SEE THE
VIDEO
SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATIONnaut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 4.2 4.8 0.6 7.0 8.0 275.3 316.8 1 66
1500 5.6 6.4 1.2 4.6 5.3 183.5 211.2 2 68
2000 6.3 7.3 2.3 2.8 3.2 109.2 125.7 4 75
2500 10.8 12.4 3.9 2.8 3.2 109.4 125.9 6 81
3000 15.4 17.7 4.6 3.3 3.8 132.4 152.4 6 83
3500 22.4 25.8 5.7 3.9 4.5 155.8 179.2 4 84
4000 26.9 31.0 7.6 3.5 4.1 140.4 161.5 3 84
4500 31.5 36.2 10.2 3.1 3.5 122.1 140.5 3 85
5000 35.6 41.0 12.3 2.9 3.3 114.7 132.0 3 88
5500 41.0 47.2 17.5 2.3 2.7 92.8 106.8 3 89
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEEDHigh Points
XDeep, wide cockpit and well-
engineered, secure seating offer
pontoon-boat roominess with a
runabout feel inside, especially
important when rigged with
larger engines capable of higher
performance.
XStrong Evinrude E-Tec G2 power
plant gives spirited performance
for watersports and fast rides yet
doesn’t gulp fuel at any speed.Specs
· LOA: 23'3" · BEAM: 8'6" · DRY WEIGHT:
3,128 lb. · SEATING/WEIGHT CAPACITY:
12/1,650 lb. · FUEL CAPACITY: 44 gal.How We Tested
ENGINE: Evinrude E-Tec G2 two-stroke
200 hp
DRIVE/PROP: Outboard/Evinrude Rebel
15" x 21" 3-blade stainless steel
GEAR RATIO: 2.17:1
FUEL LOAD: 44 gal.
CREW WEIGHT: 375 lb.
Price
$57,188 (as tested)STARCRAFT
MDX 231 E OB
changing room with optional port-a-potty.
Amidships on the port side, our tester
featured an optional sink and food-prep
station with more storage underneath.
At the stern, the seating is arranged in
a cushy, curved L layout, ending at a nar-
row step out to the transom area. More
storage abounds under these seats, with a
small cooler tucked beneath as well. Clean
rigging is one pretty feature Evinrude G2s
off er, and Starcraft’s execution is excel-
lent; the engine looks like it was born on
the MDX’s transom.
The MDX is built with a fully bonded
fi berglass inner liner and backed with a
full Lifetime Plus 6 warranty (lifetime on
the hull, six years on everything else). Like
all Starcrafts, it’s a great value, off ering
strong performance and utility.Starcraft’s MDX deck-boat series is well-
represented in the MDX 231 E OB, powered
by Evinrude’s E-Tec G2 200 hp two-stroke
outboard. The result is a stout performance
combo; our tester reached 47 mph with two
aboard and three-quarters tank of fuel. Fuel-
wise, best cruise speed was at
just under 26 mph, where the
E-Tec drew 5.7 gph and 3.9
mpg. For tubers and wake-
boarders, no worries about
the Starcraft’s perform ance;
this combo punches hard
from a dead idle, reaching
30 mph in 7 seconds. With
the MDX, you get a run-
about ride combined with a
pontoon layout.
Our test package’s stan-
dard confi guration was set
up for family and party fun.
The bow section rocked
curved facing couches withgreat storage compartments underneath
the butt cushions. At the bow, a remov-
able center forward cushion revealed a
nonskid gelcoated step up over the nose
with integrated boarding ladder for easy
beaching egress. Welded stainless-steel
bow rails are set at the just-right arm/
hand height while seated, making holding
on easier when it gets rough. An in-fl oor
storage locker provides room for the re-
movable dinette table or some water toys.
At the helm, analog Evinrude instruments
provide the engine feedback, and the stan-
dard Kicker audio gives good background
beats. The pilot sits comfortably in a swiv-
eling plush bucket seat with great support.
Just in front of the console is a pop-upPHOTOS: BILL DOSTERSTARCRAFT MARINE
New Paris, Indiana; 866-772-4538; starcraftmarine.comTo see our video
review of the
MDX 231 E OB,
scan this tag or
visit boatingmag
.com/bbg18/
starcraft
mdx231.
C
RUNABOUT
CERTIFIED
TEST
RESULTSBOAT BUYERS GUIDE 2018 | 32 | BOATINGMAG.COMBOAT BUYERS GUIDE