When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Cobalt Boats 296 2012 and the Cobalt Boats 302 Bowrider 2008 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 2012 at 30,2 ft versus Cobalt Boats 302 Bowrider 2008 at 29,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Cobalt Boats 302 Bowrider 2008 tips the scales at 988 lbs — 114 lbs less than the Cobalt Boats 296 2012 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 Cobalt Boats 296 2012 carries a rated maximum of 2 hp. Engine data for the Cobalt Boats 302 Bowrider 2008 wasn't available in our records — check the manufacturer's spec sheet before sizing a motor.Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Cobalt Boats 296 2012 carries 123 gallons versus 15 gallons in the Cobalt Boats 302 Bowrider 2008. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.