When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Contender 25 Bay 2013 and the Contender 28 Tournament 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 — Contender 25 Bay 2013 at 25,3 ft versus Contender 28 Tournament 2012 at 28,0 ft. At 32 lbs and 47 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 600 hp, the Contender 28 Tournament 2012 has a 250-hp advantage over the Contender 25 Bay 2013's 350-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Contender 28 Tournament 2012 carries 185 gallons versus 9 gallons in the Contender 25 Bay 2013. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Contender 28 Tournament 2012 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Contender 25 Bay 2013 caps at 7. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Contender 28 Tournament 2012 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Contender 28 Tournament 2012 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 8 passengers and at 28,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Contender 25 Bay 2013 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 7 that costs less to run day-to-day.