The 210 SLX seats four in the cockpit, lets two more lounge forward. Two seating options are available, both with sunpads aft. Bow filler cushions are also optional.

For the Young At Heart

With seats for four in the cockpit – all singles, no bench seats or lounges – the Sea Ray 210 SLX is more of a roadster than a family sedan. We think she will appeal to a younger, more active market, to boaters who don't want simply to ride around but who want to get wet and have some fun at the end of a towrope. She comes with a ski-tow eye integrated into the transom handrail, but serious watersports folks will want the Tricked-Out Fission option ($11,377); it's awkwardly named, but has all the bells and whistles needed for serious towing sports, plus some extras that are just plain fun.



The extended swim platform is standard, and has a concealed three-step ladder. We generally prefer four-step ladders, but we haven't tested this one ourselves yet.

What about the seating? Instead of a bench seat aft, there's a raised engine box flanked by jumpseats. These should be very secure seats, their occupants held in place by the engine box inboard and the coaming outboard. (Folks seated on a bench can slide back and forth in hard, high-speed maneuvers.) The standard layout has only a vestigial sunpad, but two optional layouts both include a usable pad, either fixed or convertible; each layout, like the standard, has a portside walkthrough to the swim platform.



The transom handrail has an integral tow eye, adequate for skiers, but wakeboarders prefer a more elevated tow point. The swim platform's surface is a non-skid rubber insert. All hardware is stainless steel, standard practice for Sea Ray.

Try Fission for Fun

The Tricked-Out Fission Package adds not only a wakeboard tower with swivel racks and Bimini, but also swaps the standard 260-hp MerCruiser 5.0L Alpha One sterndrive for a 300-hp 350 MAG ECT Bravo III with DTS (digital shift and throttle). This alone is a $6,462 upgrade, and one we think most folks will want. The dual-prop Bravo III is a more rugged, more efficient and better-handling drive than the Alpha One; DTS is a welcome addition; and extra horsepower always comes in handy.



Here's where you expect to see a photo of the 210 SLX with the wakeboard tower, but Sea Ray hasn't supplied one and we haven't photographed the boat ourselves yet. But even without the tower and Fission graphics, we think she's a cool-looking boat.

Also in the Tricked-Out package are tonneau and cockpit covers; a ski mirror on the tower; digital speed control; an air compressor (it's not much fun when your tube is flat); an upgraded Sony stereo package with speakers on the tower; a dual battery switch and second tray (but no second battery – go figure); indirect blue lighting in the cockpit; two-tone gel coat (black or blue); and Fission Orange graphics. You can buy most of this stuff separately if you prefer – maybe you don't want the graphics, for example.

The Driver's Seat



Power-assisted steering is standard, with a tilt wheel. Sea Ray SmartCraft diagnostics are included, with a multi-function system tach and 4-in-1 engine gauge.

Both the 201 SLX's driver and co-pilot sit in swivel bucket seats with slide adjust; height adjust is optional on either seat. The buckets have flip-up bolsters for thigh support when standing, or to add some seated height when needed. The helm panel itself is typical of a bowrider, with full instrumentation but no space for electronics: Boats like this tend not to venture far enough from home to need a multi-function nav unit. However, every boat should have a compass, but it's an option, as is a VHF.



The companion seat faces a lockable glove box and an in-dash ice chest. All eight of the boat's beverage holders are stainless steel.

Power Choices

As mentioned above, standard power is a single 260-hp MerCruiser 5.0L MPI ECT with Alpha One drive; this is a catalyzed engine that meets U.S. emissions requirements. In addition to the optional 350 MAG Bravo III included with the Tricked-Out option, and also available separately, Sea Ray also offers an upgrade of standard power from the Alpha One to a Bravo III sterndrive ($1,692), and the 300-hp 350 MAG with an Alpha One drive ($2,154).



The engine box precludes installing the typical bench seat aft, but jump seats will seat two securely; the starboard seat lifts for easy transom access. Standard power: a 260-hp MerCruiser 5.0L MPI ECT Alpha One.

For towing, you'll want the extra oomph of the 350 MAG Bravo III, but otherwise the standard 5.0L upgraded to the Bravo III would be our choice. The dual-prop Bravo III drive is more efficient and better handling, especially at low speed, than the Alpha, and, we think, well worth the added cost even if you stick with the standard engine.

We haven't tested this boat yet, so cannot comment on performance. However, we have tested Sea Ray's similar 240 Sundeck with the 260-hp MerCruiser, and clocked her top speed at 49.6 mph (79.8 kph). The 210 SLX is 770 lbs. (349.2 kg) lighter, so should be measurably faster. When we have test data, we'll update this report.



Two-tone gel coat is optional, but all 210 SLXs are covered by Sea Ray's limited lifetime structural warranty and a two-year limited engine warranty.

Recommendation

MSRP of the 210 SLX is $48,889, including inland freight and a trailer. Adding the Tricked-Out Fission package bumps that to $66,728. There are stops in-between, if you don't want the whole package, and a few attractive options beyond the package, too. We think a typical boat set up for serious wakeboarding will run between $68K and $69K; one for occasional skiing and general waterborne fun, around $55K with the upgrade to Bravo III drive, canvas and a few odds and ends.

In each case, the boat is a typical Sea Ray, and therefore is good value. We think she will appeal especially to younger boaters not ready for full-bore "family" boating. If that sounds like you, we recommend you check out the 210 SLX.

• Top speed for the Sea Ray 210 SLX (2011-) is 46.9 mph (75.5 kph), burning 18.6 gallons per hour (gph) or 70.4 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Sea Ray 210 SLX (2011-) is 32.3 mph (52 kph), and the boat gets 3.43 miles per gallon (mpg) or 1.46 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 124 miles (199.56 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 260-hp MerCruiser MPI ECT.