View 396_Pages from PDB08Shootout_TAHOE 225

2500 E. Kearney • Springfield, MO 65803 • 888-842-8246 • www.tahoesportboats.com
DECK BOATS
Tahoe
225
NUMBER OF
OCCUPANTS:
13
PRICE AS TESTED
WITH POWER
$29.5K
MAXIMUM
SPEED
44.1MPH
WILD
PONIES
220HP
NUMBER
OF GATES
1
Why We Love This Boat
Its multi-purpose design and sporty
feel are complemented by the way she
performs. This is a fun boat to drive
because it handles so well.
Just Being Picky
It seems a little odd to have a rear
entry ladder on the starboard side of
the boat and the actual stern entry on
the portside. Yeah it’s picky, but why is
it adjacent?
68 PDB Magazine
www.pdbmagazine.com
Consumer Test
Have you ever been on a boat that
had too much storage? Probably not,
since you can never have enough.
That’s why we love all the extra storage
room on this 25-footer. For example,
the in-floor ski locker is extremely deep
and is very impressive. There are also
large storage compartments in both
consoles, and the starboard storage
could easily double as changing room
or head. These lighted compartments
are easily accessible by opening the
clam shell doors.
There are two telescopic ladders
onboard and both are four-step and
store easily in compartments. The
stern ladder has nice handholds and is
part of a solid swim platform, but with
the rear entry being adjacent to the
ladder, you have to walk across the
swim deck to get in the boat. This
would make it easier for the driver
when picking up someone from the
water, but we haven’t seen this on
other models before.
For added safety there is a stern
positive latch gate that locks in the
open and closed position. It’s important
to make boats family-friendly and safe,
so we appreciate the added gate. This
gate actually has a dual purpose and
serves as a cupboard door for the in
gunnel rod storage compartment when
the gate is open.
We like the sporty helm console that
is complete with symmetrical and easyto-read gauges. Included in the helm
console is a Jensen CD player and
Inspection Test
Tahoe calls its hull a HydroStep and
it includes four lifting strakes, two full
and two three-quarter length. There is a
reversed chine, and the outside stakes
are ventilated. The composite stringers
are foam-filled and encapsulated.
Overall the gel coat work and color
consistency is excellent.
Inside the boat there is just almost
13 feet of useable deck space. The furniture bases are molded with a full liner
and the slip seat cushions fit snug. The
molded fiberglass helm has an excellent overall design and accessing the
wires below is easy.
Talk about improving each year,
Tahoe’s fit and finish work continues
to impress us, and this particular
model earned high marks for not only
fit and finish work, but also quality of
construction and safety.
Performance Test
It was a nice and gradual climb to
get on plane and this 225 is very
responsive and fun to drive. With the
MerCruiser 5.0 L Alpha One engine we
were able to comfortably reach speeds
over 40 miles per hour at full throttle.
This Tahoe banks beautifully in the
sharp corners, and she holds well in the
really tight turns too. We enjoyed driving this boat because it took such little
effort to steer it, and we loved how she
felt when up on plane. With this hull
design you ride a little higher in the
water, which gives you a safe and
secure feeling as you’re cruising along.
DECK BOATS
Lowrance depth finder, but we never
found a 12-volt hookup. The bucket
helm chair is stylish looking and it slides
and swivels with a flip-up bolster. The
throttle position is a great location and
there is even a little armrest for even
more comfort. Opposite of the helm is
small sink and faucet and we really like
the hinged lid covers.
Getting to the MerCruiser engine is
quite simple, but there doesn’t appear
to be a lot of room to actually work on
the engine. Great amenities worth noting include the removal bow fishing
chair, ski/tow eye, an aerated livewell
and the recessed speakers in the seatbacks.
Final Thoughts
This is a good multi-purpose boat
that is family-friendly with a lot of different (and deep) storage compartments.
With the storable bow chair and rod
storage it’s actually a great fishing boat
in disguise. Tahoe pulls off this sporty
look with a lot of stylish features and
designs, and that look is backed up by
how well it performs. For the family who
wants a reasonably priced sporty deck
boat with a lot of features, the Tahoe
225 is worth a second look.
PDB
Notable Standards
Full instrumentation, Sirius capable CD
sound system with MP3 jack and four directional speakers, Lowrance digital depth
finder, tinted plexiglass windscreen, aft fullwidth swim platform with slide-out telescoping boarding ladder, aft wakeboard, kneeboard storage accessible from swim platform, adjustable driver bucket seat with swivel and flip-up bolster, fully-enclosed changing room, port refreshment center with sink,
cooler, trash receptacle and below-sink storage and in-floor ski/wakeboard storage
Options On Test Boat
None
B O AT S P E C S
LOA ..................................................22.5’
Beam ................................................8’ 6”
Hull Design........................HydroStep Hull
Dry Weight..................................3720 lbs.
Fuel Capacity..........................45 gallons
ENGINE & PROPELLERS
Engine ........MerCruiser 5.0 MPI Alpha One
Cylinder Type ......................................V8
Displacement/HP ..................305ci/220hp
Lower Unit Gear Ratio ......................9.41
Propeller ....................14 1/2 X 19 Aluminum
RPM
vs.
SPEED
vs.
DB-A
650 ..................3.0 mph ......................83
1000 ..................5.1 mph ....................84.5
1500 ..................7.3 mph ....................87.5
2000 ................8.6 mph ......................89
2500 ................11.8 mph ......................94
3000 ................22.6 mph ....................99
3500 ................29.2 mph ................101.5
4000 ................34.8 mph....................106
4500 ................29.8 mph ................110.5
4800 ................44.1 mph ..................114.5
PRICE AS TESTED $29,495 (boat and motor)
2008 Shootout Special Issue 69
225
There is a big difference between
storage and smart storage and the
Tahoe 225 is a perfect example of how
to make the most out of your compartments. This is a beautiful and sporty
boat, but it was the solid improvements
on the fit and finish work from last year
that impressed us most.
Tahoe
Our First Impression