2006 Four Winns 278 Vista vs 2004 Sea Ray 260

Motor Mike · **Joined:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:01 pm **Posts:** 11

I am trying to decide between 2006 Four Winns 278 Vista vs 2004 Sea Ray 260.

The SR is about $7000 less.

Otherwise they are both loaded with options...
6.2 liter engine
Generator
Air Conditioning
Windlass
Remote spotlight
Full canvas package (cockpit, bimini, and side panels)

SR has 260 hours on engine and 170 on generator
FW has 160 hours on engine and 50 on generator
SR has bottom paint and FW does not
I think the SR was in salt water and I think the FW was not

Any advice?

ric · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:46 pm

You're comparing a station wagon to a luxury sedan. If you want class, good layout, and the most room, get the FW. You you don't care about style and just want a camper that floats.. get the SR.

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:15 pm

Motor Mike,
These were the same two boats we ended up deciding between. Once we climbed around on both a handful of times...the Four Winns was the winner by a land slide. The layout,height in the head, and mid cabin entry(which is our favorite place to sleep) was FAR superior on the Four Winns! From what I've read on the Sea ray forums the 260 is not a real great handling boat(very tippy) and the Four Winns even gets better MPG. I'm not bashing Sea Ray since I really do believe they have a fine product, and the 260 is a great looking boat, but I don't think there is much comparison between the two boats.

And finally the Four Winns is fresh water with considerably less hours and two years newer vs. an older salty Sea Ray? This one is easy...welcome to the forum!! Please post some pics of the 278 when you buy it!!

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:54 am

Bliss36 wrote:

Motor Mike,
These were the same two boats we ended up deciding between. Once we climbed around on both a handful of times...the Four Winns was the winner by a land slide. The layout,height in the head, and mid cabin entry(which is our favorite place to sleep) was FAR superior on the Four Winns! From what I've read on the Sea ray forums the 260 is not a real great handling boat(very tippy) and the Four Winns even gets better MPG. I'm not bashing Sea Ray since I really do believe they have a fine product, and the 260 is a great looking boat, but I don't think there is much comparison between the two boats.

And finally the Four Winns is fresh water with considerably less hours and two years newer vs. an older salty Sea Ray? This one is easy...welcome to the forum!! Please post some pics of the 278 when you buy it!!

This !

ric · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:39 am

I just remembered, I was in a similar year SR 260 at the boat show a few weeks ago. Let me tell you what it was like:

Smallest 28ft boat I've ever been in. Ever. AND GOD DAMNNN they are expensive! You can pick up a MINT fully loaded same year Vista 248 that is virtually the same room for half the price of that Bayliner.... I mean Sea Ray.

rpengr · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 11:38 am

Bliss36 wrote:

Motor Mike,
These were the same two boats we ended up deciding between. Once we climbed around on both a handful of times...the Four Winns was the winner by a land slide. The layout,height in the head, and mid cabin entry(which is our favorite place to sleep) was FAR superior on the Four Winns! From what I've read on the Sea ray forums the 260 is not a real great handling boat(very tippy) and the Four Winns even gets better MPG. I'm not bashing Sea Ray since I really do believe they have a fine product, and the 260 is a great looking boat, but I don't think there is much comparison between the two boats.

And finally the Four Winns is fresh water with considerably less hours and two years newer vs. an older salty Sea Ray? This one is easy...welcome to the forum!! Please post some pics of the 278 when you buy it!!

+ 1 on this.

Even if both boats were the same model, the lower hours, the lack of bottom paint, and lack of salt water usage is worth the +$6000 by themselves. (in my area, bottom paint is a negative. If you trailer, you don't want it. If you stay in the water, it probably needs to be redone anyway).

kp47 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 2:30 pm

I had an '06 248 FW, nice boat and now have an '07 260 Sea Ray, not even in the same league IMO.

The 260 'tippy' thing is WAY overblown IMO, the 2004 does not suffer from it anyway, the 2005-2008 260 is the 'problem' boat. The 260 is WAY more stable then my old '06 248, a beer can rolling port to starboard would need a tab adjustment. I think a lot of complaints come from people going from a bowrider to very tall, narrow beam boat and are little put off by it. Every 28' 8'6" beam cruiser I tried was tippy feeling.

I was going to buy either a 2008 278 or this '07 260 and I decided on the 260, the cockpit layout, storage, ease of access to the engine and major systems sold me on it. I spent quite a bit of time on both and the SR was 10 grand cheaper so it was a no brainer for me. I'm 6'4 and cant stand up in the head, but I can stand up in the cabin in the 260, I spend little time in the head so that wasnt a major selling point for me lol.

