65-66 with either boat. I know the Donzi will be a tic faster but the formula would be better built and ride better so the wife and kids would be happy. I see a nice looking 271 with a rebuilt 500efi on powerboatlistings but Im sure it won't be around when I'm ready to pull the trigger next year. Also it's dam hard to find one to get a feel for the layout with the family in it.


Thanks in advance for your input and advice. I'd also like a Pantera 28 but doubt the wife would enjoy it as much, lol.

The kids won't care one bit what boat you chose. My kids grew up (from 6 mos) riding on a 24 and 30 Superboats. They loved it! My wife's only complain was the head, (or lack there of).

Boats that size aren't going to have a great cabin. You might want to add a 26 Sonic to your list.

I'd rather have the Pantera than any others you mentioned.

Welcome to OSO, I don't have an opinion on which boat would be more/less suitable for your use. But I would like to say, when you are in a position to buy the boat, that will become a major part of your family for many years, do not pull the trigger on the first one that comes along. It sounds like you have done your research on the size, make and options, now be as meticulous about the candidates to fill your need. Have it surveyed! Good luck, and I hope you find exactly what you are looking for.

My wife prefers the ride quality over the top speed...so we are a Formula Family.

Yup 26 sonic is on the short list as well. Not as big of a fan of the looks. I sorta figured the ride quality will be better on the formula.

Anything to look out for on the early 2000's formulas?

Can't beat twins for getting back to the dock if you lose an engine... one of the reasons I moved up to twins.

Donzi built a few 28zx’s with a single but probably won’t make your target speed. Good boats for space and comfort. Baja is a nice simple first boat, good performance and roomy. Formula have all the ‘pretty’ touches, well built boats.

Considered a Donzi27zr? Goes well with stock power, nicely fitted out but not much headroom in the cabin, if that’s important. Never many advertised but you might find one in your budget.

Research engines a bit, Mercury Racing engines like tne 500’s and 525’s are great but will cost you more on service. They need a bit more love to keep them at their peak. A stock 496 or 496ho is a good engine, just follow Merc’s service recommendations.

Probably the simplest answer is to take your wife shopping and have a look onboard all possibilities. From personal experience, if the wife doesn’t like the boat, it won’t get used much….🙂

RR

Thanks! Honestly I haven't looked at 27 ZR's as I didn't figure they'd be in my price range. I'd definitely prefer a 496HO and they seem like there more prevalent on the Formula's than the Donzi's.

Thinking of hitting the Miami boat show in Feb just to get a space and layout feel for boats. Hard to get on 20 year old boats and feel them out, don't want to waste people's time that own them.

I think a twin engine with mild power will help keep you on the water and safe offshore. Out of your choices I like the Donzi zx or zxo. The formula 292 was also powered with mild 6.2 mercs and you should consider those as well. I used to pull a 28 Apache just fine with a Chevy z71, three axle trailer helps a lot with the load. I've been in your shoes before except had to get rid of my go-fast when we had kids as I didn't have the time to wrench on it anymore. If you've not yet had a boat of your own you may be underestimating the time commitment it can take just to take care of and enjoy the boat, much less have to fix it when something goes wrong. For that reason I recommend you find something in mint condition and with low maintenance motors even if that means buying something newer and smaller and maybe not so fast because if your wife is anything like mine she won't have much patience for taking day's off away from the family to work on a boat.

I still am a firm believer that the Formula fit and finish stand the test of time. Aside from all the Fastech letters that seems to always come off on the emblems. 😁

Own a 292. Can confirm. Most of the stickers came off. Boat is just that fast.

Just to confuse matters, you may want to consider a Velocity 289 or 290. Roomy for the length with a deep cockpit to keep the kids safe. The 290 even has an enclosed head. Runs nice and fast and will easily meet your speed goals with a 496 or 502.

Padraig

Thanks for the input! I bet that Apache was sweet! Definitely dream of owning one some day. I sort of feel the same way about the twins. I don't mind working on the boat, I grew up pretty much taking care of our family boat, all the cleaning, prep work and maintenance in our smaller 20 footer I grew up with. I half thought of buying a project boat but know I don't have that kind of time or resources either. I do keep coming up with the fact that between the 26zx and the formula I can get almost the same benefits as the 28zx with a lower entry cost. The X-factor though like you mentioned is the 2nd engine for stability and power. I do like the idea of twin small blocks then a single big block.

