Martin,

To get some idea of surveyed ratings, you can check JD Power and
associates' boat ratings he

http://www.jdpower.com/cc/boats/boatratings.jsp

Boat shows are also a great choice to see lots of selections in one place.

I'm a newbie also, as of 2002.

Ken


Misiora wrote:

Hello everyone,
I am so new to boating that I have no idea where to start... I'm
looking for a used runabout approx 17-19 ft with 100-150 HP engine.
I'm not even sure if that's what I need... Anyways, looking at all the
brands I can't figure out how to rate the manufacturers (like with
cars, generally Mercedes is better yhat Hyundai or a Volkswagen - no
offence...). How do boat manufacturers rate, ie. how does a similar
model of Bayliner compare to Stingray, Crowline, Doral, etc...

Any advice?
Thanks,
martin