Harry Krause wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
What is the difference, in reality, between a $20,000-odd 20' Bayliner
and a $45,000-odd 20' Cobalt?
$25,000 odd dollars.
Now that the smart ass remark is out of my system, you are unlikely to
actually *need* any of the obviously more refined fit and finish, more
bulletproof layup, or the better systems choices you would gain by
choosing the Cobalt.
Enjoy them? Yes, you would, along with an increased pride of ownership
and better resale value. Based on the usage you describe, the 20-foot
Bayliner will probably prove as safe and capable as the 20-foot Cobalt.
Engine reliability will of course be about the same, assuming identical
power trains.
That latter statement would only be true if Bayliner spent as much time
and money installing the I/O drive and its accessories and wiring as
Cobalt, which is highly unlikely.
I'd have to disagree. Unless an installation were so sloppy as to be
actually defective, (and that isn't going to be the case), one
Mercruiser will run about as well as the next. Now it's absolutely true
that, for example, the engine mounts may be more precisely located (by
1000th of an inch or so) and more neatly integrated to the stringers on
a more expensive boat, but that isn't going to improve mechanical
reliablity over an installation that simply meets basic installation
specs without exceeding them. The critical engine wiring is done at the
engine factory, with a few connections to the boat and systems
remaining for the manufacturer. A properly formed and insulated basic
connection (like you would typically find on a Bayliner) will prove
just as reliable as a connection that is more "artfully" done.
Cobalt does include a 5-year powertrain warranty as a standard item,
and while that same warranty is undoubtedly available on a Bayliner
(through an optional, factory sponsored extension), I believe the
standard powertrain warranty on a new Bayliner is 2 years. (It recently
went up, and I can't remember without pulling my notes if it went up
from 1 to 2 or from 2 to 3- so shoot me if it's 3 and I said 2). The
difference has less to do with installation techniques than with the
fact that Cobalt has already built the extended warranty into its
pricing.
Comparing hull warranties is a bit tricky as well. Cobalt offers a
10-year hull warranty, while Bayliner offers a "limited, lifetime"
warranty on the hull.......((does that mean that when the hull "dies"
so does the warranty? probably not)).......as well as a more specific
and transferable 5-year warranty on the hull and deck. A "lifetime" can
be longer than 10 years, but 10 years is twice as long as 5 years, so
it gets a little bit fuzzy comparing apples and oranges in the hull and
deck department.