When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Bennington 2274 GLi 2011 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 2274 GLi 2011 at 24,1 ft versus Bennington 22SFi 2010 at 21,7 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Bennington 2274 GLi 2011 tips the scales at 2 724 lbs — 979 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.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 25 hp for the Bennington 2274 GLi 2011 and 23 hp for the Bennington 22SFi 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. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 26 gal and 24 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Bennington 2274 GLi 2011 is rated for 25 passengers, while the Bennington 22SFi 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 2274 GLi 2011 could be the deciding factor.