When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Bennington 1875 GL 2012 and the Bennington 2250 RCL 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?

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 23 hp for the Bennington 1875 GL 2012 and 25 hp for the Bennington 2250 RCL 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. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Bennington 2250 RCL 2012 carries 56 gallons versus 26 gallons in the Bennington 1875 GL 2012. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Bennington 2250 RCL 2012 is rated for 25 passengers, while the Bennington 1875 GL 2012 caps at 23. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Bennington 2250 RCL 2012 could be the deciding factor.