Back to the main site

2017 R Series

N

North Carolina Mountains

New Member
Messages
4
Reaction score
3
I currently own a 2011 2275 GSW and was thinking about upgrading.  I have decided to go with the Bennington RSR, Harris Grand Mariner or Premier Intrigue.  I went to a boat show to investigate the 2017 Bennington and was underwhelmed.  Perhaps the upholstery (vinyl) is intended to be quite different, but it is much less comfortable than in the past.  I was also surprised the synthetic floor wasn't much different than lower end boats.  Before I overreact and buy elsewhere, any thoughts on the perceived quality issues?
 
Welcome to the forum. I see you're in Newton, I'm in Denver. Have you been to LKN Marina lately? We were there 2 weeks ago and the boats that were in the showroom were awesome. We have a (2007) 2275rl since new and will probably upgrade in a few years. There are different types of vinyl for seats and flooring that you should check out. Plus the 10 year warranty.
 
Only thing I can say is there's a ton of threads hear that address the new seat material. I was on a Harris last year and in my opinion it wouldn't hold water to an R series, can't speak about the Premier. As for flooring all the manufacturers offer similar flooring, you just tend to see the nicer flooring on the lower series Benningtons more often. I have an S series with full sea grass and have seen my flooring on an 80k Manitou. I'm a little bias but do your homework and you'll see there is a quality difference in the brands which I think Bennington excels in. Just my 2 cents!
 
Sounds like it had the woven vinyl flooring vs. sea grass. The woven vinyl is the standard floor and the sea grass is an upgrade. Carpet is now a deduction on a build. As for the new vinyl, it's actually being used on many of the high end cruisers and such. It may not look and feel quite the same, but the durability is supposed to be outstanding. Also it breathes more, so you don't tend to "sweat on the seats" like the regular vinyl. I initially thought I would not like it but after checking it out closely at Annapolis, I am now sold on it. 
 
Thanks everyone.  I figured the comfort might have been sacrificed for a more breatheable fabric/vinyl.  Leaning towards the Premier due to the quality but your comments are very helpful.
 
I'm obviously going to suggest the Bennington but that is based on years of ownership and their customer service. Having first handedly tested the warranty they went above and beyond to make it right. Our lake has probably an 8:1 ratio of Benningtons to Premiers.
 
Went to the boat show in Charlotte yesterday. We've had our R since 2008 so we can attest to the durability, comfort, and longevity of our seats/material/upholstery. But let me tell you gentlemen there are so many other pontoon brands   that have comparable seats/comfort now. I think they have seriously closed the gap as far quality is concerned......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top