Mercruiser vs Crusader

[Powercap]

Im looking at two identical 31ft boats. One has 2002 Mercruiser Horizons and the other 2002 Crusader 5.7 Captain Choice. The engines have about the same hours. Can anyone shed some light on which engine is better and why. Price is about the same on each boat, so its down to which engine is better.

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser vs Crusader

Both are 5.7 Chevy engines, so they are the same in that respect. The biggest difference I can see is the ease of getting maintenance and parts. <br />I would go with the one where there are dealers and repair parts readily available.

 

[paulrfrancisco]

Re: Mercruiser vs Crusader

I dont know why but up in the New England area, Crusaders are generally considered a premium motor package.... When new, the cost is definately more...

 

[tommays]

Re: Mercruiser vs Crusader

power<br /><br />in my experance<br /> ( there marine motors are used in many land based gen sets water chillers ect)<br /><br />i have had a service contract with them for a water chiller for 7 years it would be hard to find a company that gives better service<br /><br />on there motors they seam to make a much longer lasting manifold/riser<br /><br />this site if you read through compares merc to crusader and points out there differences<br /><br /> http://www.yachtsurvey.com/GasEngines.htm <br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[navigator336]

Re: Mercruiser vs Crusader

Crusaders have traditionally been better engineered from an accessory standpoint (risers, manifolds, closed cooling, etc.). The engine blocks, heads, parts, gaskets, etc. are identical. All the manufacturers buy the same engines from GM with only one or two options. Crusader used to be owned by Thermoelectron, but was recently sold to Pleasure Craft Marine (PCM). PCM supplied alot of the tournament ski boat engines for awhile, but most have switched to Indmar now. Rumor has it that PCM is at the lower end of the scale (but they use the same GM bobtail engines). So is Crusader any better now? Who knows? If I was to chose, I go with the Crusaders.

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Mercruiser vs Crusader

Both engines started out at the same factory, both companies have been around for a while.... I would check out local service and parts. If you have to deal with a local dealership that treats you like sh*t, that can make all the difference in the world.