When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Bennington 165SLi 2009 and the Bennington 20 SL 2012 are pontoon designs with aluminum construction — 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?

Size is the most obvious dividing line here. The Bennington 20 SL 2012 measures 20,4 feet overall (2012), giving it roughly 4,4 additional feet of deck space compared to the Bennington 165SLi 2009 at 16,0 feet (2009). Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Bennington 20 SL 2012 tips the scales at 1 711 lbs — 220 lbs less than the Bennington 165SLi 2009 at 1 491 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 — 50 hp for the Bennington 165SLi 2009 and 70 hp for the Bennington 20 SL 2012. 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 Bennington 20 SL 2012 is rated for 23 passengers, while the Bennington 165SLi 2009 caps at 6. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Bennington 20 SL 2012 could be the deciding factor.

One place where both boats are genuinely identical is tube construction: both run 2 aluminum tubes at 23" diameter. That shared spec means stability and buoyancy characteristics are closely matched — the ride difference you'll feel between them comes primarily from deck length, weight distribution, and motor choice.