Bayliner VR 5 Review

Bowriders have always held a special place in the hearts of boating families, and the new Bayliner VR 5 builds on that heritage in a number of meaningful ways.

Available with a choice of sterndrive or outboard power, the VR 5 offers more interior space thanks to its wider hull design that maintains its full width all the way forward of the windshield. There’s plenty of room for two adults to stretch out on its twin bow loungers, while a third person can face aft between them. There’s plenty of storage space beneath the bow seats for gear, and the entire bow can be easily converted to an inviting sun pad with the installation of an optional filler cushion.

The VR 5’s wide footprint provides more seating space in the bow. There’s storage space under each of the seat cushions as well.

Step back between the walk-through windshield and you’ll find even more space to stretch out in the boat’s deep cockpit.

There’s more storage space in the large passenger console of the Bayliner VR 5, with a glove box up top and a very large compartment located in the console base. The helm console is neatly designed with a central gauge cluster that keeps all the essentials – including a fuel gauge, speedometer, tachometer and volt meter – right where they can be easily seen regardless of how the tilt steering wheel is positioned. The control head for the waterproof, 120-watt AM/FM/MP3 stereo sits to the left of the wheel, while a row of toggle switches for electronic controls sit below and to either side. There’s a recessed bed for holding cell phones in the center of the dash, complete with 12-volt outlet and a USB outlet. The helm seat is a stylish bucket with a flip-up bolster, mounted on a swiveling pedestal that allows it to be used as another cockpit seat once you reach your destination.

The helm seat is a sporty bucket with a flip-up bolster.

The companion seat has a three-position back rest that allows forward-facing seating when underway, aft-facing seating when at rest or the option of laying it flat to create a full-length lounge. An L-shaped bench seat across the transom provides further seating for guests, while a small receptacle in the floor just ahead of the transom seat provides a convenient mounting spot for the optional cockpit table. The wide top of the transom bench seat forms an inviting sun pad; the starboard end lifts to provide access to the cockpit without stepping on seat cushions, or can be propped up for greater comfort when flaking out in the sun.

The versatile companion seat offers a three-position seat back for use in forward-facing, aft-facing or lounging positions.

The standard flooring in the Bayliner VR 5 is a non-skid fiberglass, with snap-in Seagrass fabric or soft-touch SeaDek foam flooring available as optional upgrades. Both provide greater comfort on bare feet, while the SeaDek option can be continued onto the swim platform for a fully integrated look. A large in-floor hatch provides access to a spacious ski locker, complete with a gas ram to holds the lid open when in use.

The stern bench seat extends aft to form an inviting, full-width sun pad.

One great thing about the Bayliner VR 5 is its massive amount of storage space, along with thoughtful conveniences like the massive cooler built into the base of the transom bench seat. The VR 5 also has a self-draining cockpit, so if you leave the boat tied up at the dock and it rains all week, the water simply runs out the drains and over the side to keep the boat from flooding.

The Bayliner VR 5 comes well equipped but an extensive option list allows boaters to personalize as they see fit, with upgrades like a ski tow pylon, a Bimini top, an Xtream folding wakeboard tower, a live well, a fishfinder, and a mounting bracket for an electric trolling motor.

A folding wakeboard tower with an integrated Bimini top is just one of many popular options for this boat.

With its thoughtful updates to the traditional bowrider design, the Bayliner VR 5 offers more comfort, more space, and more versatility than ever. Families looking for a versatile and affordable runabout will find it very easy to like.