When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Cobalt Boats 262WSS 2011 and the Cobalt Boats 296 2010 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?

Size is the most obvious dividing line here. The Cobalt Boats 296 2010 measures 30,2 feet overall (2010), giving it roughly 4,6 additional feet of deck space compared to the Cobalt Boats 262WSS 2011 at 25,6 feet (2011). Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Cobalt Boats 262WSS 2011 tips the scales at 5 425 lbs — 4 551 lbs more than the Cobalt Boats 296 2010 at 874 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 — 430 hp for the Cobalt Boats 262WSS 2011 and 420 hp for the Cobalt Boats 296 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. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Cobalt Boats 296 2010 carries 123 gallons versus 73 gallons in the Cobalt Boats 262WSS 2011. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.

The Cobalt Boats 262WSS 2011 is rated for up to 15 people. Passenger data for the Cobalt Boats 296 2010 wasn't available.