seems like there is a $15-20k price difference between used Heats and Rages. both running 496 HO. i know 3 feet is a good amount, but to see a 50% increase in used prices for a yard, seems a bit steep. are Rages just a better value, or are Heats just that much "bigger" of a boat?

I wondered that same point when I was looking at buying a Nordic.

Some things I came up with;

For a 25 ft boat, the Rage is equal or slightly better than a lot of boats in the 25 ft range.

For a 28 ft boat, the Heat is quite large, especially in the mid-cabin compared to other similar sized boats. The Heat stands out as one of the best 28 footers out there. Only the Lavey and Howard are really any faster per length, and both of those boats are quite a bit smaller than the Heat.

I drove a Howard Bullet, and really liked it, it just had a lot less free-board and room in the boat than the Heat.

I have driven both a Rage and a Heat, and my summation is that while the Rage is a really good boat, the Heat is a truely fantastic boat.

In that price range, I could have bought any boat I wanted at the time.

You can see what I decided on.

Chris

P.S. To answer your question; Yes, the Heat is quite a bit bigger boat than the Rage is.

thanks, i can afford a Rage but want a Heat...oh the decisions we have to make