The fastech 292 is enticing but they definitely seem out of my budget.

I completely missed velocity for some reason, looks like a cross between a sonic and a formula. I don't know much about velocity. Will have to do some digging, how are they in rough seas compared to the formula and Donzi? The speed certainly seems up there and the price point is nice. What's the catch? Lol.

I had a 1998 271 with a 502. Was a great boat and engine. Formula quality and ride are very good. At the time, we had two young kids and would spend weekends on the boat, either at a marina or anchored overnight at a beach. Had full camper canvas. Had a filler cushion made to fit between the bench seats for extra sleeping space. Was enough room until the kids grew. I don't have anything negative to say about the 271.

How useful are the cabins in these size boats? Do they just get hot and stuffy when parked or do the vents five enough air movement that it's still useable?

have a 292 w/350s. cabin is useless without A/C. I'm not 20 anymore and I'm over trying to sleep in there.

ive had a velocity 290 sc, a fountain 29 fever wich i have for sale and i just bought a 292 fastech wich i havnt drove as of yet. velocity is roomy, the sc has tons of room in cabin and very fast. it had the 496 ho. fountain has the 496 ho, lots of room in cockpit, not as much room in cabin as velocity but definatly a better ride. runs out to about 62 and velocity would run about 67. both nice boats no complaints with either of them....

Single vs twins:
Got a fastech 292 about 30 engine hours ago. In that time I've already come back to the dock on one engine twice. One time was cheap, the other time was expensive. Very expensive. The allure of twins has lost its luster with me after paying the mechanic bills but my wife is very happy to have been able to make it back with one engine both times, not sure how many thousands of dollars that's worth.

I tow it on a triple axle trailer with an F-150 with the max tow package (12,700lbs) and I would recommend it. There's only about 450 lbs tongue weight so it rides level. The brakes are surge and it's just okay. Have towed it an hour and a half on the interstate so far and it tows very well - no swaying, no gear hunting, and plenty of power to merge etc.

The gentleman's comment about their wife not happy with trading family time for boat maintenance time is spot on - probably a selling point for single engine and drive. Not that there isn't tons of other maintenance you can't get away from - electrical system, trailer tires brakes bearings winch lights etc. Washing, mopping, vacuuming, scrubbing.

500 EFI in a fastech 271 looks real good to me! Same usable space as the 292 in my opinion - though losing even one inch of cockpit space can be significant.

Sonic 26 prowler is a great looking boat but that cockpit is tiny! We bump into each other enough as it is.

Sunsation 25 aggressor has an even tinier cockpit but I really like the fit and finish and something crazy like 4 mpg. Tiny fuel tank effectively limits you to about 100 mile range with butthole puckering. Very fast.

Is the cabin useful? Somewhat. We always ride with the hatches cracked and the cabin door open. At anchor open the hatches all the way and it's pretty good airflow so yeah it's usable. My toddler takes naps in there and we store everyone's towel bags and inflatables in the v berth.

Hey Turtles, I have a 292 as well, and I also came back on a single several times now across 2-3 seasons, and even once or twice after new short blocks. (Fuel Pump).

getting home at 6 mph is still getting home. I don't think TowBoat could could have hauled us in any faster anyway.

I know the original topic was to buy your first performance boat. With a wife and two small kids...are they onboard with your passion? Most young families in my area are 100% on bow riders or cuddy cabins. Sub 30 foot performance boats are big compromises in space and amenities for a bit of speed.

Just sayin.....happy wife...happy life.

^^^ You had to remind us of family likes/dislikes and our commitments..
Buzzkill….!
🙂

Agree on twins vs single maintenance comments, but the OP want's to go boating in the ocean so you kind of need a twin engine boat in my opinion. If it was me I'd be looking for a twin outboard performance boat, but would probably cast that aside for a unicorn like a single engine 28 Saber. I alway's took care of my family's boats growing up too, but the go-fast was completely different in terms of the care and maintenance it required. The only way I'd go back to a twin engine boat is if it had outboards. The difficulty of working on the motors is worse than the maintenance cost. The maintenance is not too bad if you can do it yourself, but dang every time I worked on that thing it was like getting in a fight with a toolbox and the toolbox won every time and I had a ton of help too.

Twin outboards is where it's at. My next boat gets outboards and a joystick!

