I have to admit I am loving my new Xi5. I had an older MK PowerDrive (no ipilot) and it was loud and turned very slow. The new MotorGuide XI5 turns very fast and is almost silent. The anchor function is amazing. I was recently following a shore line pitching for bass and hooked into a large Muskie. I instantly threw the XI5 into anchor mode and fought the Muskie for 5 minutes without having to worry about messing with controls or blowing onto shore (it was windy out) I have a ski/fish model boat and the profile catches more wind than a bass boat. I used to blow all over the place and spent more time on the trolling motor than I was fishing. I would even stay away from some places just because I didn't want the hassle of fighting the wind. Now I can go fish anywhere I want. The heading lock and anchor mode on the XI5 let me fish without worrying. Its like I got a new boat.
I'm finding I like the remote with lanyard over the foot pedal. It seems like the MK remote was a lot bigger and may be not as comfortable to wear all day. I'm sure guys who own the MK with I-pilot will love it just as much. I just wanted to tell you how much the XI5 has changed my time on the water for the better.