Stingray 190 LX Used Boat Review

As we skimmed across Southern California's Lake Castaic one morning with the speedometer hovering around 50 MPH, I was just like a boat owner: reveling in the wind and the speed, and thoroughly enjoying the ride. Of course, I did have my trusty notebook where I could make notes of any items that I found to be sub-standard and we spent the morning going back and forth across the lake, testing speeds, looking for wakes to jump, and generally wringing the Stingray 190 LX out. As we eased back on the trailer to return the boat to Castaic Boat & Marine, I flipped back through my notes to see what flaws I'd found.

What sets the Stingray apart is the quality of the construction and detailing that seems impossible at such a reasonable price tag.

The flaws page had only a single entry: "Order optional tilt wheel". That's a bit like taking a Ferrari out for a test, and returning with a complaint that the ashtray is too small. But that was the way I felt about this very pleasant bowrider runabout: she just didn't have any flaws. Fast, comfortable, well-built, and forgiving of first-time drivers, the 190 is an all-around winner.

Nowadays, the bowrider runabout seems to have reached a comfortable level of generic design and the 190 layout is no exception: two bucket seats for driver and passenger, a rear bench seat, and a wrap-around bow lounge. No surprises here, but that's true of most bowriders today: take off the nameplates and graphics, and it's hard to tell them apart.

After looking at a lot of boats over the years, I've found that most builders seem to fall apart when it comes to some of the details. But on the Stingray, I was impressed that they didn't seem to slip up. The carpet in the cockpit, for example, was neatly tucked and edged so that there were none of the usual threads and rough edges showing. I have to say that I wasn't expecting this level of finish in a boat that commonly costs significantly less than the competition.

Settle in behind the wheel, and the dash is an elegant curved woodgrain with a full set of Teleflex gauges including the trim gauge that many builders omit. I made the comment about the wheel because it was a bit high for my wife to use, but a tilt option is available which neatly removes my solitary criticism of the Stingray 190 LX.

The fat sport steering wheel has a woodgrained center, and the various electrical systems are controlled by rotating knobs on the lower dash. At first, I was surprised by the knobs, but then I realized that they provide better security than rocker switches. I know of several cases where a skipper accidentally bumped a rocker switch into the "on" position, resulting in a dead battery after the boat was left sitting for a few hours with lights or other systems draining power.

Both seats are adjustable fore and aft as well as swivel, which can turn the cockpit into an entertainment area when the boat is stopped. On the passenger side, a woodgrain panel hides a glove compartment, and a weather-protected Maxxima 60 watt AM/FM/cassette stereo has three marine weather bands. Between the two bucket seats, a deep and long carpeted compartment under the floor can hold waterskis or wake boards out of sight. The aft bench seat also hinges up to provide additional long stowage.

Forward, there's a bin under the starboard seat, and an insulated cooler under the port seat for food and drinks. The sweptback windshield is curved safety glass with a walk-through opening well supported by twin stainless-steel posts.

Construction is solid, with foam-filled fiberglass stringers that incorporate steel motor mount inserts with rubber insulators. The bow area is fully molded on the 190, and the cockpit floor is pressure-treated marine plywood with a lifetime warranty.

The LX version that we tested is the sporty model with a large sunpad aft over the engine and twin bucket seats, while Stingray also offers a 190 LS with twin jumpseats aft and a convertible fore-and-aft lounge seat on the passenger side. Frankly, I'd opt for the LX version both for utility and looks, but the choice is yours.

Our test boat had the MerCruiser 4.3LX Gen+ V-6 which, in the best Henry Ford tradition, was the only engine available on the 190 LX. And that's a good thing, too, because it's plenty peppy as well as economical. With an Alpha drive and a two-barrel carb, the 190 hp. engine is perfectly suited to this boat. To reach the engine, the sunpad lifts with gas-assisted springs that eliminate any weight, and there are two large carpeted storage areas on each side of the engine, with dividers to keep your gear from sliding into the engine. The standard convertible top also stores neatly in the engine compartment, with a boot for protection. Access to the engine for routine maintenance is excellent, and you can see the polyurethane fuel tank as well.

One area where Stingray plowed new ground with the 190 is the hull, which has their patented "Z-P" hull shape. This is basically a modified vee with a transom deadrise of 19°: enough to smooth out the chop but mild enough to provide a good top speed. Instead of triangular-shaped strakes running the length of the hull, however, Stingray has created three flat panels that overlap each other slightly to create a one-sided strake. Stingray claims this provides an undisturbed flow of water to the prop, and also provides a better top speed. A down-turned chine adds lift to pop quickly onto a plane, and a transom notch gives the engine a "set-back" from the transom for better leverage.

I don't know whether the Z-P hull shape does all that is claimed, but the 190 LX does get a lot of speed out of a smallish engine. Using the 190 HP V-6 that many builders offer as a basic engine, we topped out at 53 MPH, which is a speed that many boats only achieve with optional V-8 engines.

As I said earlier, the 190 is a very pleasant boat to drive. While we had to play with the drive trim to get the top speed of 53 MPH, we still topped out at 46 MPH with the drive in the full down position, so you don't have to run on the ragged edge of ventilation just to get some speed. There was no sense of driving on ice with the drive trimmed up, though, and you can turn your family loose in the 190 with no qualms.

All told, the 190 LX is a great buy, with a good turn of speed, quality construction, and room for a family to enjoy. Just remember to order the tilt wheel.

See Stingray 190 listings.

Boat Specifications