When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Montego Bay Pontoons C8516 Cruise DLX 2013 and the Montego Bay Pontoons C8518 Cruise DLX 2013 are pontoon 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 — Montego Bay Pontoons C8516 Cruise DLX 2013 at 17,0 ft versus Montego Bay Pontoons C8518 Cruise DLX 2013 at 19,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Montego Bay Pontoons C8516 Cruise DLX 2013 tips the scales at 1 325 lbs — 1 189 lbs more than the Montego Bay Pontoons C8518 Cruise DLX 2013 at 136 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 — 40 hp for the Montego Bay Pontoons C8516 Cruise DLX 2013 and 60 hp for the Montego Bay Pontoons C8518 Cruise DLX 2013. 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 Montego Bay Pontoons C8518 Cruise DLX 2013 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Montego Bay Pontoons C8516 Cruise DLX 2013 caps at 6. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Montego Bay Pontoons C8518 Cruise DLX 2013 could be the deciding factor.