Boating USA — March 2018

46 | BOATINGMAG.COM | MARCH 2018

BOAT DOCTOR///BOAT DOC SPECIAL

We will always jump at the opportunity

to test two identical boats with different

propulsion systems. Here, we pit a Sea Ray

SPX 230 powered by a 250 hp MerCruiser

4.5 MPI ECT sterndrive against a Sea Ray

SPX 230 with a 200 hp Mercury Verado 200

Pro outboard to find the answers.

OUTBOARD

VERSUS

STERNDRIVE

We trial two Sea Ray boats with diff erent power to help you

decide which engine type is best for you.

PERFORMANCE/

HANDLING

Apples to apples,

outboards typically

hold a performance

advantage. Credit

power-to-weight ratio.

The Verado weighs

in at 635 pounds; the

MerCruiser 4.5 tips the

scale at 761, plus 148

pounds for its Bravo

Three drive. Though

the sterndrive holds

an edge in horsepower

(250 versus 200), the

outboard’s weight ad-

vantage and its location

helped the outboard

230 plane in 3.8 sec-

onds. The sterndrive

leveled off in 5.9. The

outboard also proved

faster to 30 mph, reach-

ing that benchmark in

6.9 seconds versus the

sterndrive’s 8.1 seconds.

Top speed favored

the more powerful

sterndrive. It peaked at

45.8 mph; the outboard

43 mph. As to handling,

cornering was agile and

precise on both, with

neither scrubbing off

signifi cant speed when

pushed hard-over.

LAYOUT

Both SPX models

feature an identical

L-shaped bench/sun-

pad combo in their

cockpits, with a portside

transom walk-through.

2-foot-6-inch locker.

Aft, the sterndrive

features one uninter-

rupted 8-foot-6-inch

swim platform. The

outboard divides the

platform, fl anking the

motorwell with two

2-foot-6-inch sections.

ECONOMY

At identical cruising

speeds of 28.8 mph, the

sterndrive proved more

effi cient, consuming

7.1 gph and achieving

4.0 mpg. In contrast,

That walk-through

is left open aboard

the sterndrive; on the

outboard, a gate and

fi ller cushion close off

platform access. The

big diff erence lies below

that sun pad. The stern-

drive occupies much

of the compartment,

leaving segmented

storage to starboard.

The outboard uses the

entire space as a 4-foot-

6-inch-by-2-foot-by-

PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY SEA RAY BOATS

OUTBOARD

More stowage and a

gated transom walk

STERNDRIVE

Faster at WOT and an

open transom walk