The new 48 LE, the flagship of Tiara’s outboard-powered lineup, lives up to the company’s hard-earned reputation for overbuilding its boats. It will wow you just as much with its seakeeping as it will with its luxurious amenities.
Let’s start with the coolest feature, the power-actuated rotating lounge module in the aft cockpit. With the push of a button, you can rotate it a full 180 degrees. But its unique tracking system lets you stop and lock it in place at any angle. Facing forward, it creates a great conversation pit with the aft-facing lounges under the hardtop. Facing aft, it provides a great view off the transom while lounging at anchor. Turned to port, it offers seating to enjoy the foldout terrace, another great feature that provides water access away from the outboards while at rest. The integrated swim ladder there makes for easy reboarding.
The salon under the hardtop is bathed in sunlight thanks to the 360-degree windows. Retract the sunroof to create a more open feel. The glass door to the salon slides open, and the window to starboard electrically retracts into the bulkhead for more airflow. Belowdecks, the master and guest suites are brightly lit thanks to the expansive windows built into the hullsides. The master stateroom has its own head with a separate stand-up shower, which has a built-in bench, as does the guest head.
At the helm, the captain sits at the doublewide seat with built-in teak toe kicks. The Garmin Marine Navigation System displays are easy to read at the dash and bolstered by companion MFDs at the settee to port. The deep-V sport hull tapers to 21 degrees of deadrise at the transom and handles rough water with aplomb.
The 48 LE is perfectly paired with a trio of 600 hp Mercury V-12 Verado outboards. It climbs onto plane in just 7.4 seconds and hits 30 mph in a sprightly 10.5 seconds. What’s more, the boat does not squat while coming out of the hole, so the captain never loses sight of the water from the helm. We hit a top-end of 52.5 on our test day; Tiara noted slightly higher speeds in its own sea trials.
High Points
- Mercury joystick is integrated with a bow thruster to make close-quarters handling a far easier task.
- Along with the boarding door built into the starboard gunwale, there’s a built-in cockpit step with a handhold to ensure an easy transfer from the dock to the boat.
- Power-actuated rotating lounge in the cockpit can lock in place in almost any position in the cockpit, helping maximize the entertainment possibilities.
How We Tested
- Engines: Triple 600 hp Mercury Verado V-12 outboards
- Drive/Props: Outboard/Verado 12 24.5″ duo props
- Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 442 gal. Water on Board: 100 gal. Crew Weight: 950 lb.
Pricing and Specs
| Price: | $1,997,370 (base with test power) |
| LOA: | 48’4″ |
| Beam: | 14’2″ |
| Draft (max): | 3’10” |
| Dry Weight: | 32,500 lb. |
| Seat/Weight Capacity: | Yacht Certified |
| Fuel Capacity: | 660 gal. |
