I'm getting ****ed off at the Sea Ray dealer. I was interested in the Sea
Ray 185 Sport.

What other brands, in Northern California, are comparable in quality to Sea
Ray that might have an alternative to the Sea Ray 185 Sport?

"Marty" wrote in message
...
I'm getting ****ed off at the Sea Ray dealer. I was interested in the Sea
Ray 185 Sport.

What other brands, in Northern California, are comparable in quality to
Sea Ray that might have an alternative to the Sea Ray 185 Sport?


Chaparral followed by Larson, Maxum and Regal.

Here is how JD Power's saw it:
http://powerboat.about.com/library/w...pa3_2005bb.htm

Searay was near the bottom of their list.

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...

"Marty" wrote in message
...
I'm getting ****ed off at the Sea Ray dealer. I was interested in the
Sea Ray 185 Sport.

What other brands, in Northern California, are comparable in quality to
Sea Ray that might have an alternative to the Sea Ray 185 Sport?


Chaparral followed by Larson, Maxum and Regal.

Here is how JD Power's saw it:
http://powerboat.about.com/library/w...pa3_2005bb.htm

Searay was near the bottom of their list.




For the overall score that is.

Marty wrote:
I'm getting ****ed off at the Sea Ray dealer. I was interested in the Sea
Ray 185 Sport.

What other brands, in Northern California, are comparable in quality to Sea
Ray that might have an alternative to the Sea Ray 185 Sport?



Per JimH, I think if you take a look at the Larson VEC hull, you will
see how slick that boat is. Good pricing & packaging, too, be sure to
avoid the 4 cylindr, though, insist on the V-6.

Rob

Larson is a very nice boat. If I were looking for a small runabout, I
could own a Larson, Sea Ray, Cobalt, Chaparral, Crownline or some
others and be adequately pleased with the quality.

I'm surprised JimH didn't mention Crownline. I didn't follow his JD
Power link, but Crownline won the JD Power award in 2004 and tied with
another make for first place in 2005, both in the "Small Runabout"
category. Type Crownline JD Power into Google and you'll come up with a
ton of hits verifying that statement. (I like the overall Crownline
group very much).

Sea Ray also scored very well in some categories, but did not take
first place (in favorable responses from folks polled by Powers) in the
small runabout category.

I don't personally beleive that JD Powers is all that objective or
reliable, but many people disagree with me and that is certainly their
particular privilege.

wrote in message
ups.com...
Larson is a very nice boat. If I were looking for a small runabout, I
could own a Larson, Sea Ray, Cobalt, Chaparral, Crownline or some
others and be adequately pleased with the quality.

I'm surprised JimH didn't mention Crownline. I didn't follow his JD
Power link, but Crownline won the JD Power award in 2004 and tied with
another make for first place in 2005, both in the "Small Runabout"
category. Type Crownline JD Power into Google and you'll come up with a
ton of hits verifying that statement. (I like the overall Crownline
group very much).

Sea Ray also scored very well in some categories, but did not take
first place (in favorable responses from folks polled by Powers) in the
small runabout category.


I never had any experiences with Crowline but I will trust your (and that of
JD Power) opinion of them.

Searay, IMO, has been overrated for quality over the past years (as
evidenced by your recent *review* of one of their gold necklace boats) with
other manufacuters (as others noted) producing a far better or comparable,
yet cheaper (price wise) boat.



I don't personally beleive that JD Powers is all that objective or
reliable, but many people disagree with me and that is certainly their
particular privilege.



I agree, so why your reliance on their ratings, especially with SeaRay?

Searay, IMO, has been overrated for quality over the past years (as
evidenced by your recent *review* of one of their gold necklace boats)
with
other manufacuters (as others noted) producing a far better or
comparable,
yet cheaper (price wise) boat.



I don't personally beleive that JD Powers is all that objective or
reliable, but many people disagree with me and that is certainly their
particular privilege.



I agree, so why your reliance on their ratings, especially with SeaRay?



****************

in order:

1) if you have specific issues with Sea Ray quality control, or any
other mfgr, it would be more useful to post some specific examples than
to make an unsupported, general statement.
That said, you're as entitled to your opinion as I am to mine.

2) I have not recently written a "review" of a Sea Ray. There is a
difference between a series of first hand observations and a technical
"review". One canot actually "review" a boat unless they have been
underway in the vessel. While I write four "boat pieces" each month,
(one large yacht, one trailer boat, one "classic" or preowned boat, and
one 30-50 foot cruiser) the only boats typically take away from the
dock are the 30-50 footers -and those are the only boats we even claim
to have experienced underway.

3) I don't rely on JD Power ratings. The only reason I even mentioned
JD Power in this thread was because somebody else had inserted a link
to the JD Power website to support an opinion that Larson is a very
good boat. I agree, by the way, that Larson is a very good boat. My
comment was (generally) "Im surprised that the party that posted the JD
Power link didn't mention Crownline, as Crownline won the small
runabout category in 2004 and tied for first place in 2005."

Learn how to properly post here and then I will respond to your comments
Chuck.

I cannot make heads or tails of what you are posting or what you are
responding to.

Others have made the same complaints and comments.

Got it?

If not....get it.

OK?

"Marty" wrote in message
...
I'm getting ****ed off at the Sea Ray dealer. I was interested in the Sea
Ray 185 Sport.

What other brands, in Northern California, are comparable in quality to
Sea Ray that might have an alternative to the Sea Ray 185 Sport?

Make sure to drive into the SeaRay dealers showroom parking lot with your
new non-SeaRay boat in tow and walk into the showroom and proudly point out
the salesman and loudly state that if he hadn't jerked you around you would
have bought from XYZ.

Hi...new to the group here, but my two cents. We purchased a Mariah 22'
shabaZ sports style, in 1993 new. Have never had a problem with it. I
think they are only in a city in the east now. California here. We were
told, after talking to several dealers that it was compared to the Cobalt.
Could be or not, we still love the boat. Great reliability.


--
Bill & Debbie
04 -- Yam TTR125 (Electric Start)
04 -- Honda XR400
04 -- Honda XR150
04 -- Honda CRF50 04 & 05 (Grandkids)
"Marty" wrote in message
...
I'm getting ****ed off at the Sea Ray dealer. I was interested in the Sea
Ray 185 Sport.

What other brands, in Northern California, are comparable in quality to
Sea
Ray that might have an alternative to the Sea Ray 185 Sport?