When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Chaparral 264 Xtreme 2010 and the Chaparral Signature 290 2012 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 264 Xtreme 2010 at 26,3 ft versus Chaparral Signature 290 2012 at 29,0 ft. At 58 lbs and 91 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 450 hp, the Chaparral Signature 290 2012 has a 25-hp advantage over the Chaparral 264 Xtreme 2010's 425-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Chaparral 264 Xtreme 2010 carries 8 gallons versus 1 gallons in the Chaparral Signature 290 2012. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.