When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Cobalt Boats 220WSS 2013 and the Cobalt Boats 222 2011 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 — Cobalt Boats 220WSS 2013 at 21,3 ft versus Cobalt Boats 222 2011 at 21,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Cobalt Boats 220WSS 2013 tips the scales at 385 lbs — 344 lbs more than the Cobalt Boats 222 2011 at 41 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 — 320 hp for the Cobalt Boats 220WSS 2013 and 320 hp for the Cobalt Boats 222 2011. 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 — 5 gal and 5 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

Both boats are rated for 12 passengers — a good fit for a family of four or five plus guests. Comfort at capacity is another matter; the longer hull typically means more seat options and better weight distribution.