Buying decisions

[colcreate]

While I have been off work sick I have been looking at cheering my self up by buying a new 90hp outboard. The varying responses (and prices) from different dealers has been shocking.....
So I thought I would ask all of you what influences you to part with your cash!

When buying a brand new outboard engine, and after narrowing your choice to those engines that will fit ie suitable HP and weight.
What are the major factors that affect your buying decision? Please list the following in order of importance to you:

Price?
Brand? (is that reputation for reliability)
Warranty?
Dealer locality?
Servicing costs?

And what if anything would convince you to change to another brand that you may have previously dissmissed?

Would you consider buying an outboard online and having shipped to a dealer of your choice for a fixed installation fee if it saved you money?

[Hightower]

They're all important. Why don't you list down all the engines that fit your requirements and rate out of 10 each one of the above. You'll very quickly identify the main contenders.

[matt h]

Ive also just done the same thing.
The important thing for me was
Engine weight
£££££'S and a really good deal.
Dealer locality or network.
Reliability is paramount etc etc
Now i've paid less than a two year old Engine with some goodies also and would not buy on line as dealerships are matching those deals anyway.

[ShinyShoe]

A 90 is a fairly heavy engine so not something you can easily chuck in the car and take to a dealer. So location of someone to service it has to be a factor for you.

You missed fuel consumption from your list. I'm the kind of sad-o who would want to work out a total cost of ownership not just purchase price. So I'd have a spreadsheet with purchase price, fuel consumption, service cost, cost of fitting, possibly a factor for non servicing repairs for after warranty expires. I'd probably want to model a few versions of that so a what if I use the boat 10 times in a year and travel an average of of 50nm each time, over 6 hrs of running (500nm of fuel at cruising speed but 60 hours of running). What if that doubles to 20 times etc...

I'd probably project a cost of ownership over 5 years which might get round the warranty issue. You may want a potential resale value at the end of that 5 years too, or you may just want to project it as zero value.

Probably no point factoring in those costs for an engine you cant practically own because it means towing the boat 300miles each way for a service though... ...if you do the at least factor in the costs of towing it to the service

[colcreate]

Originally Posted by matt h

Ive also just done the same thing.
The important thing for me was
Engine weight
£££££'S and a really good deal.
Dealer locality or network.
Reliability is paramount etc etc
Now i've paid less than a two year old Engine with some goodies also and would not buy on line as dealerships are matching those deals anyway.

Great answer Matt, just what I was hoping for, what did you buy? PM if its a secret!

Their are certain factors that are fixed:
Max Weight is probably the main one that narrows the field of choice.
The perhaps power to weight ratio, more bang for our bucks!
Online prices- not many main dealers advertise prices on their own websites, some do on B&O. But most say ring for their best price, I have had the same engine vary between £5999 and £7500!
However I expect you did a lot of online research before parting with your cash?

Dealer network & Locality - I'm thinking that in future you will choose your motor and then pick a dealer closest to either where you live or where you launch from to PDI, fit and maintain. Market forces are seeing dealers offering more than one brand and getting stock in to order rather than for display.
Reliability - difficult this one we have heard of problems on every single brand, mostly hearsay. Etecs get slated mostly by those who haven't owned one. Tohatsu make for Evinrude and Mercury, Honda will be making for Tohatsu, Suzuki make for Johnson. Optimax "eat compressors". Yamaha make for Selva, Selva make for Yanmar. Honda corrode etc. There are reports of longevity and reliability as well as disasters for most makes if you go looking for them. I think on balance it's a lottery, all mechanical/electrical things are going to break down sooner or later, its how the problem is dealt with by the dealer that counts.

Running costs - scary if I total it all up! Fuel, well at the end of the day HP v HP v Fun Factor don't suppose for the 100hrs I will do in a season its not going to make a huge difference.... please don't add it up for me, ignorance is bliss!