Soft-Start Versus Wye-Delta Closed Starter?

We traditionally have specified closed wye-delta transition starters for electric fire pumps on our projects. The fire pumps typically consist of horizontal split-case electric pumps between 500 and 1,500 gpm.

In the past, we've felt that the closed wye-delta starter offered a good balance of cost (less than soft-start but more than open delta wye) against the impact it has on backup generator sizing (helps generators size more than an open-wye delta but not as much as soft start). 

Is soft-start still significantly more expensive than delta-wye closed transition starters?

I am hearing that the cost of soft-starters may have come down significantly and we try to be open-minded to what the industry is offering if we're in the wrong.

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