When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the EdgeWater 240IS 2013 and the EdgeWater 245CX (2009) 2008 are deep vee designs with composite 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 — EdgeWater 240IS 2013 at 24,0 ft versus EdgeWater 245CX (2009) 2008 at 24,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the EdgeWater 245CX (2009) 2008 tips the scales at 355 lbs — 328 lbs less than the EdgeWater 240IS 2013 at 27 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.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 350 hp for the EdgeWater 240IS 2013 and 350 hp for the EdgeWater 245CX (2009) 2008. 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. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the EdgeWater 240IS 2013 carries 77 gallons versus 13 gallons in the EdgeWater 245CX (2009) 2008. 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 EdgeWater 245CX (2009) 2008 is rated for 11 passengers, while the EdgeWater 240IS 2013 caps at 8. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the EdgeWater 245CX (2009) 2008 could be the deciding factor.