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There is no single best bowrider, only the best bowrider for how you will actually use it. These are our category picks, based on ride quality, layout intelligence, build integrity and how the boats hold value.
Our picks for the best bowrider boats by budget, use and build material, judged on ride, layout, reliability and resale value.
Cobalt takes this comfortably. The R6 is the boat every other builder benchmarks against for hardware quality, ride softness and long-term tightness. Chaparral and Sea Ray run close behind at a lower price.
The Bayliner VR5 with outboard power. It is the cheapest realistic route into a modern, well-supported bowrider, and the outboard removes most of the maintenance risk that makes cheap older boats expensive.
For serious skiing, the Malibu Response TXi with its direct-drive inboard. For a family boat that still tows well, a Chaparral 21 SSi or a Four Winns H2 with a tow tower and ballast.
The Quintrex 540 Cruiseabout. Light enough to tow behind almost anything, tough enough for hard ramps, and genuinely convertible between family cruising and fishing.
The Yamaha SX210. No propeller, a flat unobstructed swim platform and shallow draft make it the boat parents relax on.
The bowriders that come up most often when readers ask us where to start.
The world's best selling bowrider size, Light, simple and easy to tow.
US$38,000 - US$52,000 new
The refined mainstream benchmark: quiet, dry, and beautifully finished for the money.
US$72,000 - US$95,000 new
15.5 ft fibreglass Bayliner bowrider with stern drive power — entry level pricing and a classic convertible bowrider layout.
US$26,000 - US$34,000 new
Featured Boat of the Week
This week we are putting the Bayliner Bayliner DX2000 in the spotlight, and it earns the spot. At 20 ft 2 in (6.16 m) long on a 8 ft (2.44 m) beam, this is a bowrider that reads the water well and still feels roomy enough for a full day out. A 20-foot deck-boat-width bowrider with outboard power and a huge social cockpit. Power comes from 115-150 hp mercury fourstroke outboard through a outboard package, and the fibreglass hull keeps the ride settled when the afternoon breeze puts a chop on the surface.
Seating is rated for 8 people, so there is space for family, friends, towels, eskies and the tow rope without anyone climbing over gear. Owners tend to buy it for family, water ski, leisure — which is exactly where it shines. Fuel is 30 us gal (114 l), and on the second-hand and new market you should expect to land somewhere around US$42,000 - US$58,000 new depending on hours, trailer and options.
Our full deep dive covers the layout in detail: bow lounge comfort, helm ergonomics, the rear entertaining area, storage that actually swallows a weekend, plus standard features, popular options and honest notes on where the boat compromises. If the Bayliner DX2000 is on your shortlist, start there — and check back next week, because the featured boat changes every week as we complete more full model reviews.
Featured Bowrider Article
Boat Stories
Few boats explain the appeal of the bowrider as clearly as the Bayliner 185. It brought a proper fibreglass family runabout within reach of first-time owners, then wrapped cruising, swimming, fishing and tow sports into one garage-friendly package. This is the story of the 185, its Flight Series variations and the practical formula that made the model a familiar sight at ramps around the world. The Bayliner 185 is Widely Regarded as one of the World’s Highest Selling Bowriders across North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. World’s Best-selling fibreglass Boat for a Decade, while reviews described the 185 as a boat pitched at the boating masses. The fairest reading is that the 185 Bowrider carried Bayliner’s Global Sales Volume story. At about 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m) long and roughly 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) across the beam in a representative specification, the 185 is large enough to feel like a substantial boat without becoming a transport project. There is room for bow lounges, two forward cockpit seats and a rear bench, yet the driver can still see every corner when approaching a jetty. At the ramp, one person can control the hull with a bow line and push it away…
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