Tahoe Q5i Sport
By Capt. Rob Smith
In Tahoe’s redesign, they gained room in the Q5i Sport. The designer’s were quite clever as none of us can really see where they took the room to add it. One example of clever use of space was the bimini top that usually mounts somewhat inboard, though. The Q5i Sport has it mounted outboard. This seemingly minor difference keeps the gunwale top open, giving more of an open feel to the cockpit.
From the Stern
The stern platform is spacious and is designed to fully cover the sterndrive. An integrated cooler makes it a lot easier when you are thirsty and hanging out at the swim platform. For climbing back on board, there is a three step swim ladder on the stern. Coming on board was a unique feature I have not seen before. The filler cushion is on a slide that tucks it under so you don’t have the kids walking on the cushions with muddy feet when climbing back into the cockpit. The sunpad seemed especially large for this size boat. It lifts on twin pneumatic shocks to reveal the engine compartment. I found it easy enough to reach the check points on the engine as well as the batteries. There is room to put a bin back here to use the heat of the engine to dry out the life jackets after finishing skiing for the day.
Cockpit Accommodations
The carry on cooler fits neatly under the center bench so you have a dedicated space for the day’s cold beverages and snacks that doesn’t eat up floor space for play. The seats have a ton of additional storage for gear. Floor lighting and speakers are mounted in the side panels. The sole locker is spacious enough for skis and boards. I like how they have dedicated clips to hold the navigation lights and the emergency oar so they are easy to find when you need them. The bottom has a rubber liner to protect your skis from scratches. The sport bucket seats were comfortable enough and had slide and swivel adjustments. I prefer to have a bolster on the driver’s side because often a teenager or someone short wants to have a turn driving while you are on the skis. This way everyone has good visibility over the bow and visibility means safety underway.
Helm and Navigator Seating
The driver has a padded three spoke sport tilt wheel with rack-and-pinion steering. Gauges were arranged well enough for me to see them easily underway. Over on the observer’s side is a glove box and, on our model, a Jensen AM/FM/CD stereo with Sirius Satellite reception capability and MP3/iPod connectivity. Also convenient was a 12volt socket for your MP3 player and a tray to keep your sunglasses where you can find them.
The full framed windshield has a nice center walk-through. With a family, it is always nice to have a lower air dam to keep them warm after a long day on the water and a chilly ride back to the docks or boat ramp. Since the Q5 didn’t have it, I would suggest making a canvas snap-on version you can easily add on yourself.
Up at the Bow
The bow seating is plenty large enough for a couple to relax at anchor or for three to sit and enjoy a ride. The center cushion removes quickly so you can use the bow for beach boarding. Storage bins up front are fully finished and easy to clean, another mark of extra value in boat like this.
Measurements
The Q5i Sport replaces the Q4 for 2008 and is the same 19’5” length on average and 91” beam. She weighs about 2371 lbs. and carries 23 gallons of fuel. Some of the space is afforded by the use of a 4.3L MerCruiser which allowed greater interior space. The swim platform is 3” larger, interior cockpit is 4” larger and the bow cockpit is also 4” larger.
