Hi newbie here....looking to buy a new 278ss Monterey bow rider ... does anybody have one? What's the quality of Monterey boats? Etc....thanks for the help....

If you took a Sea Ray and a Crownline and a Chapperal and mixed that all up you would have a Monterey. Decent boat for production boats. Depends on what engine(s) in this Monterey BR. I am not a fan of the newer 8,2 catalyst engine from Merc in which went into production 2010 to current. . If this is a single engine app I would surely get a twin prop outdrive. Volvo DP if I had to choose between that and the Bravo 3. The Ilmor twin prop outdrive is nice as well - Yanmar makes that drive for Ilmor,