Leave it to Yamaha. These guys have been driving the competition nuts by combining their high performance boats with outrageously low prices. Now they’ve upped the ante by redesigning their already much copied stern entertainment platform making it better than ever, AND they’ve redesigned the bow area to boot. Now they have thrown in beefier engines, and that wakeboard tower. Yamaha is making the 242 Limited S hard to resist.

Yamaha 242 Limited S (2010-) Specifications

Length Overall	23' 6'' 7.16 m	Dry Weight	3,519 lbs. 1,596 L
Beam	8' 6'' 2.59 m	Fuel Cap	50.2 gal.
Draft	16'' 0.41 m	Water Cap	none
Deadrise/Transom	20 deg.	Bridge Clearance	N/A
Max Headroom	open
Prices, features, designs, and equipment are subject to change. Please see your local dealer or visit the builder's website for the latest information available on this boat model.

Yamaha 242 Limited S (2010-) Engine options

Std. Power	2 x 1812cc High Output Yamaha Marine Engines
Tested Power	2 x 1812cc High Output Yamaha Marine Engines
Opt. Power	Not Available

Printer Friendly Report

The Yamaha 242 Limited S is the new flagship of the Yamaha lineup. She not only has the features to die for, but the muscle to carry the day.

New and improved from stem to stern...

So let’s start at the stem then, or more to the point, the bow. High points to Yamaha for making one of the most, if not THE most, innovative bow that I’ve seen. It’s easily changed between five different configurations to suit your desires of the moment.

Starting with...


• The basic seating on both sides. The seats are long enough to extend your legs out without feeling cramped. Nothing new here but it’s included in the series so we mention it. Now let’s move on to...



• Filler cushion sunpad. Again, so far nothing new here. Practically every bowrider on the market allows for a filler cushion that turns the entire bow area into a sunpad. And not surprising, so does Yamaha. Next...



• Rumble seating. Lift the forward cushions and pull up a separate cushion. This makes a small seatback for facing forward. Remove the forward most cushion and your feet are on the deck while facing forward. The kids will love this, as you’ll really get a feel for the speed from this forward most seat. It’s duplicated on both sides.



• Padding under the legs. Re-insert the forward cushion and you have a very comfortable support under your knees, and your legs are still extended forward. It has a sort of chaise lounge feel to it. You also now have four seats with everyone facing each other and an arm rest between the two people on each side. Very cool.



• Three across seating. The filler cushions that make the sun pad also make another forward facing seat in the center. Now more people can be facing forward while sitting up at the bow. This is ingenious and Yamaha is the first I’ve seen do this, but I have little doubt that they’ll be the last. Close off the walk-through windshield and, both it and the center seat back, will block the wind on those chilly days.

And because the bow is flat, you have room for the anchor and rode storage, plus an extendable swim ladder at the bow.



Notice the rumble seat cushions at the bow. They also make a great armrest dividing the two seats on each side as seen above. Note the forward cushion is removed so facing forward they make a seat back. Add the forward cushion and you’re stretched out with a pad under your knees. Stow them away and you have a standard bow seat.

The Cockpit...

The gauges all have visors over them to block the glare, and you have full instrumentation for the twin 1.8 L engines. A little flat area lies aft of the gauges for putting “stuff” and it’s got a non-skid pad thank you very much. The bucket seat swivels and slides but not up and down. Throttles are mounted on a slight angle to starboard. And as if Yamaha has read every one of my boat reviews, they put the stereo at the helm. A remote is at the transom. Now, because the controls are fly-by-wire, Yamaha has the ability to pull a few cool tricks. Starting with Cruise mode. Get above 3000 rpms and hit the single rocker switch and now you’re in cruise mode. You can incrementally increase or decrease your speed eight increments either way for sixteen settings from the speed you first pressed the switch at. In no wake mode, you hit the same switch and you have three increments up or down while still keeping the speed down and not having to worry about fiddling with the throttles. On previous boats, Yamaha had this feature with dual switches, one for each engine, but virtually everyone used them together so they’re finally combined into one switch.

Both engines and boat conditions are monitored with a GPS-based information control center: Digital displays can provide latitude, longitude, compass heading, elevation, water depth, water temperature, trip odometer, clock, engine hours, engine speed, vessel voltage, vessel speed, highest speed, fuel level, fuel used and they are the first in the industry to provide real time (gallons per hour and miles per gallon) fuel flow data.



Plenty of room in this layout. It’s also very versatile and surprisingly comfortable.

