help settle debates please

[gd3rd]

we are looking at 2009 Harris Super Sunliner240 and 2008 Bennington 22' 2275 RLi. Have driven both and like both alot. i have done research and see jd power rankings. both are new boats and loaded. here are the questions:

1. which boat? (keep in mind the bennington dealer is farther away and quite frankly they are rude which makes me worry about service and dealing with them later) prices are very close (mercury harris and yamaha-bennington). wife doesn't like color of bennington and hates the dealer

2.Engine size? we have looked at 150 aqd 225hp. both dealer say go with 150 and there is 5K differnce in price for engine upgrade. i have heard really not much diff in top speed. i have 2 kids under age of 3 and using it mainly for tubing and cruising. man inside of me says bigger engine but everyone tells me not much difference in the two.

thanks for helping out a rookie.

 

[smclear]

Re: help settle debates please

I have a 26' JC Triple Tube with a Honda 135 on it. It has plenty of oomph to pull a tube and a lightweight skier. I would think a 150 on a shorter toon would be plenty but i understand the desire for more. I also have a speedboat so tubing and skiing wasn't a factor in selecting motor size on the pontoon.

IMO, Bennington makes one of the highest quality pontoons on the market. I would choose a Bennington over a Harris any day.

I understand your reservation with a rude dealer. Don't judge them on one visit though. See if you can find out more about them. Although I don't agree with the philosophy, maybe they'll warm up when they see you as a serious buyer or even more when you drop some hard earned cash with them. The color issue is another matter. The dealer is something you will only have to deal with occasionally. The color is something you'll have to look at every day.

I am sure 5150 will put in his 2 cents shortly, (he works for Bennington). Maybe he can give you some insight to this particular dealer.

 

[lowkee]

Re: help settle debates please

I would go to the Bennington dealer, offer them less (enough to make you feel you are getting a good deal, taking into account possible dealers issues later on and rudeness now), and if they say no, tell them you are going elsewhere just because they were rude. To seal the deal, bring in a catalog and show them what you are about to buy before you leave.

The dealer with real service deserves your business, and if are happy with the Harris, and the wife agrees, it is not really much of a decision.

I can't comment on the engine size, but I'm sure someone will help you out with that one.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: help settle debates please

As for engine size, 15 gallons/hour at wide open throttle is a lot more economical than 22.5 gallons/hour so the 150 vs 225 vs the little difference in performance makes the 150 a better choice on that size 'toon. Actually, a big motor on a 22 would make it almost dangerous at WOT and even a 150 would be a little much although triple toons can handle that power a little better. If both of those engines are four strokes and you do a lot of very slow speed cruising, you are also inviting an issue called "making oil". This means the oil level in the engine rises due to fuel contamination which is not good for the engine. The problem occurs because the engine is not working hard enough and runs too cool. Properly set up (correct prop) it shouldn't bother but nevertheless should still be a consideration. A smaller engine working a bit will exhibit that problem less than a super big engine that loafs most of the time. The smaller engine will also be more economical.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: help settle debates please

almost all the boat dealers in this time are in a bad mood. Bennington is twice the boat and quality of the Harris.

 

[5150abf]

Re: help settle debates please

Welcome to iboats.

This is a totally bias opinion because I work at Bennington but I would go with our boat, the JD Power award we just won is our 4th in 6 years and the 2 years we didn't win we came in second by a total of 7 points.

As to the dealer I am quite suprised you found them rude, with things as they are you would think they would be doing anything possible to get sales.

I have seen most other toons on the market and we are head and shoulders above most other boats and we hold resale better.

Also we are still running boats and will be for many years to come, will Harris still be in buisness next year?

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: help settle debates please

Harris has been in business for over 50 years (the last 3 owned by Brunswick) making toons and are solid boats. They are not "bargain boats" by any means and will give years of great service. And yes, I think they might be around for awhile. Bennington makes good boats, but they are by no means alone..

 

[Silvertip]

Re: help settle debates please

I could get political (from an industry perspective) regarding quality awards but I won't. Most of those are based on consumer input. I looked at a Bennington before I bought my Misty Harbor which is on the opposite end of the spectrum as far as price is concerned. The Bennington I looked at (with no intention of buying it) listed at $58,000 and had leather (yes leather) upholstery. Sexy is nice but sexy does not make a quality boat. Now if I owned one of these and was handed a quality questionaire I would be ashamed to admit I spent $58,000 and got a lemon so that boat had better be perfect in every respect. The fact is most of the stuff on that boat was no different that one gets on many mid-range boats. Fit and finish was good but not perfect by any means. It is still powered by the same engines one would put on a boat selling for less than 1/2 that price. So don't put so much value on quality awards. Many products get "initial quality" awards and the product turns out to be far less than perfect.

As for rude dealers (regardless what they sell) my thought is like yours. You don't need to deal with these jerks because chances are the rest of the organization works the same way. An example: One of our very well to do football players (black) stopped into a Caddy dealer. He had just come from practice and was dressed very casually. The sales person took no notice of him but quickly approached a well dressed white gent. When they were finished the sales guy approached the black gent and when he found out he was pro ball player he nearly kissed the guys shoes. It was too late, as he was told to, well -- you know what. So just because a dealer sells Bennington does not make him something special. As my Mother-in-law would say, "don't break your arm patting yourself on the back over your importance."

 

[Mike722]

Re: help settle debates please

If the wife hates the dealer and the color, then I would go in the other direction. If you have any trouble, and she is like my wife, you are going to hear about it everytime she gets on the boat.

As for a rude dealer, if this was the only time you have been there, then maybe they were having a bad day and the next time you go in they may warm up as someone mentioned.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: help settle debates please

rickdb1boat, Brunswick is in big trouble, they have shut 27 plants, and one of the mercury plant is only working one week a month. i see in the future, they will be cutting many of the lines. if i remember correctly they consolidated all their US plants, into 4.

 

[steelespike]

Re: help settle debates please

I'll be darned if I would deal with a rude dealer.You want to spend thousands of dollars and they are being rude Imagine the reaction
if you returned the boat for a warantee problem or a second time for a warantee problem.No thank you.