When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Chaparral 244 Xtreme 2012 and the Chaparral 264 Xtreme 2013 are deep vee designs with fiberglass 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 — Chaparral 244 Xtreme 2012 at 24,3 ft versus Chaparral 264 Xtreme 2013 at 26,3 ft. At 47 lbs and 58 lbs respectively, both sit in a similar weight class — either should pair comfortably with most mid-size SUVs and half-ton trucks, though always confirm your specific tow rating with the motor added.

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 430 hp, the Chaparral 264 Xtreme 2013 has a 30-hp advantage over the Chaparral 244 Xtreme 2012's 400-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 6 gal and 8 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

The Chaparral 244 Xtreme 2012 is rated for up to 14 people. Passenger data for the Chaparral 264 Xtreme 2013 wasn't available.