I've had the XI5 for about 8 months now. I switched over to the xi5 from the Riptide Ulterra. Switching from the MinnKota to the XI5 has really been frustrating for me. I absolutely hate the XI5 hand remote. I have young boys that I often let fish in the front of the boat, and I operate the TM via the hand remote from the center or rear of the boat. The remote not having a display on it is a real pain. If you always fish from the bow then this isn't as big of a deal. Still, Minn Kota is worlds ahead when it comes to the remote. I guess a big part of my frustration is just that I was so accustomed to the MinnKota remote that it has been hard to transition.

The other thing I really do not like about the XI5 as opposed to the MinnKota products is the way the spot lock system works compared to the Ipilot. The XI5, especially in strong wind, tries to immediately get back to the locked position. It will literally almost make you fall down sometimes. A bigger issue than that is I believe it scares the fish off by putting out so much thrust all the sudden. The MinnKota tends to ease back up to the locked position. I also question the folks that say the XI5 spot lock is much more accurate than the Ipilot. I have not found that to be the case at all.

Overall I think the XI5 is solid mechanically, and I will admit that many of my complaints are based on just being accustomed to another product. Just remember to carry a pack of AAA batteries for the hand remote and a pack of AA for the foot pedal. They tend to go through batteries pretty fast. Especially the remote foot pedal.