Boats

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier's 290 Grand View PTX offers performance handling and a luxurious ride.

By The Boating Tech Team

Updated: January 9, 2014

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

LOA: 29’5″
Beam: 10’2″
Dry Weight: 4,700 lb.
Seating/Weight Capacity: 18/4,500 lb.
Fuel Capacity: 80 gal.

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

Premier 290 Grand View PTX

The name Grand View might be the most appropriate one ever given to a pontoon, because this luxurious ride from Premier has a fantastic view from the helm. That’s because the helm sits on a platform elevated 2 feet off the main deck, giving the captain a full 360-degree panorama of the water. An adjacent couch to port of the helm ensures he doesn’t enjoy the view alone.

Our tester was laden with upgrades, the most notable being the PTX triple-tube performance package and the 10-wide platform that extends the beam to 10 feet 2 inches. So equipped, this boat can handle twin 300 hp Mercury Verados, a power package that propelled us to a top speed of 52 mph. The boat rockets onto plane in 2.5 seconds with minimal bow rise and hits 30 mph in just over five seconds. The PTX package helps the boat corner and handle like a fiberglass V-hull, carving tight turns with a graceful inboard lean.

The boat has the looks to match, with a curled maple steering wheel and accents on the Liberty helm. The dash holds Premier’s trademark Beacon system, a central command display that scrolls through screens to view digital gauges, stereo controls, the GPS chart plotter, other accessories and even the owner’s manual. Our test model had a cool rear-facing spotter’s cam, which is like a backup cam in your SUV, to keep an eye on swimmers or tubers behind the boat.

Access to the water is sensational; just follow the yachtlike fantail stairs, adorned with faux teak sea-grass flooring, down to the giant swim platform. The aluminum centerline stairs make it easy to climb in and out of the water.

The area forward of the raised platform features the Bombay bar with a curved Corian countertop, a built-in cooler with a stainless-steel flip cover, and flip-out hooks to hang accessories.

The forward couches can seat up to 12 people in comfort and feature Flexsteel supports inside the cushions. Flip open the portside cushion to access the Mirage changing room, one of the easiest privacy rooms to deploy that we’ve seen on a pontoon.

Buyer’s Spotlight
*Grand View platform elevates the helm 24 inches off the main deck for a fantastic 360-degree view of the water.
*Fantail stairs lined with teak sea-grass flooring lead down to a spacious swim platform with centerline stairs for easy water access.
*Flexsteel furniture has a shock-absorbing infrastructure hidden in plush, comfortable cushions.

Specs
LOA: 29’5″
Beam: 10’2″
Dry Weight: 4,700 lb.
Seating/Weight Capacity: 18/4,500 lb.
Fuel Capacity: 80 gal.

How We Tested
Engines: Twin Mercury 300 hp Verados
Props: Enertia 14¾” x 16″ 3-blade stainless steel
Gear Ratio: 1.85:1
Fuel Load: 40 gal.
Crew Weight: 175 pounds