SONIC 220 Sportster

Powerboat Magazine/ December 1997

PROPER PROPORTIONS

American Marine Industries extended the small end of its Sonic USA model line with the exciting 220 Sportster.

Downsizing remains a trend in corporate America. If you want to succeed and turn a bigger profit, trim the fat, get lean and mean. At least that's what those high-priced consultants, who come in and charge fees that are more than your company's payroll, will tell you.

The folks at American Marine Industries, who own Sonic USA, have taken a different approach to downsizing. Instead of cutting its model line, they expanded it with smaller boats. The manufacturer discovered people were asking for smaller offerings they could use on lakes and rivers, so the company came full circle and returned to its small-boat origins.

When J. Ross, the general manager at the company, first founded Sonic USA in 1976 (American bought in 1992), he did so with a 21' jetboat. After concentrating primarily on big boats after that, he decided to go small again in 1998 with the new 220 Sportster. The new boat measures 22' down the centerline with a beam of 8' and has a two-seater sportscar feel.

At last year's Miami Boat Show, Ross came out with the closed-deck version, which he brought to our Performance Trials at Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa in Fort Meyers, Fla. The boat also will be offered in an open-bow for skiing and more cruise-oriented pursuits. Ross said the ski version has sold more with a small-block, while more the sportboats have left the shop with a 454 Magnum MPI.

The price difference is certainly noteworthy. Our test model with a 7.4L MPI went for $32,995, whi8le the small-block equipped boat fetches a price of $29,995. Ross said the only options offered are the different engines.

WORKMANSHIP

Like all Sonics, the 220 Sportster is built in three pieces, the hull, the deck and a liner that comprises the cockpit and cabin. (Because our test model was the prototype it didn't have the cabin, but future models will.) Additionally, the cockpit liner included the bases for the bench seat, the buckets and the throttle console.

Sonic laid up the hull with a divinycell foam core and multiple layers of biaxial glass wetted with vinylester resin. Before the cockpit liner was bonded to the stringers, all open cavities were filled with floatation foam. Next, the deck was laid on, and all the components were glassed together.

Given the rounded look of the foredeck, we applaud Sonic for the 220 Sportster's smooth mold work. The white gelcoat shone brightly in the Florida sun, and all the accents were done in tape. All the hardware on the boat that could be was thru-bolted, and the offshore-style rubrail was properly installed. Only a race-style fairing would work on a sportboat, and our test model sported a plastic piece inset into a molded recess in the deck. We noticed a couple of small gaps filled with silicone and chalked that up to working with a prototype.

Because the manufacturer used the floatation foam under the cockpit sole, we weren't surprise to find a saddle-style fuel tank on each side of the engine compartment. Opened by a pair of hydraulic actuators, the hatch raised high to give our inspectors a good look at the powerplant in the 220 Sportster. The 7.4L MPI engine was installed with cast aluminum boxes thru-bolted to the center stringers with a reinforcing backing plate and the standard transom assembly.

Run along the transom and starboard stringer, the wiring was well-supported, and a Pollack fuel value will let operators switch between tanks. Following the harness forward, we found adequate wiring behind the dash and dual-cable rotary steering on the helm.

INTERIOR

When it comes to the 220 Sportster's accommodations, what you see at the docks is what you get. Two buckets and the bench seat provided for four or five passengers. A padded sunlounge could be ordered.

The fuel tanks on each side of the motor meant no stowage in the engine compartment, but there was space in a dual-opening locker in the bench-seat base, although the starboard side was cluttered with the drive trim pump, battery and battery switch. Carpeted gunwale trays were properly bulkheaded and quite spacious, which owners will appreciate. An in-sole ice chest should help save space that would have been taken up by a portable cooler, and it drained overboard. Convenience-oriented items included cupholders for the drive and co-pilot and in the armrests on the bench seat, which also sported a courtesy light in the base. We would have like to have seen a glove box or similarly sized lockable stowage.

While both bucket seats adjusted fore and aft, only the co-pilot's seat to starboard swiveled. We noted some glare on the Faria gauges set in an all-white dash. The complement featured the tach and speedo, plus the usual assortment of engine-monitoring instruments and twin fuel gauges for the two tanks. All accessory switches were easily reached in a single column to the right of the wheel. A Stainless Marine mechanical trim indicator featured illuminated pointers for the tabs and drive and was centrally located so a throttleman could see it if the boat was being run by two people.

Set in a molded console between the buckets, the controls were a comfortable reach from either seat. Drive- and tab-trim buttons were located just ahead. Our test model had trim buttons on the wheel. Further 220 Sportsters will feature trim on the throttle handle.

