Bennington 23 M Fastback Review
It’s widely known that Bennington is included in the top echelon of pontoon boat brands. When boaters see the iconic Wing name badge, they know the owner really wanted that boat since the Elkhart, Indiana, builder charges a premium price for its premium pontoons. Its QX line starts at $151,000, and it doesn’t take many options to push its smallest 23-foot model past $200k.
The M Series arrived in 2024 to create a pathway for buyers to enter their luxe club at a lower cost. Bennington does offer the less expensive S Series, but there’s a noticeable drop-off in its luxury quotient. The new-for-2026 Bennington 23 M Fastback we tested in Tampa didn’t have that problem.
At a Glance: Bennington 23 M Fastback
BENNINGTON 23 M Fastback
- Digital switching for easy systems control
- Deck space and seating for a large crew
- Triple boarding gates and extended fore and aft decks
- Limited range with 25-gallon tank
- Price can rise quickly with triple tubes and more power
- Pontoon families looking for a step up in luxury but not to the highest end
- Owners who prioritize cruising and beaching up over pure speed
- Buyers who need to maximize seating aboard
Specifications
- LOA: 25 feet, 3 inches
- Beam: 8 feet, 6 inches
- Dry weight: 3,500 pounds (Triple-tube)
- Tube diameter: 25 inches
- Fuel capacity: 25 gallons
- Maximum horsepower: 250
- Price: $127,917 as tested
Power and Performance
- Engine: Yamaha F200
- Cylinders: Inline 4
- Displacement: 2.8L
- Dry weight: 516 pounds
- Top speed: 39.2 mph
- Best cruise: 23.7 mph @ 4000 rpm 6.2 gph (est.) = 3.9 mpg (est.)
- Time to plane: 2.9 seconds
- Time to 30 mph: 7.5 seconds
Features We Love
- Triple tubes
- Extended foredeck
- Quad benches
- Optional filler sectional
- Extended rear deck
- Lillipad Easy Step boarding ladder
- Three boarding gates with Bennington-only Glide Gates
- Vivid UX touchscreen display
- Digital switching
- Rockford Fosgate stereo system
- Real glass windscreen
- Power Bimini top
- Stainless steel ski tow arch
- Optional carbon fiber Aero Arch
- Twin in-floor storage compartments
Design and Construction
Some boat buyers recoil when they discover that Bennington still uses wood for their decks because they have heard of the rot problems exhibited by fiberglass boats. It’s not the same thing. Fiberglass boats that encapsulate wood in transoms and stringers are fine…until the owner starts drilling holes to add accessories or a breach lets in water that gets trapped in that fiberglass cocoon. Then the structural supports within can fail over time.
Wood decks, especially those such as the premium pressure-treated ¾-inch plywood Bennington uses, offer a few advantages:
- They are relatively inexpensive.
- They offer superior strength, rigidity, and sound-deadening qualities.
- They are easy to fasten to the stout frame beneath.
Then, after 20 years or so, if the deck starts feeling spongy, you can replace it relatively easily.
The M Line employs Bennington’s Dock Speed swooped rail design element, which makes it look fast even when it is tethered at the marina. Our test boat featured the Sport trim line, which includes many black accents, such as badging, cup holders, the windshield frame, and the steering wheel. Whoever spec’d this boat kept checking boxes marked ‘black,’ including the optional black anodized rails, deck trim, deck skirt, Bimini frame, and ladder. The black panel color gave it a modern yet menacing vibe.
Bennington 23 M Fastback Bow
Instead of the short foredeck many pontoons feature, the front deck of the Bennington 23 M Fastback is of ample size to allow guests to board through the bow gate.
The Fastback designation in the boat model name is Bennington-speak for the rear corner pods that give it a sportier look. Bennington artfully designed the forward-facing, sculpted recliner backrests and gave them the perfect amount of recline and integrated flip-down armrests. Plus, they don’t have any annoying badges that poke occupants in the back. The seat bottoms open toward the centerline and stay open for easy loading of gear and water toys that need stowing.
Rain gutters keep the interior dry, and the interior storage area is rotomolded for durability. Set into the rear of the port lounger is a module that includes a flip-up table and a pull-out drawer that reveals two doggie dishes.
