I noticed no reply for over a month. This is my first post here, and I am also thinking about pulling the trigger on a 2005 Utopia with the same 250 M2 Optimax. My other option was a 2006 Sugar Sand with a 210 M2 Opti. Prices are super high, at 15K, which is my main hesitation. Both are in similar condition with a very nice and high-end aftermarket wake tower. Used boat inventory levels are very low where I am in NC, let alone boats with jet marine powerplants that I'm looking for. From what I read in the past from discussions as far back as 2010, people are generally split on the Mercury vs Rotax powerplant (2006+). Assuming you can get local repair support, my takeaway is: Mercury is generally easier and cheaper to maintain, but most costly to repair and parts are harder to come by. Rotax is more expensive to maintain, but cheaper to repair if something goes wrong. Rotax parts are supposedly easier to get due to a larger aftermarket but keep in mind with the Rotax, you have 2 engines to care for or fix. Within Mercury, people tend to favor the 240 EFI over the Opti due to the cost to repair. Opti engines are supposedly more fuel efficient.
Which boat did you end up purchasing and with which powerplant? What's your initial experience? It would be nice if some of the members who posted the same questions way back then could chime in to see if their decision to purchase the Opti or 240 EFI powerplant was the right one in the end. Why and what are the watchouts for us who are interested in purchasing similar powerplant but now the engines are 10 years older. I'm probably not planning on posing a similar questions as I'm sure readers are sick of responding to the same questions over and over again.
Cheers
