Tiara 43 LE

The Great Lakes have a long and storied maritime history, so it should be no surprise that Michigan has been the source of many significant contributions to the pleasure boating industry.

Based on Michigan’s western coast, Tiara Yachts has been building high- quality, great-performing luxury powerboats for over 50 years.

In response to a growing demand for pleasure boats, Leon Slikkers, founder of Tiara Yachts, was an early adopter of fiberglass and composite construction while at the helm of his first company, SlickCraft.

Today, Tiara Yachts is one of the boating industry’s true gems and perfectly embodies the Slikkers family’s commitment to producing some of the finest pleasure boats on the water.

With all of that in mind, I arrived at the company’s Holland, Michigan, waterfront venue for a test ride on the newly redesigned Tiara 43 LE, which was given a facelift for the 2025 model year.

The Tiara docks were populated with the company’s latest models, but the 43 LE, or Luxury Express, was easy to spot. I stopped walking one slip short and stepped out on a finger dock to get a good look.

First impressions

The boat looked really sharp with its dark blue-gray hull and white exterior color scheme. Tiara always seems to find the perfect balance of straight lines and curves, and the 43 LE is a great example.

At the transom, two Mercury 600-hp outboards leave a good amount of space for swim platform foot traffic and sit low enough to blend well with the lines of the hull. There is plenty of room ahead of the engines for boarding, getting in and out of the water, or making good use of an aft-mounted grill.

The 43 LE also features a starboard hullside boarding door and step pads on both sides to make it easy to board from any dock.

In the cockpit, the test boat featured Tiara’s U-shape Buffet Lounge module. The seating can be spun on its centerline to several positions, including one that gives an unobstructed view without including the outboard engines. The seating can also face to port, where a large folding hullside terrace adds a considerable amount of space to the already roomy cockpit.

The aft end of the Buffet Lounge houses an electric grill, while lifting the compartment door below the grill opens a large trunk with plenty of space for life jackets, spare lines and fenders.

The Buffet Lounge module can also be replaced with an Adventure module, which includes a work surface, a cutting board, a 30-gallon livewell, rod holders and other details aimed toward fishing.

Two comfortable seats flank the cabin’s sliding access door, which opens to starboard. To port, an electrically actuated window drops down so that almost all of the salon’s aft end is open. This gives the salon an open, airy feel and makes the cockpit and salon feel like one space.

Both aft seats hide finished, insulated storage compartments, while an optional refrigerated cooler box is available for the starboard side. Drink holders are plentiful, while USB A and C charging ports are easy to find.

A large panel in the cockpit floor provides easy access to a machinery space, which includes a 7.5-kw diesel generator and maintenance items like pumps, tanks and pickups. There is also plenty of room for an optional Seakeeper gyro system.

Inside feels like outside

Inside, the salon, helm and galley are nearly entirely surrounded by glass. The result is a very well-lit space, and with the back window and door open, the area feels airy and bright. The forward windows can be opened to provide passive venting, while the huge sunroof brings even more of the outside in.

On the aft starboard side, the galley is comfortable and usable with an induction cooktop, more cold storage than expected, and lots of extra storage close at hand. Also to starboard, a 43-inch hi-low TV can be hidden when not in use to maximize the view and light in the salon.

To port, the salon seating can be easily converted from a forward-facing passenger seat into an additional lounge seat, or the entire lounge can be converted into a comfortable berth. This setup makes the space even more versatile and comfortable.

In control

The helm is well designed with important switches within reach. Two 16-inch Garmin GPSMAP touchscreens provide navigation and controls, while an optional third display can be placed on the passenger side.

The joystick controls for the big Mercs, the bow thruster and other features like Zipwake’s dynamic trim system are all easy to access and well-placed around the adjustable wheel.

Down a few short steps is easy access to a large head with an enclosed shower. A hullside window with an opening porthole makes the space even more comfortable. Forward, a very roomy owner’s stateroom includes a queen bed and lots of storage everywhere.

Turning aft, a very large private mid- cabin for guests includes a full-size bed, lounge and TV, with plenty of light streaming through a hullside window.

Although the guest quarters are not full-height, the mid-cabin entryway is, providing guests with a roomy, full-height space to make dressing easy and private.

Underway on a beautiful day

It would be hard to imagine a better day for a boat ride on Lake Michigan. Clear skies and cooler temperatures made for a beautiful day, especially since a light breeze left Lake Michigan nearly flat.

We headed out of Lake Macatawa, past Big Red, Holland’s famous lighthouse, and out to the big lake’s glassy surface.

The first thing I noticed was the incredibly silent ride. Mercury 600s are impressively quiet engines, but there was so little noise from the hull as it crossed the few ripples and our own wake that it caught me by surprise.

A few hard turns gave a clear picture of the boat’s handling and stability, which were exactly what I’d expect from a Tiara. The big Merc outboards also pushed the boat quickly up on plane with minimal effort and almost no bow rise.

Throttling up, it took little time for the boat to top out at just under 50 mph, where the boat felt perfectly at home and gave a smooth, dry, extremely comfortable ride. Even coming off plane, there was never a loss of visibility over the bow.

Back at the dock

The 2025 43 LE is nicely equipped right out of the factory but can also be ordered with a nice selection of options such as FLIR thermal imaging and electrically foldable antennas so people can rig the boat to match their wants and needs. Paint colors are also customizable with a wide variety of choices available to personalize the boat. The 43 LE is even pre-wired for Starlink satellite internet if connectivity is important.

The previous version of the 43 LE was a beautiful boat so it’s hard to imagine a big improvement. However, for 2025, Tiara managed to take a finely polished gem and bring out an even brighter shine.