When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Monterey 243 EX 2008 and the Monterey 260SCR 2009 are modified 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?

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 320 hp for the Monterey 243 EX 2008 and 320 hp for the Monterey 260SCR 2009. 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 Monterey 243 EX 2008 carries 57 gallons versus 8 gallons in the Monterey 260SCR 2009. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.

The Monterey 243 EX 2008 is rated for up to 7 people. Passenger data for the Monterey 260SCR 2009 wasn't available.