Sea-Doo Utopia 185 Specs and Review [Video]

Sea-Doo marketed the popular 18.5-footer Utopia 185 jet boat from 2001 through 2005. These jet-powered bowriders were fitted with 2-stroke V6 Mercury Marine Jet engines, including the carbureted 210, the 200 Opti, the 240 EFI, and the 250 Optimax. Its bigger brother was the 20-footer Utopia 205, manufactured until the late 2000s.

In this post, we’ll discuss the entry-level Sea-Doo Utopia and take a close look at its factory specifications.

Sea-Doo Utopia 185 Review

Hull and Capacities

The Utopia 185 was a 2-stroke Sea-Doo jet boat, featuring a bowrider-style deck and a stable 19.5-degree deep-V hull.

Its composite fiberglass shell measured 18 feet 3 inches in length with an 8-foot beam.

The draft of the boat was surprisingly shallow (10.5 inches), which was a game changer in shallow areas.

Thanks to its small 2-stroke engines, the claimed dry weight of the 185 was only 2,049 pounds.

When you add the weight of 44 gallons of gasoline, 3 gallons of 2T oil, and some gear, the estimated gross trailering weight was about 3,200-3,500 pounds.

Unlike the much sportier Speedster 150 and Speedster 200, the Utopia series was designed for comfort and capacity.

It was rated for 8 passengers who appreciated the cozy seats, including a rear bench seat, a swivel captain bucket seat, and a swing-back seat for two behind the port-side console.

The bow area was also engineered with two cushioned seats that offered plenty of space for two passengers.

Under the rear sun pad, you could find the engine, which was surrounded by plenty of storage space. This spacious storage could even accommodate the bimini top when it was not in use.

Other storage units included under-seat storage, a bow anchor locker, and a glove box.

Further enhancing the comfort, the boat was designed with a full wrap-around windshield, grab handles, cup holders, and a nice swim platform with a reboarding step.

Engines

Some Sea-Doo boats were designed with single 2-stroke Mercury Marine jet engines, and the Utopia 185 was just one of them.

To be more precise, in 2001 and 2002 it was available with a V6 Mercury Marine engine rated at 210hp.

This carbureted, 6-cylinder, 2500cc, reed-valve marine engine was paired with a mixed-flow, single-stage Mercury Marine Sport Jet propulsion system.

From 2003 onwards, the boat was marketed with many different single-engine options, including the 200 Opti, 210 Carb, 240 EFI plus, and the 250 Optimax.

As their name suggests, these engines were rated at 200, 210, 240, and 250hp, respectively.

After the 2005 season, the manufacturer dropped the Utopias, but the 4-stroke Utopia 205 remained in production through 2009.

Features

This lively Sea-Doo bowrider was designed with a plethora of convenient features and amenities. 

Without the need for completeness, the standard features included a wraparound windshield, sun deck, grab handles, cup holders, bow and stern eyelets, navigation lights, mooring cleats, an audio system, and a swim platform with a retractable ladder.

Storage units included a glovebox, rear seat storage compartment, bow anchor locker, and side paned storage.

Performance

Even though this boat was not designed for speed junkies, it still offered a remarkable performance.

Even with the smallest 200-210hp engine options it topped out at 45-48 mph on the GPS and close to 50 mph on the speedo.

Fitted with the 240 EFI, it could hit 55 mph under ideal conditions while its best cruising speed was in the ballpark of 30-35 mph.

Compared to the Speedsters, it was a smoother ride and offered much more comfort.

Besides cruising, this versatile family jet boat could be safely used for snorkeling, wakeboarding, or other water activities.

Problems

Unfortunately, the Utopia 185 suffered from a variety of engine issues since its 2-stroke Mercury jet engines proved to be less reliable than its 4-stroke relatives.

The carbureted 210 V6 especially had a bad rep due to its high fuel consumption, lower reliability, and six high-maintenance carburetors.

The more advanced engine options, including the 240 EFI and 250 Optimax, were significantly more reliable, but the latter also had poor fuel economy.

Specs Charts

For your convenience, we’ve listed the main factory specs of the Sea-Doo Utopia 185 (2001 model with Merc 210 engine):

Dimensions and Capacities

Overall Length	18’3”
Beam	8’
Draft	10.5”
Deadrise	19.5°
Dry weight	2049 lb.
Maximum engine power capacity rating of the craft	157 kW (209 HP) @ 5750 RPM
Load limit	8 passengers or 1320 lb.
Hull material	Composite (fiberglass)

Engine Specs

Number of Engines	1
Type	V-6 Mercury Marine (210) 2-stroke
Induction type	Reed valve
Number of cylinders	6 (V6)
Displacement	2500 cm³ (152.53 cu. in.)
Fuel tank capacity	40 US gal.

These specifications are for informational purposes only. For further information, please refer to the operator’s manual.

Takeaways 

As we’ve discussed, the 185 wasn’t the most reliable Sea-Doo boat in history due to its 2-stroke engine configurations.

If you want to purchase a Utopia, by all means, take a closer look at the larger Utopia 205. From the mid-2000s this model came with more reliable 4-stroke engines.

However, best practice is to invest in a Yamaha jet boat, which is considered one of the most reliable jet boat brands in the marketplace.

But if you want to stick with this model, you can find many used Utopia 185s for sale on eBay, Craigslist, or classified marine websites.

The poor reputation of these boats is reflected in their asking prices, which typically start at as low as $5,000 and go up to $15,000.

References:

Sea-Doo