Sea Ray SPX 210 Outboard Specs, Speed and Value Guide

The cheapest way into a Sea Ray, and why that matters

Every big builder needs a boat that brings first-time owners into the showroom, and for Sea Ray that boat is the SPX 210 Outboard. BoatTEST calls the current version the most affordable boat in the brand's line, and that is the right frame for judging it. The sea ray spx 210 is not trying to be a scaled-down SLX. It is a well-finished 21-foot bowrider that you can tow with an ordinary pickup, launch at any ramp and run all day on a tank of gas.

The SPX family debuted at the 2014 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show as a line of affordable but customizable sport boats for the 2015 model year. Boating tested the outboard version, then badged the 21 SPX OB, in early 2016. Sea Ray later switched to the SPX 210 naming, and the current boat, described by the builder as reimagined, brings the newer Sea Ray styling, a Simrad glass dash as standard and a bundle-based options list.

Most shoppers searching for the sea ray 210 spx will find two closely related boats: the SPX 210 with a MerCruiser sterndrive and the SPX 210 Outboard. This page focuses on the outboard, the logical choice for coastal buyers and anyone who wants a clean transom and no bellows to worry about.

How Sea Ray found room for 12 on a 21-foot hull

The trick is the same one Sea Ray used on its SDX deck boats: slim gunwales and an 8-foot 6-inch beam carried well forward. Boating noted on the original boat that the bow is shaped with a gentle arc rather than squeezed to a point, so the forward cockpit stays wide. The capacity plate reads 12 people, which on a 21-foot hull is generous, though eight adults is a more comfortable working number.

Below the waterline, the hull carries 19 degrees of transom deadrise. That is a deliberate middle ground. It is deep enough to keep a lake chop or a bay crossing civilized, but not so deep that the boat needs big horsepower to plane. BoatTEST's captain, testing the sterndrive sister, described a smooth and dry ride at cruise and some pounding only at full throttle in a chop, which is what you would expect from a light 21-footer.

Current builder specifications list the SPX 210 Outboard at 23 feet 11 inches overall, a figure that includes the outboard and integrated platform, with 31 inches of draft with the engine down and just 15 inches with it tilted up. A dry weight of 3,470 pounds without the engine keeps the towing package within reach of a half-ton truck or full-size SUV.

Cockpit, bow and swim platform in daily use

The self-bailing cockpit is built around an L-shaped bench with storage below, a convertible port companion seat that becomes a lounger, and a swivel barrel chair at the helm. A full-length ski locker in the cockpit floor swallows skis, wakeboards, tow ropes and life jackets. On the original OB, Boating found more than 13 cubic feet of storage under the sun pad where a sterndrive engine would otherwise live, and the outboard layout still frees that space today.

Aft, the transom sun pad has a supportive backrest, and the integrated swim platform offers a four-step boarding ladder. The removable ski tow pylon is standard on the current boat, and a watersports tower with an integrated bimini is optional. Up front, filler cushions turn the bow into a lounge, the anchor locker sits at the stem, and the port console can be kept as storage or upgraded to a head.

Sea Ray sells the extras in three bundles. Comfort adds the bow filler cushion. Entertainment upgrades to a Fusion Premier audio system and blue LED lighting. Essentials adds cockpit and bow tonneau covers, SeaDek on the swim platform and fender clips. If you buy only one, make it Essentials, because the covers protect the upholstery that drives resale.

A glass helm at entry-level money

What separates the reimagined boat from cheaper bowriders is the dash. A Digital Dash with a 7-inch Simrad NSX touchscreen and Mercury SmartCraft Connect comes standard, so engine data, depth, water temperature and a chartplotter with preloaded charts all live on one screen. BoatTEST also lists a fishfinder-capable transducer, power-assisted steering with a tilt wheel and illuminated weatherproof switches.

Buyers who want more screen can order a Simrad NSX Ultrawide or a 12-inch Digital Dash. A Fusion stereo with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi streaming and Apple AirPlay 2 is standard. For a family boat, that list covers everything most owners would otherwise add at the dealer.

Mercury 150 or 200, and what the tests show

Two engines are offered: the standard Mercury 150 FourStroke and an optional Mercury 200 FourStroke in black or white. The hull is rated for 200 hp, the same cap Boating listed for the original 21 SPX OB.

BoatTEST ran the current boat with the 150 at a test weight of 3,950 pounds, two people and a full 37-gallon tank. It planed in 6.0 seconds, reached 20 mph in 10.0 seconds and 30 mph in 14.5 seconds, and topped out at 41.3 mph with a 17-pitch prop. Sea Ray's own estimates are a 23 to 25 mph cruise, 42 to 44 mph wide open, and about 135 miles of range at cruise.

Boating's 2016 run on the older, lighter 21 SPX OB with a Mercury 150 was quicker: under 4 seconds to plane, 30 mph in under 8.5 seconds and 46.6 mph at the top, with a light crew. The takeaway is that the newer boat is heavier and better equipped, and that the 200 hp upgrade is worth it for anyone who regularly carries six or more people or pulls skiers. For a couple on a lake, the 150 is enough.

• BoatTEST, current boat, Mercury 150: 41.3 mph top, 6.0 seconds to plane, 30 mph in 14.5 seconds
• Boating, 2016 21 SPX OB, Mercury 150: 46.6 mph top, under 4 seconds to plane
• Sea Ray estimates: 23 to 25 mph cruise, 42 to 44 mph WOT, 135-mile cruise range
• Fuel capacity 37 gallons on the current boat, 40 gallons on the original OB

Trailering, storage and low running costs

The SPX 210 Outboard is meant to live on a trailer. Sea Ray offers 5,000-pound tandem-axle trailers in painted or galvanized form, with single or tandem disc brakes. Saltwater owners should spend the extra for the galvanized frame and tandem brakes. With the engine tilted, the boat floats in about 15 inches, which makes ramp launches and beach approaches easy.

Running costs are the selling point. A single four-stroke outboard needs an annual service with water pump impeller, gear lube and filters, and there are no bellows, gimbal bearings or exhaust risers to replace. Including insurance, maintenance, fuel and winter storage, a realistic budget is about $3,500 to $8,000 a year for a trailered boat, more if it lives in a wet slip with bottom paint.

Buying a used SPX 210 OB, old badge or new

The used market splits neatly. Boats from the 2015 to roughly 2020 model years, including those badged 21 SPX OB, are the bargains, usually in the mid-$20,000s to the high $30,000s with a trailer, depending on hours and condition. The reimagined boats with the standard Simrad glass dash and newer styling sit noticeably higher and depreciate slowly while new-boat prices keep climbing.

Search listings for the sea ray spx 210 ob and spx 210 outboard together, and check the engine. Early boats were offered with Mercury outboards up to a 200 hp Verado Pro, and those higher-horsepower examples are worth a premium. Ask for Mercury service records, because a well-maintained FourStroke will outlast the upholstery.