I think you can beat them without using a paddle. 
Pelicans are a bargain basement boat for sure.
But they do introduce people to the sport.
They may also turn people off to the sport with their poor performance.
My advice to canoe/kayak shoppers with only a few hundred dollars to spend is to buy a 2nd hand boat from craigslist.
When name brand builders are bought up it rarely turns out well for their products.
If i remember correctly Old Town was bought by Johnson Wax.
The Old Town name is now gracing some very heavy boats designed for nested shipping rather than fine lines.
And Mad River, once a proud name, graces some low end plastic canoes.