Glastron 185 Gx
The Glastron 185 Gx is a 18-foot boat, with model years from 1990 to 2007 in the listings we track. Across 32 listings we have observed (model years 1990–2007), the median asking price is $6,000, with most boats asking $5,500 to $9,000. The engine we see most often on this model is MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L) and Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop).
BoatVerdict market snapshot
These are asking prices. No free or public source publishes US used-boat transaction prices, so nobody — us included — can honestly show you what these boats sold for. What we can show you is what 32 sellers are asking, which is the number you are actually negotiating against.
31 priced listings across 13 states is a national sample, so the range is stable.
Method: Asking prices from active listings, de-duplicated so a re-posted boat counts once (76 raw listings collapsed to 32 distinct boats). Quartiles, not averages, so one outlier cannot move the band. Rounded to $500.
Coverage: Model years 1990–2007, 13 states, 21 metro areas. New-boat listings excluded.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations (craigslist) · US state vessel registries (7,537 registered Glastron hulls)
Looking at a Glastron 185 Gx for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.
The BoatVerdict take
- Recall (USCG/CPSC)
10 federal recall campaigns on file touch this builder. Check the specific hull against the recall list below before you put money down; remedies are free but only if the work was actually done.
Each point is tagged with the evidence behind it. Nothing here is a claim we cannot trace back to a counted listing, a federal record, or a named analyst judgement.
Glastron 185 Gx prices by model year
Show the numbers by model year
| Model year | Boats | Middle half of asks | Median ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2005 | 2 | too few to show | - |
| 2004 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2003 | 4 | $5,000 to $7,000 | $6,000 |
| 2002 | 3 | $7,000 to $8,000 | $8,000 |
| 2001 | 2 | too few to show | - |
| 2000 | 2 | too few to show | - |
| 1996 | 1 | too few to show | - |
16 distinct boats, listed now or since taken down, re-posts counted once. Years with fewer than 3 boats show a count only. Asking prices, not sale prices.
What a used Glastron 185 Gx is worth
We have seen 16 distinct Glastron 185 Gx boats for sale between Jun 14, 2026 and Nov 14, 2026, model years 1996 to 2007, in 10 states. The median ask is $6,500 and half of all asks sit between $6,000 and $8,000. Asking prices fall about 7.8% for each year of age (33% over five years), measured on these 16 boats and steadied with the 5.6% rate we measure for the class.
Engine brands named: Volvo 3, Yamaha 1, Mercury 1. Median engine hours on the 3 boats that stated them: 277.
What moves the price of a 185 Gx
- Horsepower. Doubling the power for the same class and length adds about 16% to the ask.
- Engine hours.Higher hours than typical for the age lower the ask.
- Region.West +12%, Midwest +5%, South +2%, Northeast -1% against the national level.
- Brand.Glastron boats in this class ask about 10% less than the class average for the same age and length.
Fitted on 1,313 distinct boats in this class (log asking price on age, length and brand; refit nightly, last on 2026-11-14). These are effects on asking prices.
Recent Glastron 185 Gx asking prices
| Year | Model | Length | HP | Hours | State | Asking | Seen | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | NY | $6,200 | Sep 30, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed Craigslist |
| 2004 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | 277 | GA | $9,950 | Jun 14, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (4 posts) Craigslist |
| 2003 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | WA | $2,500 | Oct 8, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed Craigslist |
| 2005 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | 115 | 140 | CA | $7,500 | Jun 14, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (21 posts) Craigslist |
| 2002 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | MN | $7,900 | Sep 22, 2026 to Nov 6, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
| 2000 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | NH | $4,800 | Aug 19, 2026 to Sep 30, 2026 | taken down (2 posts) Craigslist |
| 1996 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | WI | $6,000 | Jul 15, 2026 to Sep 25, 2026 | taken down (9 posts) Craigslist |
| 2003 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | WA | $5,500 | Jun 14, 2026 to Sep 12, 2026 | taken down (7 posts) Craigslist |
| 2007 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | MN | $12,900 | Jul 2, 2026 to Aug 30, 2026 | taken down (4 posts) Craigslist |
| 2000 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | MN | $1,000 | Jul 3, 2026 to Jul 23, 2026 | taken down (4 posts) Craigslist |
| 2005 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | OH | $6,750 | Jun 16, 2026 to Jul 20, 2026 | taken down (4 posts) Craigslist |
| 2003 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | OH | $9,500 | Jun 14, 2026 to Jul 19, 2026 | taken down (4 posts) Craigslist |
| 2002 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | ME | $5,900 | Jun 23, 2026 to Jul 2, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
| 2003 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | - | ME | $6,200 | Jun 24, 2026 to Jun 28, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
| 2002 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | 190 | - | AZ | $8,500 | Jun 14, 2026 to Jun 25, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
| 2001 | 185 Gx | 18 ft | - | 429 | MN | $7,995 | Jun 16, 2026 to Jun 21, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
The 16 most recently seen of 16 distinct boats. These are asking prices, not sale prices: no free source publishes US used-boat sale prices. A boat re-posted several times counts once, at its latest ask. "Taken down" means the ad disappeared; that can be a sale, a seller who gave up, or an expired post.
Glastron recalls and accident record
Of 1,105Glastron boats in USCG accident records: fire or explosion 3%, flooding or swamping 9%, capsizing 4%, total loss 7%, at least one death 7%. The rate counts accidents in Texas and New York waters from 2014 to 2023 (28) against 7,529 Glastron boats registered in those two states, the only states that publish boat-level registrations. Accident records reflect how and how much boats are used, not only how they are built. Only accidents above the USCG reporting threshold are recorded. Personal watercraft are left out.
