When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Prestige Prestige 390 S 2013 and the Prestige Prestige 550 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 550 S 2013 measures 58,7 feet overall (2013), giving it roughly 19,6 additional feet of deck space compared to the Prestige Prestige 390 S 2013 at 39,1 feet (2013). Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Prestige Prestige 550 S 2013 tips the scales at 3 847 lbs — 3 772 lbs less than the Prestige Prestige 390 S 2013 at 75 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 390 S 2013 and 2 hp for the Prestige Prestige 550 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. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Prestige Prestige 550 S 2013 carries 581 gallons versus 243 gallons in the Prestige Prestige 390 S 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 Prestige Prestige 550 S 2013 is rated for 17 passengers, while the Prestige Prestige 390 S 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 550 S 2013 could be the deciding factor.