The Essex shows off a very elegant passenger area that integrates flowing shapes, soft padding and elongated recessed panels in to a design that is alive with original thought, without falling over the top. Drink holders and incidental storage inset into panels. The design's sweeping surfaces merge and culminate at the backs of the smoothly sculpted buckets, where they create natural ventilating chambers or a rear facing jumper seat. its a very appealing much of rich, soft surfaces and shapely textures. Per Essex tradition the cockpit was neatly carpeted. The engine compartment is gel coated, making for a very clean prevention of the MerCruiser hardware.

The sectioned rear bench featured a very nice bit of stitching pattern, and, once again, Essex's upholsterers scored best possible marks for work that they toss off as routine." It not only looks great," but it's a very comfortable boat to drive. It goes along with the whole feel of the boat-easy to drive and a lot of comfort and visual appeal.

So what about those chambered seats? They work, actually-temperatures hovered in the 90s during this year's test event, and the ventilation made a real difference. We didn't ride in them for hours on end, but as far as we could tell, the carved areas didn't detract a bit from the Essex's typically stratospheric ratings for passenger comfort and interior. Essex builds their interiors in-house, and, in our experience, their quality control is superior. The triple stitched, ventilated vinyl is soft to the touch and packed with support.

Combined with a bow seating section that is shaped in the image of one very relaxed rider per side, or three seated, and the jumper seating, this is a high capacity ride- and the bottom design which blends a stepped keel with a versatile, 20-degree lake bottom, brings plenty of natural supporting lift to the task.

Essex likes to use polished aluminum in their interiors, a look that lends to the boats upscale texture. Most of it is Eddie Marine stock, like the switch panels and trim metal. Gaffrig controls and gauges(with polished bezels) are standard, and a Dino wheel supports the deluxe feel, and tilt steering adapted to our team's varying driver dimensions. A passenger-side Alpine CD system is standard, along with an extensive interior lighting system.

The Valor has a larger gear locker built lengthwise into the cockpit floor, alongside an insulated ice chest. There is quite a bit of storage built into it all of it neatly finished, with no ragged edges.

Every Essex is also equipped with dual batteries, storage cover and bimini top. They have a new highway partner: Essex is now using Zieman trailers, which has made a legitimate bid into the custom realm with a beautifully finished hauler that included aluminum star wheels, low-profile TA meat, chrome fenders, diamond plating and a swing-away hitch.