When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Crestliner Sportsman 1250 2013 and the Crestliner XCR 1257V 2012 are modified vee designs with aluminum 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?
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 20 hp for the Crestliner Sportsman 1250 2013 and 10 hp for the Crestliner XCR 1257V 2012. 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.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Crestliner Sportsman 1250 2013 is rated for 4 passengers, while the Crestliner XCR 1257V 2012 caps at 3. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Crestliner Sportsman 1250 2013 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Crestliner Sportsman 1250 2013 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 4 passengers and at 12,2 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Crestliner XCR 1257V 2012 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 3 that costs less to run day-to-day.