merc and volvo both built their offerings around GM blocks. as far as the motor goes, paint color is one of the biggest difference.
drives (of the alpha class), both have advantages and disadvantages.
merc's impeller is INSIDE the drive, while volvo's is very easily accessed on the front of the crankshaft for very easy "better safe then sorry" routine replacement by anybody.
volvo's prop impacting something drive saver is INSIDE the drive, while merc's is a cheap hub in the prop itself that anybody can replace.
volvo's drive has a larger surface area, for more "rudder" surface. but its heavier too.
but here is the real comparision point, the WARRANTY.
i've worked at several marine dealership/service centers in my years. i thought they were pretty dam equal for years.
and then one day, we had a volvo powered boat come in with 19.3 hours for its 1st 20 hour service barely a month after it was purchased. carb was DRIPPING fuel onto the intake, majorly unsafe as well as a waste of money.
apperently, to the suprise of EVERYONE at that shop, volvo doesnt cover the carb in its warranty.
merc, wether its mercruisery with sterndrives and inboards, or mercury outboards, has an EXCELLENT warranty and will go above and beyond it to keep customers satisfied.
that volvo owner was IRATE, he came in and insisted on being shown the leak and spent an hour with the boss on speaker phone with volvo..... a merc owner will NEVER have that experience.
outboards, i'd still go with merc. none of the others are truly better at outboards, and that warranty and customer service counts for a LOT.
outboard vs sterndrive is pretty much a question of how it will be used. if its fishing and more fishing, with a little more fishing to spice things up, outboard is by far the best choice.
if you plan on just a LITTLE watersports, outboard can be workable.
but sterndrive is the best multi purpose design there is. good ski boat, good fishing boat, and good just cruising boat.
what i would go with would be a 18-19 footer with the 4.3 v6 fuel injected and an alpha drive.
the 4.3 uses less gas then the v8s, but will still move the lighter boat at the same speeds. and the 4.3 has the nice smooth idle the 3.0 4 cylinder lacks.
fuel injection (NOT an option with the 3.0) will give you a bit more power while burning the same amount of gas. and if you travel to different altitudes it will adjust for the different air densities and the effects on air/fuel mixture AUTOMATICALLY.
if you are going for a larger boat, your limited with the 5.0 and 5.7 v8s, both good motors, both with fuel injection options. but they will both burn more gas with very little overall performance difference.
bravo or the larger volvo drive probably arent options for what you seem to be interested in.
bravo is by far better then volvo in this case, there is more then one different bravo model, which allows for better matching with the hull design for optimum performance.
contrary to what some poeple say, bayliner is an excellent ENTRY LEVEL CHEAP boat. not the best out there, but dam good for the money. i know of worse brands with higher price tags.
byuing used, its all about shopping smart and protecting yourself.
lots of boat owners out there who didnt take proper care of their boat and now have a real headache they want to be rid of, they are looking for SUCKERS. dont you be one.
1. mechanical inspection performed by a qualified marine mechanic. its a fairly quick and cheap once over inspection and testing to determine overall condition. most dealerships do these on trade-ins before making an offer.....
if it passes, you can move on to the next stage of purchase.
if it fails, your out $100 or so when you dont buy the boat, but you arent spending thousands more before enjoying your boat.
2. water test it.
when you go car shopping, wether new or used, you TEST DRIVE. you take it for a spin around the block, hop on the freeway a minute and floor it, go through a couple good corners and really TEST it out and see if you like it.
dont buy a used boat any different then you buy a used car.
3. maintence records. you want to know what has been done and when, and more importantly, what you'll need to do and when.
if in doubt, go ahead and get it serviced. especially the impeller (3 years or 100 hours, or every spring on volvo's where its so easy to do). impellers are the HEART of your cooling system, when they fail due to lack of maintence they can take the engine with them and generate a very large repair bill. $50 is an expensive impeller, not worth the risk.
BTW, even the merc alpha impeller is pretty easy for a do it yourselfer to change, it just isnt quite as easy as volvos.