When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Nautique 226 2013 and the Nautique G23 2012 are deep 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?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Nautique 226 2013 at 22,6 ft versus Nautique G23 2012 at 23,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Nautique 226 2013 tips the scales at 455 lbs — 401 lbs more than the Nautique G23 2012 at 54 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 — 343 hp for the Nautique 226 2013 and 343 hp for the Nautique G23 2012. 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 Nautique G23 2012 carries 65 gallons versus 52 gallons in the Nautique 226 2013. 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 Nautique G23 2012 is rated for 16 passengers, while the Nautique 226 2013 caps at 15. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Nautique G23 2012 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Nautique G23 2012 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 16 passengers and at 23,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Nautique 226 2013 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 15 that costs less to run day-to-day.