volvo or mercruiser

[lineman09]

ok so I posted a topic in the general forum and I got no response ... so I will make it simple ... iam buying a new boat do I go with the mercruiser or Volvo on a 20 ft cobalt 10 series..with a v 8 .. I need to decide fairly soon ..would like some input...thank you

 

[Scott Danforth]

what kind of input are you looking for. both Volvo and Mercruiser make a good product. which one has local service?

 

[lineman09]

I have service for both .. just looking for, if it was your money kinda thing pros cons of both, cost of repairs. , longevity of the units..i think iam going with the 260hp 5.0l mercruiser.. this boat will have to last 15 years or so , so I got to make it count ....anyways thanks for the reply...

 

[GA_Boater]

If you know you will be staying in the same area, close to the selling dealer, either one is good. If you happen to move, there are more Mercruiser dealers than Volvo-Penta. Just something to throw into your thought process. So going with MC is best in the long long run, in my opinion.

Is the 5.0 the base motor for the 20 footer? What are you planning on using the Cobalt for? Maybe adding a few bucks to move up to a 5.7 is worth thinking about.

The key to boat and motor longevity is using and taking care of it.

 

[bruceb58]

With everything equal, Volvo for sure, especially if the selection is between a Merc Alpha and a Volvo.

 

[H20Rat]

Merc is substantially cheaper to replace/repair though. A full ready to go SEI upper and lower alpha is $1500. A full reman volvo SX is $6500+. Combine that with far more merc trained mechanics, and I'd choose merc if everything else is equal.

Make no mistake, the volvo IS a better drive, especially when compared to an alpha. If you aren't comparing to an alpha, the cost discussion fades pretty quickly as the bigger merc drives are not cheap either.

 

[lineman09]

I believe its a bravo unit on the 5.0.260 hp.. the base model comes with a 220 hp 4.3 l I think that might be a little small for a 20 ft the boat is 3500lbs dry ..my kids are all grown and gone so for the most part it will be just a cruising and boozing vessel for lake Shasta and berryessa. I did not see the 5.7 l option for the merc listed only on the Volvo unit .. my current boat has a 4.3l alpha on a 185 BR and its been solid..but I take very good care of it and it takes care of me , its a 2002 model and it looks and runs better than some of the newer boat I see on the water ... but anyway thanks for all the input everybody...

 

[HT32BSX115]

If you're buying a new boat and you want to keep it 15 years, you'll be happy with either.

If you're buying a used boat that you'll be working on yourself and possibly scrounging parts from time to time, do 2 separate eBay searches for Mercruiser and Volvo in boat parts and accessories...........On any given day, you'll find approx 3 times more Mercruiser parts over Volvo parts.

When I went looking In the NW (Puget Sound) area for a complete package to replace the OMG 460 King Kobra in my 87 FourWinns, I actually went looking specifically for a Volvo Bigblock (or 300hp SBC) + Duoprop drive. I found several Mercruiser engine/drive packages of all shapes and sizes, and exactly zero Volvos.

(Of course, the "Volvo' guys will try to tell you Volvos never break.....................they all break of course)

There's nothing wrong with Volvo. I would have one if I could have found one..............But I found a LOT more Mercs.....

If it were me buying new, I would probably still stay with Mercruiser........