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Tahoe’s value-priced Q4 SS gets families on the water for a little home-cooked fun> STORY AND PHOTOS BY RON ELDRIDGE

The Q4 SS we tested on massive, twisting TableRock Lake in southern Missouri proved fun to drive,offering snappy, responsive performance from its 135 hp3.0L MerCruiser sterndrive. More to the point, it alsoboasted unexpected, upscale touches, including astainless rubrail, optional Bimini top (with high-grade,quick-release ball-and-socket fittings), and a standardtrailer with a swingaway tongue and Tracker’sGalvaShield corrosion protection. It’s basically aturnkey rig; all you have to do is pile your posseaboard and you’re cooking with gas.

MEAT AND POTATOESNow celebrating its 30th anniversary, Tracker offersbedrock value in its Tahoe runabouts, fish ’n skis anddeck boats. The Tahoe Q4 SS, also available in an out-board model, is the smallest member of a fleet thatstretches up to 26 feet. So don’t expect it to betricked out with a head, wet bar or console locker.With a length of 18 feet, 1 inch spread across 7 feet,7 inches of beam, there just isn’t room. What wehave here is a snazzy, well-manneredbowrider that will get you on the waterwithout having to torpedo your401(k) or sink the kids’

Nobody wants cheap steak; they want good steak forcheap. Or so says Tracker Marine’s product develop-ment guru Steve Mason. And while his work may take

him all over the Tracker plant, the affable and homespunMason may well have tarried too long with the marketing folks,for there’s no better assessment of Tahoe’s new Q4 SuperSport. Selling for $16 grand, the Tahoe, asserts Mason, matchesup against anyone’s 18-footer, including the likes of Sea Ray. Atall order? Maybe not.

COOKINGWITH GAS

TRACKER’S 30th ANNIVERSARY

college plans. Getting back to oursteak metaphor, it’s meat andpotatoes all the way, baby.

As Mason explains, Tahoe keepsprices in check by streamliningchoices — a marketing trend we’reseeing more of lately. Compared tomany boats, the Q4 SS’ options listis mercifully short.

“Once you’ve decided on thesterndrive model, for example, youronly choice in engines is whether ornot to add power steering to that 3.0L four-banger,”he says. Hankering for a V-6? Then you’ll have topony up for the 19-foot Q5i.By the way,

Interested inhooking up withthe Q4 fish ’n ski?Cast over toTrailerBoats.com.

>web

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boats with short waterlines can be.Steering via our rigs’s nonpowered,rack-and-pinion system felt neutral

except at higher trim settings, wherewe noticed mild torque. Nothing toouncomfortable, though. The Q4’s

helm seats donot have flip-up bolsters,but eachswivels andadjusts fore

and aft. More importantly, they offergood lumbar support and cradle yourhips, providing comfort and security.In short, the boat feels tight in turnsand rough water, and so do you.

COOL TOUCHESHelm instrumentation includes twooversize, multifunction gauges, which

n Tahoe’s 18-footer topped outin the mid-40s with a 135 hp3.0L MerCruiser package, andshould manage even better inthe outboard version, which israted up to 150 hp.

n A drained locker under the stern seat can be used for wet or dry storage.The bow lockers also drain, and feature lift-off lids with stainless catches.

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n “It’s been niceknowing ya.”Tubing and otherwatersports are anatural attractionaboard the Q4 SS,which is a good fitfor families withsmall children.

n Large multifunction gauges keep the Tahoe’s helm layout clean and simple. We commend theconsole cubby that helps square away loose items, and we really liked our boat’s optional Ritchiecompass (top middle).

Tahoe>q4 ss

spend the $404 on power steering. It’sa no-brainer.

Another must-have upgrade is the$445 drum brake system for the color-coordinated, single-axle trailer. You’llwant a spare tire, too — but at $175for the factory spare, you’ll probablybe able to put your own spare andbracket together for less. All in all,however, Tahoe’s options prices aresuper reasonable — which is not some-thing that can be said of every boat.

HAMMER TIMEOn our test runs across Table Rock,the Q4 handled the generally benignconditions with no trouble.Fortunately, the good thing about theRock is there’s no shortage of bigboats, so you can always scare upsome nasty wakes to see how a rig isput together. Featuring an 18-degree,semi-V design and fiberglass stringersthat are chemically fused to the hull

for maximumrigidity, our

boat picked

its way through the holes andlaunched off the lips with only minorpounding. Ride comfort in these situ-ations is largely proportionate tothrottle position and trim, and wefound that at midrange speeds andhigher, we had to keep the drivetucked in or the bow would float andbegin to porpoise.