Buyers have their choice of bow tables, and any of them will make the area more social. An optional filler sectional ($1,317) covers the gate for additional seating and ties the forward seating together for gatherings.
Stern
M Series pontoons—Bennington uses M Series and M Line interchangeably—include a significant standard feature owners will like. An extended rear deck adds 24 inches of backyard space and comes in handy for staging watersports or just hanging out with feet in the water.
All M models are equipped with Lillipad Easy Step boarding ladders, featuring wide steps that angle outward to make it easier for two- and four-legged swimmers to reboard. Tall swimming pool–style grabrails help with the hoisting. Buying this direct from Lillipad costs $1,299, so it’s a significant added-value standard feature.
All three boarding gates (fore, aft, and port) feature clever Bennington-only Glide Gates. These are small plastic ramps that allow users to secure the gate in an open position by simply swinging it inward. At the pivot point, the bottom of the gate slides up a small ramp and is secured in a detent to prevent it from banging around or closing inadvertently.
Fender caddies on either side of the engine are among the more practical features aboard.
Bennington 23 M Fastback Cockpit
Two more slightly shorter aft-facing chaise lounges are positioned aft of the helm and its companion seat. Like the ones at the bow, they feature Sport series furniture accents and Veneto Soft Touch upholstery. Bennington uses the same material on its more expensive models, including the luxury QX Series. Buyers get to choose from four seagrass flooring options at no extra cost, including the Valencia grey on our boat. A cockpit table is standard.
Owners can select a Swingback lounge seat instead. It reduces the overall seating by replacing the rear couches with a double-wide lounge that makes a great sunning area and has a flippable backrest. Usually, nobody can sit on rear-facing lounges like this when the boat is underway, but Bennington designers added a guardrail you can raise to provide just enough protection.
Helm
The elevated helm is an added benefit of the M Sport trim package and gives drivers a better view. The unconventional dash features a Vivid UX touchscreen display; our boat featured the upgraded 12-inch screen. Instead of being flush-mounted into a panel, it is raised over the dash for better viewing. It replaces more traditional engine gauges.
Very few accessory switches adorn the dash, which some traditionalists might not like. Instead, the M Series primarily uses a 7-inch touchscreen and leverages digital switching to activate most accessories. You can add an additional 9-inch Garmin screen ($3,704) so the driver doesn’t have to flip screens to stay informed of all engine and navigation information.
The standard stereo is an upscale Rockford Fosgate system with four interior speakers and two rear-firing speakers on the stern. You can add a 10-inch subwoofer and an amp ($1,601) to maximize the crank-it-up factor.
Bennington equipped the 23 MFB with a real glass windscreen that acts as a wind deflector and looks stylish. That’s a signal to buyers that this isn’t a “price boat”
Engine
Our test boat was equipped with the SPS tube package ($9,867), which is Bennington’s affordable triple-log setup. It features three 25-inch tubes with Performance Foils on the inside of the outer tubes and lifting strakes on both sides of the center tube. With this configuration, the 23MFB can be powered with up to 200 horsepower, and our boat was maxed out with a black Yamaha F200. Bennington offers owners a wide range of power choices, including Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki, and Honda. Torqeedo is available for electric power.
Several higher-performance tube packages let owners pump up the ponies. The SPS+ configuration costs $13,019 but allows buyers to increase the horsepower to 250. For 23-foot Bennington M Line models, 250 hp is the ceiling, even if buyers select the more exotic ESP and ESP+ tube packages. Those include a 32-inch elliptical center tube.
However, moving up in size opens up the floodgates to more power. The 26-foot 26MFB with the ESP+ package can accommodate Mercury power up to 500 horsepower. Just know that the price starts at $203,546 if you go that route. Dropping down 100 hp to the V10 Mercury Verado 400 cuts that price by $53,257. Either way, you gotta want it.
Performance and Fuel Economy
The in-line four-cylinder F200 provided good snap on holeshots and put the Bennington 23 M Fastback on plane with little bowrise in just 2.9 seconds. It reached 30 mph in 7.5 seconds, which was respectable. During our top-speed run, we spent a fair amount of time tweaking the engine trim to try to get it past 40 mph, but it fell just short, reaching 39.2 mph.
