As you can see by my signature line, that is what we have. We've owned it for 1 yr and took a 2-month, 5,000 mile trip in it last summer with some weekend trips since. With the 4 slides, we had plenty of space and were very comfortable. We also weren't overloaded as its weight rating isn't as high as some of the more expensive coaches.
In the pecking order of the Mandalays, this is on the bottom....1. Mandalay 2. Presidio 3. Valencia. It was their attempt to offer a more affordable option, hence the smaller engine. Ours has some upgrades in it (granite, tile/wood, extended granite counter for a desk area, pillow-top mattress). It's not top-of-the-line, but also doesn't have a top-of-the-line price on it, so it depends on where you are budget-wise and what features are important to you. We feel like for the price we paid, it is nice.
As to the engine, I've read numerous posts from people who have this motor and say that while they slow down going through the mountains, they get where they're going just the same. There are others who must have more power, so want a larger engine. We've done some mountainous driving, but not out west, so it's been fine for what we've done so far. For non-mountainous driving, it's been absolutely fine. Again, it's a matter of where you'll be traveling and what your needs are. From what I've read, it's a good, solid engine, it just depends on what you want and can afford.
Good Luck with your decision.
