PDB Shootout: Crest Marine Classic Platinum 220 SLC

First Impression

Formerly known as the Crest III, the Platinum is the top end of the Classic line and the 220 SLC is clearly one of the more popular layouts this manufacturer offers—and for good reason. It’s truly a timeless classic, yet despite the familiarity, there are a lot of new features for the new model year.

Details

If you love the raised helm platform, you’ll be glad to hear it’s just one of the many new standards on board. Right away the black metallic flake at the helm catches your eye. It is an optional upgrade, but it really makes the console pop with a burst of color. As for the dash, it is centered on a nice display of standard gauges with a row of rocker switches just below. Also at the helm is a digital depth finder, hour meter and Fusion stereo Bluetooth unit, along with a switch to raise and lower the optional power Bimini Top. There’s a small closable storage spot for the captain, but one of our favorite standard features by far is the Cooled cupholder that will keep your beverage chilled, even on a hot day. You’ll find one of these in every boat Crest builds.

The 29-inch high back helm chair comes standard with a similar co-captain chair directly across that also slides, swivels and reclines. Rated for up to 12 passengers, there are plenty of other plush seats on this 23-footer to spread out and get comfortable on, including two chaise lounges in the bow and two rear-facing ones in the stern.

Built into the back of the portside bow chaise is an optional entertainment section that includes an extremely easy-to-use fold-out table and cutout bottle storage behind. Then at the very bottom of the base is a slide-out doggie bowl drawer to keep the family pet happy too. It’s from Teak Isle Manufacturing who earned an NMMA Innovation Award at IBEX in 2019 for a similar pontoon space-saving design.

The optional gray flooring from AquaTread is beautiful and perfect for easy cleanup. Speaking of keeping things easy, to help protect your boat Crest is now including fenders and docking lines with all its boats. Now that makes a lot of sense.

Closer Look

The CPT 25-inch diameter pontoons with lifting strakes on all three make up the base of this boat and the ski/tow bar comes standard on this Crest as well as on all triple tube models. Up top, the rail height is a consistent 27 inches tall around the entire perimeter of the boat for a safe and family-friendly design.

Throttle Down

We reached a top speed of 42 miles per hour, which isn’t surprising considering the powerful Mercury 200hp outboard on the back. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the extremely quick 0-to-20 mph time of less than 4 seconds. Now that’s moving! The optional power-assist SeaStar hydraulic steering made handling a lot easier in those sharp, flat turns.

Why Buy

Options allow you to customize the boat, but in this case we feel the balance of standards and options is what makes this Classic Platinum pontoon so great. Sure you could save some money with fewer bells and whistles, but we feel this Crest model as tested is ready for some family fun. From bow to stern it has a well-thought-out design that is sure to keep everyone on board smiling.

Owosso, Mich.
989-725-5188
www.crestpontoonboats.com


Number of Occupants: 12
Price As Tested With Power: $71.6K
Maximum Speed: 42.2 mph
Wild Ponies: 200 hp
No. of Gates: 3
0-20 MPH: 3.86 seconds
Ladder Measurement: 4’ deep


Why we love this boat… Key features like the doggie bowl/combo table, raised helm and the power Bimini all come together to create a true classic pontoon.


Just being picky… There is a small place at the helm for the captain to store keys and other loose items, but some type of a locking glove box as a standard feature would be better.


NOTABLE STANDARDS

Raised Helm, Powder Coated Rails, Bluetooth Audio with 4 Speakers, Mooring Cover, Full Vinyl Flooring, Docking Lights, Table, Movable Cupholders, Tilt Wheel, Tach Volt, Fuel Trim Gauges, and 29’ High Back Helm Chair.


OPTIONS ON TEST BOAT

Power-Assisted SeaStar Hydraulic Steering, Mid-Ship Doggie Bowl/Combo Table, Black Metallic Flake Helm Upgrade, AquaTread Flooring and a Power Bimini Top.


VITAL STATS

LOA: 23’ 4”
Beam: 8’ 6”
Hull Design: Triple Pontoon
Dry Weight: 2,857 lbs.
Fuel Capacity: 48 gallons


TEST DRIVE

Engine: Mercury 200
Cylinder Type: V6
Cubic-inch Displacement/Horsepower: 209ci/200hp
Lower Unit Gear Ratio: 1.85:1


RPM     vs.      SPEED     vs.  DB-A

900                  1.4                   74
1000                3.3                   80.5
1500                5.2                   81.5
2000                7.6                   84.5
2500                11.0                 89.5
3000                14.7                 92.5
3500                18.4                 92.5
4000                24.4                 96
4500                28.0                 100
5000                34.3                 103
5500                38.8                 102
6000                42.2                 103.3


PRICE

Price As Tested                       $71,637
(Boat and Motor)

Base Price                               $36,461
(Boat Only)


This article originally appeared in our 2021 Shootout issue. If you are interested in seeing more boat tests like this, click HERE to subscribe.