When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Princecraft Sport 172 WS 2012 and the Princecraft Sport 174 WS 2013 are deep vee designs with aluminum 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 — Princecraft Sport 172 WS 2012 at 17,4 ft versus Princecraft Sport 174 WS 2013 at 17,4 ft. At 1 255 lbs and 1 319 lbs respectively, both sit in a similar weight class — either should pair comfortably with most mid-size SUVs and half-ton trucks, though always confirm your specific tow rating with the motor added.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 125 hp for the Princecraft Sport 172 WS 2012 and 125 hp for the Princecraft Sport 174 WS 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 — 26 gal and 26 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Princecraft Sport 174 WS 2013 is rated for 7 passengers, while the Princecraft Sport 172 WS 2012 caps at 6. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Princecraft Sport 174 WS 2013 could be the deciding factor.

At this size, power-to-weight ratio matters more than outright horsepower. The Princecraft Sport 172 WS 2012 comes in at 10 lbs per hp versus 11 lbs per hp for the Princecraft Sport 174 WS 2013. The lower the ratio the more explosive the acceleration — meaningful on a short RIB where bursts of speed, quick planing, and agility in surf or tight waterways define the experience.