2016 Sea-Doo GTX Limited 300 Review

The ultimate combination of luxury and power

Sea-Doo released a trio of new models using the latest 300hp Rotax engine for 2016. Two are unabashed performance rides as you’d expect. One, however, takes a more interesting route, aiming to offer a little more oomph to the ultimate luxury customer.

Time to see what’s different about the all-new GTX Limited 300.

Cut Above

The engine is the obvious news so let’s save it for later and delve into what makes the Limited truly unique.

Always a model that aimed at the elite customer, the Limited continues to promise the ultimate in comfort. Much of that comfort starts below the waterline. The GTX hull design is a deep-V wonder that mixes big-water prowess with a smooth ride up top and still retains impressive cornering ability. Tour, tow, carve, head offshore, it does it all, and does it with a mix of comfort, predictability, and finesse on par with its toughest rivals.

The deep-V hull of the GTX Limited 300 smoothes out rough water and carves a tight corner.

As to changes, the saddle is obvious. It’s still tiered to position successive riders higher than the last for more comfort and a better forward view, and still heavily bolstered to provide lower-back support and position riders into their own unique position. But up front, the saddle shows the influence of Sea-Doo’s ErgoLock concept with a narrower profile. A narrower design means drivers can take a more natural position, with knees closer together rather than forced wide. It’s not only more comfortable long term, but getting the legs into this position also allows riders to transfer a good deal of the force during high-speed, aggressive turns from the weaker upper body to the stronger lower half. You can literally turn more aggressively at higher speeds and not only stay in better control, but also experience less fatigue.

A heavily bolstered seat narrows at the front, allowing riders to keep their knees closer together for a more natural riding position.

Rounding out the ergonomic benefits is four-position tilt steering. Angle it to match your height or style, tilt it up when you’re standing for rough water or down when you’re trying to get really aggressive. On the left handlebar find Sea-Doo’s performance-oriented variable trim. It adjusts the boat’s running attitude quickly and effectively, with the added benefit of two preset positions. Trim down for best acceleration, then jump to the high-speed preset to raise the running angle for better top speed, all without ever taking your eyes off the water or hands off the bars.

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2015 Yamaha FX Cruiser SVHO

As to the long-running Limited “extras,” Sea-Doo continues to package together a mix of unique accessories. Those items include cool retractable mooring lines, a glovebox organizer, safety kit, removable dry bag, custom cover, and additional gauge functions like depth, time/distance to empty, altitude, and water temperature. Limited models also get an exclusive Jet Black Metallic and Deep Pewter Satin coloration, an upscale combo intended to set the craft apart from its peers.

The GTX Limited 300 comes with loads of storage space.

Wealth Of Features

As to features that may seem “limited” but in fact are found throughout the line, the 300 includes both Intelligent Throttle Control and Intelligent Brake and Reverse.

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2015 Sea-Doo GTX Limited iS 260

Rely on the former to choose your acceleration curve, from mild to wild, or activate an ECO setting to automatically determine the most economical power delivery. Electronic throttle also makes possible cruise control and a no-wake mode, both of which eliminate throttle finger fatigue. Cruise control is also beneficial for tow sports. Count on the latter to provide stopping power while underway, shortening stopping distance by about 160’ by using a spoiler and the reverse gate to act as a brake. iBR also mimics traditional gears in that it lets the craft start in neutral, and then shift to forward or reverse without, like trim, ever taking your eyes off the water or hands off the bars. iBR, and now Yamaha’s RiDE system, truly offer a superior level of control in close-quarter situations and take the stress out of docking.

Elsewhere the Limited includes a hinged saddle for easy engine access, a fold-down reboarding step, a watertight removable storage bin, ski tow eye, full-featured information display, and digitally encoded radio-frequency lanyard “key.” A simple, but welcome addition for ’16? Extended palm rests on the handgrips. They add to the overall ride comfort (but in fairness, do prevent varying your grip angle).

Prepare The Yacht Club

And now to that engine. Previously the Limited topped out at 215hp, with buyers only able to get the 260hp version in the suspension-equipped Limited iS 260. But clearly the brand now feels that there’s a market for the Limited model with the ultimate power available, and for 2016 that power comes in the form of the all-new Rotax 1630 ACE.

Powering the GTX Limited 300 is the new Rotax 1630 ACE engine, which produces a claimed 300 horsepower.

With the identical bore but a longer stroke than the previous top-of-the-line 260hp engine, it produces 15% more power with added assistance from a more efficient intercooler, more efficient supercharger, increased cooling, and multiple upgrades to strength and reliability, including plasma-coated cylinders. Limited in the U.S. market to a 67 mph top speed in good conditions, it nonetheless proves noticeably different than the previous Rotax 1503 in the midrange. The longer stroke provides more torque, and the engine avoids any hesitation when powering over a wake or pushing the boat out of a tight, high-speed turn. Punch the throttle and you feel it come on – strong – with no gaps in delivery.

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2015 Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 310X SE

Is there anything to dislike? Not really. iBR’s former hesitation between forward, neutral and reverse has almost been eliminated in the second generation so that the craft flows much more quickly between motions. A new bucket design also eliminates much of the bow drop, or plowing, that occurred with previous models. Storage? The design now offers 42.8 gallons of capacity, a big improvement over the previous 13.7.

Only the Limited extras can really be questioned. Having a manufacturer piece together and charge for certain accessories may not always appeal to those who feel they could spend the same money on different items that are perhaps more appropriate to them.

But overall, the craft for the elite PWC rider is still very much the same, just with more power and the ergonomic improvements that will allow riders to truly experience it.

The Yacht Club better be ready.