I disagree that Bayliner was ever a quality boat. From my perspective the styling left a lot to be desired too. For many years starting in the 80's there was always a Bayliner $9,995 special at the Boston Boat Show. For that you got a boat of about 17 feet in length, an outboard motor, and a trailer. While it enabled a lot of families to get into boating for short money it also turned a lot of people off on boating. It wouldn't take long for a young family on their first few adventures on Winnipesaukee to get bounced around and scared and decide boating was not for them.
Although I have only owned two of them, Searays have always seemed like a quality well designed boat.
Since most manufacturers of I/O boats primarily offer the engines, controls, and drives from just two manufacturers, and the steering system is made by a subcontractor, the buying decision seems to come down to the fiberglass and upholstery and what size and layout will work for you and your family.
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