Scuttlebutt Magazine - April 2008 - (Page 15)

www.scuttlebutt.com April 2008 • Page 15 J.D. Power and Associates reports on new boat owner satisfaction Bass Cat, Cobalt, Correct Craft, GradyWhite, Manitou, MasterCraft and Regal each rank highest in new-boat owner satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Boat Competitive Information StudySM. Now in its seventh year, the study examines the sales, service and product experience of new-boat owners. Owner satisfaction with new boats is measured in seven segments: ski/wakeboard; fiberglass bass boats; small runabouts (16 to 19 feet); large runabouts (20 to 29 feet); coastal fishing (17 to 30 feet); pontoons; and express cruisers (24 to 33 feet). Overall customer satisfaction index scores are based on performance in eight factors: cabin; engine; ride and handling; helm and instrument panel; design and styling; sound system; water sports; and fishing. Not all segments include every factor. Bass boat segment – Bass Cat ranks highest in the bass boat segment for a fourth consecutive year, performing particularly well in each of the five factors that determine overall satisfaction: ride and handling; fishing; design and styling; engine, and helm and instrument panel. The company also receives the highest overall index score in the study for a third consecutive year. Following Bass Cat in the segment are Ranger and Triton, respectively. Coastal fishing segment (17 to 30 feet) – For a seventh consecutive reporting year, GradyWhite ranks highest in the segment, performing particularly well in four of the six factors driving overall satisfaction: fishing; ride and handling; design and styling; and helm and instrument panel. Grady-White also has the fewest reported problems of any manufacturer in the segment. Boston Whaler and Triton, respectively, follow Grady-White in the segment rankings. Express cruiser segment (24 to 33 feet) – Making steady improvement in the study for the past three years, Regal ranks highest among express cruisers for a second consecutive year. Regal performs particularly well in ride and handling, which is the greatest driver of overall satisfaction. Sea Ray follows Regal in the express cruiser segment rankings. Small runabout segment (16 to 19 feet) – For a third consecutive year, Regal ranks highest in the small runabout segment, performing particularly well in all six factors that drive overall satisfaction: engine; water sports; design and styling; ride and handling; helm and instrument panel; and sound system. Regal also has the fewest reported problems of any manufacturer in the segment. Sea Ray and Chaparral, respectively, follow Regal in the small runabout segment. Large runabout segment (20 to 29 feet) – Cobalt ranks highest in the large runabout segment for a seventh consecutive reporting year, performing particularly well in all six factors that drive overall satisfaction. Cobalt owners report having the highest satisfaction with the buying experience at a dealership and are also the most likely to say they “definitely will” recommend and repurchase from their dealer compared with customers of other manufacturers in the large runabout segment. Regal closely follows Cobalt while Four Winns ranks third in the segment. Pontoon segment – Manitou ranks highest among pontoon manufacturers, performing particularly well in ride and handling. Manitou is closely followed in the segment by Bennington, while Harris FloteBote and Premier tie to rank third in the segment. “Pontoons in particular have come a long way as far as advancements in features and technologies,” said Todd Markusic, senior director of the powersports practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “Usage of technologies such as satellite radio and MP3 players has steadily increased since 2006. Additionally, the average horsepower of pontoons has increased steadily as well. Pontoons are certainly reaching a new level of sophistication.” Ski/wakeboard segment – Correct Craft and MasterCraft tie to rank highest in the ski/wakeboard segment. The 2008 study also marks the sixth consecutive reporting year that Correct Craft has received the highest ranking in the segment. MasterCraft is the only brand in the ski/wakeboard segment to improve in overall satisfaction since 2007, while Correct Craft performs particularly well in engine satisfaction. Malibu follows Correct Craft and MasterCraft in the highly competitive segment. Industry Findings – The study also examines boat quality, in which performance is measured as problems per 100 (PP100) boats and lower scores reflect higher quality. Overall quality across the boating industry is 287 PP100 in 2008, marking an improvement of 4 PP100 from the 2007 study. Additionally, quality has improved substantially since the 2005 study. “Boating manufacturers have done well in improving quality year over year, particularly in light of current conditions across the industry,” said Markusic. J.D. POWER REPORT CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 Boats 17-ft to 80-ft Ted Gates 108 E. Center St., Lake City MN 55041 651-269-6434 Check out the great listings at: Fine Pre-owned Sea Rays, Silvertons, Cruisers Inc., Maxums, Regals and More. www.imageyachtsales.com WE BUY, SELL, SERVICE, RESTORE AND TRANSPORT THE WORLD’S FINEST VINTAGE WATERCRAFT. Boats, Models, Lifestyle & More at our website Authorized Sales & Service http://www.scuttlebutt.com http://www.imageyachtsales.com http://www.imageyachtsales.com http://www.essexcredit.com http://www.mahoganybay.net http://www.mahoganybay.net http://www.essexcredit.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Scuttlebutt Magazine - April 2008

Scuttlebutt Magazine - April 2008 Business Briefs Boating Classes Marine Directory Showcase On Shore - April Classifieds Advertisers' Index

Scuttlebutt Magazine - April 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.