PONTOON
SEE THE
VIDEOSPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATIONnaut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 5.0 5.8 2.6 1.9 2.2 157.0 180.7 1 64
1500 7.0 8.0 4.2 1.7 1.9 134.1 154.3 2 69
2000 12.3 14.2 6.3 2.0 2.3 158.7 182.6 2 73
2500 16.5 19.0 8.2 2.0 2.3 163.1 187.7 2 75
3000 19.1 22.0 11.2 1.7 2.0 138.3 159.1 2 77
3500 25.6 29.5 15.4 1.7 1.9 134.8 155.2 2 83
4000 32.2 37.0 20.3 1.6 1.8 128.3 147.6 2 85
4500 37.8 43.5 25.2 1.5 1.7 121.5 139.8 1 89
5000 43.4 50.0 30.9 1.4 1.6 113.9 131.1 0 85
5500 48.1 55.3 38.8 1.2 1.4 100.3 115.4 0 87
6000 53.4 61.5 55.6 1.0 1.1 77.9 89.6 0 90
6500 57.4 66.0 63.2 0.9 1.0 73.5 84.6 0 92
7000 60.8 70.0 69.1 0.9 1.0 4.6 82.1 0 92
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEEDHigh Points
XAn attention-grabber in full
peacock mode, Manitou’s swept
design, coupled with custom
metallic deep-red paint, ensures
the 27 X-Plode XT RFX won’t go
unnoticed at the sandbar.
XV-toon hull confi guration, coupled
with massive torque and horses
from twin Mercury Racing Verado
400R outboards, backs up the
sassy looks with strut, to the tune
of real-deal 70 mph GPS speed.Specs
· LOA: 28'8" · BEAM: 8'6"
· DRY WEIGHT: 4,655 lb. · SEATING/
WEIGHT CAPACITY: 15/2,055 lb.
· FUEL CAPACITY: 90 gal.How We Tested
ENGINE: Twin Mercury Racing Verado
400R FourStroke 400 hp
DRIVE/PROP: Outboard/Revolution 4
145 / 8 " x 21" 4-blade stainless steel
GEAR RATIO: 1.75:1
FUEL LOAD: 26 gal.
CREW WEIGHT: 375 lb.
Price
$213,400 (as tested)MANITOU
27 X-Plode XT RFX
Dual SHP
powder-coated billet hinges.
Pilot and co-pilot sit in contoured cap-
tain’s chairs. The compact dash features
all-digital instruments and controls;
every function on the boat, from lights to
bilge pumps to the sound system, oper-
ates via touchscreen. The tiny windscreen
does little to buff et the 70 mph winds, but
it feels good when you’re howling down the
lake at Mach 1.
Aft, the conversation pit is much
smaller but still plenty big for a nice little
party. The rigging at the stern is immacu-
late, with a custom stainless-steel ski tow
and telescoping boarding ladder. There’s
another ski tow atop the arch that’s much
better for wakeboarding.With 800 horses on tap, it’s a speed demon
at 70 mph full tilt and quick as a bat out of
the hole. Zero to 30 mph in just 5.4 seconds
will surprise many unsuspecting chal-
lengers. Performance is more
than speed and acceleration,
though, and the 27 X-Plode
XT RFX Dual SHP delivers
with crisp handling and a
solid rough-water ride thanks
to the patented V-toon triple-
tube hull design. Power-assist
hydraulic steering along with
race-style Sport Master gear
cases (with built-in low-water
pickup nose cones and cam-
bered skegs to off set torque)
make the torque of the big
twins disappear. As might be
expected with such a large
pontoon with so much powerand the drag of twin gear cases, mileage
suff ers a bit: Best cruise was at 19 mph
where we recorded just 2.3 mpg. But hey —
if you can’t aff ord the gas, well, you know.
Inside, the detailing on this boat just
doesn’t stop, from the custom-cut billet-
aluminum entry doors to the molded
fi berglass seating with octagon-pattern
multicolor vinyl. In the bow, riders relax
on contoured lounges that stretch seem-
ingly forever. Just aft of the port lounge is
a pop-up privacy room. The little touches
are many and well-thought-out; every-
where there’s a cup holder, mesh-lined
storage pocket, or custom billet grab
handle. Even the seat-bottom cushions
open to reveal custom hammer-tonePHOTOS: BILL DOSTERMANITOU
Lansing, Michigan; 800-999-9788; manitoupontoonboats.comTo see our video
review of the 27
X-Plode XT RFX,
scan this tag or
visit boatingmag
.com/bbg18/
manitou27
xplode.
C
CERTIFIED
TEST
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