Advice on 2014 Cobalt 242

[josht1025]

New to Cobalt world. Any preference on engine in the 2014 242 model? The one I'm looking at has the 350 mag. Just wondering if you all recommend one engine versus the others or advise to steer clear of one versus the others.

Also, Ive looked at 2016 R3's and close friends advise me to steer clear of the R3 because it rides rough. They recommend going with R5. What are your thoughts?

Please let me know if there's anything else I should be made aware of.

[ajcampen]

Where do you boat? How do you use the boat. Go larger if possible. I just went from a sea ray 185 (purchased), to a 2014 220s in 2017 wanted more space), to purchasing a R7 a couple weeks ago. We wanted more space, still able to do water sports bc we trailer and go out for the day. 30 ft boat with twins was rolled out I didn’t want to buy a diesel f250

[AsLan7]

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Hey josh....so glad you found us!

I would not go any smaller than the 300HP Merc 350 mag. Great engine as it is virtually bullet proof. I'd prefer the torque of a big block for water sports (and sound ) though. Merc and Volvo engines are very reliable in their variety of sizes. Cool fuel modules with internal paint flecking became an issue for awhile clogging up filters and injectors on Mercs around late 2000's to just prior to your year. Something to ask about.

Like AJC said, how are you going to use your boat?

And welcome aboard mate.

.

[Lifelongbtr]

All depends on the deals you see, I personally would go with R series because of the width, same beam with more interior space. It makes a big difference. I can't imagine R3 riding more rough than a 220 or boat of similar size, if is at all a concern I'd go with the R5 to be safe.

[billk2632]

The R5 replaced the 242 in 2014. I had looked at a 242 before I found my R5. Both are nice boats, I personally am glad I waited and got an R5 - I love it. I don’t think either is a bad decision, the 242 is just the older model, but still a very nice boat. Other things to consider are options like a head. This was very important to me and the R5 has a nice head, not all 242’s have heads. As by far as engine, the Merc 350 mag is a solid motor. I have the Volvo 300 in my R5 and think it is plenty - although no one complains about bigger when it comes to boat motors. And last is timing, you don’t know when another boat will come along - it was 3yrs for me, luckily I had and liked my SeaRay, but finding the R5 like I wanted took some time.

[kas232ca]

New to Cobalt world. Any preference on engine in the 2014 242 model? The one I'm looking at has the 350 mag. Just wondering if you all recommend one engine versus the others or advise to steer clear of one versus the others.

Also, Ive looked at 2016 R3's and close friends advise me to steer clear of the R3 because it rides rough. They recommend going with R5. What are your thoughts?

Please let me know if there's anything else I should be made aware of.

We have a 232 (same as 242, less head) with the 8.1 420hp. After owning it now for a few years, I would never do less, especially if you have more than 4 people on board.

The 232 rides good, although some approaching wakes will really upset it if you are not paying attention.

[sailor55330]

I have an R3. I'm not sure where the "rough" ride comes from....I mean, compared to an R5 it's differnt, but not "rougher", but it a smaller boat, but using that logic an R5 compared to an R7 will ride rough--and R7 compared to an R30 will be rougher. Compared to a CS model, the ride is very smooth. It's all relative. The best question is what will you use it for?

We went with the R3 because at the time we were trailering exclusively and and R5 wouldn't have been a smart decision. Now that trailering isn't a concern, do I wish I had a a 5 or a 7, sure, but now it's a $$$ thing as well.

The 350 in either an R3 or R5 should handle just about everything you throw at it, unless you are looking to run 60mph or pull a tuber with 9 people on board I would think. I have the 300 in my R3 and for how I boat (usually 30mph tops due to water conditions) it fits the bill. I can see why some might want a few lower RPM's of a larger engine when cruising, but other than that, no complaints.

[NautiWeasel]

Hi Josht1025
I have a 2014 242 that I just bought this past summer. We upgraded from a 19' Rinker, and there is no comparison.
We bought it in TX with roughly 240 hours and it had the Volvo 380 hp motor. I can't say enough great things about this engine. The amount of "go" this boat has with this engine (or the 320 hp 6.2 Mercury) is amazing. The boat rides great on small to medium sized lakes (think the size of Grand Lake O'The Cherokees or Lake of the Ozarks, or even Lake Travis in TX) and we find that a boat with 8-10 people is still very comfortable. I'd be glad to answer any other questions you might have. PM me if you want.

[Krob1114]

I looked at a 232 and a 242 before buying an R-3.
I would have thought the R-3 replaced the 242, not the R-5.

[dsthomas]

242 was my first boat and I really liked it. I would say the only thing I would like better about the R5 would be the layout, no passenger captains seat, you get the flip seat on the passenger which extends the bench seat on that side. You also get a a flip seat on the stern that extends the all the way to the gunnel. I feel like that makes the boat so much more comfortable. My wife really liked that as well. She hated having a "captains" seat on the passenger side. Also the R series had the "space reclamation" which give a little more width on the inside. Anyway our 242 didn't have a head but we weren't looking for one. Had that boat for four years and no complaints we eventually upgraded to an A25 for the hydraulic swim platform and the layout with the flip seating.