Bottom line is that she’s only an18-footer; as long as you slow down

through the rough patches, you’ll be fine.When we dropped the hammer, the

Q4’s 135 hp MerCruiser/Alpha pack-age stepped lively, and visibility whileseated remained unobstructed frominitial holeshot through top end. A21-inch-pitch, three-blade aluminumwheel spun our boat’s tach to 4800while painting 43.3 mph across ourGPS. OK... so it’s not the kind of topend that will have you bragging from

your barstool,but just goahead andmention howlittle you paid.

Whether per-forming lazy Sturns or carv-ing doughnuts,the Tahoedeliveredsporty han-dling, andreminded usjust how nimble

holding sunscreen, iPods and such),and an optional Ritchie compass (asteal at $70). Positioned as one of theuppermost gauges, it’s directly withinthe driver’s line of sight — right whereit should be.

The Sirius-ready Jensen AM/FM/CDstereo includes an MP3 jack, andpumps tunes through two speakerslocated near the rear seats. Besides asmall sunpad atop the engine box, thenoteworthy thing back here is the self-draining wet/dry locker under thecenter seat. It’s the perfect place tostash wetsuits, dripping ski lines oryappy little dogs. Tahoe’s nonskid solehouses a ski locker, and the deckdrains to the bilge via scuppers in theaft cockpit — two features you’llappreciate when watersports are theactivity du jour.

Although the boat’s pod-shaped,bowrider backrests are a tad firm anddon’t offer much in the way of lower-back support, we applaud the lift-offseat cushions that provide access toinsulated lockers below. Nothingunusual, you say? Perhaps... untilMason points out the unexpected:The Q4 features stainless press-in fit-tings to hold the cushions securely inplace. Another cool touch is a fore-

peak cushion that unsnaps toreveal a boarding step. Bothare welcome additions.

All told, the Tahoe Q4 SS is abasic but richly featuredbowrider at an uncommonlyattractive price. Whether you’rejust starting out in boating, get-ting back into the sport after anabsence, or simply downsizingto a smaller, more manageablecraft, one taste of the Q4 andyou’ll be hungry for more. Andno worries about barbecuingalongside the Joneses, either —because with the Tahoe’s good-looking lines and jazzy colorschemes, this dish serves upplenty of sizzle to go with thatfull-flavored steak.

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Tahoe, Dept. TBM, 2500 E. Kearney St., Springfield,MO 65803; 417/873-5900; tahoesportboats.com

MerCruiser, Dept. TBM, P.O. Box 1959, Fond du Lac,WI 54936; 800/MERCURY; mercurymarine.com

ENGIN

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1000 4.9 0.9 5.4 97

1500 5.7 1.1 5.2 93

2000 7.9 2.3 3.4 61

2500 11.8 3.5 3.4 61

3000 23.2 4.4 5.3 95

3500 28.2 5.3 5.3 95

4000 33.2 6.9 4.8 86

4500 39.6 9.7 4.1 73

4800 (WOT) 43.3 11.6 3.7 661Based on 90% fuel capacity

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SPECIFICATIONSTAHOE Q4 SUPER SPORTBase Price (w/ 3.0L MerCruiser, trailer) $15,995 Price as Tested $16,690Length 18’ 1”Beam 7’ 7”Deadrise at Transom 16ºWeight (incl. trailer) 2697 lbs.Draft (drive up) 17”Fuel Capacity 20 gals.Maximum Horsepower 135

NMMA Certified Yes

NOTABLE STANDARD EQUIPMENTColor-matched single-axle trailer; nonskiddeck; Sirius-capable AM/FM/CD stereo withMP3 jack; adjustable bucket seats; integratedswimstep

NOTABLE OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT Stainless-frame Bimini top; Richie compass

ENGINE AS TESTEDMake 3.0L MerCruiser/AlphaHorsepower 135Number of Cylinders I-4Displacement 3.0L (181 cid)Weight 635 lbs.Gear Ratio 2.0:1WOT RPM Range 4400-4800Propellers 141⁄4x21” aluminum 3-blade

TEST RESULTSTOP SPEED (mph) 43.3SOUND MEASUREMENTS (dBa)Idle at Helm (900 rpm) 73Idle at Transom (900 rpm) 74Cruise at Helm (3500 rpm) 91WOT at Helm (4800 rpm) 102

1Spry handling and surprisingacceleration

Instrument glare off windshield isdistracting

Bucket seats cradle hips forsupportive, secure feel

Bow backrest cushions need better lower-back support

Corrosion-protected trailer isstandard

we found easy to read on the fly.Our only suggestion for improvementwould be to use a somewhat lessref lective dash fascia, because weexperienced some instrument glareoff the windshield. Two things wereally liked were the handy catchallbasins on the helm and passengerconsoles (which are ideal for

n The ski locker isn’t the roomiest we’ve seenand may not accept wakeboards with high-wrapbindings, but that’s understandable — you’re onlyworking with 18 feet of boat here.

Tahoe>q4 ss