IMO an '04 260 SR is not as nice of a boat as an '06 278. As far as salt water mine spent the first two years of its life in Miami and that salt is tough on a boat if its not well taken care of, but people can trash a freshwater boat just as easy. Took me a while to get everything cleaned up and you have to really look at the drive as well, BIIIs just rot away if they sit in salt water.

As far as mpg I have the exact same GPS/fuel flow meter off my old 248 on this 260, the 260 is 2000lbs more than the 248, bottom painted and on plane mpg on the 260 (5.7 mag/BIII) is 2.35mpg at 25mph, the 248 (not bottom painted) was 2.6mpg at the same speed (5.7/DPS). the 2004 260 is a much lighter boat than the one I have and my guess would be the fuel usage will be the same as the FW.

It really depends what your budget is, 7 grand is a good chunk of change the 2004 260 is a decent boat, from what I found when I was shopping the 278s were a tad overpriced IMO, at least compared to similar year 260s. Take your time. plenty of boats for sale and no reason to be in a hurry.

Motor Mike · **Joined:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:01 pm **Posts:** 11

Thanks for everyone's opinion. Except Ric...you did not provide any real facts. I'm not the brand loyal type and I can tell some of the people are that are posting (chevy vs ford vs dodge type of thing). I buy based on getting the best deal on a vehicle with the least amount of wear and tear.

So saying that...the financially the sea ray is the choice but the four winns wins the least hours, newer, and what not.

As for the boats being tippy...I think that any cruiser that is only 8'6" wide is going to be tippy when your just sitting there and a wave hits you from the side. I would rather have a wider boat but I can only go by what is on the market here in phoenix. I will not buy out of state again as my last one was a real pain in the butt to look at, sea trial, and get it here without issues.

I liked kp47's & bliss36 responses...biased towards one brand but how a boat really is. But not sure why bliss stated "I don't think there is much comparison between the two boats"...how so??? they have almost identical dimensions and options. Same motor, generator, air conditioning, same purpose...

I personally like the cockpit of the sea ray better mainly only because the four winns does not have a seat on the left side (port). And I do like the SR lounger that is on the port side.

Regarding the SR...I did see the bravo 3 with the props off and noticed the corrosion on the housing where the shaft is going to the prop. I didn't not care for that much. I don't think it is severe yet.

kp47...unfortinatly there are not plenty of cruisers in phoenix. I have been looking for about 2 months and not much to choose from...one thing I know is that I want a high quality boat (had cheaper ones and don't want another) and I know that sea ray is right up there and I believe they set the standard to beat...I just wasn't sure of where the four winns fits in compared to sea ray, regal, and chaparral.

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:17 pm

Mike, not to sway you to choose the Sea Ray (Bayliner) as ric calls them. They are virtually the same hull though. My last boat was a Bayliner. I will say this; she had a real solid hull. I could throw a snot rag in my bilge at splash time and at haul out time, still be able to wipe my honker with it. I can't say the same for my Vista.

IMO, go with what fits your lifestyle and needs. They are both good brands. Infact, I found the Bayliners to have the best fit and finish at our 2012 boat show, hands down.

John :mrgreen:

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:20 pm

Quote:

I liked kp47's & bliss36 responses...biased towards one brand but how a boat really is. But not sure why bliss stated "I don't think there is much comparison between the two boats"...how so??? they have almost identical dimensions and options. Same motor, generator, air conditioning, same purpose...

Motor Mike,
Your right they are very similar boats as far as specs and quality. I should have prefaced that statement with..For me/or for my needs they are not comparable. The layout of the cabin is VERY important to my wife and I because we bought this boat travel on. Multiple times we have spent 2+ continuous weeks on the boat where a comfortable cabin layout, ease of access to the mid cabin and a roomy head is vital for a comfortable trip. Both my wife and I actually shower on our boat and usually prefer it to using the marina showers(weird i know).

Sleeping in the mid cabin instead of the V-birth is also important since it is considerably quieter in the mid cabin. Sure the Sea Ray does have a mid cabin but at 6'1 220lbs I had trouble getting in/out of it, and felt very claustrophobic to me...you may not feel this way so it may not be a problem for you.

The cockpit layout of the 2004 260 Sundancer is great. It provides the face to face seating in the back, with a flat folding rear seat for fishing, and a port side lounge. I have to say that although the port side launch is nice, I prefer the wide 2 person helm seat because when your cruising at 26+ mph and the engines are humming it's hard to hear someone talking to you from the other side of the boat.

The final thing I thought of that swayed our decision was the Sea Ray's carpet in the cabin. Once it gets some years it can show wear easily, and it's just a personal preference to have a fiberglass lined cabin sole. That carpet is glued in and can be a pain to replace. Again some people prefer carpet so it may not be a concern for you.

