NUMBER OFOCCUPANTS:

14 $57.5K

MAXIMUMSPEED

WILDPONIES

NUMBEROF GATES

3

2575 RLi

Outstanding vinyl, loaded with

great features and did we mention

this pontoon performs too? The

Elliptical center pontoon will

impress you.

We love the rear washdown in the

corner of the rear seating, but because

it’s opposite of the starboard rear entry

we question the location.

Why We Love This Boat

Just Being Picky

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www.pdbmagazine.com

BenningtonPERFORMANCE PONTOONS

PRICE AS TESTEDWITH POWER

50.4MPH 350HP

26 PDB Magazine

Our First ImpressionSome boats just scream high-end

luxury and this is definitely one of

them. Bennington is celebrating its

10th anniversary this year and what

better way to celebrate than by intro-

ducing a new model?

Bennington has always been

about the little details and the finish-

ing touches, but you can now add

performance to the equation too

with its new Elliptical center pon-

toon. The handling was the biggest

surprise of our test, but we’ll get to

that in a minute.

Consumer TestFrom the two-tone vinyl to the two-

tone fiberglass helm, this Bennington

has an elegant feel from the moment

you come aboard. But let’s not forget

about the painted exterior panels or

the new raised graphics. The uphol-

stery is part of the Anniversary

Package and it comes from

Bennington’s top-of-the-line model,

the QXi series.

With the extended transom you

not only get more engine options and

better performance, but also more

space inside the boat. Under the

three-quarter length sundeck is a

large changing room with bench and

it also hides the extending ski pylon

that conveniently gets out of your way

when you’re not using it.

Bennington designs great consoles

and this one is no exception. The

automotive style helm dash is sporty-

looking and with that Anniversary

package you gain a Rockford Fosgate

stereo with four ultimate speakers.

Also part of the console is a Garmin

178c GPS, MP3 hookup, Yamaha

multi-function gauges, 12-volt and a

lockable glove box. The helm chair

that slides, swivels and reclines is a

perfect fit for this high-end boat.

One other key feature that is

unique as well as practical, is the LED

mood lights inside and LED lights on

the deck of the bow in a protective

covering. We also love the rear wash-

down with 20-foot hose, because

with an interior this nice you’re going

to want to rinse off before coming

aboard. We just question the loca-

tion of the washdown, which is the

corner rear seating, opposite of the

rear entry.

Inspection TestThe two outside pontoons are 25

inches in diameter and with the cen-

ter Elliptical 32-inch pontoon make

up the base of this boat. With the

center tube you get better displace-

ment and with the extended transom

you can increase the horsepower,

which we’ll be happy to elaborate on

in the performance section. The

weld quality is excellent as is the

below deck wiring.

There is over 18 feet of usable

deck space up top and the Rotocast

seat bases are bolted to the Plywood

deck. Like below, the wiring crafts-

manship under the fiberglass helm is

exceptional. There is pinch protec-

tion on all three gates and they lock

in the open and closed position.

Overall we consider this to be a very

safe and family-friendly vessel. As far

as the construction and fit and finish

work is concerned, it lived up to the

high expectations that Bennington

has set for itself. It’s well-built.

Performance TestOkay, now for the fun part. We

were excited to get our hands on

the combination of Bennington’s

new Elliptical hull and the new

Yamaha F350 V8 four-stroke. The

egg-shaped center pontoon creates

no problem for trailering or storage

because it doesn’t sit any lower than

the other two pontoons. With the

hydraulic assisted steering this pon-

toon can easily dive into the sharp

corners without any resistance and is

a fun boat to drive. The large

Yamaha outboard lived up to the

hype as well and it was great to see

such an powerful four-stroke engine

on a pontoon boat.

Final ThoughtsThis is a solid-built boat that goes

the extra mile with its fit and finish

work. It’s the perfect combination of

sport and luxury and that center pon-

toon design quickly closes the gap on

competitors with performance hulls.

We love the high-end luxury feel of

this pontoon and a lot of other peo-

ple will, too.

B O AT S P E C S

E N G I N E & P R O P E L L E R S

R P M v s . S P E E D v s . D B - A

$38,995 (boat and F150 engine)

LOA ..................................................25’ 6”Beam ................................................8’ 6”Hull Design ............................3 pontoonsDry Weight ................................3223 lbs.Fuel Capacity ........................33 gallons

Engine..............Yamaha F350 four-stroke

Cylinder Type ......................................V8

Displacement/HP ..............325.3ci/350hp

Lower Unit Gear Ratio ....................1.73:1

Propeller ..............................19 X 16 1/4 XL

Notable StandardsSix-inch custom Bennington stainless

steel cleats, ss corner castings, heavy-

duty rubrail, suspended “I” series transom,

Rockford Fosgate CD player with four

speakers, full instrumentation, Elliptical

Sport Package that includes 2 25-inch

tubes and a 32-inch Elliptical center tube,

hydraulic steering with power assist,

rounded keel, under deck wave shield,

performance foils and 25-inch transom,

LED mood lighting, adjustable pedestal

helm seat, reclining helm, 28-oz. Palm car-

pet, Playpen cover, bimini trailering struts,

polished docking lights and SRT plus stain

block vinyl

Options On Test BoatNone

2575 R

Li

PE

RF

OR

MA

NC

E P

ON

TO

ON

SBennin

gton

PDB

BASE RETAIL WITH STANDARDS

AS TESTED $57,526 (boat and motor)PRICE

500 ..................2.7 mph ......................74

1000 ..................6.9 mph....................76.5

1500 ..................7.8 mph ......................80

2000 ................12.5 mph ..................84.5

2500 ................17.8 mph ....................93

3000 ................23.2 mph ................95.5

3500 ................28.2 mph ................101.5

4000 ................32.5 mph ..................102

4500 ................37.5 mph ................102.5

5000 ................42.2 mph ..................107

5500 ................44.8 mph ..................108

6000 ................50.4 mph ....................111

2008 Shootout Special Issue 27