Cobalt R8 Review

Cobalt’s R-series ranks right at the top of the luxury runabout market, so the company understandably attracted a lot of attention when it announced the all-new Cobalt R8.

The R8 rides on a deeper hull form that increases freeboard all around the boat for a drier ride. It also provides lower seating for greater security onboard, and a safer cockpit for kids. It’s said to also offer faster planing speeds, more nimble handling for the driver, and greater fuel efficiency, so who are we to argue?

Bow seating includes pull-down arm rests in the forward-facing positions.

The bow seating in the Cobalt R8 stands out with its port-side, L-shaped lounge that wraps across the bow, facing a single forward-facing seat to starboard. Both forward-facing positions enjoy the added comfort of pull-down arm rests, while under the seat cushions you’ll find loads of storage space for gear. The bow also has a deep in-floor storage compartment between the seats for bulky gear.

Look closely and you’ll spot the provision of USB charge ports to keep phones and electronics topped up. There’s also color-selectable RBG lighting, and plenty of stainless steel drink holders to keep a cold water always within easy reach.

Attention to detail sets the R8 apart, including available features like color-selectable RBG righting inside and out.

The upholstery work in Cobalt boats has always been at the top of its class, and the R8 is no exception. Seat cushions have just the right balance of comfort and support, while the outer stain-resistant vinyl stays comfortable even on hot days.

Stepping aft through the graceful walk-through windshield, a glance to starboard shows the retracted bow door that allows owners to enjoy full protection from the wind on cold days. The bi-fold design stows neatly, and works very well, allowing owners to really extend their boating season earlier and later into the year.

The head compartment, concealed within the passenger console, offers more interior space and greater headroom than previous models.

The Cobalt R8 may ride on a standard (and trailerable) eight-foot, six-inch beam, but the cockpit interior definitely feels especially spacious, partly an optical effect resulting from the higher freeboard, and partly because of the way the interior deck is designed to maximize space. This allows the provision of a surprisingly roomy head compartment within the port-side console, with greater headroom than in previous models.

The passenger seat features a pull-up bolster.

The passenger seat facing it comes with a pull-up bolster and features a reversible back rest, allowing forward-facing comfort when underway, or aft-facing luxury as a reclining lounger when hanging out at the sandbar or spotting a wake boarder.

The helm comes with twin seven-inch Garmin displays, which can be upgraded to twin 10-inch displays as shown.

Opposite, the helm console of the Cobalt R8 utilizes a glass dash with twin seven-inch Garmin touch-screen displays standard, and twin 10-inch screen available as a popular and desirable upgrade. The dual screens allow drivers to use one screen for the GPS navigation display, while using the other for essential data like the depth, speed, tach, water temperature, fuel flow rate and more. There’s even the ability to have XM weather bulletins flash on the dash to provide early warning of pop-up summer thunderstorms.

Below the screens a neat row of push-button switches handle electrical accessories like navigation lights, interior courtesy lights, underwater lights and such, all backlit for easy operation in low light. The standard JL Audio stereo control head sits to the left of the sporty black-on-chrome leather steering wheel – with tilt function, of course – while to right there’s space for an (optional) cell phone wireless charging pad.

The helm seat is well designed and comfortable, with an integrated pop-up bolster. A full power seat with up/down and forward/aft adjustment is also available as an upgrade.

Cockpit seating is L-shaped, facing a starboard-side settee that houses a soft-sided removable cooler in its base.

The cockpit seating is L-shaped, with a stern bench continuing forward up the port side of the boat to meet the passenger seat at the console. A series of six stainless drink holders – of 24 in total – line the gunnel side of the seat here, keeping cold drinks readily accessible yet neatly concealed from the sun. There’s also a further USB charging port.

One thing the R8 doesn’t lack for is storage space, with no less than three in-floor gear lockers and loads of space under the seat cushions for more stuff.

The cockpit seats of the Cobalt R8 provide yet more storage space for gear under the seat cushions, and in the floor through two additional in-deck storage compartments.

Facing this huge lounger is a starboard-side settee with space for a pull-out soft-sided cooler in its base. Just aft of this seat is a triangular space that can be be set up either as a seat cushion with a trash compartment beneath, or as a step for getting into or out of the boat if you often dock against high piers.

A reversible back rest converts the stern bench seat into an appealing, triple-wide sun pad. The hole in the seat cushion provides access to mount a ski tow pylon.

The stern bench seat has a reversible back cushion which allows forward-facing or aft-facing seating that looks out over the stern, as desired. The whole assembly lifts on gas rams to provide easy access to the engine compartment.

Cobalt’s Swim Step swings out from the platform into the water, providing a more comfortable boarding option than the traditional ladder. A power step is available as an optional upgrade.

The large stern swim platform includes Cobalt’s Swim Step, which rotates out and into the water to offer greater comfort and usability than the traditional boarding ladder. Or, upgrade to the new E-Step which uses an electric actuator controlled by a double push-button switch located on the side of the engine housing to raise and lower the step automatically.

With its thoughtful amenities and high quality, there’s a lot to like about Cobalt’s R8.

There’s a lot to like about the delightful Cobalt R8. Families looking for a roomy runabout that’s built to a high quality standard and loaded with thoughtful details will find this big day boat very hard to resist.