Unfortunately, our test boat wasn’t fully rigged, so we were unable to obtain fuel-flow information. But based on other tests I’ve done, at 4,000 rpm on similar pontoons, the F200 burns around 6.2 gph, and at a cruising speed of 23.7 mph, this gives an estimated fuel economy number of 3.9 mpg.
Bennington 23 M Fastback Handling
The Yamaha F200 on our boat was the mechanical version with a standard hydraulic steering system, which will do a decent job if cruising and hanging out at the sandbar are your primary activities. Bennington wisely upgraded our test boat to include power steering, which is a pricey $5,467 option. If you like watersports, however, choose this option. Pulling tubers and boarders requires constant maneuvering, and the upgrade makes it much easier.
Cranking the wheel hard over required little effort, and the 23MFB responded well, leaning in slightly as it carved tight turns.
Who Is the Bennington 23 M Fastback For?
The Bennington 23 M Fastback is ideal for pontoon buyers who want to enter the Bennington family with a healthy dose of luxury and performance without going to the very top end. Its quad-settee layout offers the most seating of any configuration and is suitable for all pontooning activities.
Given its power constraints, this model isn’t targeted toward thrill-seeking owners looking to tag along at poker runs or bust along at speeds over 50 mph. Instead, it’s a family-friendly package that’s perfect for more recreational and leisure applications.
Trick It Out
A couple of well-chosen options help push the 23MFB to the next level. One is the power Bimini top ($1,922), which deploys with the touch of a button. Avoid the strap option for securing the Bimini, as they can flap loudly at higher speeds. Instead, choose the electric cable stays ($477). They allow you to use the Bimini at speeds faster than 30 mph without the noise.
Do your boating grounds include saltwater, such as the Gulf waters of Tampa Bay? Equip your pontoon with the Saltwater Package, which includes anodes, badging, and a stainless steel fuel separator.
Are watersports on your boating agenda? Check the box on the stainless steel ski tow arch that goes over the outboard. It is low enough for towing tubes and at the ideal height for slalom skiing and kneeboarding. If members of your crew are into wakeboarding, go for the optional carbon fiber Aero Arch at $14,491.
You can add a forward electric Bimini top option ($4,629) that, with the standard amidships top, casts a wide swath of shade that covers nearly the entire boat.
To customize your boat, choose your favorite color from among 13 side panel color options available at no extra charge. Punch it up a bit with one of the 12 accent color options that cost $573.
Popup cleats fore and aft cost $364 but add to the upscale look.
Bennington offers privacy tents you can add to the Bimini top ($419) or the rear of the port bow lounger ($366) to shuck wet swimming suits after a swim.
Benefits and Challenges
Our test boat included twin in-floor storage compartments in the center tube. Bennington rigs the forward compartment as an anchor locker with a cutout to accommodate the anchor line. The amidships compartment is ideal for waterskis.
Both compartments have large slit vents that let water in, including rain and fresh- or saltwater, should you accidentally stuff the bow. Bennington placed drain holes at the bottom of the rotomolded tubes within and a bilge pump in the center tube, which is smart because anchor lines and skis can accumulate moisture that needs to be evacuated. It would be advantageous to have an on-demand way to close the vents during periods of non-usage.
The high-backed crew bucket seats have non-adjustable headrests that jab taller occupants in the back. The rear seats have a gap in the backrest that infants or small dogs could possibly try to squeeze through.
Your range will be limited by the 25-gallon fuel tank.
Conclusion
The M Series represents a major upgrade over the more spartan entry-level S-Series, but keeps the price more in line with middle-class budgets than upper-echelon Benningtons.
The Bennington 23 M Fastback starts at $71,388, but that’s a twin-tube model with a 50 hp Yamaha outboard. (Don’t do it!) To upgrade to a model with the three-tube SPS Performance Package and an F200 Yamaha, the starting price is $97,102. Our test boat was well equipped with options, which pushed its as-tested price to $127,917.
Bennington Pontoons For Sale
Alan Jones
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