Going from 2012 SX190 to 2017 AR240

[ED_AR240]

New member but have been reading the forum for a couple of years and it has been very helpful. I joined so I give some insight to anyone looking to upgrade from Yamaha 190 to 240 series. I bought a SX190 in 2012 because I did a lot of research and it seemed like a good choice for a first boat. Very happy with that purchase. It was easy to tow, the price wasn’t too bad, very fun and no dependability issues ever. Also because of forums like this one I was able to do the maintenance myself, helping to save some money. Five years later we started to think about a bigger boat. The kids are getting older and want to do some wakeboarding. My wife and I wanted some more space so we went with the 2017 AR240. Just took the AR240 out this weekend so here are my thoughts on going from 2012 SX190 to 2017 AR240.

Pros:

The combination of a larger boat and new keel made for a much smoother ride.

Even with going from one to two engines the new models are noticeably quieter

Lots of space and the kids love the filler cushion in the front

Even though much bigger boat having brakes on the trailer makes it easier to stop than smaller boat

The Connext is nice to have to see detailed info verses the basic 190 info screen

The table is a big hit with the family

Having the space for the portapotty / changing room seems to be a must for the ladies in my family

Have two engines in case something happens to one we could still slowly get back to the dock

Really like the look of the new AR240s (subjective info here)

Seat cushions on hinges is very nice

Anchor locker vs anchor under a seat cushion keeps the boat cleaner

Wind blocker was helpful on the cool day we took the AR240 out, not an option on 190


Cons:

Twice the price but the 190 is just as fun (they both go the same speed, can water ski, etc..)

AR240 uses twice the gas

AR240 is a big boat to tow though towns and need lots of space to store it

Insurance was much more for a 24’ boat


As you can see the biggest con with going for the AR240 is money. You can have just as much fun on the water with a 190 boat as you can with a 240 boat. The 190 series is just such a good value. That aside the 240 boat is noticeably smoother, quieter vs old 190 and roomy. The 240 boat just has a better feel on the water which might be part of the new keel design or just being a bigger boat. I give both boats a thumbs up and you would enjoy either one.

 

[ED_AR240]

Forgot to mention the Bimini top for the AR is kind of a pain to setup and take back down. Looks really good once its deployed though.

 

[swatski]

New member but have been reading the forum for a couple of years and it has been very helpful. I joined so I give some insight to anyone looking to upgrade from Yamaha 190 to 240 series. I bought a SX190 in 2012 because I did a lot of research and it seemed like a good choice for a first boat. Very happy with that purchase. It was easy to tow, the price wasn’t too bad, very fun and no dependability issues ever. Also because of forums like this one I was able to do the maintenance myself, helping to save some money. Five years later we started to think about a bigger boat. The kids are getting older and want to do some wakeboarding. My wife and I wanted some more space so we went with the 2017 AR240. Just took the AR240 out this weekend so here are my thoughts on going from 2012 SX190 to 2017 AR240.

Pros:

The combination of a larger boat and new keel made for a much smoother ride.

Even with going from one to two engines the new models are noticeably quieter

Lots of space and the kids love the filler cushion in the front

Even though much bigger boat having brakes on the trailer makes it easier to stop than smaller boat

The Connext is nice to have to see detailed info verses the basic 190 info screen

The table is a big hit with the family

Having the space for the portapotty / changing room seems to be a must for the ladies in my family

Have two engines in case something happens to one we could still slowly get back to the dock

Really like the look of the new AR240s (subjective info here)

Seat cushions on hinges is very nice

Anchor locker vs anchor under a seat cushion keeps the boat cleaner

Wind blocker was helpful on the cool day we took the AR240 out, not an option on 190


Cons:

Twice the price but the 190 is just as fun (they both go the same speed, can water ski, etc..)

AR240 uses twice the gas

AR240 is a big boat to tow though towns and need lots of space to store it

Insurance was much more for a 24’ boat


As you can see the biggest con with going for the AR240 is money. You can have just as much fun on the water with a 190 boat as you can with a 240 boat. The 190 series is just such a good value. That aside the 240 boat is noticeably smoother, quieter vs old 190 and roomy. The 240 boat just has a better feel on the water which might be part of the new keel design or just being a bigger boat. I give both boats a thumbs up and you would enjoy either one.

Great write up! Congratulations! Pictures????
What is a "wind blocker"?
I followed a similar path of YJB ownership, would agree with most of your observations. The gas usage is tricky though, the 190s will burn way more than 1/2 of a twin in rough water, especially if you need to push the speed.

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[ED_AR240]

Thanks and I forgot that a picture is always best

There is panel door on the helm side that can go across the center of the boat to block the wind going under the windshield..

 

[Ancient canoe]

The forward swept towers on the new models definitely give them a sharper look.

Keep in mind on the gas if you cruise for an hour at 5500 rpms on both boats the fuel usage is going to be a big difference, but less if you cruise based off of speed. Cruising at 30 mphs on the twin will be at a lower RPM than on the 190. Not to mention as your on board load gets heavier the single will have to work harder to compensate. Wish Yamaha added the seat hinges to the 19' boats.

