Every autopilot pack gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Packs are grouped by steering type (hydraulic, mechanical and solenoid, tiller and kicker, steer-by-wire) and use the same scale in every group.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | pack price, log scale | 30% |
| Capability range | maximum boat length, displacement and hydraulic cylinder size | 30% |
| Features | control head, drive or pump, heading sensor and NMEA 2000 in the pack | 25% |
| Power draw | standby current | 10% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 5% |
Where the numbers come from
Boat size, pump range, power draw, contents and connectivity come from the maker’s product page where it loaded, and otherwise from the maker’s copy or a dealer’s listing of the maker’s specification. Several maker sites block automated reading, so each product page lists the source behind it. Prices are checked at Amazon and the maker’s own store, and the lowest price at a store the page links to is used.
The factors
Value is the pack price on a log scale, so halving the price always counts the same. $4,500 scores zero and $500 full marks. Price alone is not a quality measure, so value carries the same weight as capability.
Capability range averages whichever of three figures the maker publishes: maximum boat length (20 ft scores zero, 55 ft full marks), maximum displacement for sailboats (5,000 lb zero, 25,000 lb full marks) and the largest hydraulic steering cylinder the pump covers (100 cc zero, 550 cc full marks). A minimum length, such as “33 ft and up”, is scored as though it were the maximum, which understates it. A pack with none of these published gets the neutral score.
Features is 25% each for a control head in the box, a drive or pump included, a heading sensor included and a connection to NMEA 2000 or SeaTalk ng. A feature the maker does not mention counts as absent unless none of them is published.
Power draw is standby current: 400 mA scores zero and 30 mA full marks, on a log scale. Many makers publish no standby figure.
Warranty is the maker’s warranty: 1 year scores zero and 5 years full marks.
What isn’t scored
Dimensions, weight, release date, maximum drive current, supply voltage and the kind of heading sensor are listed but not scored. Drive current is not scored because a bigger drive is only better if the boat needs it.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. The exception is warranty: a maker whose warranty is not published gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero, the same as a one-year warranty, and is marked estimated. A pack that publishes little therefore tends to land mid-table rather than at the top or the bottom, so read the product page for what is missing.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.