Aura

Quad Lounge

First Impression

While Aura Pontoons might be a new name in the industry, it’s backed by the same manufacturer of award-winning luxury boats, Avalon and Tahoe Pontoons. For 50 years Avalon and Tahoe have been passionate about creating artistic pontoon designs and the Aura is the evolution of these experiences with this all-new line looking to compete in the entry-level segment.

Highlights

Starting with the exterior, Enduro Flex-Form technology is a cutting edge innovation in wall, helm, and seat base construction that is exclusive to Aura. EF-Tech is a modernized evolution of Rotocast, delivering enhanced durability and performance. This true technological advancement ensures the pontoon is built to withstand the toughest conditions while maintaining exceptional comfort and style. The upgraded vinyl wall trim (or exterior belt line) is a nice added touch that provides a pop of color to tie in with the interior.

At the helm is a simplistic dash with analog gauges, rocker switches, and a Scanstrut phone holder/charger. The audio source is unique on this model with two portable speakers. Instead of traditional hardwired stereos, the two portable JBL Flip 6 speakers with built-in cradles bring flexibility and convenience to your boating adventures. The dual speakers deliver impressive sound quality when paired together in party mode via the JBL app. The built-in USB charging ports located near each speaker allow them to be charged easily.

For the captain is a comfortable helm chair that slides, swivels and reclines, but that might not be the most popular place to be. On the port side is a long bench with a movable backrest that can be positioned exactly where you want it to create lounge seating. It can even be positioned so two passengers can sit back to back.

Other key features include a ski/tow bar and a four-step boarding ladder on the stern deck, deep storage below the bench seats, and recessed cupholders in the lumbar cutouts of the benches with extra storage space for your smaller items.

Why we love this boat…It’s a zippy entry-level model that is extremely durable and what it lacks in “bells and whistles” it more than makes up with a very budget-friendly price point.

Inspection

Aura is backed with the same warranty offered on its other pontoon lines, including a lifetime hull warranty and a ten-year bow-to-stern warranty for all other components. Below deck is the same chassis used by Avalon and Tahoe, including the 25-inch diameter pontoons with lifting strakes on all three as part of the Triple Tube Sport Performance package. Up top there is nearly 14 feet of usable deck space from the bow gate to the stern on this 22-footer, with a large front deck and swim platform making up the difference.

Performance

It’s rated for up to a 250hp engine, but after a zero-to-20 mph time of less than 5 seconds and reaching 40 mph at full throttle with the Suzuki 150, we wouldn’t change anything. Entry-level price point pontoons aren’t supposed to perform this well but I guess no one told Aura. She’s responsive and feels zippy and is a lot of fun to drive.

Just being picky…Electric steering would be nice to get the most out of the Suzuki 150hp outboard, although the bump in price to add it might not be worth it.

Final Thoughts

We love testing new models and this Aura did not disappoint. It’s not looking to compete in the entry-level segment, but rather to dominate it. The Enduro Flex-Form exterior construction helps keep the weight and cost down so in return you get a quality pontoon that won’t break the bank.