2024 Avalon Excalibur LTD
With a Mercury 500 Racing outboard on the transom and Avalon’s Waveglider pontoon setup belowdecks, the Excalibur LTD powered onto plane in 3 seconds, passed 30 mph in only three more ticks of the stopwatch, and nudged close to 60 mph on the top-end. Whether speeding across the lake or barreling through yet another ridiculously tight turn, the Excalibur was simply a beast, giving a feeling of raw power that was somehow also shockingly smooth.
Our test boat sported Avalon’s distinctive Deco 2 smooth, two-tone retro walls. With a total whiteout on all the panels, the result looked futuristic. Molded forward corner panels integrate an aggressive set of docking and navigation lights. Aft, an inset vent panel and Avalon’s new minimalist logo only heighten the perception. Add the blade-style sunglasses look of the limo tint and the seemingly frameless windshield spanning the consoles, and the craft seemed ready to mutter, “I’ll be back,” as it left the dock.
Within, the Excalibur relegated white to an accent on the two-tone gray covering the seating on its quad-lounge floor plan. Bolstered couches parallel each other to port and starboard forward. Storage bases are recessed to provide plenty of toe kick for easy access. Hidden aluminum seat frames allow flow-through ventilation and prevent water buildup. Aft, the remaining lounge pair offers a clever pivoting seatback to create a forward-facing recliner or aft-facing seat on the swim platform. Twin support arms on each side move independently, allowing the backrest to maintain the same attitude whether pivoted fore or aft.
As to the Commander III fiberglass helm and port consoles, they’re equally modern in feel and features. The helm is dominated by a wide touchscreen command center that incorporates gauge displays, vessel controls and media. A smaller Garmin touchscreen display was offset to the right above a wireless-charging phone nook. To the left, a Fusion audio head unit resided above lit push buttons for the horn, stereo and power-arch control.
High Points
- Waveglider performance package with three 27-inch pontoons helps this boat hit 60 mph.
- Fusion sound package includes XS lighted speakers and grilles.
- Power tower with Bimini and Fusion speakers are standard.
How We Tested
- Engine: Mercury 500 Racing
- Drive/Prop: Outboard/Mercury Revolution X 16.25″ x 23″
- Gear Ratio: 1.60:1 Fuel Load: 60 gal. Crew Weight: 155 lb.
Pricing and Specs
| Price: | $142,780 (starting) |
| LOA: | 28’6″ |
| Beam: | 8’6″ |
| Draft (max): | NA |
| Dry Weight: | 5,000 lb. |
| Seat/Weight Capacity: | 16/2,345 lb. |
| Fuel Capacity: | 100 gal. |
Avalon Pontoons – Alma, Michigan; avalonpontoons.com
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