Beam: 8’6″
Dry Weight: 4,461 lb.
Seating/Weight Capacity: 17/4,591 lb.
Fuel Capacity: 58.7 gal. More Information: benningtonmarine.com Bill Doster
Though its perimeter is ringed with classic pontoon-boat fencing, Bennington’s 2552 QCWWA I/O has much in common with a luxury bowrider. Check out the full wrap-around windshield. It spans twin consoles with a familiar center walk-through. Forward, the fencing slopes down to the deck in a radius, rather than an abrupt vertical wall. Overhead, our test boat featured a clad, forward-sloping sport arch. And then there’s the obvious omission at the stern. Rather than a pontoon’s typical outboard, the 2552 QCWWA I/O features a Volvo Penta sterndrive tucked below an elevated stern deck that’s complete with luxurious, twin aft-facing lounges and ringed by a classy, stainless-steel perimeter rail.
Inside those rails, however, the 2552 QCWWA I/O plays to classic pontoon strengths. Forward, seating is abundant on twin parallel lounges, each featuring pillow-top upholstery, diamond-stitched lumbar insets, flip-down armrests with cup holders, and abundant storage below in the roto-molded seat bases. Both the captain and mate enjoy high-back helm seats with supportive bolsters. The port console offers a spacious Corian countertop, along with a stereo and multiple nooks for smaller items. The upscale helm is classic Bennington with a three-spoke tilt wheel and rich matte-wood accent panels. Those aforementioned aft lounges invite passengers to stretch out and relax, and feature yet more stowage below.
Our test boat was equipped with Bennington’s Elliptical Sport Package (ESP), which features an elliptically shaped, 32-inch center tube flanked by 25-inch outer pontoons. The effect gave this pontoon a deadrise angle. Cranking the wheel, it banked much like a V-hull, sweeping through turns with a pleasing inside lean. The 2552 QCWWA I/O also had the power to back up our first impression. A 430 hp Volvo Penta engine provided more than ample speed, pushing the boat to 30 mph in 7.2 seconds before ultimately topping out at 51 mph.
High Points
*Three-inch-tall cross members on 16-inch centers; Deutsch electrical connectors and underdeck wiring encased in conduit; stainless-steel cleats and stern corners.
*Massive stowage is found on board, including within both consoles and a cavernous center-tube ski locker.
*Sterndrive power allows for an unobstructed swim platform with a pop-up ski pylon.
How We Tested
Engines: Volvo Penta V8-430-CE
Drive/Props: Duoprop/F4 propset
Gear Ratio: 1.95:1
Fuel Load: 45 gal.
Crew Weight: 240 lb.
Price
$130,765 (as tested; $90,272 base)
Contact
Bennington Pontoons Elkhart, Indiana; 888-906-2628; benningtonmarine.com
