When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Prestige Prestige 550 2013 and the Prestige Prestige 720 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?

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 1 200 hp, the Prestige Prestige 720 2013 has a 1 198-hp advantage over the Prestige Prestige 550 2013's 2-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Prestige Prestige 720 2013 carries 1 162 gallons versus 581 gallons in the Prestige Prestige 550 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 720 2013 is rated for 22 passengers, while the Prestige Prestige 550 2013 caps at 17. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Prestige Prestige 720 2013 could be the deciding factor.