Chaparral 307 SSX: Turning up the Wick
Chaparral’s new 307 bolsters the company’s SSX lineup.
Chaparral’s SSX line of sport boats includes runabouts starting at 25 feet in length, and goes all the way up to the 32 foot long 327 SSX. Heck, it even includes a cuddy cabin if you’re that way inclined. The 257 SSX debuted in 2013, was promptly named one of our 10 Top Runabouts of the year, and this year Chaparral has filled a gap in the model lineup with its new 307 SSX— and it’s a very sweet spot indeed.
After the 257 SSX was chosen as one of our 10 top picks of 2013, we had high expectations for the 307 SSX— and it lives up to them.
At 30 feet, 6 inches long, the 307 SSX is certainly no value leader, but it does present good value in that you get a lot of boat for your money. Here’s a test. Look at the photos, but don’t scan ahead in the story and see if you can guess how much the manufacturer’s suggested retail price is. Bear in mind that the base model includes wideband hull gelcoat, a white arch with a Bimini top and a 380-hp Mercury 8.2-liter big block and Bravo Three drive.
Base MSRP is $157,154, which will always be a sizeable sum of money, but it’s also the same kind of money you will see listed for some boats on the market that are several feet shorter. There are wakeboard boats going out the door for nearly as much. That you can get a 30-footer that’s well equipped for that kind of money is refreshing.
No, that price doesn’t get you twin engines, but $174,538 will, and that’s probably the way most buyers will go. Regardless of the propulsion package, the 307 SSX is a halo product, one to which people aspire. By the time a boater gets to ownership of this level, he or she expects things like LED lighting and a cockpit table with dedicated stowage and side mount bases in the cockpit and bow. You expect a head compartment with a Vacuum-flush commode, a pressurized water system, a transom shower, a rear convertible bench seat, and Sirius-ready radio. And if you can get remote controls for the radio in the bow, helm and stern, you’ll gladly take those, too. All those things come standard in the 307 SSX. Bow and cockpit canvas covers do not, however, which is a bit disappointing on a boat this size and price point.
Access to the head is via a clamshell door on the port console. The neat thing about the door is that it doesn't look like a door, it looks like part of the port side dash; Chaparral did a great job of blending form and function.
The cockpit is the place to be, and you can get it two ways. In lieu of the standard seating on the starboard side, buyers can outfit the 307 SSX with a wet bar, which includes a sink and counter-top, a pull-out spigot, a trash bin, a 54-quart removable cooler, a handheld fire bottle, and a 12-volt power plug. Whether that’s worth an additional $3,172 is for the buyer to decide.
The 307 SSX can be had with a wet bar, built into the cockpit.
Another important item to note is the standard convertible sun pad on the stern. Many convertible sun pads, when converted, render the rear bench seat moot since both back rests fold down flat to form the extended pad. The sun pad on the 307 SSX converts independently of the aft bench, leaving that seating available when the aft-most bench is folded down. It’s a subtle detail, but it will make a difference when the boat is full of people.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Length | 30'6"" |
| Beam | 9'6" |
| Draft | 3'0" |
| Deadrise | 22 degrees |
| Displacement | 8,400 lbs |
| Fuel capacity | 125 gal. |
| Water capacity | 20 gal. |
As capacious and welcoming as it is, the Chaparral 307 SSX is likely to be full of people often. It’s a large runabout that fills a previously open niche in Chaparral’s SSX lineup—and a sweet spot in the marketplace.
Other Choices: The Cruisers Sport Series 298 is another large bowrider with a head in the passenger’s console and plenty of standard features. Interested shoppers may also want to see the Four Winns Horizon 290.
See Chaparral 307 SSX listings.
For more information, visit Chaparral.
