"Well, if a Tiara can come out of
the factory this way, what chances does a boat like Bayliner have?"


An automotive analogy: In the many discussions of Daimler's
merger-with/purchase-of Chrysler, Daimler let it be known that quality
improvement was one of the things they felt they brought to the table. In
retrospect, it's turned out to be dramatically untrue. In recent years,
Chrysler has been building pretty solid cars, and Mercedes Benz has been
producing some of the worst reliability in it's class of competition.

That doesn't mean Daimler cars stink. They don't. But, high price and luxury
appointments are not a guaranteed forumla for producing reliable products It's
entirely possible to have the Chrysler Voyager with a $17,000 sticker price
fulfill it's mission far better than a $40,000 Mercedes ML320.

Sure, factor in brand reputation when making your choice, but educate yourself,
talk to other owners, get a survey, and don't assume that a high-end brand will
deliver what you want any more than a low end brand won't. Buyers on both ends
of the market need to be diligent.


-- Rich Stern
www.nitroowners.com - The Nitro and Tracker Owners Web Site
www.mypontoon.com - The Pontoon Boat Web Site
www.fishingreportdatabase.com - The Fishing Report Database
www.mysporttrac.com - The Sport Trac Web Site