Both the Avalon 20 ft. Catalina 2012 and the Avalon Tropic 18 ft. 2010 are pontoon designs, both built in aluminium, so the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department - Avalon 20 ft. Catalina 2012 at 20,0 ft versus Avalon Tropic 18 ft. 2010 at 18,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Avalon 20 ft. Catalina 2012 tips the scales at 1 750 lbs - 150 lbs more than the Avalon Tropic 18 ft. 2010 at 1 600 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling - 90 hp for the Avalon 20 ft. Catalina 2012 and 75 hp for the Avalon Tropic 18 ft. 2010. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Avalon 20 ft. Catalina 2012 is rated for 9 passengers, while the Avalon Tropic 18 ft. 2010 caps at 8. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Avalon 20 ft. Catalina 2012 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Avalon 20 ft. Catalina 2012 if your priority is putting more people on the water - it handles 9 passengers and at 20,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Avalon Tropic 18 ft. 2010 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 8 that costs less to run day-to-day.