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Yamaha is known for building some of the best jet boats around, and the AR190 is one of their uber-popular models. Spend a day wave-hopping, wakeboarding, and joyriding around in one and you’ll quickly realize why: whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or a relaxation maven, the AR190 fits the bill.
Yamaha photo
Yamaha AR190 Key Features
Unlike most boat builders, rather than offer lots of customization and options Yamaha offers different models with different trim levels, more like what we usually see in the automotive market. They have five different 190s and the AR is second in the lineup. That means it has the same basic power, specifications, layout, and accessories as the base model, but it gets rigged for watersports fun with the addition of Yamaha’s Watersports Tower, a windshield rearview mirror, and the option for board racks on the tower.
Don’t let the boat’s near-entry-level position in the lineup fool you. Yamaha is known for outfitting their jetboats with plenty of accessories, and that’s certainly true in this case. Standard features include a five-inch Connext display, a four-speaker stereo system, a Bimini top, snap-in marine-grade carpet, an integrated ski locker, a pedestal dinette table, an integrated cooler, courtesy lighting, a 12-V outlet, and a painted single-axle trailer with a swing-away tongue. Note that with the tongue folded the entire length of the rig is 19’5”, so the AR190 is a garage-ready package.
The powerplant is one of Yamaha’s newest, a four-cylinder four-stroke 1.9L High Output Yamaha engine displacing 1898cc, which produces 200 hp and blasts water through a 155 mm high-pressure pump. Along with it you get several signature Yamaha features including a three-position No Wake mode, Cruise Assist, and an articulating keel for enhanced handling.
Yamaha photo
Yamaha AR190 Performance
Released in 2023, the new 1.9L engine provides a boost from the 1812cc engine previously used for this jet boat lineup thanks to increased displacement, a 10-percent larger throttle body, and optimized intake and exhaust paths. As with any boat of this size, speeds will vary depending upon load and conditions, but you can count on zipping across the water in the 30s when cruising and, if you open the throttle all the way up, hitting top-end speeds in the mid-40s.
As is true with many jet boats, however, sheer speed isn’t the biggest performance highlight. Instead, it’s the handling that usually attracts thrill seekers. Boats with props simply can’t carve out the same razor-sharp turns, blast off in different directions with a jerk on the wheel, and jump onto plane from a dead stop in a few mere seconds. Driving a jet boat versus driving a prop boat is like the difference between driving a pick-up truck versus a sports car.
Yamaha photo
Yamaha AR190 Description
Working from stern to bow, the Yamaha AR190 has the builder’s standard integrated multi-level swim platform with two curved bolsters capping off the back of the transom to create a pair of aft-facing seats (for use when the boat is at rest, only). The upper level is covered in foam decking so it has a grippy surface that’s comfortable to sit on, and the center section includes a hatch that rises up on a gas-assist strut to access the jet drive’s intake cleanout port. Yamaha also pre-installs hardware for their optional “swim-up” in-water seats, and a telescopic swim ladder slides out from under the platform.
Step up into the cockpit and you’ll find seating for five with an L-shaped seat running along the transom and port side, plus an adjustable captain’s chair with a flip-up bolster. The ski locker is integrated into the deck up near the helm and forward between the consoles, there’s a mount for the removable dinette table, and the back of the passenger’s console is bolstered for leaning back in an aft-facing position. The center section of the aft seating rises up to access the engine, and there’s a spot for a removable cooler under the portside seat.
The bow cockpit features two flanking forward-facing seats plus a centered aft-facing seat. The port and starboard inwales are bolstered so it’s also comfortable to sit center-facing. You can drop a filler into the center to turn the entire bow into a sunpad, with room for two to stretch out.
Yamaha photo
Yamaha AR190 Pros and Cons
The AR190 has a number of pros we’ve already touched on, highlighted by the sporty handling, thorough equipping, copious seating, and watersports aplomb. Another strong suit is simply the fact that it’s a Yamaha jet boat with epic popularity, which means it will likely always be in demand and retain a solid resale value on the used boat market.
On the con side, the most obvious shortfall is that the boat doesn’t have a head compartment. Truth be told, this model is simply too small and if any 19’ boat with a bowrider layout manages to shoe-horn one in, we haven’t seen it yet. Some might also consider it a con that the AR190 doesn’t have some of the touches of the higher trim level models, like a swim platform stereo remote and GPS mapping functionality in a larger Connext display, but of course perks like that are what you pay extra for. Finally, consider noise levels. Older jet boats used to be exceptionally loud at high speed, but Yamaha has made a concerted effort to bring those sound levels down and they’ve made substantial improvements. That said, the jets still do run louder and with a higher pitch than most boats of this size and nature that are powered with a stern-drive or outboard.
Yamaha photo
Why Buy the Yamaha AR190 Used
Whether to buy any boat new versus used is a personal decision revolving around budgetary constraints and risk tolerance. In the case of the Yamaha AR190, as of early 2025 Yamaha was listing the boat’s price online for $40,999. By today’s standards that seems like a very reasonable price for a new fully featured 19-footer with a trailer.
Still, saving money is always tempting and a quick look at used Yamaha AR190 boats for sale on Rightboat shows that you can save quite a bit, even on boats that don’t have too much age on them, by buying used. Boats just four or five years old tend to be listed at about 20- to 25-percent less than new ones, and boats with a decade or so of age tend to list for slightly more than half as much as new models.
Yamaha AR190 Technical Specifications
- Length – 19’5”
- Beam – 8’2”
- Displacement – 2,434 lbs.
- Draft – 1’3”
- Transom deadrise – 18 degrees
- Fuel capacity – 40 gal.
The Yamaha AR190 will prove to be an excellent choice for countless jet-boat-loving watersports enthusiasts, as evidenced by its popularity. Those who want a less expensive option and are happy to pull water toys, skiers, or boarders from a transom tow hook as opposed to the tower can save around $3,000 by dropping to the SX190. If more power is more better in your book, jumping up to the SX195 or the AR195 maintains trim levels and gets you a supercharged SVHO 1.8L engine with more jolt (but boosts price by around $7,000), and going to the 195S gets you to the top shelf model with the more potent engine, the tower, and all the perks (for $9,300 more than the AR190).
See all Yamaha AR190 boats for sale on Rightboat.
