www.iFourWinns.com

Does anyone have real world fuel usage on 328s?

I know my 268 will get slightly better than 2mpg, of course depending on conditions.

_________________
2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Ready to pulll the trigger?

My guestimate with 5.7's is going to be around .8 mpg cruise speed. But really, at a $100k for a boat, who's counting mpg's?

_________________
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 would say it should be close to 1 mpg. Here is a boat test with the same power as I have in mine. The sweet spot is a 4000 rpm, 34.7 MPH, 27.6 GPH, and 1.3 MPG. Without looking I think the 328 is slightly heavier, but it should come in around 1 MPG i would think.


http://www.mercurymarine.com/engines/engine-tests/boat-house-bulletin/?ID=295&20343.031261759195


Fire are you getting 5 foot'itis already???

_________________
Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

I think our 328 is close to 1.3 mpg. This past season was our first season with our 328 and I continued to record all fuel purchased along with hour meter readings as I have done for about the last ten years. I was interested to compare the 328 fuel consumption results with our previous 30' Doral Prestancia that also had the twin 5.7 litre V8's.

After I accounted for the varying price of fuel over the years and the varying US/Canada currency exchange (we purchase fuel in both Canada and the US) I really didn't see any increase in my fuel useage in comparing the two. The Prestancia weighed in about 8500lbs dry and the 328 around 12,500lbs dry.

I think the improvement in carbed to fuel injection and the single props to duoprops off set the weight difference.

If you want Four Winns take on fuel consumption, go to the Four Winns web site and download the spec sheet for the year of 328 you are considering that gives you at various RPMs the corresponding speed and GPH fuel used. Simple math will then give you what they say the MPG is.

Mike.

_________________

Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

That is exactly what I did 6 years ago when we bought our 268 Vista. It proved to be as accurate as any fuel monitoring system.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

It is handy, if you can get the manufactures or a test report of any boat you are considering purchasing to try and determine what the expected cruise speed and fuel consumption is.

I enjoyed comparing the 328 Four Winns Vista specs to other similar sized cruisers. Gotta like the sterndrive numbers in terms of speed and fuel consumption as compared to inboard engine setups. I have to admit though, if you're boating in salt water the corrosion issues associated with sterndrives would make you look harder at inboard engines. We are in fresh water so my decision to prefer sterndrives for increased speed, fuel effeciency and their ability to trim up in swallow water was easy for me.

Mike

_________________

Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

Good comments Mike. I have stuck with stern drives for the same reason you mentioned. I had some voice in my head that whatever boat we owned, must do at least 40 mph at WOT. Can't get that with conventional inboards in most express cruisers. But I will add, now that I am getting a bit older, not necessarily wiser, I am warming up to the idea of inboards with shafts, for ease of maintenance as just one reason. Plus, the times we actually run at WOT are negligable at best. Also, comparing two boats recently, I found this caught my eye.

2003 Four Winns 348 Vista w/inboards the price was $81K
2003 Four Winns 328 Vista w/sterndrives, the price was $75K

Now without to much more than a cursory glance at these two boats, but knowing what they both offer. My inclanation would be to
go for the 348 Vista today, rather than my all time favorite 328 Vista. Mostly because of the added room,inboards,and beam of the 348 for
only $6K more than the 328.

So if we ever do move up again, I'm leaning more towards inboard drives, or preferrably IPS if the price allows.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Cap'n,
Off the top of my head, aren't the specs in regards to beam and LOA that year about the same between the 348 and 328? I'm pretty sure both have 11'9" beam? I have never owned inboards. Is there more room in the engine compartment with inboards? That would make a difference in my decision process.

I agree if you are in saltwater, inboards all the way. And like you, I do like the speed and fuel consumption of my sterndrives for freshwater.

_________________

2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

You are correct txvista. Same beam on both boats. The 348 just "felt" bigger/wider when I was on one last spring. Obviously an optical delusion, and I need a new pair of glasses.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

The beam is the same on both the 328 and 348 Vistas (both at 11'9" as stated above), however, there is a 6 inch difference in LOA. LOA is 35'7" for the 348 and 35'1" for the 328. LOA for the 348 without swim platform is 33'5" and LOA for the 328 without swim platform is 32'11", still a 6" length difference.

We visited a Skipper Buds location when we were looking at purchasing a 328 and went on both a 328 and a 348. You can tell the differece in length, but really for me the only real way I noticed a difference was when I sat in aft "U" shaped seating area and tried to stretch my feet out to lay them on the opposite facing seat. On the 348 the distance was almost too far for my legs to make it across as compared to the 328. So the length does show up in the top side aft seating. You can visually see this length difference but you would need to purposely look for it.

So Cap'n you may only be partially delusional, but your glasses may be fine You may in fact have noticed a difference.

Mike.

_________________

Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

Back to fuel economy, but with a different boat. One I have always liked in the same size range as the 328 and 348. I do enjoy watching these video's from Boattest this time of year, it gets me excited for the season ahead.

Anyway, they just did a test of the Cruisers 330 Express, and I was quite impressed with these numbers for this size of boat. http://www.boattest.com/boats/boat_video.aspx?ID=2364
* Best cruise for the Cruisers Yachts 330 Express (2011-) is 33.3 MPH (53.6 kph)@ 3500 RPM, and the boat gets 2.22 miles per gallon (mpg) or 0.94 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 463 miles (745.13 kilometers).

* Tested power is 2 x 375-hp Volvo Penta T-8.1 Gi Gas DP.

That's pretty darn good for those big engines I think. And gasser's at that. Another thing that was impressive was top speed. 48.9 mph. But the fuel burn at WOT was sobering to say the least.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I watched that video also Capn. Very nice boat, with fuel burn similar to my 268!

If only my budget would allow that high of a price tag I think we would be very tempted to jump to Cruisers. After being aboard them at the Chicago show...we are very impressed with their build quality.

_________________
2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Wow, I would not of guessed a 16,500 lb dry weight express cruiser with a 33 MPH cruise with twin 8.1 litre gas engines would turn in a 2.2 MPG fuel burn.

Cap'n thanks for the interesting read.........

Mike.

_________________

Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

Your welcome. I was surprised too. Even though the 330 Express has large fuel tanks, 463 mile cruising range is outstanding. For a trip up the coast on Lake Michigan, initial fill up would be costly, but you would not have to stop for fuel much at all. the company I work for have been a preferred supplier of Cruisers Yachts/Rampage based in Oconto, Wisconsin since 2003. They are great people to work with and build one hell of a boat.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I call BS on boattest! I'm sorry but I can't see any possible way that any boat is going to get 2.2 MPG with twin 8.1's. No way no how. Particularly in a boat of that size.

There must be something wrong with those numbers. In my experience, I do not see a lot of variance in fuel ecomony from boat manufacturer to boat manufacturer. Instead, for the most part it seems it boils down to weight and engine choice. Everything I've ever read seems to suggest that simply takes a certain amount of fuel to produce a certain amount of power. If they have a boat that is getting twice the mpg's on twin 8.1's on a boat that's 20% heavier than mine than they have solved the worlds oil problem.

_________________
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