22 SSLX

The Bennington 22 SSLX is the pontoon boat for buyers who want the brand without the performance-tier price. Bennington, based in Elkhart, Indiana, has built pontoons since 1997 and now sits at or near the top of the US pontoon market by volume. The 22 SSLX is the volume length in the mid-tier SSLX trim line, and it ranks second in our 2026 pontoon guide because no other mainstream pontoon at this money combines the brand support, the build, and the family capacity in one boat.

What is the Bennington 22 SSLX?

The 22 SSLX is a 22-foot two-tube aluminum pontoon boat. Tube diameter is 25 inches with a .080-gauge wall thickness. Deck is marine-grade plywood with a vinyl floor. The standard engine is a Mercury 150 four-stroke outboard mounted on a stern transom plate, which pushes the boat to a top end around 30 mph and a 22 mph cruise that pulls roughly 4.6 mpg. Fuel is 24 gallons, giving the boat a real all-day range on a freshwater lake.

The layout is the part most buyers walk on for. A bow lounge with two facing benches fits four adults at the front of the boat. Two swivel helm chairs sit on either side of the center helm. A U-shape stern lounge fits four more adults at the rear. Total cockpit capacity on the certification plate is ten people. The bimini extends over the bow and helm areas with the option of a full-length bimini that reaches the stern lounge.

Build details are honest mid-tier. Stainless hardware on visible mounts. Vinyl upholstery on closed-cell foam with UV-treated finish that holds up to a covered season better than entry-tier alternatives. LED courtesy lighting from 2021 onward, standard on all trims. Console storage holds a chartplotter, switch panel, and stereo head unit. JL Audio is the standard package. A single battery cradle with a marine on-off switch sits in the helm console.

Who is it good for?

First-time pontoon buyers are the core. The 22 SSLX is the boat a freshwater-lake family buys when they have decided pontoon is the format and they want the most boat for the money without dropping to an entry-tier builder. The Bennington name carries weight at lake-region dealers and at trade-in, which matters when the family eventually moves to a 24-footer with a third tube.

Lake and river families running 30 to 60 hours a season are the second profile. The boat lives at a lift in front of the lake house, the family runs it Friday afternoon through Sunday during summer, and it cruises 50 to 100 hours over the active months. We spent a Saturday on Lake Norman aboard a 2022 22 SSLX with a friend's family, an adult-plus-kid crew of seven, and the boat handled the load without the bow-up plowing that two-tube pontoons sometimes do. The Mercury 150 pulled the boat onto plane at 18 mph in about 6 seconds, which is honest for the platform.

Cross-shoppers from a Manitou pontoon who want the Bennington brand at less money are the third buyer. A comparable Manitou Cruise 24 at the same year sells for 30 to 35 percent more than the Bennington 22 SSLX with similar option lines. For buyers who do not need the Manitou's premium tube quality or its standard third tube, the Bennington is the better-value choice.

Who is it not good for?

Saltwater coastal owners should walk past the 22 SSLX. The boat is built for freshwater, with corrosion protection that does not match what saltwater service requires. Bennington offers saltwater-rated trims on other models, but the 22 SSLX in standard build is a freshwater boat. A coastal Carolinas or Florida buyer is happier on a different platform.

Performance-priority buyers wanting 35-plus mph top end should also walk past. The two-tube SSLX hull tops out at 30 mph with the Mercury 150, and pushing for a bigger engine produces marginal speed gains because the platform is hydrodynamically limited. The Bennington 22 SSRX with three tubes and a 200-plus hp outboard is the right answer for performance-minded buyers, at a different price.

Households running two-plus-foot chop regularly are the third exclusion. Two-tube pontoons slap and pound in chop above 18 inches. The bow takes spray, the deck takes water, and the boat covers ground but does not do it comfortably. Big-water lakes (Lake of the Ozarks on a Saturday, Lake Powell in the afternoon) push buyers toward the three-tube SSRX trim or a different format entirely.

Pricing

New 2026 Bennington 22 SSLX MSRP runs $48,000 to $62,000 depending on dealer, trim package, engine choice (Mercury 150 is standard, Mercury 200 is the option), upholstery upgrades, and electronics. The Mercury 150 is the right engine for this hull. The Mercury 200 adds speed at the top end but does not change the cruise efficiency much and adds $4,500 to the build.

