2021 AR250 PRICE QUOTED

[KCAR250]

I’m not really happy about the AR250 not having the lounge seats in the back either. I don’t want to spend $13,500 (plus tax) more to get them. Especially when the 252s has an ugly brown color. They should at least be an option.

 

[sfadchi]

@sfadchi I am with you. That would keep me from upgrading at least for a while, till this market settles down and I can actually work some sort of deal. I don't feel like going up another $22k from my 210 to 250 right now. Especially what I am reading about the back seats.

Yeah I guess the only plus side right now is the crazy money used boats are selling for. The smart play is to sell now and buy later, but then again you'd be without a boat for who knows how long. My time with my family on the boat doesn't have a price tag.

 

[haknslash]

Honestly when I watched JBP’s video of the 255XD of the stern seating I wasn’t that impressed with the quality. I’m not sure if those seat cushions are removable and just have snaps holding them down or what but there seemed to be a lot of give and movement. The sliding mechanism also didn’t seem to be smooth. No telling how those will fair over time. What was more glaring to me is how small the swim deck has shrunk! This normally is the selling factor for jetboaters but it seems really small. Skip to the 2:15 mark of so to see what I’m talking about when Will starts to press on the seat and then slides it.

 

[Enduro900]

Honestly when I watched JBP’s video of the 255XD of the stern seating I wasn’t that impressed with the quality. I’m not sure if those seat cushions are removable and just have snaps holding them down or what but there seemed to be a lot of give and movement. The sliding mechanism also didn’t seem to be smooth. No telling how those will fair over time. What was more glaring to me is how small the swim deck has shrunk! This normally is the selling factor for jetboaters but it seems really small. Skip to the 2:15 mark of so to see what I’m talking about when Will starts to press on the seat and then slides it.

I picked up on that as well. The seats didn’t seem to move very smoothly.

Also the high step for the walk-thru Transom......that could have easily been a two step process. Little kids and old people are going to have issues with that step height (my issue, elderly in-laws and sometime soon grandkids).

If they were going to keep the walk-thru that high, they could have off-set it and had a 2-seater/1-seater instead of two 1.5 seaters.

 

[haknslash]

Agree! A simple mini step in between could have easily avoided that. They could have ditched the same tow point surface by doing a mini step and then add a pop-up ski pylon if they were worried about a surface for the tow point to live.

 

[Noko]

They should have put a mic on the guy. He is almost impossible to hear.
I'm glad I bought my AR240 when I did. I don't think I'd be willing to pay almost $20K more for a AR250.

 

[tdonoughue]

My time with my family on the boat doesn't have a price tag.

You are very lucky. Mine charges me by the hour... <sigh>

 

[HangOutdoors]

I watched the video, and I am just not sure about that whole rear set up. Those rear seats strike me as a novelty. The one the guy sits on definitely moves pretty good. I wonder if the snaps will hold it solid as people are stepping on them. Kids do what kids do.

The boat next to that one in the video, is that a 21 FSH or a 25 FSH?

 

[haknslash]

I watched the video, and I am just not sure about that whole rear set up. Those rear seats strike me as a novelty. The one the guy sits on definitely moves pretty good. I wonder if the snaps will hold it solid as people are stepping on them. Kids do what kids do.

The boat next to that one in the video, is that a 21 FSH or a 25 FSH?

That's the 255 Sport E series. Only model with that color scheme. It's a nice color for a center console IMO.

 

[ZGhost]

Cockpit area review by JBP.

and here is the review for the bow area.

 

[haknslash]

I saw that one last night as well. Is it just me or do the cockpit keep getting smaller and smaller with a lot of wasted space? Do people really intend to play cushion configurator on these boats? I've never understood those silly front small cushions that you can take out and basically create a mini jump seat "for the kids" as they like to market it. I've never once seen someone use that configuration in all the years they've had it. It looks so uncomfortable and kind of silly when he sat in there with his knees tucked near his chest. That middle filler backrest cushion craziness is also I'm sure something nobody will use. It will either be in or out. Nobody likes to stow cushions and anything with a walk through isn't going to want to not want a walk through. I guess they added it to get back some of the seating soace that has been removed for the large captains chairs and that thing behind the drivers seat.

What is the point of those cutting board looking plastic lids over the hard tanks lol? Seems like it would just rattle and unnecessary. It does however hide how unfinished the edges of the openings were. Yikes!!! You for sure still need to wear long sleeves if working on these boats! I learned that the hard way when I was stuffed in my 192's compartment. A little bit of time and sanding would go a LONG way to the overall quality of the boat Yamaha. Now that they've priced themselves into stiffer competition people will notice these shortcomings far more easily. They better step it up.

 

[ZGhost]

I am not so sure about the storage capabilities on the 255XD, its all lost to ballast containers in the back under the seats and ski locker and the drive system eats up the front storage under the seat. Not impressed with this setup!
What do you think?

Also not impressed how loose and flimsy the swin platform seats bottoms are designed and how they secure.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@ZGhost It appears that there is less space. I like the extra space and actually need it for all the crap the family and my OCD requires me to bring.

The pointed back of the tower at the base. WTH is that about. It is beyond me what designer thought that was a good move to do that. someone is going to be sitting in that seat with their arm up on the ledge and is going to have injury/issue sooner or later when it gets caught under it.

I do like the engines and the placement of the air filter.

I would need the storage and would have to stay with the model without the ballast if I was going to go that direction.

 

[ZGhost]

I agree with you @HangOutdoors, I actually pointed that out in a different thread. Someone is going to get hurt with this pointy tower edge, a kid who’s not paying attention and all over the place as kids normally do. Or a kid with their hand in there holding on while underway and with a bouncy tower, this cantilever feature will flex and pinch their little hand.

