Bayliner 215 Bowrider Review and Specs [Video]

Manufactured from 2010 through 2015, the 215 Bayliner was a rebranded 205 Bowrider. This spacious 20.5-foot family dayboat was designed with a modified V fiberglass hull and 220-260hp MerCruiser sterndrive engines.

In this post, we’ll review this popular family bowrider and its factory specifications.

 

Bayliner 215 Bowrider Review

Hull and Top Deck

After the termination of the Capri model name, Bayliner marketed their 20.5-footer bowrider from 2003 through 2009 under the name of 205 Bayliner.

In 2010, this model was rebranded to 215 Bowrider without any significant changes.

This means that the 20-degree modified V fiberglass hull was carried over unchanged, as were the classic bowrider-style top deck and most features.

Contrary to her name, the overall length of the boat was 20.5 feet with a beam of 8 feet 2 inches.

Practical and spacious, the standard floorplan had a traditional seating layout with two removable jump seats on either side of the molded motorbox.

These Hi-Low jump seats could be raised to form a sun pad with the cushioned top of the motorbox.

On the starboard side, you had a back-to-back seat (a.k.a. sleeper seat) completed with a helm swivel bucket seat.

In contrast, the more stylish optional Sport seating layout offered more comfort but sacrificed some free deck space.

Despite this downside, this configuration was a far better choice for the money.

It was designed with a helm and companion swivel bucket seats, a port L-shaped lounger, and a full-beam sun pad.

The starboard section of the lounger and sun pad cushion were removable for easy transom access.

Both floorplans shared the same deep forward lounger fitted with bow seating cushions, grab handles, speakers, and integrated grab rails in the gunwales.

You had ample storage space for your gear located behind the bow seat backs, under seat cushions, and in the hull sides.

They were completed with an icebox with a drain, a sizeable in-floor ski locker, and a lockable small item tray in the port console.

At the stern, you had a neat swim platform with a telescopic swim ladder, grab handles and a ski tow eye.

The sporty helm utilized a custom-formed dash panel with plenty of easy-to-read gauges.

To the greatest regret of many captains, the helm console was designed without a cup holder.

Standard features of the base model included a fiberglass floor liner, grab handles, cup holders, eyelets, cleats, 12V navigation lights, a bilge pump, vinyl gunwale molding, and a waterproof 120W AM/FM stereo system.

The long list of optional features and accessories included a Bimini top with boot, bow well and cockpit cover, a bow filler cushion, cockpit carpet runners, a removable cockpit table, digital dephfinder, LED cockpit lighting, a transom stereo remote, and a swim platform extension.

Hullside graphics, stainless steel trim upgrades, and a custom “Desert Sand” Interior design were also available at an extra cost.

The mysterious and expensive “Flight Series Package” was designed with watersport lovers in mind.

This package added a color-matched swim platform extension with SeaDek premium boat flooring, a wakeboard tower with an integrated Bimini top, stainless steel trim upgrades, and a Flight graphic kit.

A ski locker ballast and wakeboard racks were also available as options, as was the Hyperlite wakeboard package.

Despite her remarkable dimensions, the 215 BR was considered a trailer bowrider.

Thanks to the lightweight construction and the lack of – mainly unnecessary – bells and whistles, the dry claimed weight of the base boat with the standard engine was only 3,044 pounds.

With a factory trailer, the overall weight increased to 3,901 pounds, according to the owner’s manual.

Figuring the weight of a full tank of fuel (37 gal.) and some gear, you could expect the gross trailering weight of the 215 BR to be in the neighborhood of 4,500 pounds, or even more with optional engines.

Engines and Performance

As a rule of thumb, the Bayliner 215 Bowrider was also powered by MerCruiser sterndrive engines.

Just like the body, the engine packages of the predecessor 205 BR were carried over without significant changes.

In most years, the standard power of the 215 BR was a 4-stroke, fuel-injected, V6, MerCruiser 4.3L MPI Alpha 1 rated at 220hp.

Depending on the model year, the optional engine could either be the 250hp MerCruiser 4.5L MPI or the 260hp 5.0L MPI, both of which came with an Alpha 1 leg.

Specially engineered for marine use, the former was a high-torque V6 engine that delivered the performance of a V8 block in a much more compact package.

In contrast, the 5.0L MPI was a true V8 powerhouse with plenty of torque and a heavier weight of course.

According to the original factory performance data sheets, the 215 BR with the standard 220hp engine topped out at 50.3 mph while burning 16.5 gph.

Cruising at 37.4 mph, the fuel usage dropped to 10 gph for a range of 125 miles.

Fitted with the most powerful 260hp V8 engine, the planning time of the boat was just over 4 seconds and reached 30 mph in under 10 seconds.

Since the heavier engine had a worse power-to-weight ratio, its extra power increased the top end by only 1.5 mph.

You could expect the fuel consumption of this V8 5.0L MerCruiser to be 11.4 gph at 40.4 mph and 19.6 gph at 51.9 mph.

Thanks to her well-designed hull with hard chines, the boat carved perfectly in the corners, even in sharp ones.

At the same time, the deep cockpit and bow combined with the tall windshield offered great protection for the captain and his passengers.

 

Specifications

The factory specifications of the Bayliner 215 Bowrider were as follows (2012 model year):

Dimensions and Capacities (2012)

Overall Length (LOA)	20’ 6”
Beam	8’ 2”
Deadrise	20°
Draft Hull	1’ 8”
Max Draft (Drive Down)	3’ 1”
Dry weight w/ standard engine	3,044 lb.
Dry weight w/ trailer	3,901 lb.
Fuel Capacity	37 gal.
Usable Fuel	35.1 gal.
Max People Capacity	9 or 1,200 lb.
Max Weight Capacity (persons, gear)	1,400 lb.
Storage length	22’ 8.5”
Storage length w/swim platform option	24’ 0.5”
Beam on trailer	8’ 6”
Height on trailer	6’ 5.25”

Engine Packages (2012)

Std. Engine	220hp MerCruiser 4.3L MPI A1 ECT
Opt. Engine	260hp MerCruiser 5.0L MPI A1  ECT

Disclaimer: Specifications are provided for informational purposes only. For further information, please refer to the operator’s manual.

Takeaways

It’s safe to say that the 2010-2015 Bayliner 215 Bowrider was a relabeled 2003-2009 205 Bowrider.

This 20.5-foot trailerable motorboat came standard with a classic design including traditional bowrider deck floorplans.

The standard seating layout had a basic swivel helm seat – port sleeper seat – double aft jump seat architecture with a motorbox between them.

In contrast, the optional Sport layout enjoyed two swivel bucket seats, an L-shaped longer, and a neat sun pad with a walk-thru transom.

Under the hood, you could find proven MerCruiser sterndrive engines, the 220hp V6 came standard but could be opted for a 250hp V6 or 260hp V8 depending on the model year.

Its simple construction, basic features, and affordable price tag made the 215 BR model accessible to a wide audience.

Due to her durability and reliability, this lively runabout is still popular on the used market today.

Based on our research, those in better condition are offered for $20,000-$25,000 but the neglected ones are available for a lot less of course.