I didnt see a budget listed, the 29 Outlaw is a nice entry level boat available in small and big block configurations, 24* dead rise makes for a nice ride, large cockpit and good size cuddy, I had a 33 Outlaw same color scheme as this one.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...50daf59c2a.jpg

Forgot to mention a couple things about boat hunting/pricing/values - accessories:

Full hydraulic steering - you for sure want this and should just factor it in from the beginning - it's totally unacceptable to be zipping along at 60 mph with slop in the steering wheel. To me it affects the price of a used boat by about $3k for a single and $5k for twins.

Blue motor/500 EFI - I would make this a priority - maybe worth $5k over a 496HO with similar hours to me.

Upholstery - Rough looking upholstery is probably your best bet at finding a good deal on a boat. Magic eraser can do amazing things if it's not too far gone and perfect upholstery with kids might be foolish anyway. Figure $7k to have a good upholstery shop completely redo the cockpit and sun pad in the latest and greatest marine vinyl/fabrics available.

Bimini - Nice but not essential and can be more of a pain to deal with than the simple Anchor Shade. More of a pain pulling the bimini out and putting it up and packing away than Anchor Shade - but it has two advantages 1. Can run with it up at lower speeds (sub-40mph) 2. Can pop it up and pop it down quicker if you have to stop and go through no-wake. Maybe up to $1500 for a nice stainless custom-fit bimini with Sunbrella and possible addition of shelves/brackets to store it under the engine hatch.



Folks touting the low/ease of maintenance for outboards are often falling victim to false equivalence fallacy. Comparing the reliability of 20 year old inboards with unknown maintenance history vs 5 year old outboards is not valid. I'll concede it can be more difficult to perform maintenance yourself on the inboards because of access but if you're paying a mechanic you're paying the same either way. They have done it long enough they know how to get done in one hour what would take me half a day plus waiting for more parts or specialty tools to come in the mail plus another half day etc. Some maintenance items are easier to perform on inboards.

Kids are good with anything on the water. Wife would have preferred a bowrider but going out in rough water on the sound or possible ocean just makes that seem impractical so she is warming up to it. Coupled with I've been wanting one for 20 years and nagging her about it since we met she is sort of caputlating, lol.

That's gorgeous,. Budget is 45k or less ideally. I've thought of a 25 outlaw, not sure I could afford a 29.


All valid points I agree with 100%. Front runner right now is probably the Fastech 271 with a blue motor or at least a 496ho. Seems to be the roomiest cabin and the best quality of the bunch. Weight with the single is pretty good too for the F150 towing it around. Only hangup in my mind is do I go twins and switch over then to the Donzi 28ZX. They seem to be running about the same as the formulas 271 with a big single.

How concerned should I be with the non closed loop cooling system motors? What type of maintenance would I be looking at above what I was used to? I agree with fighting the motor in small spaces suck. I like that the Donzi the whole back seat raises up for easier access.


Appreciate all the input from everyone. It's very insightful!

Here's what my 292 looks like, for what it's worth :)

I think your choice will come down to what's available within your budget. You are looking at boats that are going to be decades old and probably nearing any original part end of life potentially. Unless you can find a museum piece but then $$ goes way up.

Closed or open cooled motors have their plusses and minuses. I prefer closed keeping the majority of the engine components bathed in coolant. But they have their maintenance needs as well.

Survey, survey, survey!!

there in your price point, closed cooled 496's

https://www.powerboatlistings.com/view/38883

That's not a real listing...... it's dated 2015. Gotta check listing dates when looking at that website. If your going to go twin big block might as well add another 6 feet of boat.

I'm surprised such a crappy site even exists. You can't search, can't sort, it's just crap all around.

I think the Velocity is a good Riding boat. However the Formula is heavier and does not have a pad bottom so it may ride better in some conditions. Many say that Velocity's are drivers boats. It is true it takes some seat time to learn how to get the best ride. They like to ride up on top balanced on the pad. Once you learn this it is second nature. They are fast but a stable safe boat without steps. They also have a long successful race record.

Good luck in your search,

Padraig

Velocity
 

Have you looked at a Velocity? I have an Advantage but I tested a Velocity260 last year and I liked it for the nice high freeboard…gives you a little bit more cabin space.

