Glastron’s DX 215 is another deckboat that’s designed to take the qualities of a pontoon boat and match it to a sportboat hull. This means that now you can take your friends (probably all of them) on the water in style. But Glastron is also known for keeping the prices of their boats on a reasonable level. We’re wondering if that means that they’ve compromised on a few key ingredients in both the build and the layout. To find out, we did a full performance evaluation and walkthrough to see if the DX 215 is a whole lot of boat or just a whole lot less. Take a look at our full test video and read the full captain’s report to see what we found.

Printer Friendly Report

The Glastron DX 215 DB has an LOA of 20' 11”, and a beam of 8' 6" (2.6 m). Those dimensions give her a capacity of 10 persons, which can make for an interesting time on the water.

Deck the Halls

It’s hard not to like the layout of any deckboat. Their roominess -- particularly in the bow -- is welcomed by most everyone. Their wide bows and low profile mean that they should be more stable at anchor and more friendly to swimming. On the other hand you give up just a little of the aggressive sportboat handling. The good news is that when you load up the boat, your guests aren’t looking for aggressive handling anyway, so it’s a fair tradeoff.

Roomy Bow

The first thing that tells us that this is a deckboat is that massive bow area. Typically, we see that this is where the adults hang out and have their drinks and hors d'oeuvres, while the kids are going nuts off the stern.



We have to give high marks to Glastron for adding a boarding gate in the side of the bow. All too often you get to board from the bow or stern and that’s it.



The deckboat layout allows much more room for spreading out than you’d find in a typical sportboat. Notice how Glastron does the wraparound seating in the bow.

Our test boat did not come equipped with the optional cockpit table (add $276) but in our opinion, it’s a must-have on any deckboat.

Since the typical deckboat has a shallow draft at the bow, and our DX 215 DB is no exception, beaching the boat is always an attractive opportunity. For that reason there is always a beach re-boarding ladder tucked into the bow. The DX 215 DB had a three-step, but I’d like to see a four-step.

Glastron also saw the need to add an entry gate to the port side bow. This is a welcome innovation, and high marks for making it open inward. Pushing out on the gate will not cause it to open and spill you out the side of the boat. This new hull-side door will add to the fun you can have on the boat.

Dual Consoles

The DX 215 DB is a dual console deckboat. Here is a love/hate relationship if we ever saw one, as some prefer a single console that can add another 3 people to the capacity. For the rest of us who like having two people facing forward for a second set of eyes watching the water, the dual console is preferable. The walkthrough windshield is large enough not to block visibility from the frame, and the stainless supports are strong enough to hold my weight (180 lbs).

That portside console nearly always holds the head, but not so in the DX 215 DB. In this case, there is a convenient storage area that shouts out for towels, tote bags, and other daytime fun gear. The bottom holds a wastebasket. The head is in the starboard console and it was surprisingly well outfitted. Again, departing from the norm, Glastron added a fair amount of wood into this compartment, and even padded all the bulkheads. It’s roomy enough to double as a changing room, and the Porta-Potti is standard. Padding, wood, potti standard-- all of this is very, very unusual in a low price-point boat. Kudos to Glastron which is obviously trying very hard to please.



The head has plenty of room for use as a changing room.

Glastron also gets high marks for their bucket seats. No plastic fantastic seats here, these are SuspensionAire, fully adjustable bucket seats with flip-up bolsters. They are open in the back which does a good job of keeping you cool on those hot days.



Take a look at the stainless just in this view. Also notice the single piece cockpit liner. Parents will appreciate the high cockpit sides that keep the kids onboard.

Helm

The Faria gauges are mounted into a faux wood panel that does a pretty good job of masquerading as real wood without the maintenance. The panel wraps around to the side, rocker switches are to the right of the wood wheel. Tilt steering is standard. As good looking as this panel is, Glastron added a sunshade onto the top that looks like it was an afterthought and doesn’t add to the appearance, in my opinion. I was pleased to see that the depth gauge and engine hour meter were listed as standard.



The stereo lives in the passenger's glove box. On this size boat there really is no room for it at the helm.

The legroom under both consoles is nothing short of outstanding. Even with the seats slid fully forward, you can stretch out your legs.

Cockpit

Looks are deceiving in the cockpit area. At first glance it seemed as though the cockpit would be a bit cramped, but I found it to be intimate. When the film crew was sitting discussing shots, I noticed that we were all within good hearing distance without knocking knees and bumping into each other.



Notice the rub rail insert and the four-step reboarding ladder. A four-step ladder is unusual on any sportboat, particularly one at this price-point.

Under the aft seat is a cooler on a pull out tray with stainless steel rails. Two steps up and you’re at the sun pad and walkthrough to the swim platform. I liked two things about the swim platform. It extends well beyond the outdrive, so you don’t have to worry about hitting a prop on the way down, and the reboarding ladder is mounted at the corner, again out of the way of the drive and well within sight of the helm -- and it has four steps.

Recommendation

With an MSRP of $39,488 with a 5.0L GXiC Volvo Penta sterndrive and an EZ Loader GM5200T trailer, the Glastron DX 215 DB looks like a very good value to us. When comparing boats in this price range be sure to note the items mentioned in this report. I think Glastron has done a good job doing the important things right on this boat and giving good value for the dollar. Remember, this is a watersports platform, so if you have a young and growing family it should serve your needs for many years to come. Don't wait too long to get her -- kids grow up quickly.

Test Power: 1 x 270-hp Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi

						Range
RPM	MPH	Knots	Total GPH	MPG	NMPG	Stat. Mile	NM	KM	KPH	LPH	KPL	dBA
600	3.3	2.9	1.0	3.47	3.02	175	152	282	5.31	3.8	1.48	64
1000	5.3	4.6	1.4	3.93	3.41	198	172	319	8.53	5.3	1.67	70
1500	7.4	6.4	2.6	2.83	2.46	142	124	229	11.91	9.8	1.2	71
2000	8.4	7.3	4.1	2.08	1.81	105	91	169	13.52	15.5	0.88	78
2500	12.4	10.7	6.1	2.03	1.76	102	89	164	19.96	23.1	0.86	82
3000	23.0	20.2	6.6	3.50	3.05	177	154	285	37.01	25	1.49	82
3500	29.8	25.9	8.4	3.55	3.08	179	155	288	47.96	31.8	1.51	87
4000	35.6	30.9	10.5	3.39	2.94	171	148	275	57.29	39.7	1.44	92
4500	39.9	34.7	13.2	3.03	2.64	153	133	246	64.21	50	1.29	95
5000	44.9	39.0	17.2	2.61	2.27	131	114	211	72.26	65.1	1.11	96
5300	47.8	41.6	19.7	2.43	2.12	123	107	198	76.93	74.6	1.03	97

Speeds measured with Stalker ProSports radar gun. Fuel consumption (gallons per hour) measured with Floscan digital fuel-flow meter on gas inboards, sterndrives, and outboards, TechMate electronic scan tool on gas EFI inboards, Caterpillar digital fuel-flow meter on diesel engines, or permanently installed fuel-monitoring equipment. Range is based on 90% of published fuel capacity. Sound levels determined using Radio Shack digital decibel meter on A scale. 68 dBA is the level of normal conversation.

Performance Chart

Test Conditions

Test Power: 1 x 270-hp Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi

Time To Plane	3.4 sec.
0 to 30	8.1 sec.
Test Power	1 x 270-hp Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi
Transmission	N/A
Ratio	N/A
Props	14.4 x 19p Aluminum
Load	2 person, 3/4 fuel, no water, minimal gear
Climate	77 deg.; 78% humid.; wind: 0-5 MPH; seas; 0-5 chop