Elan Impression 394 Buyer's Guide
The Elan Impression 394 is a Humphreys-designed cruiser built by Elan that succeeded the Impression 384, offered in flexible cabin plans and aimed at comfortable short-handed cruising. On the brokerage market both two- and three-cabin versions appear, with ex-charter boats a common sight and owner three-cabin layouts the more prevalent of the two.
Layouts on the Used Market
Used Elan Impression 394s come in four permutations: two-cabin or three-cabin, each with either a single head or two. The conventional V-berth forward is voluminous with around 1.98 metres of headroom in reviewed examples, hanging locker, and under-berth stowage. A notable used-market option is the substitution of one aft cabin for a walk-in lazarette, which widens the remaining aft berth by 38 centimetres to near king-size and enlarges the head with a separate shower. The saloon is a semi-deck saloon with raised cabin sole, towering 2.7-metre headroom, U-shaped dinette port forward, and opposite settee; the main table folds out or drops to a bunk. The L-shaped galley, moulded bathrooms, and paper-chart nav station with plotter bulkhead space are consistent across layouts.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most brokerage examples carry an autopilot, chartplotter, EPIRB, and life raft as standard cruising kit, with a gennaker and solar often fitted for passage work. A freezer and bimini are common, and teak decks and a foldout swim platform are commonly fitted. For the buyer, the meaningful clusters are power and energy—solar and a freezer bear on off-grid endurance—and sail handling and safety, where a gennaker and life raft define passage capability; a folded swim platform and bimini speak to cockpit liveability rather than systems weight.
What to Inspect
Documented items to check include the absence of midship cleats, which limits med-mooring flexibility anchor. The saloon floor steps are a noted trip hazard, and the forecabin asymmetrical berth has no lee cloth for safety under way anchor. The cockpit table folds under the floor but requires two people to lift both ends simultaneously anchor. Verify the hull's vinylester outer layers for osmosis protection and confirm the saildrive access by lifting the companionway steps remains unobstructed.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Elan Impression 394 are Italy, the United States, and Greece. When viewing, check for midship cleat additions by prior owners, assess the saloon step layout for trip risk, confirm the forecabin lee cloth situation, and test the cockpit table fold with two people. Favor examples with the walk-in lazarette if a larger aft berth matters, and confirm the saildrive service access is clear.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Elan Impression 394. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $61,565 | — |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $150,485 | +144.4% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $110,000 | -26.9% |
| May 26 | 2 | $122,011 | +10.9% |
| Sep 26 | 2 | $172,623 | +41.5% |
Where they're listed
Elan Impression 394 listings appear across 3 countries. Italy has the most listings with 4 (57.1%), followed by Denmark and United States.
Country view
7 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | $134,884 | 4 | 0 | 57.1% |
| Denmark | $172,623 | 2 | 2 | 28.6% |
| United States | $110,000 | 1 | 0 | 14.3% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau Oceanis Oceanis 393 | 39.33' | $ 92,098 | 162 | 50 |
| Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 39 | 39.16' | $ 96,266 | 111 | 34 |
| Lagoon 39 | 38.4' | $ 299,000 | 109 | 30 |
| Elan Impression 384 | 37.89' | $ 92,627 | 31 | 6 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 39 | 38.88' | $ 179,863 | 28 | 8 |
| Island Packet 439 | 47' | $ 700,000 | 23 | 5 |
| Feeling 39 | 38.39' | $ 142,505 | 16 | 3 |
| Comfortina 39 | 38.88' | $ 270,576 | 14 | 5 |
| Moody 39 | 38.58' | $ 52,927 | 10 | 1 |
| ETAP 39S | 38.98' | $ 111,937 | 8 | 2 |
| Elan Impression 394You are here | — | $ 147,757 | 7 | 2 |