When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Cobalt Boats 296 2010 and the Cobalt Boats 302 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 296 2010 at 30,2 ft versus Cobalt Boats 302 2011 at 29,8 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Cobalt Boats 302 2011 tips the scales at 988 lbs — 114 lbs less 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.

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 420 hp, the Cobalt Boats 296 2010 has a 418-hp advantage over the Cobalt Boats 302 2011's 2-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Cobalt Boats 296 2010 carries 123 gallons versus 15 gallons in the Cobalt Boats 302 2011. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.