Both the Premier Boats Escapade 235 2007 and the Premier Boats Explorer 221 2013 are pontoon designs, both built in aluminium, 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 - Premier Boats Escapade 235 2007 at 23,0 ft versus Premier Boats Explorer 221 2013 at 22,4 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Premier Boats Escapade 235 2007 tips the scales at 2 350 lbs - 300 lbs more than the Premier Boats Explorer 221 2013 at 2 050 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.
The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 150 hp, the Premier Boats Escapade 235 2007 has a 35-hp advantage over the Premier Boats Explorer 221 2013's 115-hp ceiling - enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads - 30 gal and 28 gal - so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Premier Boats Escapade 235 2007 is rated for 13 passengers, while the Premier Boats Explorer 221 2013 caps at 11. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Premier Boats Escapade 235 2007 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Premier Boats Escapade 235 2007 if your priority is putting more people on the water - it handles 13 passengers and at 23,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Premier Boats Explorer 221 2013 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 11 that costs less to run day-to-day.