Hi and welcome to OSO.

If you go by what I own, then you know my recommendation: Donzi.

That said, it is what suits ME best.

You have to determine what YOU want in a boat.
Cruising, poker runs, rafting up or beaching it, sleep on it, entertain, etc.
The only way to do this is go see the boats and sit in them. If you go to the Miami Boat Show, you can see all the new models firsthand. While in Miami, you can also hit a few of the local performance dealers and see any boats that are not at the show. (With all the legal stuff going on, Fountain, Donzi and Baja may not be at the show.)

As for the thread topic:
Donzi Zrs have a nice cockpit layout, great speed and handling but lack in cabin headroom.
It is a true 35' boat and rides like a larger boat than it is.
The fountains are equally fast with a smaller cockpit and headroom and only a 32' running surface.

There are other great options out there, and don't discount a 38' boat. It can get in anywhere a 35' can (unless you are limited by docking length). There are some great deals out there right now and you can get great deals on a slightly used boats!

The last thing I would recommend is to stay with well known name brands in a limited market area. It will be hard enough to sell it down the road and the better known it is, the easier to sell.

Just my feelings based on previous experiences.

Are you sure that a 35 Donzi ZR doesn't include the swim platform in the measurement? First I've heard that.

I was also under the impression the 35' includes the built in swim platform.

I am thinking about a boat in your size range a few years down teh road and the 3 boats I am looking at are the 33 Active Thunder, 35 Donzi and 344 Hustler. The AT is definitely the biggest of the 3 and will likely handle the rough water the best. They have only built about 6 of them though...

The Donzi is 35 including the platform. Both the Fountain and the Donzi also have notched transoms so that is a wash too. The Donzi is a bit longer LOA and the fountain has the beak. Length wise I'd say the Donzi is a foot and a half longer in the real world. That isn't enough to push anyone either way IMO.

The Beam though... I think Fountain is 8'4" vs the full 8'6" of the Donzi.

The other measurement that will be way different is the hull height to the rub rail. Fountain loves to put a lot of deck on above the rail, which makes the bottom half of the boat smaller. This to me is a pretty big difference in favor of the Donzi.

With all that said if I wanted the fastest boat for a given power, Fountain will be the winner. If I want better ride, more interior space, nicer cabin, and pretty close performance wise, Donzi. so for me personally... Donzi.

Nice 37 A/T at national liquidators. Looks like a nice boat.

:drink:
Sorry, after re-reading my post it does look like that is what I am saying. I meant to say it rides like a true 35' boat (rides like a bigger boat) and after riding in both, there is no comparison when it comes to ride quality on anything other than a calm day. The 38Zr takes it up another level completely. That boat is almost 39' long and has an 8'8" beam.

The 35 Zr Donzi is 35'3" overall including the swim platform.
The 35 Fountain is 35' beak to tail.
Both boats have an 8'6" beam.

I just had a ride in very rough and windy conditions on the north side of Anguilla in a Sonic 386. The boat had no trouble with big water and provided a smooth, dry ride. Here's one with 525's...

http://www.powerboatlistings.com/view/9026

I'd take the 35 or 38 Fountain!!!! Have a deeper cockpit then the Donzi, and its my personal preference! The updated 07+ Dash and cockpits are awesome!
Have to love this site - the guy asks for an opinion between two great boats, his preferences, and he gets some jacka$$ responses trying to offer him everything from a canoe to a fri*$%* sailboat! Happens everytime! Not saying there aren't good alternatives out there, but thats not what he asked about. If I had my heart set on a Corvette or camaro I wouldn't like to have a Mustang or Nissan recommendation. Hey heres my opinion forget the offshore boat you should go shopping for a Volkswagen Beetle, way cooler trust me! Save gas money too! :angry-smiley-038:

You really should try to get a water test in what ever you are interested in. What I prefer in a boat or anyone else may be alot different than you. Have owned 5 Fountains so you know what my preference is. That said Donzi, Sonic, A/T are all nice options.
One word of advice...dont price what you can afford to buy. Price what you can afford to fix. They will all break at some point. 50hrs or 450hrs, it doesnt matter. Could be a drive, motor, electrical problem ect. Its just the nature of the beast. Good luck.