This rain jacket has been highly spoken of on this messageboard, and I trust the advice of people who have used gear in the field and know from firsthand experience how it functions.
My research leads me to think there are two main types of rain gear:
1) A nylon fabric with a Durable Water Repellant coating.
and
2) a membrane that is inherently waterproof due to it's nature, Gore-Tex and it's knock off competitors of various trade names. These seem to always include a DWR coated nylon outside layer, the gore-tex type middle layer and an inner comfort layer.

Obviously type two seems vastly superior in terms of keeping the rain out, since it's basically one rain jacket inside of another for double protection. Unfortunately also generally a very pricey option.

My question is this: since the Marmot Precip looks to be just another coated nylon style jacket, what makes it so great compared to the countless other lower priced rain jackets of the same type? Especially since gore-tex type knock off brands are available at or even lower than it's $100 retail price?
I'm frugal, some might say a cheap-a__, but I want to get a good rain jacket before this year's trip without suffering buyer's remorse.
thanks

This guide to waterproof/breathable fabrics may give some insight to how the different brands perform:

Brand comparison

I own both goretex paclite and precip, and I can't tell any difference between them.

You missed the ONLY type rain jacket the will keep you dry 100% of the time...
It can be see on "Deadliest Catch" the TV show.

I've been using my Marmott precip for several years now and on multiple trips each year. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending how you view things, I've not experienced torrential downpours for days on end, so it's hard to honestly evaluate this rain gear.

I have worn it in the rain and it seems to perform well. In the heat of the summer, I have gotten clammy on the inside, presumably by sweat.

My rain gear performs dual duty on my trips. Even in sunshine, I wear it as a windbreaker.

I choose Marmott Precip because of the price point, compared to eVent and Gore-Tex. I am happy with my decision.

I like my Marmot Precip, that being said it does wet out after an hour or 2 of continual saturation. Useful item, does its job well for the price, weight, etc, but not the ultimate jacket.

I have the NorthFace HyVent DT 2.5 Material it seems to work pretty well. Used it the last season in some real downpoors and stayed dry and breathability was real fair.
SunCatcher

I like my precip and matching pants for the price point. The only down side seems to really be breathability, it gets clammy on the inside if I don't vent the armpits even when it's chilly outside. It does keep the rain out though, and that is exactly what it's supposed to do.

Gore-Tex has been around for ages and the garments have been continuously improved over the years. I have a Gore-Tex jacket and the only wet I've ever felt was from my own perspiration. Rain pants are another issue. I won't splurge on Gore-Tex since pants take a beating in the wild. I currently use a Sherpa brand pant I found on Steep and Cheap and they work fine.....for now.

Precip durability was very good, until it finally leaked on last year's trip. Agree with the "inside clamminess" mentioned by others. Upgraded to Arc'teryx - unmatched quality IMHO, but ridiculous price - thankfully it was an X-mas present from the Mrs :-)

R1,
I've been looking for a new jacket myself and asked the exact same questions, and my research has led me to the exact same conclusions as you, R1. The above anecdotes bolster our conclusions. The coatings are good but not as good as the membranes and they tend to wear-out faster. It’s one thing to expect dryness on a 2-4 hour hike in the rain. It’s quite another to expect dryness for days in the rain on a camping trip. That’s why I’m saving my coin for a membrane.
c

I have to confess; after agonizing over this topic for weeks I finally put the crowbar in the wallet and ordered the Basspro pro qualifier gore tex jacket. Now I just have to hope it doesn't generate too many questions from the wife when it arrives in the mail. :-)