Sea Ray SPX 210

The Sea Ray SPX 210 is the boat most buyers compare everything else against. At 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m) with an 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) beam it is the classic all-rounder length, big enough for ten people at a sandbar yet still comfortably towable behind a full-size SUV or ute.

What separates it from cheaper rivals is refinement. Hatches close on gas struts rather than dropping, gel coat is deeper, the deck hardware is properly bedded, and the hull is quiet at cruise because the stringer grid is bonded rather than simply tabbed. Spend a day aboard and the difference is obvious in your ears and your back.

The stern drive package is the SPX 210's defining choice. A MerCruiser 4.5L pushing 250 hp through an Alpha One drive gives a low, sporty centre of gravity, a clean transom aesthetic and effortless torque for pulling skiers and tubers out of the hole. The trade is a taller engine box under the sun lounge, more winterising work in cold climates, and the bellows, gimbal bearing and drive oil service items that outboards do not have.

The cockpit is where the family value lives. Twin bow lounges with deep integrated lockers, a helm with a real footrest and adjustable bolster, an L-shaped port lounge that converts with filler cushions, and a full-beam transom sun pad over the engine bay. There is a dedicated in-floor ski locker long enough for two pairs of skis, and an insulated chiller under the companion seat.

On water, the SPX 210's deeper deadrise means it will take a chop that would stop a lighter, flatter boat. It banks confidently into turns, keeps spray outboard, and holds a straight tow line without constant correction. As a used buy, check the drive bellows date, the engine's raw-water impeller history and the condition of the transom assembly, since these are the items that separate an easy Sea Ray from an expensive one.