We all need the storage space so having hard ballast containers that take permanent space is a bad move. At least with the soft vinyl bags from earlier years, one had some flexibility in storage. Not everyone surfers every outing and not everyone fills all bags every time they surf yet these hard containers take up permanent space all the time. I’m sure they wanted an improvement over vinyl but they took an extreme swing trading off with space. How about improving the vinyl material/design and keeping the storage flexibility?

Also agree with @haknslash, for the kind of money they want for these boats, they missed the mark (again) on fit and finish quality. I think their VP of Quality doesn’t actually give a $h1t and is happy to continue collecting their paycheck and bonuses without thought and focus in areas that matter to continue making the brand more attractive and more valuable. These are details that sets the boys from the men IMO.

Yamaha, I know you have lurkers here providing you with consumer feedback but unfortunately you are not listening, don’t fix your quality issues and good luck competing with other superior quality brands!

 

[Priceisright]

Disappointing power options on these

 

[Priceisright]

@ZGhost It appears that there is less space. I like the extra space and actually need it for all the crap the family and my OCD requires me to bring.

The pointed back of the tower at the base. WTH is that about. It is beyond me what designer thought that was a good move to do that. someone is going to be sitting in that seat with their arm up on the ledge and is going to have injury/issue sooner or later when it gets caught under it.

I do like the engines and the placement of the air filter.

I would need the storage and would have to stay with the model without the ballast if I was going to go that direction.

Think Ropeless is possible with this model?

 

[ken4motion]

Hey, what are you guys thinking about the head storage area? Does it appear easier (as compared to a 242) to get into and out of based on the video? Do you think that there is more head space with the 4-inch increase in boat height? I'm not in love with the 252SE...yet...love the walk through transom but still strongly considering a used 2020 242SE.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@ken4motion I am not sure, not sure if there is much difference. I would hope there would be a noticeable difference, that would be great in the head area. Guess the walk through is nice, but it is a taller step from the lower platform.

I am not sure I like the lower cushions on the rear facing seats. Takes away from walking around back there, at least for us. The lower platform on the higher trim levels is not enough space for the way we use it. I can have 4-6 teenagers or more and an adult playing around back there and in the water and walking in and off the boat. With the lower cushions I can see them walking/standing on them a lot and perhaps wrecking them. Also with all the switching I do between tubes, boards, skiis and zup boards I would rather not have the lower cushions or at the very least the ability to remove them completely. At least with the AR250 you still have that usability. If I want a cushion I can sit on a cushion.

I guess I could look at a 252XE, which gives me the nice two tiered platform, but I am not going to drop 80k +++. Plus the ballast tanks eat up my storage a lot.

Hopefully somebody out there is keeping my, maybe soon to be new to me, 242 clean and well maintained for next spring.

The more I see about Yamaha, on certain things, the more I am a bit dismayed. Don't get me wrong, I love my boat and will probably stay with Yamaha, but I would like to be able to customize the boat the way that I and my family use it. AR250, no ballast tanks, no rear lower cushions, upgraded Connext and upgraded engines and Bimini and option for the Seadek vs. carpet throughout.

 

[Priceisright]

@ken4motion I am not sure, not sure if there is much difference. I would hope there would be a noticeable difference, that would be great in the head area. Guess the walk through is nice, but it is a taller step from the lower platform.

I am not sure I like the lower cushions on the rear facing seats. Takes away from walking around back there, at least for us. The lower platform on the higher trim levels is not enough space for the way we use it. I can have 4-6 teenagers or more and an adult playing around back there and in the water and walking in and off the boat. With the lower cushions I can see them walking/standing on them a lot and perhaps wrecking them. Also with all the switching I do between tubes, boards, skiis and zup boards I would rather not have the lower cushions or at the very least the ability to remove them completely. At least with the AR250 you still have that usability. If I want a cushion I can sit on a cushion.

I guess I could look at a 252XE, which gives me the nice two tiered platform, but I am not going to drop 80k +++. Plus the ballast tanks eat up my storage a lot.

Hopefully somebody out there is keeping my, maybe soon to be new to me, 242 clean and well maintained for next spring.

The more I see about Yamaha, on certain things, the more I am a bit dismayed. Don't get me wrong, I love my boat and will probably stay with Yamaha, but I would like to be able to customize the boat the way that I and my family use it. AR250, no ballast tanks, no rear lower cushions, upgraded Connext and upgraded engines and Bimini and option for the Seadek vs. carpet throughout.

@HangOutdoors I’m sure I’ll offend a lot by saying this, but Yamaha boats are and always have been the value boat. None of the models do anything especially well, but they get you a lot of boat for the price. Jets are great and I own a Yamaha, but until you get on something like a Cobalt or Formula, etc. you will realize what a high end boat feels like.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Priceisright It is not about high end or value, etc. It is about use case and being able to fit the boat to your specific needs. I don't need flash or my ass to be cradled in the most premium vinyl on the market. What I want is a boat that punches all the boxes for how we are going to use the boat and at a price that isn't stupid to us. Some may want to and can afford to drop that coin on a boat, which is fine, we won't.

I looked at an R6 I am not going to drop $120k on a boat. Just won't happen. It's a nice boat but not for us, it doesn't fit our life style and use case. Even if I could write the check, I would not for that boat or the Formula's. First and foremost for me/us it is a jet boat, so that narrows it down to about three brands. Unfortunately the brand left standing after my review was Yamaha and of course their precanned boats. I will still bitch about it a little that I can't tailor it a bit more to our liking and needs for the amount of money I going to spend.