These numbers are for the builder, not this model. Check the specific hull with a HIN lookup for recalls and reported accidents.
Recalls affecting Glastron
10 federal recall campaigns on file. Recalls are issued against hull-identification ranges, so a campaign listed here may or may not cover the specific boat you are looking at — check the HIN. Remedies are free from the builder, but only if the work was actually performed, and there is no central database that proves it was.
- ⚠ Recall
820064T6/16/1982SEAT CAME LOOSE
- ⚠ Recall
050027T5/23/2005FUEL SYSTEM
- ⚠ Recall
030063T5/23/2003SEAT BASE
- ⚠ Recall
010093S4/25/2001BASIC FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
980055T4/10/1998ELECTRICAL AC GROUND; SHOCK HAZARD
- ⚠ Recall
800072S3/3/1980CERTIFICATION LABEL
- ⚠ Recall
010180T11/19/2001SEAT BASE NOT SECURE
- ⚠ Recall
960111S11/18/1996LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
950192T11/1/1995FUEL FILL FITTING CRACKS; FUEL FILL FITTING CRACKS
- ⚠ Recall
800112T10/10/1982FUEL FITTING
Method: Matched to the builder by normalized company name and MIC. A campaign is shown when it touches this builder; the model and year columns say how narrowly it applies.
Sources: US Coast Guard recall database · CPSC recalls
Engines we actually see on the 185 Gx
- MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L)
The most common inboard/outboard in US bowriders and cruisers. The engine itself (GM-based) is reliable; the maintenance burden is the drive and exhaust. Bellows, gimbal bearing, U-joints, and — in any saltwater service — exhaust manifolds and risers are the recurring costs.
Service reality: Bellows/gimbal every ~5 years; manifolds/risers every ~6–8 years (or 3–4 in salt) at $2.5–4K. Pull the drive on inspection — deferred drive service is the classic hidden cost.
Full MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L) reliability profile →
- Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop)
Smooth, strong drives — the Duoprop in particular handles and holds beautifully. The catch is parts cost: Volvo Penta components run materially higher than MerCruiser equivalents, so service and repair budgets are larger.
Service reality: Same wear items as MerCruiser (bellows, gimbal, impeller) but pricier parts. Verify drive-oil condition (milky = water intrusion = seal failure).
Full Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop) reliability profile →
Method: Engine family matched from the listing's engine fields and title text against BoatVerdict's engine-family profiles. Prevalence is share of our sample, not factory fitment rates.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations · BoatVerdict engine-family profiles
Glastron 185 Gx specifications
| Length (median listed) | 18.0 ft | Our listing data |
|---|---|---|
| Model years traded | 1990–2007 | Our listing data |
| Glastron hulls in US registries | 7,537 | TX + NY open data |
Rows marked "our listing data" are measured from listings, not published by the builder, and will differ from a brochure. Rows without a source we can name are not shown at all.
What to inspect on a used Glastron 185 Gx
- MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L): Bellows/gimbal every ~5 years; manifolds/risers every ~6–8 years (or 3–4 in salt) at $2.5–4K. Pull the drive on inspection — deferred drive service is the classic hidden cost. Seen on 4 of the 32 185 Gx listings we track.
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 100 hours a year is heavy use for a MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L).
- Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop): Same wear items as MerCruiser (bellows, gimbal, impeller) but pricier parts. Verify drive-oil condition (milky = water intrusion = seal failure). Seen on 4 of the 32 185 Gx listings we track.
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 100 hours a year is heavy use for a Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop).
- Assume saltwater service unless the seller can prove otherwise: pull the engine cowling and look at the powerhead, check trim-cylinder rams for pitting, and open the battery and fuse boxes for green corrosion. 52% of the listings we observed for this model are in coastal states.
- On the older hulls, core moisture is the deal-breaker: sound the transom and the deck with a plastic mallet, and treat any soft or dull-sounding area as a survey-stopper rather than a bargaining chip. We observe listings back to 2000, so boats over 26 years old are actively traded in this model.
This list is specific to this model: analyst items for the hull, plus items driven by the engines and the regions we actually observe on 185 Gx listings. It is not a generic pre-purchase checklist, and it does not replace a surveyor.
What a 185 Gx costs to own
$1,500 – $4,000 per year
- 18 ft hull, the median observed length for this model
- Freshwater berth, based on where most listings we see are located (MN)
- Includes insurance, storage, routine service, fuel at moderate seasonal use, and a reserve for wear items
- Excludes loan payments, major engine replacement, and refit work
This is a modelled band, not observed spend. Real cost swings hard on where you keep the boat and how much you use it.
Method: The same ownership-cost model BoatVerdict's paid Deal Report uses: boat class and length set the base band, then saltwater berth and size adjust it.
Sources: BoatVerdict ownership-cost model
Where 185 Gxs are for sale
- MN 6
- WI 5
- OH 3
- NH 3
- WA 3
- GA 2
- ME 2
- MA 2
- NY 2
- SC 1
Counts of distinct boats we observed per state, from 32 listings in 21 metro areas. We publish the distribution, not the listings themselves.
What else buyers cross-shop
- Glastron 185 GT
- Glastron SX175
- Glastron 195 SX
- Glastron 205 Gx
- Glastron 205 GT Bowrider
- Sea Ray 185 Sport
Chosen by measured similarity — same builder first, then comparable length — and limited to models whose own page meets our evidence bar. No paid placements, no filler links.
Glastron 185 Gx FAQ
How much does a used Glastron 185 Gx cost?
Are there recalls on the Glastron 185 Gx?
What engine does the Glastron 185 Gx come with?
What does it cost to own a Glastron 185 Gx per year?
Looking at a Glastron 185 Gx for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.