The port side seat is a back to back. And where I expected it to lie down, Yamaha did it a little differently. This one goes flat in the center and what was the seat then becomes a back for sitting while facing aft. Just lift under the front of the seat and bring it forward and up and presto... an aft facing seat for watching the end of the towline. Glove box is to port, but it’s a little clumsy to open with its twisting knob. I’d rather see a latch to pull and lift. Just forward is a roomy storage compartment. You’re welcome to put a Porta-Potti there but Yamaha doesn’t include one, and since they’re rarely used anyway, it’s better left to storage. There’s no floor drain so keep it dry in there.

Aft seating is wrap-around and grab handles and drink holders are everywhere. Lift up the cushions in the center and you have a walkthrough to the transom, easily the most popular spot on the boat when at anchor. There’s a rather large step in the middle of the walk through so mind your step as you traverse.

And to bring home the watersports features, a curved forward facing wakeboard tower with integrated LED lighting and speakers. Undo a few mounting bolts and it collapses for easily storing the boat in your garage.



Yamaha’s transom has always been the most imitated feature on the competition but no one can do it the way they do. And on this model, it’s even better.

The Handsome Transom …

Because Yamaha’s are jet drives, they have no clunky engine box to work around. This gives them the freedom to design this really great transom seating that no one else seems to be able to copy. Outboards can’t even try and stern drives haven’t got a chance. It’s always been the envy of the competition, and now it’s even better. Two very comfortable aft facing seats, drink holders, the previously mentioned stereo remote, a removable pedestal table, and padding behind your legs that doubles as a separate padded seatback when you’re sitting on the swim platform, which is mere inches above the water making the re-boarding ladder a bit redundant. It’s really quite an attractive and comfortable package, and Yamaha has really hit one out of the park with it.

Performance and Handling...

Well here’s the bad news, and it’s certainly not Yamaha’s fault. I went down to their plant in Georgia to test their boats just when the entire state was getting record flooding from more than a week of continual rain. Most highways were closed and underwater, damage from runoffs was mounting, the test lake was overflowing and all access was underwater. So no testing on this visit, I’m sad to say, but that means I’ll have to go back again and wring this boat out another time. I know...everybody thinks it’s easy being a test captain but it’s work, I tell ya!

Specifications...

Starting with the engines, Yamaha has installed their largest engines yet in their flagship, twin 1.8L high output fuel injected Yamaha marine engines. Suffice it to say that no one will be crying about her performance, but we’ll see at another time just how she performs.

Her L.O.A. is 23’6” (7.2 m), beam is 8’6” (2.6 m), and draft is 16” (.4 m). Her dry weight is 3298 lbs (1496 kg), and she carries 50.2 gal (190 L) of fuel.

The out the door price for the Yamaha 242 Limited S is $47,599. Notice I didn’t say “base price”. Yamaha sells their boats as a complete package, no options. You get everything. So that’s the price. And since it’s the lowest price in its class it’s, there’s little complaining about getting everything you’re your dollar. And that suits Yamaha just fine.

• Top speed for the Yamaha 242 Limited S (2010-) is 50.7 MPH (81.6 KPH), burning 24.9 gallons per hour (GPH) or 94.25 liters per hour (LPH).


• Best cruise for the Yamaha 242 Limited S (2010-) is 31.7 MPH (51 KPH), and the boat gets 2.83 miles per gallon (MPG) or 1.2 kilometers per liter (KPL), giving the boat a cruising range of 128 miles (206 kilometers).


• Tested power is 2 x 1812cc High Output Yamaha Marine Engines.

For complete test results including fuel consumption, range and sound levels
go to our Test Results section.

Yamaha 242 Limited S (2010-) Standard and Optional Equipment

Systems
CD Stereo
Trailer
Exterior Features
Carpet: Cockpit
Swim Ladder
Swim Platform
Tower: Watersports
Transom Shower
Canvas
Bimini Top

= Standard = Optional

Yamaha 242 Limited S (2010-) Warranty Information

Warranties change from time to time. While BoatTEST.com has tried to insure the most up-to-date warranty offered by each builder, it does not guarantee the accuracies of the information presented below. Please check with the boat builder or your local dealer before you buy any boat.

Full Warranty Information on this brand coming soon!

Yamaha 242 Limited S (2010-) Price

Base Price (MSRP)	$47,599.00
Price as Tested	N/A
Prices, features, designs, and equipment are subject to change. Please see your local dealer or visit the builder's website for the latest information available on this boat model.