Toyota Epic SX - boats.com

The Toyota Epic SX boasts a deep-entry hull that reportedly cuts through rough water and provides a smooth ride.

If you like your Lexus 400 series automobile and you happen to be wakeboarder or water-skier, you might want to take a long look at the Toyota Epic SX. After all, it's powered by a marine version of the VT300I, the same 300-horsepower V-8 engine that powers the Lexus 400 line of luxury/performance cars.

Of course, there's more to appreciate about the Epic SX than its twin double-overhead camshaft, aluminum-block engine. For openers, the 22-footer is a V-drive, which delivers fine wakes — thanks to a standard integral ballast system — for wakeboarders. (Like the ballast system, a tower is standard.) With the ballast system empty and the Epic SX at slalom speeds, the wakes are small and soft enough to please demanding skiers.

The V-drive configuration also positions the motor all the way aft, which makes for maximum open space in the cockpit. With two people on the open-bow lounges, the boat can handle up to 10 passengers. Amenities include a stowable table and an integral cooler.

A 32-degree entry in the boat's Omega hull helps it cut through chop and soften the ride. Deadrise at the transom is 11 degrees.

Features of the Millennium dash at the helm include a four-in-one (fuel level, voltage, engine temperature and oil pressure) gauge, speedometer and a tachometer. There's also a computer-controlled LCD instrument that displays readings such as water depth and temperature, compass heading and GPS position.