When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Bennington 2050 RL 2013 and the Bennington 2050FSi 2010 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?

On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Bennington 2050 RL 2013 at 22,1 ft versus Bennington 2050FSi 2010 at 22,2 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Bennington 2050 RL 2013 tips the scales at 2 553 lbs — 359 lbs more than the Bennington 2050FSi 2010 at 2 194 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 — 25 hp for the Bennington 2050 RL 2013 and 23 hp for the Bennington 2050FSi 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. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Bennington 2050FSi 2010 carries 31 gallons versus 26 gallons in the Bennington 2050 RL 2013. 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 2050 RL 2013 is rated for 25 passengers, while the Bennington 2050FSi 2010 caps at 23. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Bennington 2050 RL 2013 could be the deciding factor.