When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Contender 31 Tournament 2008 and the Contender 35 ST 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 — Contender 31 Tournament 2008 at 32,0 ft versus Contender 35 ST 2011 at 34,8 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Contender 35 ST 2011 tips the scales at 1 156 lbs — 571 lbs less than the Contender 31 Tournament 2008 at 585 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 1 050 hp, the Contender 35 ST 2011 has a 350-hp advantage over the Contender 31 Tournament 2008's 700-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 31 Tournament 2008 carries 31 gallons versus 4 gallons in the Contender 35 ST 2011. 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 35 ST 2011 is rated for 10 passengers, while the Contender 31 Tournament 2008 caps at 9. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Contender 35 ST 2011 could be the deciding factor.