Why are SR's so much higher priced than Bayliners?

[BurgundyS24]

Lots of wounded egos here replying. Very revealing about people here, almost as if this were a political issue. The discourse in many of your responses and insults says a lot about some in this community.

I obviously struck a nerve - albeit unintentionally. Some of you are snobs.

Boats I've owned include Boston Whaler,13ft Mako 17ft, 21ft, Formula 233, SR 242.

I am between boats now , I guess I'm therefore not good enough to post a question that apparently has challenged the intellectual capacity of some such that you've had no answer besides "...look at the cleats..."

I guess snobbery goes hand in hand w overpaying for a depreciating asset.

Enjoy your payments.

Here is an opinion, you sound like a douchebag. You got what I believe are fully acceptable answers to your question, yet you do not want to accept them as valid. If you weren't too ignorant to read through this forum then I think you would have come across a thread that a lot of people don't have a payment on their boats.


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[Fred]

Frank, I don't know where you get your patience from but I commend you for it.
The internet just gives me high blood pressure.

 

[Bridog]

Lots of wounded egos here replying. Very revealing about people here, almost as if this were a political issue. The discourse in many of your responses and insults says a lot about some in this community.

I obviously struck a nerve - albeit unintentionally. Some of you are snobs.

Boats I've owned include Boston Whaler,13ft Mako 17ft, 21ft, Formula 233, SR 242.

I am between boats now , I guess I'm therefore not good enough to post a question that apparently has challenged the intellectual capacity of some such that you've had no answer besides "...look at the cleats..."

I guess snobbery goes hand in hand w overpaying for a depreciating asset.

Enjoy your payments.

Why did you overpay for your Formula which has a much higher markup than a SR if there is no difference? Nicer cleats maybe? Or did you just feel it was a better boat?

 

[aerobat77]

i can compare my 2006 240 sundancer with a 2007 maxum 2400se of a friend , knowing his boat also well.

well, having the same dimensions the maxum offers a lot more space ... sorry to say. the deck seating is adjustable in many ways , it has much more lockers , the hull is "higher" with more headroom in cabin and toilet, the mid cabin offers a window and is larger . the boat is also less tippy , no need there to fight always the trim tabs.

the 240 on the other hand has more eye candy finish when it comes to the seats, faucets and many other things. the hull and floors feels a little bit more "stronger"

the maxum is build more family friendly where the sea ray is designed to have some cocktails with your girlfriend only.

its all on the personal opinion, i guess my sundancer will have a better resale value than a maxum ( in europe)

 

[Bridog]

i can compare my 2006 240 sundancer with a 2007 maxum 2400se of a friend , knowing his boat also well.

well, having the same dimensions the maxum offers a lot more space ... sorry to say. the deck seating is adjustable in many ways , it has much more lockers , the hull is "higher" with more headroom in cabin and toilet, the mid cabin offers a window and is larger . the boat is also less tippy , no need there to fight always the trim tabs.

the 240 on the other hand has more eye candy finish when it comes to the seats, faucets and many other things. the hull and floors feels a little bit more "stronger"

the maxum is build more family friendly where the sea ray is designed to have some cocktails with your girlfriend only.

its all on the personal opinion, i guess my sundancer will have a better resale value than a maxum ( in europe)

You made the right choice. Yours looks like a boat, the other a bottle of popular bleach here in the USA. Although I can see where the additional height in the cabin comes from.

 

[PlayDate]

Sorry I'm late to this but I can't resist the urge to comment. I read the thread front to back then checked in on the Bayliners owners forum to get their take on the topic. Spoiler Alert!!! Frank's right. Try both boats out and make your own decision. You seem to want to buy boat at a Bayliner price and have a Sea Ray resale value.....that's a bit unrealistic since the marketplace sets the price.

I've worked on both brands and if you want a build and spec list to differentiate the brands .....be satisfied that no one other than Brunswick has your answers. Based on your commentary and the tone of your responses ........please buy the Bayliner. Based on my review of their forum......it's a better fit.

 

[all about fun]

Lots of wounded egos here replying. Very revealing about people here, almost as if this were a political issue. The discourse in many of your responses and insults says a lot about some in this community.

I obviously struck a nerve - albeit unintentionally. Some of you are snobs.

Boats I've owned include Boston Whaler,13ft Mako 17ft, 21ft, Formula 233, SR 242.

I am between boats now , I guess I'm therefore not good enough to post a question that apparently has challenged the intellectual capacity of some such that you've had no answer besides "...look at the cleats..."

I guess snobbery goes hand in hand w overpaying for a depreciating asset.

Enjoy your payments.

