Stingray 216CC Review

The all-new Stingray 216CC stands out in a crowded center console market with its spacious interior and comfortable amenities.

The center console market is becoming a crowded space these days, and standing apart in the crowd takes real innovation. For Hartsville, South Carolina-based Stingray Boats, that starts with using a deck boat hull for the foundation of its all-new Stingray 216CC.

That beamy deck boat platform brings the Stingray 216CC plenty of advantages, beginning with an abundance of interior space. There’s plenty of room to walk around without having to hold on to railings or the T-top’s framing. Stingray claims an interior cockpit width of 84 inches, which is pretty impressive for a boat with a 101-inch beam and storage spaces in its gunnels.

Stingray’s wide hull provides plenty of interior space, even up in the bow where twin lounge seats are the ideal spot to sprawl out and enjoy the sun.

The roominess of Stingray 216CC’s design is obvious as you step aboard. The aft cockpit is surprisingly spacious for a 21-foot boat. Pop-up jump seats located in each aft corner surround an otherwise near full-width transom seat, which itself conceals a large storage compartment in the starboard side of its base and a 17-gallon live well to port. Each of the side gunnels offers rod storage in the form of horizontal racks for two rods per side, with room for several more in the rocket launcher-style rod holders found across the back of the helm seat and the aft face of the T-top.

The big Engel cooler – part of Stingray’s optional Convenience Package – stows beneath the helm leaning post seat.

The mid-section of the Stingray 216CC is dominated by its central console and leaning post seats. The seat itself is double-wide and framed on an attractive powder-coated steel frame, with individually operated flip-up bolsters available as a worthwhile upgrade. All of Stingray’s seats are new for 2019, featuring an all-new foam in the seat cushions that provides a nice balance between supple comfort and welcome support. Over top, Stingray’s butter-soft vinyl is not only UV-resistant, but stain resistant as well.

The aft face of the helm leaning post base provides a convenient nesting place for the 74-quart Engel cooler that comes as part of Stingray’s Convenience Package, a nice option group that includes goodies like tilt steering, LED docking lights, hydraulic trim tabs with an LED indicator, removable bow cushion seats and stainless steel hardware throughout.

The spacious helm console was designed with large, flush-mounted multi-function displays in mind, providing plenty of space for dual screens.

The helm is neatly laid out with plenty of space for adding a flush-mount MFD or even dual screens if desired. Two stainless steel beverage holders keep a cold drink close by for the driver and navigator, while an accessory 12-volt outlet and a second outlet with twin USB chargers come standard, along with the elegant stainless steel steering wheel with its integral turning knob. A Fusion Bluetooth-enabled RA-55 stereo, which was driving a Fusion AM702 amp and six speakers, easily pairs with phones or tablets to stream music, and sounds absolutely great no matter where one sits in the boat.

Rocket launchers on the aft face of the leaning post keep rigged rods ready for action between spots.

Up in the bow, a comfy, wide seat on the front face of the console conceals a second aerated live well with a 14-gallon capacity. There’s further gear storage in the bases of each of the two bow lounge seats, as well as a dedicated in-floor storage space between the two loungers.

Additional rod storage in the gunnels is a nice touch. Note the padded coaming.

The two bow lounge seats each end in a small console topped with a solid surface countertop – the starboard one with a small but useful sink and faucet, the port side console with a deck pad up top and storage beneath for a couple of Plano-style tray tackle boxes below.

Rigged with a Suzuki 175 hp four-stroke, our review boat planed in just 2.8 seconds and reached a top speed of 47 mph. That’s outstanding performance by any measure.

Stingray’s deck boat hull really comes into its own in the bow, with all of the extra space it provides. But it also directly impacts the boat’s performance. Rigged with a Suzuki 175-horsepower outboard, our review boat planed in just 2.8 seconds and easily made 47 mph with a bit of trim adjustment. That’s terrific performance no matter how you measure it.

There are a lot of center consoles competing in that under 25-foot space, but the Stingray 216CC stands out with its roomy interior and spirited performance. It’s a boat that’s easy to like, so beware – drive it and you’ll probably want to buy it.