January 29, 2025 by Lenny Rudow

Bayliner VR6 Review: Bayliner’s Best Bowrider?

Take a sea trial on the Bayliner VR5 and if you have a big family or enjoy boating with lots of friends there’s a chance you’ll wish it were a slightly bigger boat, which is exactly what the VR6 is all about. With 20’7” of length, the VR5 can handle a crew of up to eight, while the 22’7” long VR6 can seat up to 10. Along with the extra capacity you get a larger boat that can handle rougher seas, plus the often-critical option to have a portable MSD in a head compartment. It may be true that bigger isn’t always better, but in the case of the VR6, making that argument will be a longshot.

 

Bayliner VR6

Bayliner photo 

 

Bayliner VR6 Key Features

The VR6 boasts an all-composite structure with a self-bailing cockpit and is available in both stern-drive and outboard engine power choices. The main difference between the two versions will be found in the stern, where there’s a sunpad atop the motor box and on the stern-drive boat, with a full-beam swim platform behind it. On the outboard VR6, the engine box becomes additional stowage space and the swim platform is divided in the middle by the engine.

Forward of the engine box, the boat’s layout is identical, with L-shaped cockpit seating along the transom and up the port side. The front segment of the seating converts to face forward for cruising, to face aft for a watersports spotter, or it folds flat to become a lounger. On the starboard side there’s an additional aft- and center-facing passenger’s seat behind the helm chair. Forward of the helm you’ll discover the expected bow cockpit, but it’s unexpectedly large since Bayliner maximizes the available space by bringing the boat’s beam nearly all the way forward. Parents will also want to note that tall gunwales are maintained all the way forward, which will help keep the kids corralled inside.

As is often the case with boats like the VR6 that carry a relatively low price tag, the list of standard features is on the short side, but the basics are present and accounted for. There’s a ski/wakeboard box in the deck, a 12-volt outlet at the helm, a telescopic boarding ladder on the swim platform, and tilt steering. Most boaters will want to add options including a portable head to go inside the passenger’s console compartment, the bow wind block, a battery tray and switches, and a Bimini top with a boot. Additional niceties to consider include a wireless phone charger, a ski-tow pylon, bow filler cushions, and snap-in carpet or Sea Grass flooring. Tandem axle trailers, either painted or galvanized, are available as well.

There are also a few unexpected perks not usually seen on price-point boats. The inwales are bolstered in the bow and stern around all the seating, so whenever you’re leaning back on the side of the boat it’s against a cushion rather than fiberglass. Even the passenger’s side console is padded. There are six cleats rather than four. And a 120-watt Bluetooth stereo system with six-speakers (which can be upgraded with the addition of tower speakers) comes standard.

 

By bringing the beam farther forward Bayliner maximizes space in the bow cockpit.

By bringing the beam farther forward Bayliner maximizes space in the bow cockpit. Bayliner photo

 

Bayliner VR6 Performance

The stock outboard version of the VR6 comes with a 150-hp Mercury FourStroke on the transom, with an available upgrade to 200-hp. In stern-drive form, a 200-hp MerCruiser ECT 4.5L MPI with an Alpha One drive is stock. This can be boosted to a 250-hp MerCruiser.

With the 250-hp MerCruiser stern-drive, the VR6 hits speeds in the upper 40s and cruises easily at 3000 rpm in the upper 20s according to multiple published test reports. At cruise, you can look for efficiency of a hair under five mpg. Rigged with 50 fewer horses expect to lose four or five mph at top-end and three or four mph at cruise.

 

High sides in the bow mean the kids will stay inside the boat where they belong.

High sides in the bow mean the kids will stay inside the boat where they belong. Bayliner photo

 

Is the VR6 Bayliner’s Best Bowrider?

This is, of course, a debatable point, but the boat has a number of attributes that set it apart from the Bayliners of the past as well as the rest of today’s Bayliner lineup. This is an all-composite boat with no wood in the structural components, a trend Bayliner began following with its introduction of the VR line. The fact that it’s self-bailing is another high point one can’t say of all older Bayliners. We should point out that the builder is so confident in the boat that they offer a limited lifetime structural hull warranty to the original buyer. 

The inclusion of the head compartment certainly is another thing that sets this model apart from its smaller siblings, as well as from many competitors. It isn’t unheard-of to have a head compartment in a bowrider of this size but many don’t manage to make it happen. Another nice touch that Bayliner designed into the compartment is an overhead hatch that swings up on a gas-assist strut, so you don’t bang your forehead when entering.

Finally, consider looks. While a boat’s appearance may not be the most important attribute in the world, nobody wants to run around on the water in an ugly boat. And that certainly won’t be a problem in this case. Bayliner adds some flair with creative stitching patterns on the upholstery, gives the dash a black carbon fiber look, and molds in recesses for things like the drink holders and glovebox. There are also plenty of ways to customize the look, with 12 different hull colors, two interior colors, and five different floor covering options.

 

For some families having a head compartment will be a make-or-break feature.

For some families having a head compartment will be a make-or-break feature. Bayliner photo

 

Should You Buy a Used Bayliner VR6?

The Bayliner VR6 stern-drive first hit the water about a decade ago when Bayliner began making major updates and changes in its lineup, including many of the improvements we’ve mentioned like the self-bailing cockpit and the elimination of wood as a structural component. A year later the outboard version was launched. Because of this relatively long model history there’s usually a wide selection of used Bayliner VR6 bowriders on the market. There haven’t been major changes in design since the boat’s introduction so older boats will mirror new ones with the exception, of course, of wear and tear. They’ve held their value well and even models dating back to pre-2000 years still tend to maintain two-thirds or more of their original purchase price (which was $33,000 to around $40,000 depending on power and options). 

Critical items to look for in used models will include the condition of vinyls, canvas, and other soft goods, the level of gel coat oxidation, general cosmetics, and of course mechanical condition. Availability is generally widespread in both inland and coastal areas, as Bayliner bowriders are popular for various venues ranging from lake and river to coastal bay use. Expect boats that were used in freshwater only and/or those that were kept under cover to generally be in better shape.

 

In the outboard version the swim platform gets split.

In the outboard version the swim platform gets split. Bayliner photo

 

Bayliner VR6 Specifications

  • Length: 22’7”
  • Beam: 8’0”
  • Max Capacity: 10
  • Max Power: 250 hp
  • Fuel Capacity: 33 gal.
  • Transom Deadrise: 20 degrees
  • Displacement: 3,797 lbs.
  • Draft (max, approx): 2’10”

 

Watersports fans often prefer the full-beam swim platform of a stern-drive boat.

Watersports fans often prefer the full-beam swim platform of a stern-drive boat. Bayliner photo

 

Check out all the Bayliner boats for sale

 

Written By: Lenny Rudow

With over three decades of experience in marine journalism, Lenny Rudow has contributed to dozens of boating and fishing publications and websites. Rudow lives in Annapolis, Maryland, and is currently Angler in Chief at Rudow’s FishTalk; he is a past president of Boating Writers International (BWI), a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.

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