Your question was answered, you're just too stupid to figure that out.....what an ass

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[Zach312]

ok, I have been reading this for the last few days and I just can't help my self.

All I would like to say is "I enjoy my payment very much thank you"

I also owned a 2006 Sea ray 185 sport ( and had payments) Worth every penny and I sold it for more than I paid at the Sea Ray dealer.

 

[copb8tx]

The OP's true reason for posting has nothing to do with finding the facts about why a Sea Ray costs more than a Bayliner. It's strictly his way of rationalizing the decision he'd already made to buy the Bayliner even though he knows in his gut it's a far inferior boat. Instead of just buying the boat he wants and enjoying it like most of us would he needs to somehow find a way to get the chip off his shoulder first.

 

[Creekwood]

Thank you for all the opinions and responses. Some of you did understand my OP was not asking which boat is better -as most of you have mistakingly interpreted. I tried to be as explicit as possible in seeking specific evidence of where (thus why) there is such price disparity between two very similar models built by the same parent company.

The car analogies are irrelevant and miss my point. Again, I know better than to ask which boat is better on a SR forum.

No one has been able to demonstrate where the cost differences are for the manufacturer. At least not to the extent of thousands of dollars in similar sized models.

most missed the distinction between COST and PRICE. I'm fully aware that pricing is a function of cost plus xyz. But COST is more science than art. And this is what I was hoping someone might have had data point on vs brand loyalty and opinions. Of course if you purchased a SR and that's your boat now it rides the best of all your past boats. And if/when you buy a different brand that will be your preferred boat then. Human nature.

At at this point I think it's safe to say there is no data publicly available to the unbiased consumer to determine the cost differential between two similar Brunswick manufactured boats to justify the price disparity.

As I consider new vs old one key criteria is towards manufacturers that offer lifetime structural hull warranty.

Thanks to all, this has been quite an enlightening read.

Late piling on, but an entertaining thread.

In free capitalism with full competition and a liquid market (sufficient supply and demand), items are "worth" what buyers are willing to pay. It is the buyers that determine the price. Manufacturers and used boat owners price boats at the maximum that the buyers are willing to pay. That is in the new and used market.

The relationship between price and material content is not linear with any product in any market. There are many other factors that affect the price buyers are willing to pay. That includes features, styling, durability, fit and finish, and yes, brand status or perceived status. Bayliner sells a lot of boats. More than Sea Ray. And they are sold at a lower price because that is the pricing that buyers are willing to pay for them, new or used.

So if you REALLY want to know why Bayliners are sold at a lower price than Sea Rays, you would be best to poll the large number of Bayliner owners and ask why they are only willing to pay low prices for used Bayliners, since it is not Sea Ray owners that set the price of new/used Bayliners. It is actually the Bayliner buyers that have set the pricing in this free market.

 

[Steve195]

This thread needs mention of a portable gen on the platform, a pig, and being on plane in a no wake zone....

I think the gen and the pig are on the Bayliner Options List! Unfortunately, being on plane in a no wake zone extends to all brands, but it does require a "special" type of captain.

 

[MonacoMike]

Troll...

Mm

 

[aerobat77]

Im looking for specific costs i.e. SR uses xyz more fiberglass, gelcoat layers for SR are 8 vs bayliner 4, SR uses 2in thick marine grade ply vs 1in thick regular pine for bulkheads, etc.

There just is no evidence to substantiate such a gap in costs. So far. Someone might have it.

assuming you are an adult man your question is somekind 'naive'. creekwood nicely explained it - the worth of a product in today market is set what buyers are willing to pay for it. you will not find your answer in the pure production costs and materials used only - brunswick has set bayliners in the entry level and sea ray in the upper level for different type of byuers.

with a sea ray you pay for a more exclusive , better finished product , a more luxury styling and the 'name' . and you will get a better resale value. if you are not interested in this but want to get on the water for a budget a bayliner is your boat.

this is the case at anything in this world , and if you do not like cars comparision i assure you the pure materials used in a hugo boss jacket will not explain the price difference to a no name brand . both will warm you in cold weather !

 

[Pyrojodge]

I realize that I may be a little late to this party but I'm going to chime in on this. I was one of the lucky few that was able to tour the Knoxville factory and see Bayliner and Sea ray side by side as they were going down the line. Sea ray has much more engineering time devoted to them. When we compared 2 30' boats from each badge the Bayliner hull was 1/4 inch thick fiber glass. That's it nothing else just glass. The comparable Sea ray was 3/4 inch thick and much more structural ribs. When we discussed this with the company tech that was giving us the tour this question was asked about the cost difference. His response was that Bayliner is built with the minimum engineering and specifications possible. As we also know engineering takes time and $$$$. Sea rays are built with a much higher engineering budget which does/should produce a much better product. My friend has a late 90's Bayliner and it has been barely used. I will take my late 80's ray over that boat any day of the week. You can see the wear and tear on that boat and it is not as though it has been abused. It is not as robust as the engineering on the Sea rays. As for quality of materials used. I would imagine that for cost purposes they are using the glass, resin, and gel coat but I would imagine the quantities used are vastly different.

