Best Budget Jet Skis Under 5k [Sea-Doo vs. Yamaha vs. Kawi]

Let’s face it, new jet skis are insanely expensive nowadays, so it is no surprise that more and more buyers are turning to the used market. Based on our research, the most popular budget jet skis under $5k are as follows:

Yamaha EX
Yamaha VX
Sea-Doo Spark
Sea-Doo GTI (4-stroke)
Kawasaki STX 15-F
Kawasaki Ultra 160

In this post, we’ll briefly review these models, as well as give you some tips on what to look for when buying a budget jet ski.

Table of Contents

Best Budget Jet Skis Under $5K

Prices of new jet skis have exceeded the incredible $25k limit, and finding one under $10k is almost impossible.

Because of this, if you are looking for a budget jet ski under 5k, your only option will be the used market.

When shopping around, here are some things you should consider:

First and most importantly, unless you are mechanically inclined, you should avoid 2-stroke jet skis.

Note that almost every service shop refuses to work on these vintage machines, so you should only choose one if you can service and fix it yourself.

Another breed you should stay away from is used supercharged jet skis, especially the aged ones.

If you do your research, you can find plenty of them under $5k, like the Sea-Doo RXP-X 255, RXT 215, and more.

Even though their high performance and affordability could be enticing, their asking prices reflect possible future problems.

Note that due to their extreme power, supercharged jet skis can go wrong in so many ways.

Older Sea-Doo superchargers are especially known for lower reliability and a higher need for maintenance.

Consequently, best practice is to stick to a 4-stroke, non-supercharged engine, which could deliver anything from 60 to 180hp.

As a rule of thumb, you always have to pay more attention to the condition of the jet ski than its age or engine hours. However, the younger is always better since many parts age over time – even if the ski hasn’t touched the water.

When it comes to brands, Yamaha is known as the most reliable manufacturer, but Sea-Doo and Kawasaki also do a good job.

If you don’t want to cross the 5k barrier, you can only choose skis from the entry-level Rec-Lite and mid-range Recreation families.

Let’s drill into the details and talk about the most popular used machines in these breeds in detail!

Yamaha VX

The simplest and cheapest used WaveRunners are classed in the VX family.

Interestingly, 4-stroke VX WaveRunners have been around since 2005, which was when the manufacturer revealed the VX110 Sport and VX110 Deluxe.

(In 2007, these skis were rebranded as VX Sport and Deluxe without any noticeable changes.)

Since then, this line has gone through many generations, the most noticeable of them was the 2015 upgrade.

In this model year, the VX returned with an all-new body, which also got the innovativeTR-1 Yamaha marine engine the following year.

Due to their age, pre-2015 VX WaveRunners are much more prevalent priced under $5k, but despite their age, many of them are still in good shape.

In a nutshell, the best models in this breed are as follows:

Yamaha EX

Baptized as Yamaha EXs, these tiny skis are the smallest 4-stroke WaveRunners available.

Manufactured from 2017 through 2024, they were marketed in many configurations like the EX, EX Sport, EX Deluxe, and the more sportier EXR.

To be honest, the first gen. (2022-2024) JetBlaster was also actually an upgraded version of the base EX.

Compared to the VX series, these skis are significantly lighter and smaller and have very limited weight and storage capacities.

Because of this, they are mainly recommended for solo rides.

If the newer ones aren’t, some of the older EXs are offered at surprisingly affordable prices.

Sea-Doo Spark

If you are looking for a budget Sea-Doo under $5k, you can choose from a plethora of Spark and Spark TRIXXs.

Since they were introduced in 2014, these skis have always been among the most affordable Sea-Doos in the lineup.

They are very small and playful and come with an 899cc, triple-cylinder Rotax engine rated at 60 or 90hp depending on the model.

Sea-Doo GTI

Sea-Doo GTIs are the Canadian competitors of Yamaha’s VX line.

The manufacturer released the popular GTI line in 2006, and early models were powered by 2-stroke engines.

Revealed in the mid-2000s, the first 4-stroke Sea-Doo GTIs were the 2006-2010 GTI and GTI SE 130.

Over the decades, the GTI line was expanded with a lot of new models, including newer GTIs and the more advanced configurations like the 2007-2010 GTI SE 155 and 2011-2019 GTI SE 155.

You can find plenty of them marketed on classified PWC sites and FB groups, and if you are lucky, you can find some good deals among the listings.

Kawasaki STX 15-F

The Kawasaki STX 15-F is considered a budget Kawasaki jet ski, and is also available under 5k.

Thanks to its simplicity and large displacement, this mid-sized ski became one of the longest-lived models in the green fleet.

Since it was manufactured from 2004 through 2020, a lot of them appear on the used market.

The only drawback of this ski is the lack of convenience features like a brake and reverse system and advanced instrumentation.

Kawasaki Ultra 160 (Ultra LX)

If you are looking for a full-size jet ski under 5k, one of your few choices could be the Kawasaki Ultra LX.

Often referred to as the Kawasaki Ultra 160, this model was in production from 2007 through 2022.

It’s built on the full-size, deep-V Ultra platform and houses a 4-stroke, 1498cc, I4 marine engine rated at 160hp.

Takeaways

If you are looking for a budget PWC under $5k, you can only choose among the older machines.

As a rule of thumb, you should avoid 2-stroke and supercharged 4-stroke skis.

Instead, you may want to focus on the simpler and more reliable, 4-stroke models with smaller, naturally aspirated engines.

Our best recommendation is the Yamaha VX line, including the older VX110 and V1 series, as well as their newer VX successors.

Note that the majority of PWC rental shops have VX WaveRunners, and with good reason.

These mid-size jet skis are designed with comfortable bodies, easy-to-handle controls, and reliable Yamaha marine engines.

Their smaller brothers, the EXs are also highly recommended. Compared to the VXs they are smaller and lighter but have limited capacities.

Even though Yamahas are known for their outstanding reliability and durability, Sea-Doo and Kawasaki are also considered reputable brands.

When it comes to Sea-Doo, their most reliable budget skis are arguably the GTI and Spark series. They were released to be the Canadian competitors of the Yamaha VX and EX lines, respectively.

If you are considering a Kawasaki, you can’t go wrong with a mid-size STX 15-F or a full-size Ultra 160 (a.k.a. Ultra LX).

If you are mechanically inclined and don’t mind working on 2-stroke engines, you can also find a lot of 2-stroke skis for sale under $5k.

Some of the most popular skis in this breed are the vintage Yamahas, including the spacious XL1200, or the high-performance GP1200 and GP1300R.

If you want to discover and compare jet skis head-to-head, you may find our PWC comparison tool useful.

Note that this tool only includes models manufactured after 2010, but you can find reviews of many vintage models in our Review Browser Tool or model reference posts:

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