 

[MrMoose]

Great write-up @ED_AR240. Great choice on the model and color! Your comment on speed being the same is definitely situational at best. Add people and gear to both boats, along with a little chop, and there is no comparison between the speeds.
I'm gonna tag @ThatJeepGuy on this for his comments, as I seem to remember him having to have one of his crew crawl to the bow in order to get on plane during the Bimini crossing in 2016. The 24 footers all had to throttle back so that @ThatJeepGuy could keep up with the throttle pinned; but in hindsight, it was a blessing because our windshields didn't dislodge due to hull flex... right @chris24?

 

[ThatJeepGuy]

Congratulations on the new boat @ED_AR240 ! We just got the same boat, same color.

I agree with most of the pros and cons. But the speed and fuel consumption are arguable. Yes at WFO the 190 will burn 11gph while the 240 burns 22gph, the 240 is cruising noticeably faster. And it can do that with much more weight than the 190.

On our Bimini crossing last year my 190 had less people and less food/gear than the 240s and no way could I keep up with them. Btw thanks @MrMoose for waiting for us . And on the return crossing with zero food, beer, or extra cans of fuel some of my crew would still have to move to the bow for us to get up to speed (dew to the rough seas).

On a recent day trip with the new 240 we went about 50 miles round trip burning right at 30 gallons of fuel with 8 people on board. The same day trip with the 190 and 4 people would have used 24 gallons of fuel (made the trip many times).

 

[ED_AR240]

Good to know about the fuel consumption and speed. I am still breaking in the motors so have not been able to do top speed or long term fuel usage. Sounds like I am going to be even happier with my AR240.

 

[ThatJeepGuy]

Good to know about the fuel consumption and speed. I am still breaking in the motors so have not been able to do top speed or long term fuel usage. Sounds like I am going to be even happier with my AR240.

I thought I loved my AR190 until the 240 came along. Now I'm missing all the upgrades I did to the 190. Grill mount, VHF radio, Seadek, tower speakers and the list goes on.....

 

[Darin]

How was resale on the 190? I am debating sticking my toe in the water (no pun intended) with a lower price boat to see how it goes. If the resale is good - the risk isn't bad.,

D.

 

[mraz72]

according to boattest.com, the difference between the 190 and the 24' boats isn't that huge. If I remember correct, with boats cursing as the most economical speed, the 24's burned a gallon an hour more.

I think the speeds were 25 mph for 19 and 28 mph on the 24's for those burn rates, something like 8 GPH vs 9 GPH.

I saw the WOT numbers, 22 gph in the 24' is killing it lol.

side note, I had my 19' at WOT for about 15 minutes, it overheated. I am not sure if that is a common occurrence, but I pretty much NEVER travel at WOT

 

[swatski]

according to boattest.com, the difference between the 190 and the 24' boats isn't that huge. If I remember correct, with boats cursing as the most economical speed, the 24's burned a gallon an hour more.

I think the speeds were 25 mph for 19 and 28 mph on the 24's for those burn rates, something like 8 GPH vs 9 GPH.

I saw the WOT numbers, 22 gph in the 24' is killing it lol.

side note, I had my 19' at WOT for about 15 minutes, it overheated. I am not sure if that is a common occurrence, but I pretty much NEVER travel at WOT

I think those numbers are a bit off.

In my experience with both 190 and 240, a lightly loaded 190 going 25mph over flat water burns about half of a 240. That, however, changes quickly when heavier loads and higher speeds are concerned.

It is extremely rare for any of the Yamaha 1.8l boats to overheat , usually due to something jamming the pumps/water intake and cooling water starvation.

You can run a 190 WOT all day long. It should never overheat. Unless it gets something stuck in the pump etc.


Here are some numbers from boattest,
for sx190 (http://www.boattest.com/review/yamaha/2582_sx190_rel1575):

• Top speed for the Yamaha SX190 (2016-) is 43.2 mph (69.5 kph), burning 11.9 gallons per hour (gph) or 45.04 liters per hour (lph).
• Best cruise for the Yamaha SX190 (2016-) is 23.4 mph (37.7 kph), and the boat gets 4.46 miles per gallon (mpg) or 1.9 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 120 miles (193.12 kilometers).
• Tested power is 1 x 1812cc High Output Yamaha Marine.

and sx240 (http://www.boattest.com/review/yamaha/3114_sx240-ho):

• Top speed for the Yamaha SX240 HO (2014-) is 52.2 mph (84 kph), burning 22.25 gallons per hour (gph) or 84.22 liters per hour (lph).
• Best cruise for the Yamaha SX240 HO (2014-) is 25.9 mph (41.7 kph), and the boat gets 2.81 miles per gallon (mpg) or 1.19 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 126 miles (202.78 kilometers).
• Tested power is 2 x 1.8L Yamaha High Output Marine Engine.

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[swatski]

How was resale on the 190? I am debating sticking my toe in the water (no pun intended) with a lower price boat to see how it goes. If the resale is good - the risk isn't bad.,

D.

They hold value, but if you buy new - you will loose some 20% or so off of the list price just leaving a dealer lot.

If you can find a nice used 190 - to see how you like the brand - I think that is a pretty good idea. That is kind of what I did.

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[ThatJeepGuy]

side note, I had my 19' at WOT for about 15 minutes, it overheated. I am not sure if that is a common occurrence, but I pretty much NEVER travel at WOT

We ran my 2015 AR190 for 2 hours straight @ wide open throttle from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini last year. No issues what so ever.