When I bought my Rinker, my thinking was just as Pascal explained, that is, I may get more for a Sea Ray when I sell it, but I'm paying more when I buy it. I figured I'd rather pay less now and keep the money in my pocket. Also, when I looked at a Sea Ray, I asked the saleman why they are 20 to 30% more than the Rinker and all he could say is "its a Sea Ray". Also, the Rinker dealer is a family owned business and you get very good personalized service. I heard nothing but horror stories about the Marine Max dealer's service. I think dealer service is as important as brand of boat. I would just make sure what ever dealer you buy from, he has a reputation for good service.
Express Cruiser comparison
- Thread starter bsteven43
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Pascal said, "i really woudn't buy a boat based on what resale mught be in the future but on what my needs and criteria are."
I completely agree with this. I often hear this from friends when they buy a new automobile. I ask them, "how does that resale value comtribute to ride and handling?"
G
I completely agree with this. I often hear this from friends when they buy a new automobile. I ask them, "how does that resale value comtribute to ride and handling?"
G
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When we started our search for the next boat we wanted a Maxum because we owned one and loved it. We looked at quiet a few boats. While looking we were also shown a Sea Ray that was more than we wanted to spend but we loved it.
Time went buy, we were not happy with the Maxum's we saw, and we also looked at a Rinker, and we kept thinking about the Sea Ray because we both loved it (the broker was smart, one of those "well while you are here take a look at this Sea Ray").
We called the broker back 2 months later, told him what we wanted to pay and the buyer took it, 25% below asking. 2 years later the boat is showing up on Yacht World and other searches for almost 10k more than we paid for it.
Does this mean Maxumns and Rinkers are bad boats? Nope. Just seems a Sea Ray fit us better and we like the quality. IMHO the quality shows when stepping onto similar boats.
I could drive a beat up old Chevy but I drive a newer Volvo because I like the quality. Call me a snob if you like, but I like quality and will pay for it.
Time went buy, we were not happy with the Maxum's we saw, and we also looked at a Rinker, and we kept thinking about the Sea Ray because we both loved it (the broker was smart, one of those "well while you are here take a look at this Sea Ray").
We called the broker back 2 months later, told him what we wanted to pay and the buyer took it, 25% below asking. 2 years later the boat is showing up on Yacht World and other searches for almost 10k more than we paid for it.
Does this mean Maxumns and Rinkers are bad boats? Nope. Just seems a Sea Ray fit us better and we like the quality. IMHO the quality shows when stepping onto similar boats.
I could drive a beat up old Chevy but I drive a newer Volvo because I like the quality. Call me a snob if you like, but I like quality and will pay for it.
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I'll echo Greg's sentiments from his last post...
But, if you don't see the difference in the fit and finish of a Rinker vs a "higher end brand", you shouldn't spend any more money to buy that "higher end brand". For us, the details and the fit and finish are super important, and we just couldn't love the Rinkers we saw - they were nust not in the realm of quality details, creative design, and overall elegance that we were interested in at the moment.
OTOH, I've heard of many happy Rinker owners, and I'm sure they're good boats, but their reputation at least in our area is certainly of value more than anything else.
But, if you don't see the difference in the fit and finish of a Rinker vs a "higher end brand", you shouldn't spend any more money to buy that "higher end brand". For us, the details and the fit and finish are super important, and we just couldn't love the Rinkers we saw - they were nust not in the realm of quality details, creative design, and overall elegance that we were interested in at the moment.
OTOH, I've heard of many happy Rinker owners, and I'm sure they're good boats, but their reputation at least in our area is certainly of value more than anything else.
Why not get on some of the forums that talk about the boats you mention? People tend to talk about the problem areas. My guess is Sea Ray, Carver, 4 Winns, etc., are all about the same quality. They all build lots of boats in contrast to some of the low volume higher priced boats mentioned. Volume usually means they are doing many things the right way and there is enough product in the market so the problem areas show up as well.
