www.iFourWinns.com

In a topic from the departed verport a few months ago, he was asking about MSRP for boats. Here is a tool like can be had for automotive buying, that just came on line yesterday. You can use this to figure roughly what your dealer paid for the new boat you may be considering.
Here is his post.

Based on the website MSRP/Invoice price, and options he had on his H210SS, he did pretty good. Dealer paid approx. $37K for the boat, and sold it to him for $43K. Now this is not 100% accurate, but it gives you some kind of an idea what dealers get the boats for, and another tool you can use in your negotiations.
I have had alot of fun checking prices on this site last night. As you might imagine, some dealers and builders are pissed that this site is now on line. I think it's a good thing for the average consumer. It's been available for auto's and many other things for years, why not for boats.
It's not 100% complete for all boats from all manufacturers. As you might imagine, some dealers/builders refuse to give up that information.
Take a look at the Sea Ray mark-ups for some of their boats. FW looks like a saint compared to them.
It is also for some other recreational vehicles as well if you want to check those prices too.

Have fun.

SeeDealerCost.com

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Oooops..... Looks like the site is getting more traffic than it can handle. No info available right now. Maybe try again later and see if they get it fixed, or maybe the "price nazi's" put the curse of death on it already.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Looks like they've got so many hits that they're having problems...I can't get past entering my zip code.

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2008 H210
Volvo 5.0 GXi
"Summer Sled"
Indianapolis

If the site comes back, you will see it. Not sure what they need to do. One price I remember from earlier today.

Four Winns V435, base MSRP was $674,000, and the dealer invoice cost was $435,000.

The buzz about this site is HUGE on all the boating industry trade sites this morning. 98% from dealers who are
VERY unhappy about the site.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Here's what I get:

An error occurred

The given key has gone over the requests limit in the 24 hour period or has submitted too many requests in too short a period of time.

Sounds like the developer didn't plan for traffic and did not purchase licensing to handle the amount of requests they received.

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-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

It's back up and running. Just for fun, I looked up a 2011 H210 - Marked up from $29K to $45K. Ouch....

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2002 Funship 214
VP 5.7 GX Si
2003 Tahoe

Interesting article about the site and real interesting reaction to it here.

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Previously:
2008 V358/Volvo 5.7 GXi Inboards

Or this article.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Very interesting! On one hand, this type of data is LONG overdue; no one can argue that more information is always better. On the other hand, IMO it will eventually lead to the same Walmart mentality being applied to boat purchases as has been the case with everything else. Who's ready to buy a boat with "Kia" or "LG" or "Huawei" stamped on the side?

If the buying public is going to insist on car-like buying, then the industry had better implement some sort of car-like hold-back arrangement, and quickly.

I also wonder if this will have any tendency to put more idiots on the water. "Look, honey, it's just like buying a car." Not that there aren't already plenty of those people out there.

For now, to me, the most interesting thing about this is the response from apparent dealers and others in the industry. Their remarks make it painfully obvious how outdated and consumer-hostile their attitudes are.

I remember asking my dealer what his cost was on my boat. Of course he wouldn't tell me. What he didn't realize was that I didn't expect a car-like margin. If he'd told me he was making 10% (or whatever) on the deal, I would've been fine with that, because I realize 1) he isn't going to sell 8 more of them today, and 2) I need him to do well and be around for service.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

So, how reliable are these numbers? I'm sorry but I have no sympathy or concern that we will have boats made by Kia or Hyundai . . . free market should rule. The reason people are now buying Hyundia's is because they not only are more competive on price but the qualilty is up there too. Look at the 2011 Elantra vs. the Focus. The Elantra blows it away across the board. Heck, even Honda is getting beat at their own game.

Bottom line, I want the best boat for the money. I, for one, would love to see the quality of cars in the boat building industry. Its long over do. I can't help but think that the "quality" of boats is complete garbage for what you pay for. If you bought a car for $20k, $40, $100 no way would you expect the build quality we accept on our boats whether its a Four Winns, Sea Ray or whatever. At the end of the day, a boat is going to get sold for the amount that a manufacturer and dealer can make a profit on. And if not, they will go under. And more importantly, the better boat is going to sell first. COMPETITION! I've always hated the marine industry mark up. Its like buying used cars. You simply don't know what they have in it to make an informed decision and thus you can't make others compete.

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Former owner of:
1996 Four Winns Horizon 200 5.8L VP
2006 Four Winns Horizon 260 8.1L VP
2007 Sea Ray 290 Sundancer

Current boat
2004 Sea Ray 290 Sun Sport Twin 350 Mags

I'm as "free market" a guy as anyone you'll meet. I just think that in other markets, the "nothing is off the table if it'll create a cheaper product" has given us a world that isn't "better off." Much of that has to do with corporate ethics, but I don't think those are any better in the boat building industry. The point of my post was that the industry needs to figure out how to educate it's buyers and deal honestly and openly with them in a way that is still profitable.

I would've lost about 2.4 seconds of sleep if GM had ceased to exist (I would argue that they should have been allowed to do just that, but that's another topic). But I don't feel the same about Cobalt, FW, or any other builder for that matter. Boats aren't cars.

I agree 110% about the quality delivered by most boat builders, though. It's deplorable.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I think green beer got to me last night . . . I have no desire to drive a Suzuki boat. Unfortunately, the U.S. is not playing on a level field with foreign car makers because their labor is so much cheaper. I see no real solution to that because if we just increase tariff's then we all suffer.

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Former owner of:
1996 Four Winns Horizon 200 5.8L VP
2006 Four Winns Horizon 260 8.1L VP
2007 Sea Ray 290 Sundancer

Current boat
2004 Sea Ray 290 Sun Sport Twin 350 Mags

Decrease our labor costs.

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Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs