I am looking to buy my first boat and I think I am going to buy a G3 Eagle 175.  I found a 2003 with a 70hp Yamaha and I will be going over to look at it in the next few days.  Is there anything I should be aware of with the G3's?  Will my Equinox be able to tow it (my car is rated to tow 3500lbs and the boat & trailer are around 2000lbs)?  Is the 175 a good value compared with comparable trackers/tritons/war eagles?

Thanks!

Yes you should be able to tow it just fine.  It is on top of the list you have.  They are made about 50 miles from where I live.

Here is a little history.  A man, I think his name was Lowe, started a boat company and ran it successfully for years.  It was all weld, aluma weld or some such.  Later in time his son started up and ran Lowe boats successfully.  G3 is the company started by the grandson (third generation of boat builders).  Each of these men have sold their companies and gone on to other ventures.  G3 is now owned by Yamaha.  They are exceptionally good boats and have come from a long line of boat builders.

Thanks for the info!  It really seems to be a lot of boat for the money.  If I end up buying this thing it is going to be torture waiting for winter to end!

Yes you should be able to tow it just fine.  It is on top of the list you have.  They are made about 50 miles from where I live.

Here is a little history.  A man, I think his name was Lowe, started a boat company and ran it successfully for years.  It was all weld, aluma weld or some such.  Later in time his son started up and ran Lowe boats successfully.  G3 is the company started by the grandson (third generation of boat builders).  Each of these men have sold their companies and gone on to other ventures.  G3 is now owned by Yamaha.  They are exceptionally good boats and have come from a long line of boat builders.

If you ever travel down I-44 through Lebanon Missouri you'll drive right past the Aluminum boat Mecca of the US.  Lowes, Landau, G3 and the Tracker Aluminum plants are all right along the highway within  a mile or so of one another.  

I have never been in the 175. I did fish out of the big one. The HP200 with a 200hp on it and it was a great boat. really changed my mind on big alum  bass boats VS  fiberglass. When I get a new boat they will be on my list.

I own a 04 Triton aluminum 186 Mag. It's a really nice aluminum bass boat as is the G3. The tracker would be at the bottom of the list. War Eagles are probably the equal of the G3. Xpress is at the top end of the food chain but cost a bit more. Aluminum boats are great for smaller lakes but for a bigger lake a glass boat might be a better choice. I'd like to share a few thoughts about alloy boats with you.

On the down side:

-- Aluminum boats catch the wind bad, I mean real bad. You will spend twice the time on the trolling motor compared to a glass boat in the wind so be sure it has a good one.

-- Aluminum boats dent easily. If you fish lakes with timber and stumps expect to get it dinged up pretty good when the wind catches you and pushes you into something solid. Dents on the bottom of the boat will decrease the top end speed of the boat as well.

-- The paint on an aluminum hull scratches easily, much more so than a glass boat. The stickers do not hold up well either.

-- The ride is rougher and wetter than a glass boat.

-- If you fish many tournaments on big lakes you will regret the lack of speed.

On the up side:

-- Gas costs to tow the boat and for the boat itself will be much lower than a glass boat. I can fish a full day on two gallons of gas easily unless I want to go boat riding instead of fishing. Fishing out of a big glass boat with a big motor you might find that running WFO is pretty fun, thus the bite is always better farther from the ramp.

-- The front deck has lots of space since the front of the boat doesn't tapper like a glass boat.

-- Rolling the boat around the garage or yard is easier since the boat it lighter.

-- The boat usually is cheaper than glass.

-- The boat will go into skinny water. Mine will float in water shallower than the trolling motor prop is tall.

-- Aluminum boats usually have more storage space than a glass boat.

I am not able to afford a glass boat at this time unless it is an older boat and I have too many other things that require my attention to buy a 1991 boat that will constantly require maintenance.  I am in a bass club and have fished out of 21 foot Champions/Tritons/Rangers but I also fished out of a 16.5 foot Bass Tracker with a 25hp motor in the Potomac River in November.  The ride was obviously slower and rougher in the Tracker but we got where we needed to go and caught a ton of fish.  

I will be doing most of my fishing out of two local reservoirs that are electric only and don't have too much current but I also intend on hitting the Potomac when the weather is nicer.  Luckily most of the Potomac fishing will be done out of the Smallwood ramp which is in the middle of Mattawoman creek, there is very little current in the creek and there is tons of grass and big fish.  On the calm days I could easily get to places like Occoquan and Nanjimoy but if not I can still catch fish in Mattawoman.  Either way I really want my own fishing platform that I can take friends on and help store my tons of fishing tackle.  The tackle storage alone will allow me to use my basement again so that will be worth it  ;D  Since I doubt my Equinox could adequately tow a glass boat with a 150+ motor I think an aluminum boat will definitely fit my needs.

My partner owned a 17.5 G3 with a 50HP motor.  It was a really nice boat.  The only down side was the 50HP.  Getting one with the 70HP makes it a great boat!  Previously my partner had a Lowe 16' and a Tracker 16'  and the G3 is wider, has more storage space, is much more stable when you are standing in it and has a better ride.  

I have a 2003 g3 165 and love it. My downfall is that it came with a 25hp 4 stroke. The boat is awesome, If I ever trade it in I will get another G3 or an xpress.  Im either going to trade it in this spring or power it up with a different motor.

Most of the new high performance tin boats weigh almost as much as a glass rig so the towing advantage and gas usage advantage I don't see.  For a smaller boat I would definately go aluminum for the gas and such.  I fish a lot out of a 16' flat bottom w/ 50hp merc.  You can catch a lot of fish 5 minutes away from the ramp if you pick your ramps carefully.  We can fish two days on 6 gallons.

Anthony

Most of the new high performance tin boats weigh almost as much as a glass rig so the towing advantage and gas usage advantage I don't see. For a smaller boat I would definately go aluminum for the gas and such. I fish a lot out of a 16' flat bottom w/ 50hp merc. You can catch a lot of fish 5 minutes away from the ramp if you pick your ramps carefully. We can fish two days on 6 gallons.

Anthony

You are right about the high performance aluminum boats, but I am not in the market for one of those.  The G3 HP series and the Tracker Avalanche series would be more than I am comfortable to tow but the G3 175 weighs a lot less than a Fiberglass boat of the same size.

I have owned three aluminums,a smaller war eagle,a weld-craft,and my current and hopefully last a xpress sv17.I looked at the g3's but thought why would a top company still use wood for the decks and transom instead of aluminum which will not rot.One other boat that is widely overlooked is a alumacraft which makes a excellant boat for the money.If i got the g3 i would make sure the decks were ok before buying it.

Ps on the note by someone else in the replys my boat alone weighs 790 lbs,show me another 17' in fiberglass that weighs that? :-?

I own a 07 g3 eagle 175 and love it. my friends own alumnacraft, lowe, and trackers none of them compare for quality and stability 2 of them are buying g3's this spring