Carver Montego vs Wellcraft Nova

The Carver Montego asks $1,500 more at the median ($9,000 against $7,500), measured across 46 listings we track. Below is every difference we can evidence, and the ones we cannot.

Side by side

Carver Montego Wellcraft Nova
Median asking priceLower is cheaper to buy, not necessarily better value. $9,000 $7,500
Typical low (25th pct) $8,000 $5,500
Typical high (75th pct) $13,000 $10,000
Length (median listed) 25.0 ft 25.0 ft
Listings we trackMore listings means an easier boat to find and to resell. 24 22
States with listings 14 14
Engines we see most — Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400)
Known problems on file 0 0
Federal recall campaigns (builder) 7 7
Model years traded 1987–1990 1974–1995
46 distinct boats across both models Updated October 11, 2026

Method: Both columns come from the same pipeline on the same day, so the comparison is like-for-like. Asking prices, de-duplicated, quartiles rounded to $500.

Sources: BoatVerdict market observations · USCG / CPSC recall records

Which one suits which buyer

Take the Carver Montego if…

  • You want choice: we track 24 of these against 22, so you can afford to walk away from a bad one.

Take the Wellcraft Nova if…

  • Budget is the binding constraint: it asks $1,500 less at the median.

Every line above is derived from a number in the table, not from an opinion about the brands. What we cannot tell you from listing data is how they ride, how they are built, or which dealer network is better near you — so we do not pretend to.

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