When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Bennington 2050RL-S Series 2009 and the Bennington 22SFi 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 2050RL-S Series 2009 at 20,6 ft versus Bennington 22SFi 2010 at 21,7 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Bennington 2050RL-S Series 2009 tips the scales at 2 553 lbs — 808 lbs more than the Bennington 22SFi 2010 at 1 745 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.

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 23 hp, the Bennington 22SFi 2010 has a 21-hp advantage over the Bennington 2050RL-S Series 2009's 2-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Bennington 22SFi 2010 is rated for 23 passengers, while the Bennington 2050RL-S Series 2009 caps at 2. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Bennington 22SFi 2010 could be the deciding factor.

Both are 23-tube and 2-tube pontoon designs respectively. Tube diameter and gauge affect stability and load capacity — more so than most buyers realize when comparing on paper.