When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Prestige Prestige 350 2013 and the Prestige Prestige 500 S 2013 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?

Size is the most obvious dividing line here. The Prestige Prestige 500 S 2013 measures 49,8 feet overall (2013), giving it roughly 13,0 additional feet of deck space compared to the Prestige Prestige 350 2013 at 36,8 feet (2013). Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Prestige Prestige 500 S 2013 tips the scales at 2 975 lbs — 1 542 lbs less than the Prestige Prestige 350 2013 at 1 433 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 — 2 hp for the Prestige Prestige 350 2013 and 2 hp for the Prestige Prestige 500 S 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. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 172 gal and 172 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Prestige Prestige 500 S 2013 is rated for 15 passengers, while the Prestige Prestige 350 2013 caps at 11. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Prestige Prestige 500 S 2013 could be the deciding factor.