 

[liv2ryde100]

i got caught up in this with my first boat purchase, which was a 27 rinker. i looked at all the components in both boats which are pretty much outsourced, both had same fridges, cruiseair ac, mercruiser motors etc. i didnt understand what i was paying for either. but that 2 rinker does not run as smooth and comfortable as the sea ray. unlike a car that has all these suspension components to keep you going down the road smooth, a boat only has its hull. no springs struts bushings, nothing. so the answer is that when you run both boats, you will feel a noticeable difference in the ride the sea ray will give you. oh and im not sure about bayliner in this scenario, but the sea ray has about three times the storage space that my rinker had, and if your married you know your wife will need plenty of storage. lol.

 

[skibum]

Late piling on, but an entertaining thread.

In free capitalism with full competition and a liquid market (sufficient supply and demand), items are "worth" what buyers are willing to pay. It is the buyers that determine the price. Manufacturers and used boat owners price boats at the maximum that the buyers are willing to pay. That is in the new and used market.

The relationship between price and material content is not linear with any product in any market. There are many other factors that affect the price buyers are willing to pay. That includes features, styling, durability, fit and finish, and yes, brand status or perceived status. Bayliner sells a lot of boats. More than Sea Ray. And they are sold at a lower price because that is the pricing that buyers are willing to pay for them, new or used.

So if you REALLY want to know why Bayliners are sold at a lower price than Sea Rays, you would be best to poll the large number of Bayliner owners and ask why they are only willing to pay low prices for used Bayliners, since it is not Sea Ray owners that set the price of new/used Bayliners. It is actually the Bayliner buyers that have set the pricing in this free market.

Thank you for saving me a bunch of typing. The actual answer to the OP's question is that people looked at the cleats, and said, "Yes. I'll pay more for those.". He just doesn't want to accept the fact that value is based solely on the buyer's perception. Perception can be influenced in very subtle ways.

 

[PlayDate]

An example of the innovative and thought provoking ideas found on the Bayliner Owners Club Forum:

"HI, I have recently bought a 2KVA Honda to use on my 3055, to charge batteries and also run a few other appliances when tied up in a bay. These units a quiet compared to other brands but are dam noisy when being used in a secluded little bay on our lake.
Has anybody come up with any ideas of how to soften the sound of these things running ?. What would be wrong with having it running in the engine room with the lid ajar and the blowers running ? So long as the main engines were not running and it was vented, what are the risks ? Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated."

One of the suggestions was to place it in a large cooler to cut down the noise......

 

[liv2ryde100]

If you just submerge that generator it will be much more quiet

 

[PMC]

I wonder if they have the same generator arguments over on that site....or is that exclusive to us "sea ray snobs" :smt043

 

[Stee6043]

Funny timing - I was minding my own business on Saturday when in floats a newish Bayliner 300 right next to me at the marina. 2010 300 to be exact.

Great looking boat. The owner let me jump on and take a look whilst we chatted about the weather. What surprised me more than anything was that the foredeck on the boat sits nearly a foot (guessing) higher out of the water than the foredeck on my 340. But when you step down into the cabin there is less overall headroom. I suppose I could look it up but I'm assuming the 300 Bayliner has a shallower draft than my 340 but nearly the same freeboard? I was pretty surprised to see it sitting so tall when it pulled in. I had a Sea Ray 290 beside me last year and it sat at least a foot lower in the water than me.

The fit and finish of the cockpit was nice. The helm seemed a bit sparse but still had far newer gear than mine. I got the vibe that they were spreading out the electronics/gauges/switches to take up the space they were given. The cabin felt well appointed. Dark finishes, nice galley, quite sharp.

Overall the boat was very nice but didn't have nearly the exterior visual "appeal" of the same model year Sea Ray. It was a bit more blocky, less curves, etc. The hatches and portholes forward of the cockpit had a very sharp shape to them. And where the hull joined the deck there was a "feature" that went all the way to the stern of the boat that didn't seem to flow very nicely.

In the end it was a very nice boat sitting there in the water. I have no idea how she handles though. I just found the timing of this thread to be quite humorous and wanted to share...