When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Rinker Captiva 246 CC 2012 and the Rinker Captiva 296 CC 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 Rinker Captiva 246 CC 2012 carries a rated maximum of 430 hp. Engine data for the Rinker Captiva 296 CC 2013 wasn't available in our records — check the manufacturer's spec sheet before sizing a motor.Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Rinker Captiva 296 CC 2013 carries 96 gallons versus 75 gallons in the Rinker Captiva 246 CC 2012. 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 Rinker Captiva 296 CC 2013 is rated for 9 passengers, while the Rinker Captiva 246 CC 2012 caps at 7. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Rinker Captiva 296 CC 2013 could be the deciding factor.