Sea Ray or Chaparral

[Phlorida]

Phlorida, I guess one would have had to be there to see it in person. The 327 is hands down a very nice day boat / large bowrider. The bow is nice and open, the cockpit is spacious for entertaining, but for the price :smt017, i don't know dude. I didn't see ANY where a camper package / sunshade canvas could be installed so sitting in the sun all day gets old really fast. I like the idea of going down in the cabin to a very cool a/c unit pumping and to a larger head that i don't have to bend over to use it.
Again, it IS A VERY NICE BOAT!! I guess i'm just used to my boat and all the creature comforts that my 340 has. If you can, zoom in and you can see how much larger my 340 is...

KK - All of your points are well taken. I don't believe that the 327 is anything more than a day boat. But I didn't see anything on it that indicated that it was manufactured at a level well below the Sea Ray's. They also are not inexpensive boats. I'm not in the market but I have admired the Chaparall's and a whole lot of other non Sea Ray boats at the shows.

 

[Kreole Kid]

I went to "The Boat Show" earlier this year and saw it there, Man, let me tell ya, I was, and still am, REALLY IMPRESSED. It really was a well thought out design. With the outdrives in her, you can have a poker game take place in the bilge with all that roominess. I would honestly say that the craftsmanship is superb. I just finished "building" one on their website and I built her closely to what I have in my 340, and the final number was right at 334k :wow:

 

[320Bob]

I currently own the Chap you are considering and can say it is an equal if not better in some respects to the 250 SLX. I like the cockpit layout better than the 250 SLX. I ordered mine from the factory with the 8.1L 400 HP Volvo DPS drive. The Volvo engine is easier to service but as others have said, parts are more expensive and certified mechanics harder to find. The Volvo engine is also quieter than the comparable Merc. The upholstery is a little better quality on the Chap and the carpeting heavier pile. If you go with the Volvo drive train get the Ocean X drive for the salt water. A couple of pluses for Merc is you can check the drive fluid level with the boat in the water and the SmartCraft electronics are better than Volvo's. I didn't like the center transom entry on the SLX compared with the starboard side on my Chap. Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I believe my Chap is a sharper looking boat than the SLX. Contrary to what another posted, Chaps hold their value better than Sea Rays, perhaps because there are fewer out there due to Chaparral being a much smaller company. Bottom line is both boats are good choices and comparable in list price. So see which offers the best in terms of price discount and features and that should be your choice. Good luck.

 

[Martinibriree]

Lot's of Great Info, It sounds like nobody really has a really bad thing to say about either. Wish I could say the same about our Presidential Campaign.... Over Tuesday!!! Doesn't sound like I'd regret either choice - The Boat that is!!! I have found a Brand New 250 SLX - 350 Mag and some really nice options for $65,000 - New!! Lists for 102,000. I may have to pull the trigger - only 2 left.. Thanks for all the great opinions!!!

 

[Phlorida]

I currently own the Chap you are considering and can say it is an equal if not better in some respects to the 250 SLX. I like the cockpit layout better than the 250 SLX. I ordered mine from the factory with the 8.1L 400 HP Volvo DPS drive. The Volvo engine is easier to service but as others have said, parts are more expensive and certified mechanics harder to find. The Volvo engine is also quieter than the comparable Merc. The upholstery is a little better quality on the Chap and the carpeting heavier pile. If you go with the Volvo drive train get the Ocean X drive for the salt water. A couple of pluses for Merc is you can check the drive fluid level with the boat in the water and the SmartCraft electronics are better than Volvo's. I didn't like the center transom entry on the SLX compared with the starboard side on my Chap. Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I believe my Chap is a sharper looking boat than the SLX. Contrary to what another posted, Chaps hold their value better than Sea Rays, perhaps because there are fewer out there due to Chaparral being a much smaller company. Bottom line is both boats are good choices and comparable in list price. So see which offers the best in terms of price discount and features and that should be your choice. Good luck.

Your perspective is especially interesting because of your previous ownership of the Mariah z280 which pioneered the design. Jimmy Fulks would approve of the 327SSX.

 

[320Bob]

Your perspective is especially interesting because of your previous ownership of the Mariah z280 which pioneered the design. Jimmy Fulks would approve of the 327SSX.

Here's a picture of my old Mariah which shows what you are talking about!

 

[Baysider3]

If one looks at the independent studies of boat quality and resale values over the last ten years the top three boats in order are Cobalt,Sea Ray and Regal. I am now looking to upgrade my SeaRay Sport 205. If I could afford it I would move up to the Cobalt. Before you make a final choice I would look at the Cobalt and the Regal. Have looked at a number of boats including the Chaparrel and I have to say the Cobalts ,if you can afford them, are really well designed and beautifully finished boats.

 

[NorCalGlenn]

I love my Sea Ray... but if I had to do it all over again, I'd seriously consider a Cobalt. Their 200 is very nice, but I didn't really learn about it until after I ordered my 190. Those are my two favorite sterndrive (bowrider) manufacturers. Don't get me wrong, I think there are a lot of nice boats out there (including Regal and Chapparral) ... it's just a matter of personal preference.

On a side note, Cobalt's website is great in terms of content and 'build your boat' tools. I'm surprised Sea Ray didn't enhance those tools when they revamped their website this year.