Thread: Which boat??
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Old 02-01-2005, 05:37 PM   #4
Dave R
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Feel compelled to chime in on carbs vs. fuel injection. FI is very nice but it can be quite expensive. My advice is: shop for displacement, not HP. A bigger carb engine can cost less money than a smaller displacement FI engine and will give more satisfying performance due to increased low end torque (which is a function of displacement). Two engines with the same HP rating ought to give the same top speed but the larger of the two will get you on plane more quickly and offer better mid range punch.

Carbs get a bad rap but they really are not at all bad in a boat. FI is wonderfully suited to engines operating in extreme temperature and altitude variations, and under constantly variable loads (like in a car). Pleasure boats operate in a very limited temperature range and altitude change is obviously not an issue... They also operate with very stable loads. The only advantage FI has over a carb in this regard is easier starting and the newest Mercruisers have "fixed" that "problem" (you need to pump the throttle a couple of times when cold on the old design) with new carbs this year. I am certain FI has no more than a negligible advantage in fuel economy at anything above idle speed.

I would not get either boat with it's base engine if it's a 4.3 V6. Opt for a bigger displacement V8 if you can afford it. You won't regret it, especially when it comes time to sell the boat. Also, if you choose a Volvo Penta package, do not spend any extra money on thier 5.7 liter 320 HP GXi vs, the 5.7 liter 280 HP GX. The GXi offers almost no real power advantage over the GX. The GX makes around 300 HP and is likely de-rated to make the GXi more attractive...
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