Motorguide Xi5 Review

This spring I made the switch from a Minnkota Powerdrive 55lb autopilot to a MotorGuide Xi5 80lb 24V. A pretty nice upgrade to say the least.

Having never owned a Terrova I apologize if it has some of the same features as the Xi5 that I mention.

Due to cost I haven’t added the Gateway system yet. (Connects motor to graph)

The two features I enjoy the most are the anchor mode and route recording.
The anchor mode holds the boat in place extremely well with the ability to move front, back, left and right in 5′ increments. Anchor spots (up to 8) can also be stored in a memory bank.

As most guys do I have certain “milk runs” I make on my lake. I can record up to eight routes, each with a maximum distance of four miles. If I wanted to work a 12’deep weedline down the side of the lake I can simply record it to return at any time and not worry about steering. To go to a saved route I just push the proper number and the motor will take me to the nearest point of the route. It’s really slick!

Heading Lock (auto pilot) works very well. It also has “cruise control” which when engaged will adjust speed accordingly to maintain the course.

It comes with a wireless foot pedal which is so-so. I only use the remote.

It’s very good as far as battery usage.

I’m extremely happy with it. The only thing I wish it had was a screen on the remote telling me what my speed is. As it is I just adjust it to feel.

I’m pleased with the purchase and would definitely recommend it!

Extremely happy with mine once I got the right plug wired up. Never thought I’d have another bow mount, but this thing takes the cake for sure

I loved mine at first. But now I can’t get a GPS lock so anchor won’t work which is why I bought the motor to start with. Anyone else have this problem?

Just wait until you get the gateway and hook it up to your Lowrance. Game changer. Not sure how I fished without it.

Jeff Schomaker wrote:

I loved mine at first. But now I can’t get a GPS lock so anchor won’t work which is why I bought the motor to start with. Anyone else have this problem?

Been using mine all summer without any GPS issues.

Call Motorguide customer service, they were very helpful when I had the wiring issue

I’ve had mine for a little over 2 seasons and couldn’t imagine going back to an ipilot. I’m not as big of a fan of the heading lock, but to be fair, I never liked the “Advanced Autopilot” feature on my ipilot either. I’ve always liked the compass driven autopilot better for quicly correcting in wind/waves. I have honestly never even attempted to use my foot pedal.

Some guys gripe about the lack of display on the remote, but I’ve found it to be a non issue for me. My dad was one of the biggest opponents of the xi5, untill he fished out of my boat enough times and saw the superiority of the anchor mode. He bypassed his fear of the lack of display and jumped ship, and has never looked back. Overall, I would say my battery usage has been better with the xi5 than my ipilot as well. Just seems that a full charge lasts all day (as long as the batteries are good).

I can honestly tell you that the xi5 was the single best thing I ever bought for a boat.

This is my first season with mine and I also love it. I fish MANY different locations, but I am mostly a bass fisherman. I have mined hooked into my Lowrance, but have only used that connection a few times when I have come to MN. I LOVE the anchor mode ( main reason I bought it). I no longer use the foot pedal as with the remote I just point it where I want to go and hit course and/or cruise and it is game on. I am amazed how long it runs without having to re-charge. I never had the IPilot so I dont miss any screen. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT

Seems my next TM is just this. Really appreciate the info guys!

Is there any difference when it comes to the electronics these things are hooked up to? Higher priced graphs equal better contour following or all things equal as long as it’s compatible?

nhamm wrote:

Seems my next TM is just this. Really appreciate the info guys!

Is there any difference when it comes to the electronics these things are hooked up to? Higher priced graphs equal better contour following or all things equal as long as it’s compatible?

The transducer will work with any Lowrance right out of the box. Other brands require a new cable.
As far as the Gateway, Lowrance Gen 2 or newer is required I believe.

I have fished my Xi5 for about a week now, don’t have gateway yet but likely will upgrade before next season. Coming from a terrova iPilot, all I can say is WOW! Minn Krapa will be out of business if they can’t get there gps figured out quick. Never going back to the black and yellow.

This is year one down on my Xi5 and like everyone else I love it.

Pros: Anchor Lock, minimal battery usage, quiet, and much faster turning speed compared to my powerdrive I formerly owned. I do like the wireless foot pedal because I bass fish a lot and need to keep my hands free, but wish it had a system more similar to a cable drive where the pedal teats back and forth and remains in that spot so you know what direction the motor is turned without looking at it.

Cons: I only would like a screen so I knew which way my trolling motor was pointed because sometimes I can’t see it in my little tiller if people are in front of me. Also would like to see a better heading lock it works really well at low speeds for me, but it’s not the greatest at high speeds. Lastly I wish there was a lock on the motor head. If you are fishing in some windy weather, the water will push your trolling motor and turn the unit making you adjust. I wish I could just point it strait and know that whatever direction it was pointed, it would remain locked until you turned the motor.

All in all it is an awesome TM. I do have to say that the new MinnKota Ultrex is the wave of the future. It pretty much has it all including an assisted electronic cable drive system, with gps and all the features that come with having the gps. Unfortunately, it’s got the price to match everything that it comes with, but if money is no object, I would suggest you taking a look. Apparently MinnKota has made some changes to their gps system for spot lock and it should be a lot more accurate.

I love mine. I mostly crappie fish so like how accurate the spot lock is.

Totally agree Tonka. My #1 complaint is the heading on this. A slightly stronger motor would fix this issue of waves causing the prop to “walk” and turn the head to the side.

The heading lock is ok, but I find myself making a lot of adjustments that I thought I would not have to.

Anchor mode is the bomb. Have yet to pull in a wet line since purchased last winter.

Can’t wait to see what Gen 2 brings!