Yeah instead of the 160 I'm now looking at a higher model in the tracker. I was looking at the 175 and honestly it looks like the perfect boat for me. I will be fishing one other person max and I want a smaller more compact boat. It looks like a good starter boat that would still be a great boat 5 years down the road. In your opinion how's the build quality on the newer boats? Im also liking them cause I can put money down make payments and build my credit up.

Fished from a 1994 175 for some time and that boat is the reason I was looking into the new trackers. The quality on the new 175 is solid from everything I've looked at and read. I was dead set on a 175txw and the only reason I didn't end up in one is because I found a heck of a used boat for the same price. 

 

If you're looking at the 175's be sure to think about which one is right for you.... one of them has a lower deck with some cup holders and stuff up front which I wasn't a fan of.

Also - Posted a thread about the 175 a little while ago.... might benefit you.  http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/120391-tracker-175-owners-please-stand-up/

Im in a similar situation. What do yall know about 94 409 javelins? one near me for 10 grand and a lot of options.

 

Purchased my first boat this July, a 2013 Tracker 190 TX. I did a fair amount of research; enough to know there are a number of Tracker owners who are not satisfied with their Tracker product. The only upgrade was the motor. Mine is fitted with a Mercury 115 OptiMax Pro XS. I have had the boat in the water a number of times with no reported problems or concerns. I am impressed with the eight foot rod locker, and being 6'3" plus and 260 lbs, the 18' 7'' length provides me with ample maneuvering room on the deck. The ride has been impressively smooth and dry!

 

I bought a Lowe Stryker 17 last year and it has been exactly what I needed. It's no speed demon of course with just a 60 hp motor but it gets me to where I want to go. The rod storage on board could be a little better, but that's my real only complaint. I traded my old boat in for so that trade in made for a nice down payment. 

My recommendation...  I would go for a decent aluminum boat like a Tracker for your FIRST boat.  Reason being, I have made many entry level boater mistakes with my Tracker 175 that I would not want to make with an expensive fiberglass boat!  Things like putting it on its trailer and going a bit too far and breaking off the transducer for example!  Just my opinion!  Also, with a big engine like the ones on Triton's and Ranger's come big fuel costs!

First don't worry about size, everybody I know who owns a 16' wish they had a 17' and everybody who has a 17' wishes they had a 18' and on and on.

I fish Toledo Bend out of a 15' 5" Stratos with a 70 hp, I know its capabilites so I simply trailer closer to where I want to fish.

Have you considered a 165 Pro instead?

Same length, 54" beam (6" wider), 77" beam (7" wider), 50 hp (10 hp more). Up grade to 55# trolling motot & your good to go.

OK, I am a brand new member, but if I can I would like to add my two cents.  I have fished small lakes all the way up to Lake Erie (I grew up in Cleveland). During that time I have owned 3 boats, two I bought used and my current boat I bought new.  You need to think about where and what you will be fishing in your boat.  If you are a bass fisherman that likes shallow water, a light aluminum boat would be the best, I can get into some real skinny water with my Xpress, my first boat was fiberglass (same size motor) and it had twice the draft.  However, I loved the fiberglass boat on choppy or windy days and I would only put my current Xpress onto Lake Erie under very nice conditions, that fiberglass rig I had just did not get blown around and held up to the chop much better.  If you fish in a stumpy smaller lake I would go aluminum, just my preference, I can fix a dent easier than a crack in the fiberglass or gel-coat if I hot something.  My final thought:  Be careful with used boats!  They might look like a million dollars on the outside, but there are hidden dangers:  inside the motor, in the wheel bearings on the trailer, electrical wiring, etc.  It's the little stuff that might become big stuff later.....