Ultimately your decision should be based on how you plan to use the boat, and which one you think will fit YOUR personal needs bestr. Both Sea Ray and Four Winns are fine boats, so I don't think you can go wrong with either. Keep us updated on your shopping and don't be afraid to ask questions. Having someone like KP47 who has actually owned both boats is an invaluable resource! Good Luck

acguy · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 6:24 pm

Does the SR have a walk through windsheild in that year?

JeffLW · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:01 pm

My vote is for the 278. I'm not impressed with the SRs at all.

I fell in love with the 278 while boat shopping, but it was a little bigger and a lot more expensive then I was comfortable buying at the time.
I'm still thinking about moving up to one in a few years. :mrgreen:

kp47 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:17 pm

Bliss36 wrote:

Quote:

I liked kp47's & bliss36 responses...biased towards one brand but how a boat really is. But not sure why bliss stated "I don't think there is much comparison between the two boats"...how so??? they have almost identical dimensions and options. Same motor, generator, air conditioning, same purpose...

Motor Mike,
Your right they are very similar boats as far as specs and quality. I should have prefaced that statement with..For me/or for my needs they are not comparable. The layout of the cabin is VERY important to my wife and I because we bought this boat travel on. Multiple times we have spent 2+ continuous weeks on the boat where a comfortable cabin layout, ease of access to the mid cabin and a roomy head is vital for a comfortable trip. Both my wife and I actually shower on our boat and usually prefer it to using the marina showers(weird i know).

Sleeping in the mid cabin instead of the V-birth is also important since it is considerably quieter in the mid cabin. Sure the Sea Ray does have a mid cabin but at 6'1 220lbs I had trouble getting in/out of it, and felt very claustrophobic to me...you may not feel this way so it may not be a problem for you.

The cockpit layout of the 2004 260 Sundancer is great. It provides the face to face seating in the back, with a flat folding rear seat for fishing, and a port side lounge. I have to say that although the port side launch is nice, I prefer the wide 2 person helm seat because when your cruising at 26+ mph and the engines are humming it's hard to hear someone talking to you from the other side of the boat.

The final thing I thought of that swayed our decision was the Sea Ray's carpet in the cabin. Once it gets some years it can show wear easily, and it's just a personal preference to have a fiberglass lined cabin sole. That carpet is glued in and can be a pain to replace. Again some people prefer carpet so it may not be a concern for you.

Ultimately your decision should be based on how you plan to use the boat, and which one you think will fit YOUR personal needs bestr. Both Sea Ray and Four Winns are fine boats, so I don't think you can go wrong with either. Keep us updated on your shopping and don't be afraid to ask questions. Having someone like KP47 who has actually owned both boats is an invaluable resource! Good Luck

I do like the molded liner in the FW cabin better myself, but this '07 has snap in sunbrella fabric that covers the carpet and that saves the glued in carpet from tracked in moisture and wear.

Like I said I would rather have the '06 278 over the '04 260. 2004 was the last year for that style and while a lot of people like those years but it looks a bit dated to me, I would probably compare it more to a FW 268. The '05 and up 260 I liked better then the 278 for what we are using it for, I could have had either and went with the SR despite the many handling complaints I read about on the internet - honestly it drives like any other single engine cruiser to me. I sure wouldnt be disappointed with the FW 278 if I made that choice though - they are both well laid out and excellent looking boats on the water.

I would probably look at at an '05+ 260 before making a decision.

Motor Mike · **Joined:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:01 pm **Posts:** 11

kp & bliss...I actually meant to say "that you are not biased towards one brand"...not being the key word. Sorry for any confusion there.

kp...i did notice the wear on the carpet in the SR. I can't remember if it was this 260 or a 2002 280 that had the sunbrella runners like bliss was talking about. I thought those were kind of wierd. Why not just put snap in carpet in the cabin. Also the mid cabin on the SR was not really long enough for me and I'm only 5'11". I have not laid in the mid cabin on the FW yet, this saturday when I look at it again I will know. I think that is where I might like to sleep also but was unsure of air conditioning noise and generator noise in the summer here in AZ (its hot at night in the summer here).

I didn't know there was a change between 04 & 05 260. There is not an 05 or newer 260 on the market here in phoenix right now.

Well saturday when I go look at the four winns with my wife we will probably know more.

firecadet613 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 26, 2012 8:49 pm

I slept many nights in the mid cabin of our 268 with the gen and air running. No issues there.

Sounds like your a family man, thats a reason we got the 268 versus the 260. The central opening to the mid cabin means a child can rest in there and you can easily see them from the v-berth unlike the side entrance of the 260.

No issues at all with our 268, and if you trailer the lower hours, no bottom paint, and not saltwater make it a no brainer.

www.iFourWinns.com

2006 Four Winns 278 Vista vs 2004 Sea Ray 260

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