When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Lund 1850 Tyee 2012 and the Lund 1850 Tyee Gran Sport 2006 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?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Lund 1850 Tyee 2012 at 18,5 ft versus Lund 1850 Tyee Gran Sport 2006 at 18,0 ft. At 153 lbs and 182 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.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 200 hp for the Lund 1850 Tyee 2012 and 200 hp for the Lund 1850 Tyee Gran Sport 2006. 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 Lund 1850 Tyee Gran Sport 2006 carries 41 gallons versus 4 gallons in the Lund 1850 Tyee 2012. 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 Lund 1850 Tyee Gran Sport 2006 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Lund 1850 Tyee 2012 caps at 5. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Lund 1850 Tyee Gran Sport 2006 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Lund 1850 Tyee Gran Sport 2006 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 8 passengers and at 18,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Lund 1850 Tyee 2012 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 5 that costs less to run day-to-day.