Spending time with your family on the water in a high-performance and high-caliber pontoon becomes easily attainable with the price-conscious Cabrio. With sporty handling, comfortable seats, and enough horsepower for water sports, the Cabrio is a terrific all-around model. We agree with Barletta’s VP of marketing, Jeff Roth, who said, “The Cabrio 22UC is a rock star in our lineup…we don’t believe there is another boat in its class that offers as much, or performs better. Add a beautiful, functional, and comfortable interior package, with all of the pet-friendly amenities, and you have a pontoon boat that checks ALL of the boxes.”
We found thoughtful features and solid construction throughout the pontoon we reviewed, and enjoyed a smooth and comfy ride since every Barletta has a frame built to glide through all types of water and uses vibration isolation pads, wave tamers, and heavy-duty nose cones.
Top Floor Plan
It’s no surprise to us that the Cabrio we tested had Barletta’s number one selling floor plan, which was collaborated by one of the largest pontoon dealers in the west, Hagadone Marine Group in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The sales team there feels enthusiastic about the Barletta line, and especially the price-conscious Cabrio. Salesman Chase Grove said, “The Cabrio has many features that make it a fantastic boat, such as the all-raised helm, which is unique on this class of boat, the ultra lounger with multiple layouts on it, and the two helm chairs, which is perfect for couples to sit side by side. The 10-year factory warranty bow to stern is impressive as well.”
All of the lounging areas have a generous, open feel with an actual deck length of an impressive 24 feet. Versatile furniture means passengers can choose from a maximum variety of seating options. Seats were available in all directions and the swing back bench seat easily converted to the extremely popular rear-facing lounger. The buttery brown and chocolate vinyl was stylish, although a little warm in the sun.
We enjoyed the extra legroom at the helm, and the especially comfortable lounges at the bow. The fold-down armrests kept us feeling secure when our driver took unexpected turns, and the dark blue graduated colors on the exterior looked gorgeous on the water.
Pet-Friendly
Abounding with creature comforts for both people and pets, the Cabrio is built with a seating capacity of 12 passengers, and plenty of pet-friendly amenities. We highly recommend this pontoon for families or those with plenty of friends and of course, pets. All pet-owners will appreciate the pull-out dog food and water dishes and the two Doggie View doors at the bow and port side gates. Just be sure your pet is secure when making those exciting turns.
At the helm everything is beautifully simple. The pontoon handled well with the mechanical throttle and smooth power steering. We loved the toggles and analog gauges because they are easy to see even in harsh sunlight. The helm also had a Simrad 7 depth finder, wireless charging, and a locking glove box. The two quality helm chairs could slide, swivel, and recline, which will keep the first mate as happy and as comfortable as the captain. Couples especially will enjoy cruising side-by-side here.
Added Touches
The Cabrio has plenty of storage, with drainable storage under every seat and a 7-foot in-floor ski locker. We found the pop-up changing room easily accessible and an average size. Swimmers will appreciate how easy it is to board from the water with the LilliPad ladder and the roomy deck area at the stern. The additional flagpole accessory from LilliPad made our boat feel extra lively waving the American flag behind us.
A power Bimini top comes standard with this model–a nice surprise since it’s not something we normally see on a value-driven price point boat. The convenience of deploying the Bimini with the push of a button made opening our shade cover a breeze. And because the speakers are positioned near the cupholders instead of just at the feet, the music is much easier to hear than in other models. The recessed cupholders meant our drinks stayed cool and felt secure, though we could also place them on the pop-up table with sturdier legs and an upgraded latch from the previous model.
Barletta representative Ryan Brandenberger walked us through our test model of the Cabrio and highlighted the pontoon’s exceptionally well-made and durable structure. He said, “Every boat we build has reinforced nose cones internally and super strong wave tamers on both top and bottom. But also interior-wise, the nose cones are thicker than other manufacturers, and every place where you see a weld seam means there is a baffle that is completely blocking off the rest of the pontoon.”
These individual, water-tight chambers are pressurized to disallow water infiltration, should another area of the pontoon be punctured.
We've Got Power
Equipped with a Mercury 200 this pontoon has plenty of power, and the ski/tow cage will surely get extensive use. The maximum speed of 43 mph felt robust, and we made it from 0-to-20 mph in just 4 seconds. Overall, the ride was quick without being overly fast, and all of the smooth features made this feel like a great all-around boat.
Final Thoughts
Though considered entry-level for Barletta, the Cabrio is ahead of other manufacturers by making this price-conscious pontoon feel like it’s from a luxury line. Outstanding features such as the swingback lounger, pet amenities, power Bimini, Bluetooth sound, underwater lighting, and interior RGB lighting make the Cabrio consistently appealing to customers.
Kodie Woodhead, director of marketing at Hagadone Marine said, “We carry the Barletta brand because we consider it the ultimate luxury line of pontoons. Our motto is to be the premier provider of the best on-the-water experience, and our hand-picked models like the Barletta Cabrio reflect that.”
Barletta Cabrio 22UC Specifications
LOA: 23’ 2”
Beam: 8’ 6”
Number Of Occupants: 12
Fuel Capacity: 34 gallons
Dry Weight: 2,572 lbs.
Ladder Measurement: 60” deep
Test Engine: Mercury 200L FourStroke
Propeller: 15.3 X 14.3 Inertia
Maximum Speed: 43.3 mph
0-20 MPH: 4.2 seconds
Base Price: $54,765
Price As Tested With Power: $86,338
RPM vs. SPEED vs. DB-A
600 2.8 70
1000 4.1 71
1500 7.0 78
2000 9.4 79
2500 10.8 84
3000 14.6 87.5
3500 18.1 91.5
4000 22.9 94.5
4500 28.5 99
5000 36.6 102.5
5500 43.3 105.5
