Both the Nautique 200 2012 and the Nautique Ski Nautique 196 2008 are modified-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 - Nautique 200 2012 at 20,0 ft versus Nautique Ski Nautique 196 2008 at 19,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Nautique 200 2012 tips the scales at 3 250 lbs - 610 lbs more than the Nautique Ski Nautique 196 2008 at 2 640 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 - 409 hp for the Nautique 200 2012 and 390 hp for the Nautique Ski Nautique 196 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 - 30 gal and 29 gal - so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Nautique 200 2012 is rated for 10 passengers, while the Nautique Ski Nautique 196 2008 caps at 6. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Nautique 200 2012 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Nautique 200 2012 if your priority is putting more people on the water - it handles 10 passengers and at 20,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Nautique Ski Nautique 196 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.