When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Glastron GS 259 2008 and the Glastron GT 249 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 — Glastron GS 259 2008 at 24,0 ft versus Glastron GT 249 2008 at 24,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Glastron GS 259 2008 tips the scales at 5 525 lbs — 1 088 lbs more than the Glastron GT 249 2008 at 4 437 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 — 320 hp for the Glastron GS 259 2008 and 320 hp for the Glastron GT 249 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. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 56 gal and 56 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Glastron GS 259 2008 is rated for 7 passengers, while the Glastron GT 249 2008 caps at 6. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Glastron GS 259 2008 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Glastron GS 259 2008 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 7 passengers and at 24,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Glastron GT 249 2008 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 6 that costs less to run day-to-day.