2024 Bennington 20 SVL-SPS

Boat Reviews

Boat Review by: Rick Layzell

Bennington is one of the pioneers that brought explosive growth to the pontoon boat market. Over the years, the brand has evolved from building basic pontoon boats to incorporating all the luxuries your dreams can imagine. With models ranging from 16 to 30 feet and configured in over 350 unique interior and exterior layouts, Bennington truly has something for everyone in the pontoon category. As the market has grown, Bennington has never lost sight of the importance of the first-time buyer – the family who perhaps has never owned a pontoon, or perhaps has never owned a boat at all.

For 2024, Bennington is introducing the 20SVL, a boat aimed directly at meeting the demands of today’s first-time buyer and, with the use of user-friendly, comfort focused appointments, keeping that buyer in the Bennington family for years to come.

Let’s look at the basics – the 20SVL boasts an overall length of 21’11.5” and carries a full 8’6” beam, meaning she will have no problem fitting in your garage. Her standard pontoon tubes are 25”, which will afford you ride comfort in any normal conditions, and she can handle up to 150 HP on her transom. A grand total of 11 friends can partake on the 20SVL while you venture out on your favourite, or new, waterway.

From the outside looking in, she is striking at the dock. Bennington has appointed the exterior fencing with sleek multi-angled 1.25” anodized rails, giving this package a look they call ‘dock speed’. The dynamic design makes this boat look like she’s going fast while she’s sitting still. Robust 6” stainless steel cleats will keep her secure at your dock until you’re ready to go play again.

Her interior appointments are supple and luxurious with Simtex two-tone vinyl upholstery, which is designed to make management and maintenance a breeze. No need to worry if the kids spill a little something - Simtex is easy to clean. The soft touch vinyl also cools quickly on hot summer days. I was immediately drawn to her lounge seats, which are uniquely designed with built-in storage. There are multiple textures and foams for our comfort in both the backrest and seat design, but what’s truly unique is the lumbar section. Bennington has cleverly incorporated full-length storage – in both the bow section lounges and the mid cockpit L-shaped lounger. These also include beverage holders and storage trays for cell phones or other devices, with a clean design that accommodates gear without necessarily having to access the under-seat storage. Think of a cool summer morning that starts with a hoody – as the day warms up the hoody rests neatly in this storage space. The same would apply for guests with a purse, small backpack, or even swim towels.

Looking at the storage space itself, it’s plentiful and designed to take care of your gear. You’ll enjoy storage under both forward loungers, the cockpit L-lounger, and our test boat was equipped with a 3rd tube which offered an additional cavernous storage for watersports gear. All storage compartments are rotomoulded and feature a self-draining design. I smiled when I noted that even the seat hinges are powder coated to protect your gear.

Her helm station is simple yet elegant, and the helm seat itself is plush and designed with solid ergonomics while also offering slide, swivel, and reclined options. It’s also well situated to readily access the binnacle mount throttle and shift control – positioning it for captain’s comfort was clearly one of the design teams goals. The three-spoke stainless steel wheel is wrapped and tilts to your preferred position. The helm itself is also rotomoulded and houses a trim, RPM, and fuel gauge, as well as a pair of cup holders, the Kicker sound system base, multiple toggle switches, cell phone base, 12V charger, and a dual USB/Aux charge port with cell phone storage.

When it’s time for shade the 20SVL comes standard with a full 10’ bimini top with trailering struts and a Surlast boot. With a quick release system, this bimini is readily deployed for comfort or tucked away for trailering. It’s simple and easy to use.

Yamaha’s 115 VMAX SHO was the four-stroke power of choice for our test boat, and she certainly didn’t disappoint. Our test day benefitted from calm waters and warm summer temperatures, so we headed out on the waters of Lake Wawasea, Indiana with plans to push her performance capabilities. We had three onboard for our running and performance testing, as well as a fuel tank reading 50% full. Multiple holeshot tests delivered consistent on plane results at just over 4 seconds, which is right where this package should land.

For cruising speeds, she carries what seems to be an endless range of capabilities. We found she would plane as low as 16 mph and her most comfortable cruising speeds were 18 and 23 mph. At 18 mph she was pulling 4,150 RPM, and I had her trimmed to just over half, while at 23 mph the Yamaha was purring along at 4,800 RPM with similar trim usage. Comfortable cruising speed really is a captain’s choice, and there are endless variances based on gear, passengers, winds, water, and air conditions. Our top speed was 33 mph at 6,050 RPM, and this was exactly what we expected for this package.

Where she really shone was running. When cruising at that 23 mph range, she really loves to get up and on top of the water. She cornered exceptionally well.

The Bennington 20SVL hits all the high notes for a first-time pontoon boat buyer with a no compromised approach to delivering exceptional value. This model, and the inevitable siblings that will come, are bound to be found in Bennington dealerships and proudly displayed at happy owners docks for years to come.

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