I have skied a number of these boats. If you are comparing it to a 196 in tracking, wake, and fit and finish, the 196 is better in all areas. They are a little roomier than the 196. You can usually find them cheaper than a Nautique of the same vintage. One other thing that might not matter to some people, but if you don’t put a turn down exhaust on them they are LOUD. We have a few on our lake and when people ski with them early in the morning they are considerably louder than the Nautiques and MasterCrafts.