When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Robalo R240 2012 and the Robalo R245 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 — Robalo R240 2012 at 24,0 ft versus Robalo R245 2013 at 24,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Robalo R245 2013 tips the scales at 5 533 lbs — 5 029 lbs less than the Robalo R240 2012 at 504 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 — 400 hp for the Robalo R240 2012 and 400 hp for the Robalo R245 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 Robalo R240 2012 carries 175 gallons versus 139 gallons in the Robalo R245 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 Robalo R240 2012 is rated for 12 passengers, while the Robalo R245 2013 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Robalo R240 2012 could be the deciding factor.