.......will be of interest to some who put a lot of stock in these
reports:

The following news release was issued today by J.D. Power and
Associates. To view the release and accompanying ranking charts on our
Web site, please click he
http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/new...asp?ID=2007027



J.D. Power and Associates Reports:

Marine Engines with Advanced Technologies Positively Impact Customer
Satisfaction,
Yet in Many Cases, Technology Does Not Play a Key Role in the Purchase
Decision



Evinrude, Honda, Mercury, MerCruiser and PCM Lead Marine Engine
Customer Satisfaction Rankings



MIAMI: 15 February 2007 - Although owners of advanced-technology
marine engines are consistently more satisfied compared to owners of
older technology engines (such as carburetor-driven), only one-half of
outboard owners report that engine technology played a major role in
their purchase decision, according to the J.D. Power and Associates
2007 Marine Engine Competitive Information StudySM released today at
the Miami International Boat Show.



Additionally, only 27 percent of inboard owners and 26 percent of
sterndrive owners indicate the same.



"While they cost more, engines with newer technologies tend to perform
better, are more fuel efficient and have fewer problems than engines
with older technologies," said Todd Markusic, senior director of the
powersports practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "Boat owners who
want to save money may be inclined to favor carbureted engines, but
they should be aware of what they're getting-and what they're not-when
they select those engines. Salespeople need to educate consumers about
the newer engines so that they fully understand the benefits of the
technology, and consumers need to understand that the short-term cost
savings they receive when purchasing an older-technology engine is
offset by long-term, substantially lower satisfaction with that
engine."



Now in its sixth year, the study measures overall customer
satisfaction with four marine engine types: EFI inboard; four-stroke
EFI outboard; two-stroke DI outboard; and EFI sterndrive. Overall
scores are measured as problems per 100 (PP100) engines, with lower
scores reflecting higher quality.



Owners of four-stroke EFI outboard engines experience much fewer
problems and have higher overall satisfaction compared to owners of
other outboard engines available in the market. Owners of four-stroke
EFI engines report an average of 58 PP100, while owners of two-stroke
DI engines report 77 PP100. Owners of two-stroke carbureted engines
report experiencing the most problems, 167 PP100, which is more than
double the number of problems as the higher-technology engines.



The study also finds that since engines are often sold as part of a
boat package, many boat owners have little or no choice in their
engine selection. Sixty-four percent of boat owners report purchasing
the exact engine they wanted, and they report much higher levels of
overall satisfaction with both their engine and boat compared to
owners who did not receive the engine they desired.



"It is important for boat dealers to work with customers and fully
understand how they plan to use their boats so they can recommend the
appropriate size and type of engine to satisfy their customers' needs
and meet or exceed their expectations," said Markusic. "If the dealer
matches the engine to customer needs, they're well on their way to
ensuring that owners have a much more satisfying boating experience."



The study examines seven factors to determine overall marine engine
satisfaction: starting ease; quietness at cruise; reliability; fuel
economy; shifting smoothness; lack of engine fumes; and ability of
boat to accelerate rapidly.



Inboard EFI segment

Pleasurecraft Engine Group (PCM) ranks highest in the inboard EFI four-
stroke engine segment for a second consecutive year, followed by
Indmar.



Within the segment, experiencing difficulty with starting the engine
and the engine making an unusual noise have the greatest negative
impact on overall satisfaction. Additionally, the engine running too
loudly and stalling are two of the most commonly reported problems
among inboard EFI customers.



Outboard EFI four-stroke segment

Honda ranks highest in the outboard EFI four-stroke segment for a
third consecutive year (tying with Suzuki in 2005), followed by Suzuki
and Yamaha.



Overall, four-stroke EFI outboard engines receive high marks from
owners for ease of starting and reliability. Conversely, engine
transmission problems and stalling are the most frequently reported
problems for outboard four-stroke EFI engines.



Outboard DI two-stroke segment
Evinrude and Mercury rank highest in a tie in the outboard DI two-
stroke segment. Mercury ranks highest in the segment for a second
consecutive year, while Evinrude records a 24-point improvement
compared to 2006.



Owners of two-stroke DI outboard engines report high marks for ease of
starting and reliability. Engine transmission problems and the engine
running roughly are the two most frequently cited issues for engines
in the segment.



Sterndrive EFI four-stroke segment

For a second consecutive year, Mercury MerCruiser ranks highest in the
sterndrive EFI four-stroke segment. Volvo Penta closely follows in
the segment rankings.



Owners give four-stroke EFI sterndrive engines high marks for ease of
starting. However, customers frequently report issues with the way the
engine transmission feels and sounds when shifting and that the engine
runs too loudly.



The 2007 Marine Engine Competitive Information Study is based on
responses from 12,140 owners who registered a new boat between June
2005 and May 2006. Eleven brands of outboard, sterndrive and gas
inboard marine engines are included in the study.



About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates
is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm
operating in key business sectors including market research,
forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The
firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses
from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a
business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.



About The McGraw-Hill Companies:

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading
global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the
financial services, education and business information markets through
leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education,
BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more
than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion.
Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.



J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:

Jeff Perlman
Syvetril Perryman

Westlake Village, Calif.
Westlake Village, Calif.

(805) 418-8976/ cell: (818) 317-3070 (805)
418-8103






No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information
in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D.
Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate



# # #



NOTE: Four ranking charts accompany this release. To view them, please
click he

http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/new...asp?ID=2007027





__________________________________________________ __________________

Syvetril Perryman

Media Relations

J.D. Power and Associates

2625 Townsgate Road

Westlake Village, CA 91361

805.418.8103 | 805.418.8900 fax