I have a Formula 271 Sr1 with a 496 HO Bravo1 X drive Very pleased with the boat ,) Its a very nice allround singel engine boat.. Not the fastest out there, but decent, after changing from stock exhaust to CMI E-Top headers I reached 64,6 mph (Gps) with a stock Bravo1 24`proppeler.. Removed the silent thunder exhaust platform for a long time ago he he. If you buy a 271 fastech you should be able for a couple of mph more at least on the paper..
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...fa3a3ac5d7.jpg
Having fun in the Oslo Fjord

Fasttech...donzi....baja
 

[IQUOTE=CharlieWhiskey85;4792895]Hey gang! Been a lurker for what feels like a decade. I've been dying to buy my own performance boat since about 2001 when I was in high school. Had my powerboat

Well long story short on the history I'm hoping to jump in next summer/fall timeframe so being about a year out I'm trying to narrow it down a bit. Boat would mostly be myself, the wife and two kids under 7 years old. Lake boating 75% of the time and sound/ocean the other 25% with the ocean only on super nice days. Would like to trailer to Florida occasionally as well.

I've considered heavily the Donzi 28ZX but I feel like twin engines are pushing my 9,500 lb towing capacity in the F150 too tight for comfort. No point maxing out the truck.

That brings me down to the Donzi 26zX and the Formula 271 fastech as my front runners. Possibly a 26 outlaw or similar Baja as well. Trying to stay model years 2001 and newer and a budget of mid 40k's

What are your thoughts between them. I'm leaning towards a formula with the right motor. Preferably a 500efi/525 or a 496 HO if I can find it. Should I avoid the 502's?

Would like to be able to hit 65-66 with either boat. I know the Donzi will be a tic faster but the formula would be better built and ride better so the wife and kids would be happy. I see a nice looking 271 with a rebuilt 500efi on powerboatlistings but Im sure it won't be around when I'm ready to pull the trigger next year. Also it's dam hard to find one to get a feel for the layout with the family in it.


Thanks in advance for your input and advice. I'd also like a Pantera 28 but doubt the wife would enjoy it as much, lol.[/QUOTE]
I've owned all three...if you want a little more luxury.. and stepped hull..formula....
if you want basic 24 degree.deap V. ....Baja
I own a 26zx now...stepped...nicely equipped...not as luxurious as formula but donzi did a really nice job....what I really like, is the synthetic transom and stringers. I'm not sure Baja or formula went to that...but I don't think ROT is in my future....ride? Floating on top.of.water feel...formula.and donzi....plowing thru waves... baja
I'm a fan of 24degree rise...although the stepped hull does really well in rough stuff too. Just a different ride...imo
Impressed withy 26 zx...actually may move up to 33zx some day soon

Something else to compare.
 

I have an ‘05 Velocity 290 with a 496HO that I bought new and it has been a great boat for the lower Chesapeake Bay. For a single engine boat with a fair sized cabin (definitely tight). I originally looked at it because it has a small inclosed bathroom with a porta potty for the women.
After running it in smooth and rough water I was sold on it. The only thing I had to do when I first bought it was install a set of K-planes to help with the rough water close to the mouth of the bay. After running it for the last 15 years I would still buy it again.

[QUOTE mortgageguy……I've owned all three...if you want a little more luxury.. and stepped hull..formula....
if you want basic 24 degree.deap V. ....Baja
I own a 26zx now...stepped...nicely equipped...not as luxurious as formula but donzi did a really nice job....what I really like, is the synthetic transom and stringers. I'm not sure Baja or formula went to that...but I don't think ROT is in my future....ride? Floating on top.of.water feel...formula.and donzi....plowing thru waves... baja
I'm a fan of 24degree rise...although the stepped hull does really well in rough stuff too. Just a different ride...imo
Impressed withy 26 zx...actually may move up to 33zx some day soon[/QUOTE]



Some good info there, but just a word of note….
I hope your Donzi has composite transom and stringers as promoted in the owners manuals but don’t take it for granted. I owned a 27ZR and in the original books, it was stated they had a composite transom. This was not true, mine had wood in the transom and I had to have it repaired.
Don’t be scared of a timber transom, just be aware. 🙂

RR

Another thought...
 

Have you considered a Fountain 27 Fever? It's my current boat. I've owned a couple Donzis and I find the Fountain's s design, construction, quality of fittings and layout to be superior. No corners cut - Latham steering, Azimuth compass, Mercrcuser 502, Bravo 1... Single engine: Pay a few extra $$$ and get the Boat US unlimited towing package, along with a good anchor and an extra capacity cooler (for obvious reasons...).