What You Need To Know
Manitou understandably receives a lot of positive attention for its unique performance hulls that are known for razor sharp turns. But the other part that tends to get overlooked is the attention to detail and the quality craftsmanship. We're equally impressed with both sides of this Legacy.
The Highlights
Starting at the helm, we love the sporty-looking dash console. The large, easy-to-read gauges are nicely built-around the standard Lowrance FishFinder/GPS. And the lighted toggle switches are a great touch of luxury as well. The Infinity Bluetooth streaming stereo is also standard, along with an MP3 auxiliary port. Other key features for the captain are a beautiful and sporty steering wheel, elevated platform and a non-skid flooring.
There are a total of three chaise lounges onboard, two in the bow and a rear-facing one across from the helm. Each have locking pop-up arm rests that are solid, easy-to-use and really add to the comfort of the lounge. Built into the back of the rear-facing lounge is an average size (5-foot 8-inch) pop-up changing room that is easy to operate.
Below the large sundeck is what Manitou refers to as its Toy Box and basically it's a large injection molded plastic compartment that includes great storage options as well as a separate area for your dual batteries. Having this area, plus the in-floor ski locker (over 2 feet deep and nearly 7 feet wide) you have plenty of places to store your gear.
Just outside the gate is a unique type of flooring that you'd expect to find on a high-end runabout. A thin layer of fiberglass is put over the wood deck and with the elevated non-skid pads, it really looks great. Also in the stern is a solid ski/tow bar, four-step boarding ladder and also worth noting is the sealed transom for the outboard.
The great thing about this Manitou is all the standard features, but there is one option that we really want to highlight, based on the added convenience it offers. The electric PWR-ARM bimini allows you to easily raise and lower the top with just a push of a button. It's these little added touches that make all the difference.
Inspection Notes
The Sport Handling Package (SHP) is a unique hull design that includes two 23-inch diameter pontoons and a 27-inch diameter center log with positive angle lifting strakes on all three. After a close inspection we found nothing that would keep this boat from earning a high score in fit and finish work, overall design and quality craftsmanship. Truly a well-built pontoon where a lot of thought went into the well-executed design.
Performance Evaluation
As far as the overall performance, we got exactly what we were expecting from this Manitou: a fun and exhilarating ride. And because it is a 50 mile per hour pontoon that is extremely quick to plane, thrill seekers will love it too. Power-assist steering is part of the standard features and it really helps make this `toon fun to drive.
You can be as aggressive as you want in those tight turns and she'll never let you down. This Legacy truly performs like a V-hull and with the Evinrude 250hp HO E-TEC our zero to 20 mph time was less than 5 seconds!
Final Thoughts
Yes, this is a great performance pontoon, but it's also a safe, family-friendly boat too. Complete with quality construction and a long list of standard features, this is a great all-around pontoon that brings style, performance and luxury together in one great package.
Number of Occupants 11
Price As Tested With Power $62.4K
Maximum Speed 49 mph
Wild Ponies 250hp
No. of Gates 3
0-20 MPH 4.9 seconds
Ladder Measurement 3' 10" deep
Why we love this boat.It's the total package that we love the most, from the SHP hull to those added features. This is where luxury and performance come together.
Just being picky.The helm console is beautiful, but the small strip of non-skid material just left of the dash doesn't seem to flow with the rest of the design.
NOTABLE STANDARDS
V-Toon Hull, Power Assist Steering, Deep, wide-step rear ladder, Infinity radio with streaming Bluetooth, Raised Helm, Toy Box, Kicker Speakers, Stainless Bimini Frame, Shaw Carpet, mooring Cover, Blue LED Track Lighting
OPTIONS ON TEST BOAT
Two-Tone Graphic, Fiberglass rear deck, Power Bimini Top, In Tube Storage, Dual battery smart switch, Blue LED Cupholders, Blue LED exterior Lighting, Ski Mirror
VITAL STATS
LOA 24'4"
Beam 8' 6"
Hull Design V-Toon
Dry Weight 3125 lbs.
Fuel Capacity 44 gallons
TEST DRIVE
Engine 250 Evinrude HO E-TEC
Cylinder Type V6
Cubic-inch Displacement/Horsepower 200ci/250hp
Lower Unit Gear Ratio 1.85:1
Propeller 19 Rebel X 15 1/4
RPM vs. SPEED vs. DB-A
500 2.5 80
1000 3.6 84
1500 6.5 89
2000 8.9 91
2500 13.2 94
3000 18.7 102
3500 22.3 99
4000 28.7 107
4500 34.3 107.5
5000 39 107.5
5500 45.1 107.5
5800 49.0 110
Lansing, Mich.
800-999-9788
manitouboats.com
