Engines & Drives
The industry has moved. Ten years ago most bowriders were stern drive; today most new models hang a four-stroke outboard on the transom, and there are good reasons for it.
Why almost every new bowrider is now outboard powered, which brands to consider, and the trade-offs against a stern drive.
The bowriders that come up most often when readers ask us where to start.
The world's best-selling bowrider size, in its most accessible form: 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
The previous-generation classic. Millions of families learned to boat in one of these.
US$8,000 - US$22,000 used
Modern four-strokes from Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki and Honda are quiet, clean and reliable. Removing the engine from inside the hull frees up storage, simplifies the build and eliminates the bellows and transom assembly entirely.
For owners, servicing is easier, winterising is trivial and re-powering later is a straightforward job rather than a rebuild.
Yamaha has the strongest reliability reputation and excellent global parts support. Mercury offers the widest range and is standard on many boat packages. Suzuki is efficient and well priced. Honda is smooth and durable but has a narrower high-horsepower range.
In practice, buy the brand with the best local dealer. Service access beats badge loyalty every time.
Outboards occupy the swim platform area, so boarding is less clean than a stern drive transom. They sit higher, which slightly raises the centre of gravity. Very large outboards are also expensive to replace outright compared with rebuilding an automotive-based inboard.
