The mt.home ones are the better one's 2003 and older i belive.

I have a 2000 model 203 and it is a great ride. I had a Triton TR186 I sold because it beat me to death but did have a Nitro that rode good before that. I hope Champion comes back if not then I will be looking at the Legend or Viper hulls.

Hey champ guys im loking for 2 hub caps for trailer tires.
they look like MOOSE K'S PM ME

My 1998 202.....Never had a boat ride any better.

Well guys, I guess opinions are like - well you know - I've owned 3 Champions so far - a 1990 184 SC, a 2000 model 203 DCX Elite - and now a 2008 203 Limited Edition. That said - I didn't SEE them build any of them - but I haven't seen any lack of quality between the 2 203's. Yes they did move the gas tank forward in the new 203 - it gets on plane better, rides as good if not better, and takes the rough stuff no differently than the 2000 model did. I hear rumors that the newer 203's are supposed to be "slower", well I hope nobody tells my new 203 - 'cause it doesn't know it. The older 203 (w/ a 225), with a full "T" load would hit 70 mph, the new one (w/a 250), w/same load - 72mph. I'm a Champion die hard- never looked very hard at anything else - and am even happier w/ the performance of the new one compared to the 2000 model. Sorry for the rant - until someone who built the new one tells me it's not as good as the older one, I'll go on my personal experience.

Mine is a '99 that I will put a new outboard on when the time comes. Perfect boat for me.

love my 97 202

That's a purdy boat sir. Ha ha

You've got me by 11" and 25 hp.

Rides like a Caddilac doesn't it? I found out that when tournaments quit mattering to me that I like to cruise about 55 and stay dry....

Love my 97 221 elite, 225 merc efi. smooth, dry and fast

Didn't make a 204 ... either a 202 or 203. Most likely a 202.

Actually they did make a 204 in 93. I test drove the very first one at our dealer meeting on Lake Lavon and hooked it at about 65 mph! Hurt like heck.. (It was not the boats fault by the way, it had a test style "anti feed back" steering and the motor was wayyyy to high up on jack plate- but thats another story.)
As most know, we were a top 5 Champion dealer from 1991 to 2001 and they built a GREAT boat. Anyone lucky enough to have a 96 or 97 202 should consider to have the creme of the crop of all of them IMO. That is not to take away from the 181, 186, or 221 model owners, just that those boats were built a little lighter than the other 202 models so you still had the great rough water ride of the design, but more speed. My 1996 demo was so fast that we had to put a nosecone on the lower unit to help reduce prop blow out.
When Champion went out of business at Mountain Home from the Bankruptcy during the Porthouse ownership, I believe they were still building quality boats. We made a decision to not continue with the Genmar owned company because they moved the plant to the Stratos facility and used Stratos employees to build them. Im sure they were capable enough to build a Stratos, but I preferred to have our boats built like a Champion; by Champion employees. I saw some of the first ones to come out of that plant and was not impressed. However, Im am sure that they have gotten better over the next 7-9 years and cannot/will not comment on the quality now. Please dont take this a bashing of our competition because it is not. I just thought I would give a little back ground of the 1990 thru 2001 Champions since I consider myself very knowledgeable about the Champion brand as a former dealer and Champion owner. It is because of my memories of the older Champion's that has helped us to search out and become a Legend dealer. That boat has alot of the same characteristics we loved back then.

Back to the 204 Elite models- They did make it for a few years, but the 202 series was so popular that it never took off real well. Doesnt mean it was a bad boat, we all just felt like that if they were going to go for an even bigger boat size market, it wasn't much of an upgrade in size. Thus the birth of the 221 model. Now that was an aircraft carrier! (in a good sense)
Thanks,
Jeff

This is where you Champ guys need to be:

http://www.bbcboards.net

It is important to note that most of the older champs are considered "skinny" by the newer models. Most of the folks will tell you that "fat" bodies ride alittle less smooth than their "skinny" brothers but its still pretty smooth by other standards.

I have a 2001 193 skinny model and my dream boat is a 200 elite. My only complaint about the skinny champs is that they loose their beam so quickly but I do love my boat.

I've got a 203 and thank God I do several times a year!! I always get comments like "I'm glad were not out in my boat today" from guys that are riding with me that don't have a champ.

I will give up deck space and storage for the ride anyday.

They don't build them like they used to. The older models are the best ones they made.