Both the Monterey 264FS 2012 and the Monterey 288SS 2013 are deep-V designs, both built in fibreglass, so 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 - Monterey 264FS 2012 at 26,6 ft versus Monterey 288SS 2013 at 29,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Monterey 288SS 2013 tips the scales at 7 100 lbs - 1 700 lbs less than the Monterey 264FS 2012 at 5 400 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 - 425 hp for the Monterey 264FS 2012 and 430 hp for the Monterey 288SS 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. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Monterey 288SS 2013 carries 100 gallons versus 80 gallons in the Monterey 264FS 2012. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.