Stingray 173CC Review

Stingray Boats are well known for building high quality, well designed boats with great performance. They’re also known for delivering incredible value, as evidenced by the remarkable new Stingray 173CC.

Officially introduced at the 2022 Miami International Boat Show, the Stingray 173CC is designed from the keel up with young families in mind. The focus is on versatility, fun, and making that first boat easy for first-time buyers to enjoy. It’s clear that Stingray went out of its way to design features that let the 173CC do a lot of things really, really well, while keeping the boat super-easy to operate and maintain. And in that sense, they’ve hit it out of the park.

Even sitting at the dock the 173CC looks bigger than it is, with its wide, deep gunnels and open floorspace.

Walk up to the Stingray 173CC at the dock and your first impression is that it has to be more than just 17 feet, 3 inches long. Designed for families with kids and dogs and a boatload of gear, the new Stingray stands out with its big deep gunnels and expansive floor space. Look carefully and you notice how the full 7-foot, 6-inch beam of the boat carries right up into the bow, giving the 173CC a bit of a blunt profile, but oodles of onboard space. It also contributes to giving the boat greater stability and planing performance, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

With its center console layout, the 173CC offers versatility on a grand scale – go fishing, hang out on the sandbar with the stereo playing, take a spin on the wakeboard, or just relax and enjoy a peaceful after-dinner cruise – perhaps with some ice cream. The 173CC does it all.

Jump seats in the aft corners fold flat when not required to preserve space. The standard live well sits between them. Note the floor drain – the 173CC has a self-draining cockpit, which is a rarity in a boat of this size.

Once you step aboard you’ll notice the cockpit drains at the stern. Surprise surprise, Stingray has designed the 173CC with a fully self-draining cockpit – a real rarity for a boat of this size. When you get back to the dock at the end of the day, cleaning up the boat requires nothing more than giving it a quick squirt with a garden hose, allowing the sand and fish scales to run down the drains and out over the side. That’s it – say goodbye to hours of cleaning.

Exploring the cockpit further reveals all-stainless fixtures, including flush-mounted rod holders, a transom swim ladder, and pop-up cleats that retract out of the way when they’re not needed. The stainless hardware isn’t an option, by the way, but standard equipment on the Stingray 173CC.

The front console seat conceals a storage compartment in its base which can be upgraded to a second live well.

Start opening hatch lids and we find a 48-quart built-in ice box with an overboard drain, dry storage underneath the bow seats, and an aerated 12-gallon live well located between the jump seats in the stern corners. There’s also a storage compartment located under the front console seat, which can be upgraded to a second, 17-gallon live well if desired.

Step into the driver’s seat and the neatly laid-out helm provides a comfortable stainless steel steering wheel, with hydraulic steering and a tilt function available as worthwhile optional upgrades. There’s power for portable devices through 12V and dual USB ports, and loads of dash space for electronics. A high-end Fusion RA-60 stereo with Bluetooth connectivity comes standard, and can be upgraded to a Fusion RA670 unit with remote control if desired. That’s something to think about if you have a Garmin smartwatch, since most of them will control Fusion stereos.

Bow seating in the 173CC is incredibly spacious, reflecting Stingray’s wide hull profile.

Topping the console is a removable acrylic windshield – a thoughtful feature that allows the Stingray 173 CC to fit into a standard garage.

There’s also a comfy, cushioned leaning post with an optional seat back, and space to stow a 68-quart cooler in its base.

The helm provides plenty of space for electronics, and a removable windshield that allows the Stingray 173CC to fit in a standard garage.

The center console also houses its own little secret, in the form of a surprisingly large interior compartment that’s big enough to house an optional Porta-potti. That’s virtually unheard-of in a 17-foot boat, and one which really emphasizes Stingray’s commitment to making the 173CC as comfortable as possible for young families.

Standard power on the 173CC is a 90-horsepower outboard from Mercury, Suzuki or Yamaha. With Stingray’s Z-Plane performance hull, that’s more than enough oomph to push the 173CC along to a top speed of over 40 mph while giving occupants a comfortable, stable and thrilling ride. From a dead-stop the Stingray 173CC jumps onto plane in the blink of an eye, reaches 20 mph in around 4 seconds and reaches 30 mph in just over 7. If you’re not in a hurry, it will cruise like a champ at around 20 mph while delivering fuel economy of up to 6.5 gph, which is very good indeed.

The 173CC’s Z-Plane hull planes easily, delivering a top speed of over 40 mph.

What’s more, that efficient Z-Plane hull lets the boat stay up on plane at surprisingly low speeds – right down to around 15 mph. That’s impressive performance, and confirms that Stingray didn’t cut any corners when designing the 173CC.

Families looking for a handsome, sporty, versatile and fun family runabout will find a lot to like about the new Stingray 173CC. Capable, easy to maintain and priced to be affordable, it’s a great choice for anyone looking for a great all-round family runabout.