You can't have a sportboat without a stereo, and Sonic obliged with an in-dash Clarion unit just below a stainless grab handle on the starboard dash and speakers in the bench-seat base. For reboarding after a dip on a hot day, the twin swim steps were set at water level. We would still like to see some type of ladder, or at least a grab handle, to ease reboarding.

PERFORMANCE

With 18-degree deadrise, the 3,600-pound 220 Sportster should be able to handle lake and river chop reasonably well. It doesn't have the freeboard of other sportboats, which made the boat feel smaller, but for enthusiasts who want that true hot rod feel, it's a kick.

Given Sonic's reputation for solid construction, we were a little surprised at how much water noise we heard off the bottom when it ran through chop. The design had a 12"-wide modified-pad at the transom that tapered into the V as it extended forward. Both pairs of 2' strakes ran full length, spaced equidistant from the keel to the chine. The transom featured a small-extended pod to accommodate the drive and an 8" notch.

A pair of Bennett trim tabs mounted parallel to the water's surface instead of along the angle of the bottom of the boat lent an added element of control, which isn't a bad idea when you've got 310 hp in a 22' boat. The big-block was coupled to a Bravo One drive spinning a 14 1/4 x 27 Mirage stainless three-blade propeller through 1.5:1 gears. In radar runs, the 220 Sportster lived up to its slick image, hitting 74.3 mph at 4600 on the Stalker gun. The marketing-oriented speedo was pegged at 81. Running the power curve, we saw speeds of 5 mph at 1000, 7 at 1500, 21 at 2000, 34 at 2500, 42 at 3000, 53 at 3500, 63 at 4000 and 73 at 4500. As long as we didn't run wide open, where we saw a fuel usage rate of 2.8 miles per gallon, our test boat had good range. It burned 4.7 mpg at 25, 4.3 at 35 and 4.2 at 45.

Acceleration tests uncovered numbers of 13 mph in three seconds, 20 in five, 40 in 10 and 55 in 15, but throttle response suffered a little due to the big propeller. The best planing time we could achieve was 6.3 seconds with the tab deployed. We set the tabs at neutral when running at reasonably slow speeds and used them when cruising to minimize a slight porpoising tendency. The 220 Sportster tracked best at higher speeds, but was a little slippery at slower settings.

In slalom turns, the 220 Sportster barely stayed on plane for the 20-mph test, but at 30 and 40, it received passing marks. In circle turns at cruising and high speeds, the boat felt better, but still seemed like it was sliding just a hair. It also performed the turns better to the left than to the right. Around the docks, on the other hand, backing into a slip couldn't have been easier. From the driver's seat, we felt that lumbar support was a little exaggerated, and that the padding could have been thicker. On takeoff our visibility was compromised because of the bowrise, but when we were running, we had a pretty good look at what was coming.

Our test driver did like the dash layout and thinks the trim button on the throttle will be the way to go with the 220 Sportster.

OVERALL

Downsizing may be seen as soulless 1990s' necessity, but Sonic USA applied this trend positively with the 220 Sportster. It has more of a sportscar feel than some boats in its category, and you'll have a tough time finding a better-built offering in the class.

WORTH NOTING

Three-piece construction with the hull, deck and inner liner is the closest you can get to unitized construction, and it improves fit and finish.

The 220 Sportster is available in open- or closed-bow configurations to please a wide variety of buyers.

A top speed of nearly 75 mph with MerCruiser's mellowest big-block is downright impressive and could keep the boat with the price range of those on a budget.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT: Dual-cable power steering, battery and switch, automatic bilge pump and blower, stainless prop, electric hydraulic engine hatch, twin fuel tanks with switchover value, hydraulic trim tabs, engine flush, full instrumentation, trim and tab indicators, Kiekhaefer controls, stereo, cup holders, molded cooler with cushion, twin bucket seats, non-skid floor with lay-in carpet, molded windshield, courtesy light, tonneau cover.

OPTIONS ON TEST BOAT: Upgrade to MerCruiser 7.4L MPI ($3,000)

ENGINES: Model MerCruiser 7.4L MPI Cylinder type V-8 Cubic inch displacement 454 c.i. Lower unit gear ratio 1.5:1 Max. prop horsepower @ rpm 310 at 4600 Propeller Mercury Marine Mirage 14 1/4" x 27" three-blade stainless

SOUND LEVEL: 82 dBA (open)

FUEL CAPACITY: 70 gallons

TEST CONDUCTED AT SANIBEL ISLAND, FLORIDA.