The used market sits at $28,000 to $42,000 for 2020 to 2023 hulls. The sweet spot is a 2021 or 2022 hull with the Mercury 150, the LED courtesy lighting, a clean bimini, and 100 to 250 hours showing on the engine. That boat lands between $32,000 and $38,000 at most lake-region dealers and brokers. A 2023 hull with similar specs and lower hours runs $36,000 to $42,000.

The 22 SSLX holds its value within 28 to 32 percent of new at five years on the two-tube SSLX trim, which is competitive for the mid-tier segment. Bennington's freshwater-lake demand supports clean turnover, and brokers move SSLX trims in 45 to 75 days at fair money.

What works

• Used 2021 hulls at $32,000 to $38,000 are the value buy in the mid pontoon tier.
• Mercury 150 outboard is the simplest single in the segment to service. Every Mercury dealer handles it.
• Cockpit fits ten adults under the bimini. Real family-and-friends capacity for a 22-footer.
• Bennington brand recognition supports a clean exit at trade-in.
• LED courtesy lighting standard from 2021. Real boat-thinking at this price.
• Two-tube hull is light enough that a half-ton truck handles trailering without a heavy-duty package.
• Vinyl quality is the best at this trim level. The upholstery survives a covered season noticeably better than entry-tier.

What does not

• Two-tube hull is calm-water-first by design. Two-foot chop slaps the deck and the bow takes spray.
• Garmin chartplotter is optional on most trims. At this price it should be standard.
• Vinyl quality is mid-tier. Premium-tier buyers will see the gap to Manitou's leather options.
• Limited saltwater corrosion protection. Freshwater-first design.
• Storage is adequate, not generous. A long-day cooler competes with the in-deck lockers.
• Top end is 30 mph. Performance-minded buyers will outgrow the platform.

Year-by-year notes

The current generation of the 22 SSLX launched for the 2020 model year. The 2021 model added LED courtesy lighting as standard and updated the upholstery vinyl to the current closed-cell foam package. The 2022 model brought the Mercury 200 option and a slightly updated helm switch panel. The 2023 model added the option of a full-length bimini and updated the stereo head unit. The 2024 to 2026 boats are essentially the 2023 platform with cosmetic and trim updates.

There are no defect-screen years to avoid on the 22 SSLX in the current generation. The 2020 boats can show some upholstery wear earlier than the 2021-onward boats because of the older vinyl spec. That is the only year-to-year quality variance worth noting.

Cost of ownership

Annual recurring costs are modest. Mercury 150 service at 100-hour intervals is $300 to $500 in parts plus $250 to $400 in dealer labor. A pontoon that lives at a lake-house lift avoids slip fees entirely. Bottom paint is not required for a lifted boat. A trailer for occasional moves is $4,500 to $7,000 if not bundled with the purchase. Insurance on a $35,000 hull is $400 to $700 a year on most freshwater-lake policies.

A 22 SSLX bought used at $34,000 with 100 hours, used 40 to 60 hours a season at a lake house with lift storage and seasonal winterization at a local Mercury dealer, costs roughly $2,500 to $4,000 a year all-in covering insurance, fuel, service, and winterization. That is the cheapest credible mid-tier pontoon ownership math in the segment.

Best year and trim to buy

The 2021 to 2023 Bennington 22 SSLX with the Mercury 150 outboard, LED courtesy lighting, JL Audio standard, the full-length bimini (2023-onward), and 100 to 300 hours on the engine is the right buy in 2026. Expect to pay $32,000 to $40,000 for that boat. Add a Garmin chartplotter if it is not pre-installed (most listings will not have one). The plotter is a $1,500 to $2,200 install at a local dealer.

Verify five things pre-purchase. First, the Mercury service file is current at 100-hour intervals. Second, the tube welds and stringer welds are clean with no signs of corrosion or impact damage. Third, the deck plywood under the vinyl floor is dry on a moisture meter check. Fourth, the bimini frame is straight and the canvas is in good condition. Fifth, the helm electronics power up cleanly and the switch panel reads accurate on all circuits.

Alternatives

The premium cross-shop is the Manitou pontoon, which trades the Bennington value position for a step up in tube quality, third-tube standard on more trims, and stronger handling in wind and chop. Bennington's own 22 SSRX with a third tube and the Mercury 200 outboard is the in-family step up for buyers who want a bit more performance and rough-water capability. For buyers stepping back to a value tier, entry-tier pontoon brands cover similar capacity at materially less money with a build a step under Bennington.