I was looking at these brands a while back, and favored Formula over SR (among other reasons) because they seemed to be able to handle rough water better - due to the hull design. But for lake boating, the wide beam and lesser deadrise of the SR will give you more room belowdecks. Regarding Formula being performance oriented - did you check out the PC line? They're more comparable to a SR in the usage they're oriented towards.
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Then why did you buy a Sea Ray?
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"Volume usually means they are doing many things the right way"
not sure i can agree with that... there are many cases of high volume manufacturers botching up simple things.
the key thing to remember is that you need to take any blanket statement with a grain of salt. When someone said, we picked the XYZ because it was better than ABC... it's worthless unless you mention the year and size.
quality and finish varies greatly from line to line... ABC small cruisers maybe entry level, but their larger boats may very well be as good as XYZ
not sure i can agree with that... there are many cases of high volume manufacturers botching up simple things.
the key thing to remember is that you need to take any blanket statement with a grain of salt. When someone said, we picked the XYZ because it was better than ABC... it's worthless unless you mention the year and size.
quality and finish varies greatly from line to line... ABC small cruisers maybe entry level, but their larger boats may very well be as good as XYZ
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I assume this is sarcasm? We purchased a SR because of the quality compared to the other boats we considered.
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this is what i mean by blanket statements...
in 98 when i compared the Maxum 37 vs the equivalent SR (370 i think) i ended up wondering why one had corian vs formica, SS thru hulls above WL vs plastic, more storage, a better engine room, a real pulpit, a beefier swim platform, shore power plugs inside teh transom lockers vs hanging off the sides, etc... and surprise, it was 30k cheaper.
the quality of a 12 year old model/builder is irelevant to what is going on now.
in 98 when i compared the Maxum 37 vs the equivalent SR (370 i think) i ended up wondering why one had corian vs formica, SS thru hulls above WL vs plastic, more storage, a better engine room, a real pulpit, a beefier swim platform, shore power plugs inside teh transom lockers vs hanging off the sides, etc... and surprise, it was 30k cheaper.
the quality of a 12 year old model/builder is irelevant to what is going on now.
We spent last fall looking at most of the boats mentioned above. We thought for what we wanted in a boat the Tiara 3900 Sovran was the right boat for us.
We bought used 2007 model from Lakeside Marine in Port Clinton, OH in November and love it. I think Lakeside has a booth at the Cleveland show. If you'd like more info I'd be happy answer questions.
We bought used 2007 model from Lakeside Marine in Port Clinton, OH in November and love it. I think Lakeside has a booth at the Cleveland show. If you'd like more info I'd be happy answer questions.
I hear lots of good things about your boats ability to cut the Seas without the need to throttle down in a serious chop? Do you know if the hull design was changed at all to take any more advantage of the IPS Systems? I think they redesigned the 2nd stateroom but does the weight distribution make any hull changes?
The quality of a builders products 12 years ago is NO GUARANTEE of what is going on now, but it’s a very import factor nevertheless.
Past quality and reputation is one of the first things to consider when brand shopping. Even when a builder goes through a corporate sale or a complete paradigm shift (from sail to power for example), many of the basic design and quality elements may be carried over. Some builders have gone through good transformations while others have slipped. Hence “no guarantee”, but comparing a company’s past products and the methods put into them to their later examples can tell you a lot.
Either way, their past reputation is key to public perception and can HEAVILY influence value and demand.
Look at Bayliner for example. They have put out some serious junk: thin hulls, plastic everywhere, unsupported wiring and weak structures. Then look at some of their other products, lacking price-jacking frills, but exhibiting perfectly acceptable and often admirable build quality. The stigma didn’t adjust, so Brunswick essentially started over. So sometimes the legacy of a brand won’t accurately portray the quality level of current products, but again, (and right or wrong) it can be a big factor when it comes to resale value and is anything but irrelevant.