Four Winns 190 Horizon

It's rare for a boatbuilder to completely scrap the mold and design associated with a proven value-conscious boat model, no matter what the size. But that's exactly what Four Winns has done with the all-new 190 Horizon.

The engineers modified the running surface from the chines to the keel, which in our test resulted in a quicker-planing hull with zero loss of forward visibility for the driver. The new 190 stays on plane at a very low 16 mph, a feature that wakeboard riders will like. Driving through a mosh pit of wakes thrown by cruisers on our smallish test lake demonstrated that it was stable and safe.

Styling is what boaters will notice right away in this next-generation Horizon. The boat has the character we'd expect from an updated high-ticket item, with curves molded inside and out all the way through the stern. Storage compartments are hinged and finished, with no raw fiberglass to catch fingers or an observant eye. There is nothing "price-point" about this new 190 when it comes to hardware and the well-shaped windshield.

Four Winns only offers the boat with V-6 power — no wimpy 3.0-liter engines here. Our test boat, with a Volvo 4.3-liter engine, climbed to the high 40s — which feels very quick in an 18.5-foot boat. Speed is not the mission here, though; it's being on the water, running safe and doing it well within the budget.

AT A GLANCE

A new hull and deck add style to a model that keeps its rep as a stable family boat in the $25K range.

Test Drive

Test Engine: Volvo Penta 4.3L GXi SX 225 hp

Test Prop: 14.25 x 21 aluminum

Test Load: People (385 lb.); Fuel (28 gal.)

Top Speed: 47.5 MPH @ 4,950 RPM

Time to Plane: 2.9 sec.

Time to 30 MPH: 6.8 sec.

Minimum Plane: 16.0 MPH @ 2,300 RPM

Vital Stats

Length Overall: 18'6"

Beam: 7'11"

Dry Weight: 2,650 lb.

Seating/Weight Capacity: 8/1,300 lb.

Fuel Capacity: 34 gal.

Maximum HP: 225

NMMA Certified: Yes

MSRP (test boat): $24,969

Power Curve

RPM    MPH    Sound Level (db)

Idle       2.0       66

1,000    4.6       69

1,500    6.5       72

2,000    8.9       79

2,500    18.2     78

3,000    27.9     89

3,500    32.2     86

4,000    37.8     89

4,500    43.7     94

4,950    47.5     97