When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Prestige Prestige 550 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?

On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Prestige Prestige 550 2013 at 58,7 ft versus Prestige Prestige 550 S 2013 at 58,7 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Prestige Prestige 550 2013 tips the scales at 39 021 lbs — 35 174 lbs more than the Prestige Prestige 550 S 2013 at 3 847 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 550 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. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 581 gal and 581 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

Both boats are rated for 17 passengers — a good fit for a family of four or five plus guests. Comfort at capacity is another matter; the longer hull typically means more seat options and better weight distribution.